Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Lessons to be learnt
Quote from Jack Nicholson in the film about James Hoffa, Teamsters' union leader, when recruiting truck drivers "Never let a stranger into your heart, your home or your cab unless he is a friend of labour. But if he is that friend of labour - then he is the only friend you've got." There are a lot of people going to find out the truth of this statement over the next period.
Nothing happens accidentally, all the lessons that our forebearers learnt will have to be learnt again by this generation, including the incessant hatred that the Tories have for the trade unions and the working class.
The Tories, a bit like the newspapers, only speak admiringly of the trade unions 200 years ago or 2,000 miles away. It is a false admiration, because 200 years ago or 2,000 miles away the Tories still hated the unions. Why? Because the trade unions represent the defence of working class living standards. In the final analysis the unions are the only things that stand between working people and destitution.
Never forget - it is not leaders who make movements, it's movements who make leaders. It is a leader's job to inspire workers about what is achievable. Union members want leaders who care more about their members' interests than their own bank accounts.
It's time for everyone to read (or re-read) the Raggy Trousered Philanthropists, learn the words to the Red Flag and remember who the enemy are.
Nothing happens accidentally, all the lessons that our forebearers learnt will have to be learnt again by this generation, including the incessant hatred that the Tories have for the trade unions and the working class.
The Tories, a bit like the newspapers, only speak admiringly of the trade unions 200 years ago or 2,000 miles away. It is a false admiration, because 200 years ago or 2,000 miles away the Tories still hated the unions. Why? Because the trade unions represent the defence of working class living standards. In the final analysis the unions are the only things that stand between working people and destitution.
Never forget - it is not leaders who make movements, it's movements who make leaders. It is a leader's job to inspire workers about what is achievable. Union members want leaders who care more about their members' interests than their own bank accounts.
It's time for everyone to read (or re-read) the Raggy Trousered Philanthropists, learn the words to the Red Flag and remember who the enemy are.
Thursday, 1 September 2011
A matter of class
In 1990, 1% of recording artists in the British Top 10 went to public school. In 2010, 60% of recording artists in the Top 10 went to public school. (7% of Britain's schoolchildren go to public school).
The Big Society!
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Question
Who's the odd one out?
a) Henry Kissinger
b) Arnold Schwarzenegger
c) Boris Johnson
d) Leonard Cohen
e) Joni Mitchell
f) Neil Young
Answer
Boris Johnson - he is the only one who could stand for election as President of the USA. He was born there - all the others were born outside of the the USA. Johnson left the USA when he was 5.
Who's the odd one out?
a) Henry Kissinger
b) Arnold Schwarzenegger
c) Boris Johnson
d) Leonard Cohen
e) Joni Mitchell
f) Neil Young
Answer
Boris Johnson - he is the only one who could stand for election as President of the USA. He was born there - all the others were born outside of the the USA. Johnson left the USA when he was 5.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Telling the truth?
A member of the Co-alition Cabinet has met an executive from Mr Murdoch's News International empire, on average, once every three days since the Co-alition Government was formed 14 months ago. 20 Cabinet Ministers have met Murdoch executives 130 times in the last 14 months!
David Cameron, Prime Minister, was at at least 32 of the meetings, George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, was at 17, and Liam Fox, Defence Secretary, was at 17.
Mr Osborne's meetings included a dinner in New York with Mr Murdoch on 17th December 2010 - two weeks before the media's regulator was due to rule on Mr Murdoch's bid for full ownership of BSkyB. Mr Osborne seems very friendly with the Murdoch family. Besides the dinner in New York, he met Murdoch again in May 2011 and met Murdoch's son, James (Chair of News International) and Rebekah Brooks (News International's former Chief Executive) on three other occasions. Mr Osborne also met Mr Murdoch's daughter, Elizabeth, at a social gathering in June 2011.
The first media meetings by Jeremy Hunt (Culture Secretary) and Michael Gove (Education Secretary), after their appointment to the Cabinet in 2010, were also with Rupert Murdoch (were they reporting in?).
Murdoch Executives also met 4 times with Nick Clegg (Deputy Prime Minister) and twice with Vince Cable (Business Secretary).
In all, Michael Gove (Education Secretary) has met Rupert Murdoch 7 times on the last 14 months and he has met Rebekah Brooks 8 times. Mr Gove met with Rupert Murdoch twice in June 2011.
"How is the Government run? Governments tell lies to journalists and then Ministers believe what they read" - Karl Kraus (1909).
PS Andy Coulson worked for David Cameron as Director of Communications until he resigned. He was arrested in July 2011. He had left News International in 2007 but is believed to have had "work benefits", such as private healthcare and company car, paid for for three years after he left the firm. He has also had his legally fees, to date, paid by News International. These are believed to have run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Tory Party officials were giving categorical assurances, until recently, that Mr Coulson's only form of income was from the Tory Party during the years he worked for it.
It is unusual for a second paymaster, i.e. the Tory Party, not to know about the first paymaster because of tax considerations. Tom Watson, Labour MP, has written to the Electoral Commission enquiring about possible breaches of party 'sponsorship' rules.
'Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice'.
David Cameron, Prime Minister, was at at least 32 of the meetings, George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, was at 17, and Liam Fox, Defence Secretary, was at 17.
Mr Osborne's meetings included a dinner in New York with Mr Murdoch on 17th December 2010 - two weeks before the media's regulator was due to rule on Mr Murdoch's bid for full ownership of BSkyB. Mr Osborne seems very friendly with the Murdoch family. Besides the dinner in New York, he met Murdoch again in May 2011 and met Murdoch's son, James (Chair of News International) and Rebekah Brooks (News International's former Chief Executive) on three other occasions. Mr Osborne also met Mr Murdoch's daughter, Elizabeth, at a social gathering in June 2011.
The first media meetings by Jeremy Hunt (Culture Secretary) and Michael Gove (Education Secretary), after their appointment to the Cabinet in 2010, were also with Rupert Murdoch (were they reporting in?).
Murdoch Executives also met 4 times with Nick Clegg (Deputy Prime Minister) and twice with Vince Cable (Business Secretary).
In all, Michael Gove (Education Secretary) has met Rupert Murdoch 7 times on the last 14 months and he has met Rebekah Brooks 8 times. Mr Gove met with Rupert Murdoch twice in June 2011.
"How is the Government run? Governments tell lies to journalists and then Ministers believe what they read" - Karl Kraus (1909).
PS Andy Coulson worked for David Cameron as Director of Communications until he resigned. He was arrested in July 2011. He had left News International in 2007 but is believed to have had "work benefits", such as private healthcare and company car, paid for for three years after he left the firm. He has also had his legally fees, to date, paid by News International. These are believed to have run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Tory Party officials were giving categorical assurances, until recently, that Mr Coulson's only form of income was from the Tory Party during the years he worked for it.
It is unusual for a second paymaster, i.e. the Tory Party, not to know about the first paymaster because of tax considerations. Tom Watson, Labour MP, has written to the Electoral Commission enquiring about possible breaches of party 'sponsorship' rules.
'Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice'.
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