Occupy Toronto Archives - Page 9 of 12

Beyond Zuccotti Park

Occupy Toronto 13 August 2012 by Michael Holloway New Book takes a hard Look at Public Space Freedoms in the Wake of Occupy With the book’s release the authors are planning a travelling series of happenings, “A parallel exhibition as live participatory experience—Beyond Zuccotti Park: Exhibition as Occupation…” – one or which will undoubtedly be organized in Toronto – and in cities across Canada. Stay tuned here for updates. More on the project in this video form the Kickstarter page (Funded)– http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/303382230/beyond-zuccotti-park via New Village Press: New Book Takes Hard Look at Public Space Freedoms in the Wake of Occupy New York, NY – August 7, 2012 “Beyond Zuccotti Park: Freedom of Assembly and the Occupation of Public Space”, to be released on September 11, 2012, examines the importance of public space as a community forum for citizen expression. Actions against Occupy Wall Street demonstrations have spotlighted US Constitutional rights to freedom of assembly. The book puts issues of democracy and civic engagement into the center of built environment dialogue by addressing where and how people can congregate publicly today, whose voices are heard, and the factors that limit the participation of minorities. It also gives fresh attention to the planning, design, and programming of public space. Beyond Zuccotti Park was conceived in response to the forced clearance of Occupy activities from public plazas throughout the country. Its distinguished editors are advocates of participatory civic process: Ron Shiffman, FAICP, Hon. AIA, Director Emeritus, Pratt Center for Community Development and Professor, Pratt Institute Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment; Rick Bell, Executive Director, American Institute of Architects, New York; Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, ACSA Distinguished Professor, School of Architecture, City College of New York, CUNY; Lynne Elizabeth, Director, New Village Press; Anastassia Fisyak, Urban Planning Fellow, Pratt Center for Community Development; and Anusha Venkataraman, Assistant Director, El Puente Green Light District. Beyond Zuccotti Park’s foreword was penned by Michael Kimmelman, chief architecture critic of the New York Times, and Pulitzer Prize finalist. The AIANY Center for Architecture will hold multiple events in celebration of Beyond Zuccotti Park: • Exhibit Opening – September 6 (runs thru 9/22) – Beyond Zuccotti Park: Exhibition as Occupation • Book Launch – September 10 – presenters: Peter Marcuse, professor emeritus of Urban Planning at Columbia University, and Nikki Stern, political, social, and cultural commentator. • Public Workshops – September 16 – Democracy, Equity, and Public Space, celebrating the anniversary of Occupy Wall Street “This book, like Zuccotti [Park] itself, is a site of vigorous conversation, hard thinking, and bold proposals.” —Mike Wallace, coauthor of Pulitzer Prize-winning Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 New Village Press – August 7, 2012 ___________ “.. A parallel exhibition as live participatory experience—Beyond Zuccotti Park: Exhibition as Occupation—is slated to open at the Center for Architecture on September 6 and will run through September 22, with fresh posters from Occuprint, broadcasts from May Day Radio, workshops from Occupy Town Square, and flashmob performances spilling onto adjacent sidewalks, La Guardia Place, and Washington Square Park. The book and exhibition are a collaborative partnership of the Center for Architecture New York, City College of New York School of Architecture, the Pratt Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment, and Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility. …” Sean Gleason – New Village Press ...

CLASSE calls for rest period – “Social Strike” does not rest: July 22 march, August 1st Casseroles HUGE

Occupy Toronto 04 August 2012 by Michael Holloway From ROAR Magazine, August 4, 2012 “O, Canada, we stand on guard for thee!” by Nadim Fetaih They said that it had fizzled out. They said it was over. They said a lot of things. But one thing is clear: here in Montreal, the fight is far from over. “On July 22nd, I went to Montreal to witness what was said to be a dying fight — but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Oh the folly of our times, believing that regrouping is in fact the destruction of a movement. What I saw was a beautiful sight of solidarity for the student cause in Quebec. Men and women, young and old, were out in full force, proving once again that the movement, which hides for but a moment, is only growing stronger below the radar of the media and general population. As a person living in Toronto, all I could do was mire at the beautiful stories that would find itself within my city limits, to reach my ears as I would listen attentively at the admiration of my fellow Canadians. For the first time in a long time, I truly feel proud to be Canadian. A mass movement is growing. …” Read the rest at ROAR Magazine | “O, Canada, we stand on guard for thee!” | by Nadim Fetaih published August 4, 2012 – http://roarmag.org/2012/08/o-canada-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/ Ontario Students’ Mobilization Coalition (OSMC) is calling for a resumption of Casseroles, August 22, 2012 – Facebook Event | “Call to Action: Solidarity with Quebec, August 22” – https://www.facebook.com/events/366182496785845/ OSMC Tweet embed: Mark your calenders and tell your friends! fb.me/wPcAVbOG — OSMC (@OntarioSMC) July 31, 2012 I posted this overview of the situation in Quebec on my time-line in Facebook on Wednesday 01 August 2012 at 11:17 pm edt: The Liberal Party has called a snap, summer Quebec Provincial Election! The 35 day campaign will result in a polling day of September 4th — days before the end of summer holidays first day back to work after Labour Day. My analysis: On the one hand, a way of keeping voter turn out low; and on the other hand to stop the growth of the mass movement by introducing an issue that could divide it: Whether or not to put all effort into elections – or as CLASSE has said – continue to build the movement towards a “Social Strike” – a general strike of all Quebecois to defeat the neo-liberal agenda – to force the opposition Parti Quebecois to change party policy away from the neo-liberal austerity economics – and towards a progressive policy of infrastructure renewal and expansion – towards a reboot the global economy. Meanwhile tonight, CUTV is live broadcasting Casseroles as at least 10,000 people on the streets of Montreal for the 100th night of Casseroles – much more than anyone expected. Also, a heavy riot gear equipped police presence – and – plenty of the black bloc activists clad in their team’s black garb. (Apparently interlocutors for the police to fight – in order to create spectacle; and violent images so ‘state broadcasters’ can confuse those still fence-sitting – in order to stop the growth of the mass movement which is at this time, the States’ key objective. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2012/07/31/quebec-election-call.html [edited for clarity]...

TRNN’s “Berlin Tenants’ Movement Occupy Square”

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway VIDEO The Real News Network | July 31, 2012 Berlin Tenants’ Movement Occupy Square Social housing tenants occupy central square demand a rent freeze and nationalization of social housing “Berlin Tenants’ Movement Occupy Square” More at The Real News The Real News Network | July 31, 2012 | Berlin Tenants’ Movement Occupy Square – http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8637 The Real News Network | Occupy tab – http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=846...

TRNN’s “Quebec Students Continue Resistance”

Occupy Toronto 30 July 2012 by Michael Holloway VIDEO The Real News Network (TRNN) – latest report from the Quebec movement against neo-liberal austerity. 80,000 participated in the July 22nd version of the monthly marches – the 5th such monthly protest – even though the leadership of the movement had called for a rest period, in preparation for an Bill 78 mandated reopening of the schools the week of August 13 – 17; and a looming Provincial election that could be called in August (if the Liberals have the balls to try that tactic) but for sure sometime this fall. Quebec Students Continue Resistance More at The Real News The Real News Network’s multipart “Quebec Student Strike” series link:http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=74&jumival=872...

VIDEO: ‘shatterer’ of Glass-Steagall, ‘we need Glass-Steagall back!’

Occupy Toronto 26 July 2012 by Michael Holloway Sanford Weill, financier turned banker – CEO of Citigroup (retired) – suggests in a CNBC interview on Wednesday, July 25th 2012, that finance and banking should be split again – like the 1933, Glass-Steagall Act mandated. He also says derivatives should be traded on their own exchange – so innovative vehicles (like credit default swaps) are ‘marked’ in a transparent market place. He also prescribes that all banking transactions be transparent. (!!!) The CNBC interviewer Rebecca Quick points out in passing that the too big to fail law, Dodd-Frank (intended to replace Glass-Steagall in the aftermath of the 2007/2008 collapse) has been ineffective. Sanford ‘Sandy’ Weill goes on to explain (in ‘neo-liberal-ese’) that, if another country can’t yet lead the world, then the U.S. has to do it – but this current banking system is hindering that hegemony, that order; so let us (the conspiracy nutters like to call the ‘us’ in this context “The Illuminati” – but really it’s just (just) a collusion between global sized corporations, financial institutions, big banks and governments – aka G-20) … so let ‘us’ agree on Real Regulation – this time not to protect the American Taxpayer, or American Business – as Glass-Steagall did – but rather to protect the Global American Empire Project (‘Global Economy’ in neo-liberal speak). Very Interesting. I’d back that reform – it could save civilization. Here’s a snippet of the write up of the story from Kevin Drum at Mother Jones: Sandy Weill Joins Occupy Wall Street Movement In 1985, after he was forced out of American Express, Sandy Weill went on an acquisitions tear. He took over a consumer finance company, then acquired an insurance company, then a retail brokerage, then Travelers Insurance, then another brokerage, an investment bank, and finally a merger of his entire empire with Citigroup. But that last step required more than money. Merging an investment bank with a commercial bank required a repeal of Glass-Steagall, the New Deal law that had broken up commercial and investment banks in the first place. So Weill went to work, and a year later Glass-Steagall was gone. Sandy Weill was, in a very real sense, the midwife of repeal, or, as he preferred to call himself at the time, “The Shatterer of Glass-Steagall.” For years Weill has denied that repeal played any role in the 2008 financial crisis. Today, it appears that he’s changed his mind: Weill did a 180 on CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning, saying that he now believes big banks — like, presumably, Citigroup — should be broken up: What we should probably do is go and split up investment banking from banking, have banks be deposit takers, have banks make commercial loans and real estate loans, have banks do something that’s not going to risk the taxpayer dollars, that’s not too big to fail. Sandy Weill advocating for the reinstatement of Glass-Steagall is among the biggest flip-flops imaginable. (In political terms, it would be akin to Rick Santorum announcing he was becoming a GLAAD spokesman.) And when Weill called for a bank breakup this morning, CNBC’s incredulous anchors gave him a chance to walk back what they assumed was a spur-of-the-moment gaffe. But Weill didn’t budge: I’m suggesting that they be broken up so that the taxpayer will never be at risk, the depositors won’t be at risk, the leverage of the banks will be something reasonable. ..read the rest at Mother Jones… – http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/07/sandy-weill-joins-occupy-wall-street-movement Here’s the Video: Wall Street Legend Sandy Weill: Break Up the Big Banks – CNBC (via New York Magazine) References: Mother Jones | “Sandy Weill Joins Occupy Wall Street Movement” | by Kevin Drum | Wed Jul. 25, 2012 – http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/07/sandy-weill-joins-occupy-wall-street-movement Video embed via New York Magazine, “Former Citigroup Boss Goes H.A.M. on Big Banks, Advocates Return of Glass-Steagall” by Kevin Roose [what’s H.A.M. mean?] – http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/07/sandy-weill-goes-ham-on-big-banks.html CNBC | “Wall Street Legend Sandy Weill: Break Up the Big Banks” | Wednesday, 25 Jul 2012 | by CNBC.com – http://www.cnbc.com/id/48315170 ...

Reflections on a Revolution – “ROAR” Magazine – good source for global news, You should Go!

Occupy Toronto 26 July 2012 by Michael Holloway Click on Image – or here to go to the page shown: http://roarmag.org/about-roar/ From the description: Reflections on a Revolution (ROAR) is an online magazine that seeks to amplify the voice of our generation amidst the clamorous cacophony of a rapidly changing world. ROAR aims to bring you some of the world’s most inspiring news, stories, analysis, ideas, actions, books, poems, tunes, photos, videos and doodles from the front-lines of the global justice movement. ROAR was founded in San Francisco in 2010 as an initiative of Spearhead Action Group, an NGO that champions the creation of a more just and more sustainable world. ROAR is run by Jérôme Roos, a writer, activist and political economist from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and a PhD Researcher at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. No particular endorsement is indented here; I don’t know these people, or what stripe they are. Good news aggregation of stories of the movement world wide. Via Donna Jennison post (26July2012 ~10:00 am edt) at Facebook Group, “Casseroles Night in Canada” – https://www.facebook.com/groups/242330792546515/permalink/265983363514591/ ...

US Cities could declare ‘eminent domain’ on bank fraud houses, sell them back to dwellers at 1/2 price, save world

Occupy Toronto 26 July 2012 by Michael Holloway “..there’s something brewing that looks like it might be a blueprint to effectively take on Wall Street: a plan to allow local governments to take on the problem of neighborhoods blighted by toxic home loans and foreclosures through the use of eminent domain…” Via Rolling Stone, via Common Dreams, “From an Unlikely Source, a Serious Challenge to Wall Street” by Matt Taibbi Something very interesting is happening. There’s been so much corruption on Wall Street in recent years, and the federal government has appeared to be so deeply complicit in many of the problems, that many people have experienced something very like despair over the question of what to do about it all. But there’s something brewing that looks like it might be a blueprint to effectively take on Wall Street: a plan to allow local governments to take on the problem of neighborhoods blighted by toxic home loans and foreclosures through the use of eminent domain. I can’t speak for how well the program will work, but it’s certaily been effective in scaring the hell out of Wall Street. Under the proposal, towns would essentially be seizing and condemning the man-made mess resulting from the housing bubble. Cooked up by a small group of businessmen and ex-venture capitalists, the audacious idea falls under the category of “That’s so crazy, it just might work!” One of the plan’s originators described it to me as a “four-bank pool shot.” Here’s how the New York Times described it in an article from earlier this week entitled, “California County Weighs Drastic Plan to Aid Homeowners”: Desperate for a way out of a housing collapse that has crippled the region, officials in San Bernardino County … are exploring a drastic option — using eminent domain to buy up mortgages for homes that are underwater. Then, the idea goes, the county could cut the mortgages to the current value of the homes and resell the mortgages to a private investment firm, which would allow homeowners to lower their monthly payments and hang onto their property. I’ve been following this story for months now – I was tipped off that this was coming earlier this past spring – and in the time since I’ve become more convinced the idea might actually work, thanks mainly to the extremely lucky accident that the plan doesn’t require the permission of anyone up in the political Olympus. … © 2012 Rolling Stone Read the rest at Common Dreams: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/07/21-1 * * * Via Common Dreams, “From an Unlikely Source, a Serious Challenge to Wall Street”, by Matt Taibbi – http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/07/21-1 Rolling Stone, Saturday, July 21, 2012, “From an Unlikely Source, a Serious Challenge to Wall Street”, by Matt Taibbi – http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/from-an-unlikely-source-a-serious-challenge-to-wall-street-20120720 mh...

VIDEO: RSA Animate’s “Crises of Capitalism” up to 1,802,717 views, 14,002 likes, 966 dislikes

Occupy Toronto 24 July 2012 by Michael Holloway “.. renowned academic David Harvey asks if it is time to look beyond capitalism towards a new social order that would allow us to live within a system that really could be responsible, just, and humane?” (RSA Animate) Good description of the current crisis of capitalism, Karl Marx’s ‘shrinking rate of return’ observation, and ends suggesting senisible people have to join an anti-capitalist organization. His description, and action suggestion come straight from the Communist Manifesto. References: RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) – http://www.thersa.org/ David Harvey – (PhD Cambridge 1962; Distg Prof) Cultural, Urbanization, environment, political economy, geography and social theory; Advanced capitalist countries – http://web.gc.cuny.edu/anthropology/fac_harvey.html Reading Marx’s Capital with David Harvey A close reading of the text of Karl Marx’s Capital – http://davidharvey.org/ Communist Manifesto – http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ ...

‘new economics foundation’ – ‘new economy’ renegade economists propose radical changes in banking

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway ‘The Centre and Centre-Left, Social Democrats and Liberal opposition parties could effectively, electorally challenge neo-liberal governments’ economic policy with this model…’ “new economics foundation” is a group of renegade economists who have named themselves as part of a new school called the ‘new economy’ school. They propose specific changes to banking rules; basically a coarse away from fractional reserve banking – and towards sovereign central banks under democratic control. ‘New Economics’ is a sensible and realistic economic policy alternative to the neo-liberal regime and their austerity approach to solve the crisis they have created. It’s a template that a people’s government could institute right now as an alternative to the neo-liberal economic model. The strategy takes key powers away the banks and financial institutions which presently account for almost all the ‘growth’ in the neo-liberal economys. New Economics proposes a restart the economy with spending by central banks to maintain and expand public infrastructures – education, transportation, housing, energy. Centre and Left-Centre, Social Democratic and Liberals in opposition could effectively, electorally challenge neo-liberal governments with this model – the model becomes a more effective political tool as the crisis deepens. “new economics foundation” (nef) is a group of ‘radical’ economists who propose specific changes to banking rules that would end the financial crisis. By returning the power to create new money back to the central banks, thus ending the recent era marked by the dominance of the financial sector. Solving the Debt Problem & Financial Crisis: On Monetary Reform with Ben Dyson About nef (http://www.neweconomics.org/about) nef (the new economics foundation) is an independent think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being. We aim to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environment and social issues. We work in partnership and put people and the planet first. nef was founded in 1986 by the leaders of The Other Economic Summit (TOES) which forced issues such as international debt onto the agenda of the G7 and G8 summits. We are unique in combining rigorous analysis and policy debate with practical solutions on the ground, often run and designed with the help of local people. We also create new ways of measuring progress towards increased well-being and environmental sustainability. nef works with all sections of society in the UK and internationally – civil society, government, individuals, businesses and academia – to create more understanding and strategies for change. Renegade Economist with Positive Money Ben Dyson lecture (24:24) Ben Dyson of Positive Money at the Just Banking conference on 20th April 2012 Dyson fields questions from the audience at 19:16. Via Critical Mass Film | Critical Press | podcasts | “The Magic Box of Money Creation with Ben Curtis and Ben Dyson of Positive Money “ * * * [Via Donna Jennison post at Casseroles Canada –https://www.facebook.com/groups/242330792546515/permalink/263875993725328/] Links: Positive Money – http://www.positivemoney.org.uk/ New Era Network | Ben Dyson profile – http://neweranetwork.info/generationnext/ben-dyson/ Youtube, Event Video Services | playlists | Just Banking Conference – “Just Banking conference on 19th April 2012” (2 videos) – http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDF418BE7D931F75A&feature=plcp “Just Banking conference on 20th April 2012” (13 videos) – http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A55C517496A1DE7&feature=plcp Just Banking – www.justbanking.org.uk/ Critical Mass Film | http://www.criticalmassfilm.com/ The American Monetary Institute – http://www.monetary.org/ The American Monetary Institute 2012 Conference – Chicago, Sept. 20-23, 2012 –http://www.monetary.org/2012-conference Alternet, “The Rise of the New Economy Movement” (Activists, theorists, organizations and ordinary citizens are rebuilding the American political-economic system from the ground up.)– http://www.alternet.org/economy/155452/the_rise_of_the_new_economy_movement mh...

VIDEO: Tim O’Reilly, ‘Work on stuff that matters’

Occupy Toronto 18 July 2012 by Michael Holloway “..a business should create more value than it captures.” One of the most engaging philosophers of our time, combining a leading edge comprehension of technology and ancient understandings in the humanities – O’Reilly Media and Open Source Convention founder, Tim O’Reilly talks about ‘what’s wrong with this economy’ in keynote at OSCON 2012. “The Clothesline Paradox and the Sharing Economy” Watch live streaming video from oreillycode at livestream.com References: O’Reilly Radar, January 11, 2009 “Work on Stuff that Matters: First Principles” by Tim O’Reilly – http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/01/work-on-stuff-that-matters-fir.html Open Source Convention – OSCON 2012 – http://www.oscon.com/oscon2012...

VIDEO: Tim O’Reilly, ‘Work on stuff that matters’

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway “..a business should create more value than it captures.” One of the most engaging philosophers of our time, combining a leading edge comprehension of technology and ancient understandings in the humanities – O’Reilly Media and Open Source Convention founder, Tim O’Reilly talks about ‘what’s wrong with this economy’ in keynote at OSCON 2012. “The Clothesline Paradox and the Sharing Economy” Watch live streaming video from oreillycode at livestream.com References: O’Reilly Radar, January 11, 2009 “Work on Stuff that Matters: First Principles” by Tim O’Reilly – http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/01/work-on-stuff-that-matters-fir.html Open Source Convention – OSCON 2012 – http://www.oscon.com/oscon2012 Via, Google+ post by Tim O’Reilly –https://plus.google.com/u/0/107033731246200681024/posts/Ga2tWrgtqCr Search: “Lynn Stout, The Shareholder Value Myth” mh...

VIDEO: Gar Alperovitz, ‘these are revolutionary times’ in keynote at U.S. Green Party Convention

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway By the looks of it, the Green Party of the United States is FAR to the left of the Green Party of Canada, after the US party’s national convention this weekend. What do you think? Is that true? Via “Domocracy Now!“, Gar Alperovitz gave this keynote address at the United States Green Party convention that selected Massachusetts physician Jill Stein and anti-poverty campaigner Cheri Honkala as presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the November 2012 general elections in the United States. His speech outlines what he believes is a period of history that is revolutionary in nature, he compares it to the rise of he Republican Party as the anti-slavery party in the 1850′s. While he doesn’t call for a revolution via armed insurrection (the hollywood vision of what revolution means), he does call for the end of capitalism – to be replaced by a socialist state. Gar Alperovitz’s Green Party Keynote: We Are Laying Groundwork for “Next Great Revolution” FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/democracynow Twitter: @democracynow – http://twitter.com/democracynow Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/democracynow Listen on SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/democracy-now Daily Email News Digest: http://www.democracynow.org/subscribe Gar Alperovitz is a professor of political economy at the University of Maryland, co-founder of the Democracy Collaborative (imagining a future we want – and creating it here, now), and author of, “America Beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy“. mh...

VIDEO: Spanish coal miners conclude 3 week march to Madrid with mass rally at Puerta del Sol

Occupy Toronto 13 July 2012 by Michael Holloway I don’t follow mainstream broadcast news – did this story make the evening news Wednesday? Spanish coal miners walked 400km across Spain from the Castile coal mining region, to the Spanish capitol in Madrid on Wednesday – to protest new austerity introduced by Spain’s centre-right, People’s Party (PP) government. Today the miners continue their protest with a civil disobedience occupation of of Madrid’s Puerto Del Sol, the place where in October 2011 decisions were arrived at though consensus in general assembly, which lead to the birth of the North American Occupy Movement. * * * (A little history: The PP has been in charge of Spain’s austerity regime after beating the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in a Novemeber 2011 general election. The PSOE’s electoral fortunes began to take a turn for the worse after they introduced Spain’s first – G20Toronto mandated – austerity budget in 2010. The democratic socialist’s first hit came after regional elections on May 22nd, 2011 with 28,000 ”Indignados” occupying Puerta Del Sol the result of a spontanious grass roots movement known as 15M (May 15th). About a week after elections various police forces of several Spanish cities began to clear occupiers by force. An on-going cat-and-mouse game developed with occupy-ers occupying different Squares, then police clearing the square, and then an occupation of another square – all over Spain. This police crack down on dissent, and more austerity, and higher unemployment – resulted in a massive 500,000 strong Occupation of Puerta Del Sol which began October 15th 2011. The result was another election trouncing for the democratic socialists, about a month later – this time in a general election. The centre-right PP gained the most from PSOE’s collapse – many observers noted a record number of spoiled ballots as an important factor in the PSOE’s demise. The PSOE suffered it’s worst showing in the modern democratic era (which begins at the end of the fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco, 1975). * * * The coal miners three-week march against a proposed slashing of Federal Coal Subsidies began in the last week of June. As the procession neared Madrid people joined the march in their thousands – by the time the procession reached Puerta del Sol on Wednesday (11 July 2012) the rally had swelled to 10′s of thousands of people. On the same day as the mners arrived in Madrid, Spain’s Prime Minister announced another round of austerity cuts to services – with new taxes – helped swell the crowd appreciably. The Guardian’s Giles Tremlett reports from Madrid, “A tense standoff saw occasional police charges, rubber bullets, and demonstrators hurling objects at police. At least 76 people were injured in clashes along Madrid’s central Castellana Boulevard, but the march eventually ended with nothing more violent than a rousing singsong.” (from “Spanish coal miners bring message of defiance to Madrid” – link below) Some real beautiful moments in the video below (Reuters, published at the Guardian), of men letting themselves show ‘feminine emotions’; coal miners from small mining towns and urban Indignados hugging and crying. Spanish miners’ anti-austerity protest reaches Madrid – Guardian.co.uk (Source: Reuters) Once again, The Indignados rock!...

VIDEO: Spanish coal miners conclude 3 week march to Madrid with mass rally at Puerta del Sol

Occupy Toronto 13 July 2012 by Michael Holloway Update: 20 July 2012 – This story so, did NOT get coverage in the 1% media that it’s taken me until now to come across this great photo of the Spanish Coal Miners arrival in Madrid 10 July 2012 – via Twitter user, ‏@EnekoAA (Eneko Aritz) – at 4:43 PM – 10 Jul 12 –https://twitter.com/EnekoAA/status/222838397209808898 – and Via a Retweet by XenoxNews @xenoxnews – https://twitter.com/xenoxnews. @EnekoAA (Eneko Aritz) – at 4:43 PM – 10 Jul 12 https://twitter.com/EnekoAA/status/222838397209808898 (Image link to original Tweet) I don’t follow mainstream broadcast news – did this story make the evening news Wednesday? Please comment. Spanish coal miners walked 400km across Spain from the Castile coal mining region, to the Spanish capitol in Madrid on Wednesday – to protest new austerity introduced by Spain’s centre-right, People’s Party (PP) government. Today the miners continue their protest with a civil disobedience occupation of of Madrid’s Puerto Del Sol, the place where in October 2011 decisions were arrived at though consensus in general assembly, which lead to the birth of the North American Occupy Movement. * * * (A little history: The PP has been in charge of Spain’s austerity regime after beating the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in a Novemeber 2011 general election. The PSOE’s electoral fortunes began to take a turn for the worse after they introduced Spain’s first – G20Toronto mandated – austerity budget in 2010. The democratic socialist’s first hit came after regional elections on May 22nd, 2011 with 28,000 ”Indignados” occupying Puerta Del Sol the result of a spontanious grass roots movement known as 15M (May 15th). About a week after the regional elections police forces of various Spanish cities began to clear occupiers by force. An on-going cat-and-mouse game developed over the summer all across Spain: occupyers occupying Squares; police clearing them; a new occupation of different square. This police crack down on dissent, more austerity, and constantly higher unemployment, resulted in a massive 500,000 strong Occupation of Puerta Del Sol on October 15th 2011. The result was another election trouncing for the democratic socialists, about a month later – this time in a general election. The centre-right PP gained the most from PSOE’s collapse – many observers noted a record number of spoiled ballots as an important factor in the PSOE’s demise. The PSOE suffered it’s worst showing in the modern democratic era (which begins at the end of the fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco, 1975). * * * The coal miners three-week march against a proposed slashing of Federal Coal Subsidies began in the last week of June. As the procession neared Madrid people joined the march in their thousands – by the time the procession reached Puerta del Sol on Wednesday (11 July 2012) the rally had swelled to 10′s of thousands of people. On the same day as the mners arrived in Madrid, Spain’s Prime Minister announced another round of austerity cuts to services – with new taxes – that helped swell the crowd appreciably. The Guardian’s Giles Tremlett reports from Madrid, “A tense standoff saw occasional police charges, rubber bullets, and demonstrators hurling objects at police. At least 76 people were injured in clashes along Madrid’s central Castellana Boulevard, but the march eventually ended with nothing more violent than a rousing singsong.” (from “Spanish coal miners bring message of defiance to Madrid” – link below) Some real beautiful moments in the video below (Reuters, published at the Guardian), of men letting themselves show ‘feminine emotions’; coal miners from small mining towns and urban Indignados hugging and crying. Spanish miners’ anti-austerity protest reaches Madrid – Guardian.co.uk (Source: Reuters) Once again, The Indignados rock! Map indicating Spain’s coal mining region of Castile via Google Maps In the central Spanish coal mining region of Castile, miners have been on strike against the government’s plan to end coal subsidies since May 1, 2012. There, residents of coal mining towns are blockading roads – defying government authority over the region – after the minister of natural resources tried to downplay the effects of the subsidy changes – that miners now believe will end coal mining in the region for good. The government’s tactic of lies and half-truths has lead to a loss of faith by area residents in the democratic institutions of the country, and to daily running street battles between police armed with riot guns and rubber bullets; and teams of protesters armed with fireworks, practicing their aim with bottle-rockets shot out of pipes. One teenager has been killed by a rubber bullet to the head. Protesters have found golf balls which have been fired out of riot guns – a much more lethal projectile, says one activist. The video below reminds more of the civil war than a contract negotiation. Spanish coal miners: ‘We need to keep on fighting’ – Guardian.co.uk Meanwhile in Madrid o Wednesday, Al Jazeera reporter Tim Friend reports “isolated clashes between police and demonstrators”. The article under the video embedded below seems to have little to do with Tim Friend’s reporting. It tries to accent the violence that ended the day at the Industry Ministry – where, the unattributed Al Jazeera article says, “The miners detonated deafening fireworks as they marched, then hurled them at the police riot vans guarding the ministry, which oversees the mining industry.” The article, which sights “Agencies”, goes on to say the violence caused the demonstration to break up immediately, “Most demonstrators fled to side streets for safety after the violence began, …” . These ‘Block bloc’ style tactics (teenagers and young men with psychological problems – or an all-consuming hedonism), use mass demonstrations to launch violent attacks on authority figures – then run and hide in-amoungst parents, children and the elderly who are participating in these other-wise peaceful mass demonstrations. In this writers opinion, there is a good possibility that agent provocateurs are nested in amoungst these masked anonymous ones who don’t like to take responsibility for their actions (unlike the everyone else). Wednesday’s isolated incidents of violence in Madrid give authorities the framework they need to justify violent police action to break up the peaceful, mass, civil-disobedience occupation now under-way at Puerto Del Sol – by the miners and their Indignados supporters. Spanish miners dig in for prolonged protest – Al Jazeera I suppose if there was any coverage from Spain on the evening news Wednesday, it most likely focused on this tiny minority of hedonistic individuals with unresolved parental issues. A quick video search of of the major broadcast outlets confirms my prediction; in all, the accent is on the isolated incident at the Industry Ministry building. Most people ignorant of the details of a news story will stare at violence on a screen – it attracts our attention because of our social imperatives – we are soft wired to resolve conflict. But because it is virtual, not real – and we know it – we slide into a transfixed, zombie like state, much like that which happens when an advertisement offers an intellectual paradox. Our eyes widen, the pupils dilate – and the ears open, and the subtle narrative message seeps in without the reasoning parts of our intellect getting in the way – because that part ofour brain is busy trying to resolve the paradox; either – as in the advertising example – an intellectual one, or the paradox attacking one of our most essential imperatives – our conflict resolution imperative: settle conflict – (can’t, not there) – but watching… . The zombie reaction is most common, but another popular one is the individual who jumps up and starts yelling at the screen, throwing pop-corn spilling drinks – unfortunately that is also a neutered response – (and one that internalizes a violent response to a conflict resolution paradox). It’s a symptom of a condition of isolation from real life, community – identity. Later, after getting drunk – in order to numb an intuition towards this truth – this individual will hit a significant other, or fantasize about running down a cyclist (or other non-conformist) on the way to a job they hate (but which, paradoxically, provides for the beer, or whatever the addiction is – shopping for example). Anyways, enough amateur physiology. Turn off your air conditioning; turn off your Facebook – get out of the house, meet your neighbours – talk to them. References: Wikipedia, “Spanish local and regional elections, 2011″: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_local_and_regional_elections,_2011 Wikipedia, “Spanish general election, 2011″: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_general_election,_2011 Al Jazeera, 12 July 2012, ”Spanish miners dig in for prolonged protest“: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/07/20127126330831737.html Guardian.co.uk, 11 July 2012, ”Spanish coal miners bring message of defiance to Madrid” – Article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/11/spanish-coal-miners-protest-madrid Guardian.co.uk, 11 July 2012, ”Spanish coal miners: ‘We need to keep on fighting’ ” – Video: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/jul/11/spanish-coal-miners-video mh...

TRNN’s “Is Public Ownership the Solution?”

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway Big banks and financial institutions are too big to fail – and too big to regulate. Everyone knows that too-big-to-fail bank lobbyists on ‘K street’ are writing the regulation that is supposed to prevent another banking collapse – like that which happened in 2007-08. Everyone knows that the US congress is so awash in corporate acsh that getting real regulation passed is next to impossible. Good regulation law that does get passed in times of great crisis (“Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act” – 2010) gets watered down so it is meaningless in application. Today’s news that JP Morgan is gambling in the Billions and has lost 5 billion one one deal then made it all back on another in these still ‘black’ derivative markets shows the world that the next crisis is likely to be bigger than the last. As I high-lighted earlier here – in the “Chris Hedges talk with Occupy Wall Street activist Kevin Zeese” article from July 5th, “Our job is to build pockets of resistance so that when the flash point arrives, people will have a place to go,” Zeese said.” That ‘flash point’ may wait to until the next massive bust in this stupid economy. Nest occupiers, nest. Great interview on all this and more from The Real News Network (TRNN) – Executive Producer Paul Jay interviews Gar Alperovitz, professor of political economy at the University of Maryland. Is Public Ownership the Solution? References: OccupyToronto, 05 July 2012, “Chris Hedges with Kevin Zeese: mass movement key to disobedience tactic’s success“: http://occupyto.org/2012/07/chris-hedges-with-kevin-zeese-mass-movement-key-to-disobedience-tactics-success/ Zero Hedge, 07 July 2012, “JPMorgan To Clawback Bonuses, Will Announce CIO Loss Just Over $5 Billion“: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/jpmorgan-clawback-bonuses-will-announce-cio-loss-just-over-5-billion The Real News Network, 13 July 2012, “Is Public Ownership the Solution?“:http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8449 United States Government, 05 January 2010 “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act“: http://www.sec.gov/about/laws/wallstreetreform-cpa.pdf mh...

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