Spotlight On Committees Of Action

As Labour and the Tories compete over who will deliver the most savage cuts, and the bosses and bankers demand the working class pay for their financial crisis, we need to think strategically about how we can organise the fightback. Joy Macready explains Marxist tactics

The mainstream parties’ assessment of the extent of the pubic sector cutbacks needed – an estimated 10-20% cuts in the health sector, £2bn cuts in education, 10 per cent savings across government departments – is staggering. Their representatives and their loyal friends in the media, however, never mention that it is caused by the gaping hole left in the public purse from the £1.3 trillion bailout of the banks.

Meanwhile, private sector bosses are using the recession to relocate production, sack workers, cut their wages and steal from their pensions. Share prices and profit margins may be recovering, but this is not enough for the greedy capitalists; they want to inflict further damage on working class families and communities.

Solidarity
But already we see the signs of a militant fightback. Occupations are leading the way: Visteon, Two Sisters, Prisme, Waterford, and Vestas, to name a few. Parents and teachers in Glasgow and Lewisham occupied their schools to prevent closure. Postal workers are balloting for a national strike against redundancies and reductions in hours and wages. Tower Hamlets College lecturers took all-out indefinite action for four weeks, while Leeds bin workers are still all out.

The list of struggles shows that it is not just the public sector that is under attack, but also the private sector; it is not just workers fighting back against service cuts, but the users of worsening services. Although the public sector is in the direct firing line of the government, all workers will be affected by cuts in housing, healthcare or education.

As Marxists, we do not just live in the realm of ideas and theory, but we put our theory into practice. The challenge is to find a way to link these struggles together, overcoming the division between public and private, between providers and users, and between the various unions. Those struggles listed above are inspiring but all are isolated to a degree.

Within the different struggles, Workers Power has argued for local committees of action to unite activists at a community level. The Vestas solidarity committees, which attracted workers from many different unions, community and green activists, and socialist organisations, were an encouraging step in this direction. But we need a more permanent form of organisation that goes beyond the limited scope of one struggle, one strike or one issue – committees of action that can be mobilised to fight on a number of fronts at the same time.

Such committees can react quickly to events, overcome divisions between workers in different unions, and also bring into struggle the unemployed who have been thrown out of work. They should also include users of public services; as the government and bosses try to lay the blame for deteriorating services at the feet of public sector workers, pubic opinion must be won to the struggle of these workers for quality services.

Unity from below
Britain has developed organs of class struggle like this in the past. During the 1926 General Strike, councils of action were built by the trades councils in each town and city – all working class political, industrial, co-operative and unemployed organisations were represented, and, importantly, women were also heavily involved. They counteracted the “poisonous and pernicious propaganda” of the government and the employers’ organisations and even took control of food supplies, organised defence corps against scabs and the police and army, and directly controlled the strike locally.

In 1984, during the Great Miners’ Strike, a network of Miners’ Support Committees criss-crossed the country, providing vital solidarity like food supplies, Christmas presents for the miners’ children, speakers to factories to explain why the miners’ needed support, campaigning against police harassment of strikers and mobilising support for the picket lines.

But, say the sceptics, Britain today is not at that level of class struggle – the working class does not have the “confidence” or the fighting spirit to create committees of action. This is a self-defeating argument. In every area where there is struggle, strikers can put out the call for committees of action and rally support from others. The committees will in turn help to boost confidence and raise fighting spirit.

Take the Vestas struggle, for example, where workers occupied a plant that made blades for wind power when bosses announced its closure. It was the solidarity movement – the climate camp and Campaign Against Climate Change – that encouraged the workers to occupy the plant. If solidarity committees could be built for Vestas, then why not for other struggles? By building committees of action in every town and city, more workers will feel able to take militant action and the general level of the class struggle will rise. But to do this, they must do more than simply raise donations, hold meetings and stand on picket lines, crucial though these acts are. They can start to become an alternative centre of power in society.

Alternative power
What do we mean by “an alternative centre of power”? Three things.

First, we know from bitter experience that the trade union leaders often sabotage our struggles, selling them short, calling off action, disuniting strikes. Committees of action can help thwart such treachery by building unity from below.

Second, committees of action can also lay the basis for a political alternative to Labour – a basis from which to build a new anti-capitalist party in Britain, one that will fight for the interests of the working class.

Committing to a new party is not a precondition to joining the local committees of action – many workers who still look to Labour or who are against all parties can be rallied to them. But, because these will be engaged in the local struggles, because they will be coming up against the government’s cuts and attacks, many will begin to realise that only a working class political party can secure general, society-wide victories for our class through fighting for the overthrow of the capitalist system and the formation of a workers’ government.

Finally, a government of the workers would be based not on an unelected civil service bureaucracy, unelected generals, unelected millionaires in the boardrooms, and 600-odd MPs who are elected every five years but are free to break their promises itself. It could be based on democratic organisations of working class delegates from below, workers’ councils with all delegates recallable by the workers who voted for them. The formation of committees for action is a step in that direction – a step towards an alternative centre of power for the whole of society.

Click here to download lyrics ==SUACS Song

 The SUACS SONG

We want jobs, we want to live
This is something that war and unemployment cannot give
We will fight to take their power
We will strike their ivory tower
Revolution comes closer by the hour

We are marching through Europe together
Youth from all countries unite
We’ve a future to win and nothing to loose
Take the power, complete Marx’s fight

We want jobs, we want to live
This is something that war and unemployment cannot give
We will fight to take their power
We will strike their ivory tower
Revolution comes closer by the hour

Labour and Tories want to smash us
They want to destroy the working class
There is no way that we can reform them
‘Cos their so called democracy’s a farce

We want jobs, we want to live
This is something that war and unemployment cannot give
We will fight to take their power
We will strike their ivory tower
Revolution comes closer by the hour

The army and police they want to kill us
With bombs and missiles by the score
So we’ll seize their armouries and take the power
And put an end to third world nuclear war

We want jobs, we want to live
This is something that war and unemployment cannot give
We will fight to take their power
We will strike their ivory tower
Revolution comes closer by the hour

SUAC Minutes Of Planning Meeting – 17th November 2009

Paseando en Amsterdam me di cuenta que cada ciudad tiene su energía, aveces buena, otras mala y otras simplemente es especial.

Hoy les voy a contar sobre esa magnifica energía que me transmitió Amsterdam. Llegamos como “paracaidistas”, sin hotel, sin saber practicamente nada de como movilizarnos ahí. Lo más importate es el tema del estacionamiento. Es increible los precios para estacionar en la calle (no hablo de parking´s), te puede costar hasta cuatro euros estar en un sitio una hora, a medida que uno se va alejando del centro  va bajando el precio, tres euros, dos con veinte.. tuvimos la suerte de encontrar una zona que solamente pagas 10 centimos por hora, pero está bastante alejado del centro, el nombre de la calle es: RIJNSTRAAT, la cua está cerca de la calle AMSTELDIJK  por la cual se llega al centro en poquitos minutos.

Cuando uno llega a Amsterdam es como que está en un cuento de eso que inspiran admiración, están los puentes, los canales por doquier, cada canal tiene su nobre al igual que las calles de cualquier ciudad, es muy fácil perderse, muchas veces parece como que ya hubiera estado en algun lugar por la similitud que tiene cada punto de la ciudad. La gente, la gente es, además de muy varida en razas es amable por donde uno camine, todos hablan ingles y todos, no algunos sino todos estan dispuestos a guiarte, podés preguntarle a cualquiera que te cruces en la calle casi cualquier cosa que te guiaran de la mejor manera posible. Siempre tienen una sonrrisa, pensaran es por los porros pero se asombrarín de la cantidad que en una ciudad en la cual la marihuana es practicamente legal, no fuman, pero las sonrrisas son contagiosa y transmiten alegría por donde uno pise.

Si es verdad que en alguna oportunidad entramos para ver como eran esos lugares donde uno compra canabis igual que uno compra una cerveza en cualquier lado, y la verdad me desepció un poco, supuse que habría más ambiente, pero no, es como un bar donde uno entra para tomarse un café y sigue con su rumbo (que tampoco está mal, simplemente esperaba fuera diferente), entonces uno se fuma un porro y sigue disfrutando de hermosa ciudad y sus hermosos lugares. Ni que hablar que es una ciudad muy europea en todos los sentidos, podes camniar ranquilo por la calle vestido como quieras, bebiendo lo que quieras o cantando, que lo máximo que te puede pasar es que algunos de los que te cruces te regalaran una sonrrisa, hasta capaz tienes suerte y alguno se sabe la canción y te acompana con un silbido o por que no cantando contigo.

Es mentira que uno solo consumir estando adentro, podés comprar lo que quieras y luego te vas, nadie te dice no salgas a la calle con maria ni nada por el estilo sino más bien se divierten contigo y tratan de ser agradables, saben muy bien que mucha gente se dirige a ese destino para sentir como es poder fumar con más libertad, y ellos son complices de tu viaje para que te lo pases bien.

Hay un parking muy grande que podés dejar el coche por 24 horas y solamente te cuesta 6 euros (www.berekbaar.amsterdam.nl)  que la verdad es una muy buena opción para quien va por un fin de semana o por pocos días, si vas por muchos días es recomendable no ir en auto.

Algunos parques son muy lindos en los cuales paseamos y descansamos, unos es el Vondelpark y otro el Oosterpark, si bien no están muy cerca del centro tampoco están tan lejos y vale la pena darse una vueltita o dos.

Existen 3 puntos de MacBike, donde uno puede sacar bicicletas para hacer la recorrida como todo el mundo. Hablando de bici´s les digo que si hay una ciudad donde las bicis son las duenas de la calle esa es sin lugar a dudas Amsterdam, es casi increible la cantidad de ellas que circulan a todas horas, van casi como si fueran un poco locos, al principio parece como que seguro verás un choque o varios, luego empecé a apreciar un cierto orden en ellas, el cual no está muy claro pero la verdad es que no vi ni un sólo insidente. La bocina de los coches parece estar rota pero no por que no funcione sino todo lo contrario, todo el día dale que te pego con la bocinita, pero todo el día eh!

El primer día dormimos en el auto, no era de lo más confortable pero después de las doce de la noche uno puede estacionar donde quiera si coste hasta las nueve de la manana. Y los domingos es gratis.

El Domingo, después de renovar energías, ya que habiamos conducido unas cuantas horas, pudimos salir a conocer más del centro de la ciudad. Cada sitio donde uno pasa es como para hacer una foto, en otras ciudades me pasa que cuando paso por algún lugar que me inspira, no me aguanto, saco la camara para hacer esa fotito que cuado pasan los anos, cada vez que uno la ve siente estar ahí. Pués en Amsterdam casi no pude guardar la camara, es hermosa y me encantaría volver. Pero a vivir.

This topic was something that I have always wondered (in a drunken and sober state) and thought it was quite apt with the current developments with the drugs adviser David Nutt.

I’m talking about the acceptance and phenomenal use of alcohol in this country when other, less harmful drugs, are mostly shunned by the very same people who binge every weekend. I would like to make it clear that I do not want to promote any drug use at all but find the inconsistency in peoples views on these matters very strange.

David Nutt seems to be on exactly the right lines by wanting to push through a ranking system which seems to make the dangers much more clearer:

a ranking system is needed that compares the harm of all substances, whether legal or illegal, which would put alcohol fifth, behind only the likes of heroin and cocaine.Tobacco would be ninth while cannabis, LSD and ecstasy would be ranked 11, 14 and 18 respectively.

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6455260/Alcohol-and-tobacco-more-harmful-than-ecstasy-and-cannabis-says-chief-Government-adviser.html)

My main topic here is really using alcohol as an example to show how the social acceptable values and sheep-like qualities of people is continually accepted. For me this strong following seems to make things appear “right” and the minority are left to re-question their values in wondering how so many people can be wrong?

As with my previous blog posts, I do not wish to count myself out of this. Whilst I often talk about other peoples values I most certainly include myself in this and more often than not my writings will be an outward wondering of why exactly I follow the trends of the things I criticize also. I certainly wouldn’t like to paint a false image of being a sober angel. I have had many a night of forgetting who I am and losing myself to alcohol and cannabis but this is exactly what kick started my wondering of why something so damaging and “wrong” is a huge culture and I cant but feel like the only answer is majority rules!

I talk from experience here but I have certainly seen similar groups where the same rules apply. I have often gone out with my friends to drink and get drunk and this has most certainly been accepted, even celebrated but if I were to suggest we were all to go and get some ecstasy or LSD I know that this would be shunned or frowned upon, in fact I would certainly do the same if my friends were to suggest it. But why is this when according to scientific research these drugs are less dangerous than alcohol.

As a society we grow up seeing the acceptance of alcohol and see our parents and relatives drinking it, we see people waiting for the weekend so they can let their hair down with the aid of alcohol and we see a multi-million pound industry which is built on it all. It seems a lot easier, as highlighted by this topic, to go with the flow, follow what we are shown and fit in. I know the tremendous struggle of having a view in the minority and trying to defend it when many of those around you disagree. Some things are just embedded in our society it is difficult to challenge them and we begin to think it is normal and even expected of us. Is this what our country has come to:

So I guess maybe this is a calling to myself and maybe to others to stand by what is right and live our lives only by what we feel is true for ourselves and also to respect what others believe and follow. If we don’t, then we begin to get in situations like we are today where the majority leads our way and we just blindly follow as it is easier and more acceptable than to stand up and challenge these values.

I think I am slowly realizing that actually I am writing this blog to myself, to guide and learn from; after all

It is nearly always true that what annoys us about others is what annoys us about ourselves.

I will certainly continue with these writings in the hope of it being of some use to others as well. I enjoy releasing my thoughts in this way and now it is there for both myself and others to read. As always, I would enjoy debate on the topics I write so please feel free to leave comments. Thank you again for reading.

GREEN CRACK

直訳すると　緑色のコカイン

とちょっとおそろしい名前である。

薬草以外は絶対駄目主義であるので少し名前が気に入らないが、せっかくなのでgreen crackの味を確かめようと思った。

グリーンクラック

サティーバ種である。

集中して仕事する時はこれがいいと薦められ、それならとギフトの１グラムも同じものをつめてもらった。

合計３グラムでディスカウント込みで$35。

バーでお酒を３杯飲んだだけでもアメリカではこれ以上の費用がかかる時がある。

もうお酒ものまなくなった。非常に最近調子がいい。

そして仕事をする時はやはり、サティーバだ。

仕事といっても大きな機械を使ったり、車を運転するような仕事には絶対向かないので注意してほしい。

クリエイティブでインドアの仕事をするならサティーバだと言い換えよう。

目も脳みそも非常にハイになる。

４−５時間程は効果が持続する。

腰の状態も良好だ。準備はできた。今日から10日間、しらふの自分と向き合う事になる。

セレブなハーブキーパー。詰め替えなければ。

先日、ディスペンサリーa.o.lで処方されたweedを紹介する。

冷静でジェントルな彼が一押ししていた、品種。

インディカ、SKY OG。

ちょっと漢方薬のような味がする。しかし、非常にストロングである。

細かく刻めば刻む程、薬草の燃え方が良くなる事が最近わかってきた。

グラスパイプいっぱいに細かく刻まれたインディカがオレンジ色になって、ゆっくりもこもこと燃えるのだ。

それをいっきに吸い込むのである。

ファーーーー

この開放感はたまらない。

22nd cannabis cupまで後１ヶ月である。

偉そうに言うが自らの公式参拝は昨年が初めてである。

年４回程アムステルダムに行くが、昨年はタイミングよく１週間ばっちり過ごす事ができた。

師匠はアムステルダムでも顔の効く男だ。一年生の自分にVIPのIDカードを用意しておいてくれた。

到着したその日にはdilatedpeoplesのRakaaもパフォーマンスの為にアムスいりしていることを耳にした。連絡を取合い、ショーまで御馳走になった。

彼らのステージ会場でマリファナポップコーンを初めて口にしたのを鮮明に覚えている。

このパスさえ首に掲げておけば、フリージョイントやら何でも御馳走になれた。

小腹をすかせた自分にはポップコーンがおにぎりのように見えた。ちょっと変な味がするなといったぐらいの印象で食べきってしまった。

ショーがおわり、家路に着いた頃、天井は星空で埋め尽くされ、何百回転も始める。こういう時はパニックにならず、ひたすら極限まで楽しめば朝が来る。

今年はどうやら行けそうにない事を昨日師匠にskypeで伝えた。

“nigga, please… go *****,not amsterdam. this time. i can do cannabis cup for you anytime”

おいおい、そんなもんいつでも俺んちでやってやるから、自分のやることかたづけてからきな、とでも訳そう。

カナビスカップ用にいい感じに栽培がすすんでいるようだ。

amsterdam 2008.11

Hauteur de la suspension des ballasts:

Plus on sera près d’une source de lumière, plus le niveau de lumière sera élevé. Néanmoins, les lampes produisent de la chaleur et cette chaleur radiante peut être assez élevée. Ces températures élevées n’étant pas bénéfiques à vos plantes, nous vous donnons les indications ci-dessous:

.   Pour les systèmes de 400 Watts:
distance entre les lampes et les sommités des plantes: 60 cm

.   Pour les systèmes de 600 Watts:
distance entre les lampes et les sommités des plantes: 80 cm

CONSEIL: Suspendez vos lampes à des chaînes ou poulies. De cette façon vous pouvez régler la hauteur au fur et à mesure de la croissance de la graine de cannabis.

L’intensité de la lumière est mesurée en Lumens (lm). Pendant la floraison, les graines de cannabis se développent le mieux à un niveau élevé, d’au moins 40.000 lm par mètre carré. Des quantités de lumière dépassant 50.000 par m2 sont une perte d’énergie.  Environ 75 à 80% du nombre de lumens par lampe sont de fait disponibles. Par exemple: Une lampe agro produit 52.000 lm. En réalité, cela veut dire 0,8 x 52.000 = 44.000 lm. Cela veut dire qu’un ballast de 400 Watts produit assez de lumière pour un mètre carré.

Afin d’apporter aux plantes les meilleurs soins et, par conséquent, d’obtenir les meilleurs résultats pour votre jardin, de nombreux facteurs sont à considérer: lumière correcte, climatisation et fertilisation utilisée pendant les phases de croissance appropriées. Vous pouvez tout lire sur la graine de cannabis, mais nous recommandons aux cultivateurs avec peu d’expérience de se procurer un guide du cultivateur ou bien une vidéo montrant la culture pas-à-pas, pour des informations plus en détail.

Epuration de l’air:
Les systèmes d’épuration de l’air sont importants pour les cultivateurs de cannabis pour deux raisons:
. Ils suppriment les spores fongiques et les bactéries au sein de l’aire de culture.
. Ils empêchent les odeurs désagréables d’être déversées à l’extérieur.

Si vous êtes plus interessé par la cultivation des graines de cannabis a l’intérieur, allez sur ce site!

Normalement, on ne doit ajouter des nutriments organiques dans la terre qu’une fois toutes les deux ou trois semaines. Les jeunes graines de cannabis cultivées sur ce support n’ont pas besoin de substances nutritives additionnelles durant les quelques premières semaines. Dans la culture hydroponique, les jeunes plantes doivent recevoir une eau nutritive d’un niveau ec bas (1,2), à partir du dixième jour à peu près.

FHP Trooper Under Investigation For Trying To Get Rid Of Friend’s Speeding Ticket When you think about the Florida Highway Patrol and speeding tickets you usually think of a cop giving you a citation not trying to get rid of one. Tallahassee.com is reporting the story of one trooper who tried to get a speeding ticket taken away so a friend wouldn’t have to pay the fine. Trooper William Grissom is now under arrest. Grissom was charged with a felony for falsifying official documents when he completed a notice of dismissal for a speeding ticket fellow Trooper Matthew Rabun issued on August 14. Grissom changed the citation indicating the radar failed the end of shift test and then he signed Rabun’s name. Grissom realized how serious of a mistake he made and urged his friend to pay the fine. If you have been cited for a traffic violation anywhere in Florida and don’t have a friend on the force to take care of your ticket, please do not hesitate to contact experienced Traffic Ticket Lawyers, www.traficticketteam.com. 954-967-9888. The Traffic Ticket Team has  a 99% success rate in keeping points off their client’s driver’s licenses.

“そもそもKUSHって何なんだい？”

その問いかけにJohnは作業していた手をいったん止め、目をつぶり、首を傾げ、一息入れて話始めた。

“KUSHっていうのはー

アフガンニスタンの山でとれる有名なマリファナの種類でー

それがどうにかしてアメリカに渡って来てー

いろいろと混ぜ合ってーこういうブランド種ができてるんだー。

ニューヨーク行ったらピザを食べる、アフガン行ったらKUSHって感じなんだよねー。”

とじょんさんが薦めてくれた

MASTER KUSH

現在使用中。youtubeではwood stockのビデオが再生されている。

すとろんぐ

べりーすとろんぐ

みなさん、良い週末をお過ごし下さい。

amsterdamding

NYC SOUR DIESEL

サティーバ

吸い心地　スムーズ

2009.10.14 wed 12:20 pm

午前中の仕事を終えて一息いれる。ヒストリーチャンネルでは孔子についてのドキュメンタリーが流れている。

こんふーしゃす　Confucius

痛み止めを吸引した脳には前480’sから前550’sを経験した孔子さんの話がぐいぐい入ってくる。

超左翼の小学校で育った。たまにあの頃の事を思い出す事がある。

平和、同和、差別反対、反戦、

２０万人の顔っていって、夏休み中の家に配達される新聞のあらゆる人の顔写真を毎日切り取って袋詰めにして新学期に持ってくる、という学年全員参加イベントがあった。

新学期に校長が

”おはようございます。夏休みはたのしかったかい宿題はやったかい？”

と全校生徒に朝礼で話しかける。今思うと

”諸君、頼んでおいた仕事やって来てくれたかい？”

という意味だったんだろう。

始業式から１週間、全学年総動員で集めた顔を大きな髪に一人一人張る作業をし、完了したらそれを学校上のありとあらゆる壁に貼付けた。

”原爆で死んだ人の人数は２０万人です。これが２０万人の顔なのです。核兵器反対！”

当時の校長は新聞、テレビ、教育委員会から引っ張りだこであったに違いない。

スポーツ選手、政治家、ただの広告なかに写っていたの人、新聞の上にたまたま載っていた生きていると思われる現在人の顔を小学生に夏休み中キョキキョキさせたあの校長。次の世代の子供達にはご遠慮していただきたいと思う。

そんな小学校であるので、儒教の世界はどっぷり学習した。

それはともかく、このNYC  SOUR DIESEL。昨日新しい薬局で処方してもらった新種サティーバである。

実は今文章を書いているのは午後の６時前、先ほど孔子のテレビ番組を見ていたのは１２時すぎだった。その間に、いろいろと仕事を片付けたり、昼ご飯を食べにいったりと数時間が経過したがまだ抜けきれていないぐらい長く効いている。long lastingである。

今から夕食の用意の為、もう一発入れる事にする。失礼。

OBAMA OG

1g $25

BAYBE BARE

1g $20

GOD'S GIFT

1g $20

CLICK HERE FOR SLIDE SHOW 

Surrey United Anti-Capitalist Society Demo Outside Sainsbury’s To “boycott Israeli Goods”

The Surrey United Anti-Capitalist Society got together with the Peace & Justice Movement, Guildford to demonstrate opposition to Israeli goods. A vigil was held outside  outside “Sainsbury’s, Guildford High Street in support of the Palestinians. A dozen people stood outside Sainsbury’s, handed out leaflets and spoke to shoppers.

Acum este posibil…:)

După cinci ani de teste, doi elveţieni au anunţat pentru sfârşitul acestei săptămâni lansarea unui sortiment de brânză cu canabis, numită “Prince Canna”. Cei doi producători păstrează secretă reţeta, însă au dat asigurări că aceasta nu conţine THC, substanţa activă din canabis. Planta este folosită doar pentru aromă, extrasă din uleiul esenţial şi frunzele acesteia.

Pascal Morard, unul din cei doi producători, a recunoscut, de altfel, că “gustul special” pe care canabisul îl dă brânzei este “asemănător piperului” şi că a folosit imaginea plantei pentru a atrage atenţia asupra produsului creat de el.

Noul sortiment de brânză va fi lansat la sfârşitul acestei săptămâni la Târgul de ceapă de la Oron, o mică localitate din vestul Elveţiei. Producătorii speră însă să exporte brânza cu cannabis şi în alte state europene