[Campaignforrealdemocracy] Purpose of list
james holland
james at dogmanet.org
Fri May 15 08:03:12 BST 2009
sorry for not getting back sooner dave.
this list is striclty for organising the project, meeting announcements
/ minutes and discussion DIRECTLY related to them.
it is absolutley not for general discussion, posting of links, and
replying to multiple lists.
James Holland
http://risingclevel.blogspot.com/
dave wrote:
> No-one's acknowledged or replied to this email yet (sent 2 days ago).
> Can we clarify this asap?
>
> ta
>
> Dave
>
>
> Hi
>
> I hestitated in joining this list but said I'd try it as my
> understanding is it is to solely discuss local grass roots
> anti-authoritarian community organising.
>
> If its going to be about central london policing and other general
> issues I can get that elsewhere so will take myself off the list. I
> might come off it anyway after a while (no offence to anyone on it!) as
> there are other similar lists I'm on.
>
> If its not clear what the list is for I suggest a sentence or two should
> be added to the list information link, and everyone be made aware of the
> exact purpose so we dont get any other stuff on it.
>
>
> ta
>
> Dave
>
>
> At 06:08 13/05/2009 -0700, Mark Barrett wrote:
>> Agreed, it's not about endorsing any campaigns. I think we should be
>> talking about our sense that a campaign for real democracy is what's
>> needed in this time of economic and other crises, and now public
>> atmosphere of anti-politics (or, desire for a new politics). And our
>> belief that what is needed is for local groups and individuals
>> concerned to make democracy a reality to link up across cities, towns,
>> villages and country. And to encourage people based in London
>> interested to do that to get in contact. And for people based on other
>> places to do the same and contact us to so we can build a movement
>> capable of both local and joined up regional/national activity.
>>
>> Regarding Monday venue. just got this
>>
>> "Fine to use the room - one holds about 20 and the other is a little
>> larger. Jesse can sort this out. I don't know how you feel about him
>> also providing vegan food - it's mainly the burger/chix
>> nuggets/falafel type stuff but he is expanding and will be doing
>> salads. He also does a range of vegan pasta dishes. What do you
>> think would be the success of charging people, say, £2 a head to cover
>> the room and a drink/food? There is a tv in there and the room has
>> also been soundproofed.
>>
>> Actually, whilst I was in there and talking to Jesse there was a guy
>> who said that he would be interested in coming to the meetings. I got
>> his email address so it may be worth sending him some background info.
>> [will send you this separately James]
>>
>> Let me know what you think"
>>
>> Obviously though the venue sounds lovely this isn't ideal although
>> maybe we could use it once or twice for a central London meeting over
>> the course of next two weeks, before we find a central free space
>> that's suitable. I'd be ok to cover the cost for people who come and
>> can't afford 2 pounds. Shall we go for it this coming Monday? Also, I
>> will ask around as the 21st C Network meeting on Transition Towns this
>> eve as Francis now has some good venue contacts. Alt is there anyway
>> of using yr SOAS/CC connections James to get a regular space there?
>> Brit Museum courtyard cafe is also a stop gap possibility..
>>
>> Mark
>>
>> 2009/5/13 james holland <james at dogmanet.org <mailto:james at dogmanet.org>>
>>
>> i'm happy to print something to let people know about it to start
>> building up our human resources (i'm already working on some
>> text), but
>> less happy to start endorsing campaigns. this is a strictly
>> consensus
>> process that hasn't met yet so this is the kind of thing it
>> can't do yet.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> James Holland
>>
>> http://risingclevel.blogspot.com/
>>
>> Mark Barrett wrote:
>> > Hi James & Everyone
>> >
>> > Maybe we should draft a small flier for the big 23rd May
>> United Campaign
>> > Aagainst Police Violence demo, to introduce the campaign.
>> Hopefully we
>> > should have a venue for (bi-weekly?) meetings by then, but
>> even if not
>> > we can surely drum up some interest. As most of you will
>> know, the UCAPV
>> > initiative came straight out of the G20 debacle, although it
>> has roots
>> > going a long way back with police abuses of power.
>> >
>> > Could we make a strong, short statement making clear our
>> position on the
>> > police's role in a democratic society and calling on
>> campaigners and
>> > police alike to join us in our struggle for a very different
>> society
>> > where power is dispersed so people can act honourably and
>> responsibly -
>> > and powerfully together?
>> >
>> > Unrest is linked to injustices, perceived and real and the
>> police are
>> > being forced to defend a clapped out system - not an easy
>> position to be
>> > in. People and polcie should be able to steward their own
>> neighbourhoods
>> > together so that truth, justice and a keeping of peace are
>> served and
>> > preserved. Likewise - by extension - the whole of our
>> > society. Apparently the mood out there anti-politics, and/or
>> for
>> > a different kind of politics. Surely we can make some
>> democratic hay
>> > with that on 23rd May?
>> >
>> > Mark
>> >
>> > PS Dawn and Panda, any news on the venue? I'll be in central
>> London this
>> > afternoon if you need to direct me to the place you
>> suggested on Friday,
>> > please do! PPS looking forward to Rachel's this Friday! All
>> welcome.. xx
>> >
>> >
>> > 2009/5/11 A World to Win <info at aworldtowin.net
>> <mailto:info at aworldtowin.net>
>> > <mailto:info at aworldtowin.net <mailto:info at aworldtowin.net>>>
>> >
>> > Hi Mark - thought the 2012 listers might want to read
>> today's blog
>> > from A World to Win.
>> > Cheers, Corinna
>> >
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> > *Parliament versus the people*
>> >
>> > The shoddy and demeaning spectacle of MPs milking their
>> expenses’
>> > system at the taxpayers' expense for all it is worth
>> knows no
>> > bounds. They have been claiming for just about
>> everything: £60,000
>> > (Employment minister Tony McNulty) for second home
>> allowances, and
>> > £25,000 for security patrols (Barbara Follett) down to
>> 69p for a
>> > packet of biscuits, £2.50 for eyeliner and even for Kit
>> Kats and an
>> > Ikea carrier bag.
>> >
>> > MPs have blatantly engaged in property speculation,
>> using allowances
>> > to do up homes before selling them on. “Never in my 20
>> years in
>> > politics have I seen the public as angry as they are
>> today and,
>> > frankly, who can blame them? It doesn't help that the
>> revelations
>> > have come at a time of recession.” Thus the Liberal
>> Democrat Norman
>> > Baker, MP for Lewes, East Sussex, once home of
>> revolutionary
>> > democrat Tom Paine. Baker’s remarks are part of a
>> growing chorus
>> > warning about the yawning credibility gap between the
>> electorate and
>> > those who purport to represent them in parliament.
>> >
>> > And are the Honourable Members, who include 13 members
>> of Gordon
>> > Brown’s Cabinet, expressing any shame or remorse for
>> their venal
>> > attitude to office? No, sublimely oblivious to
>> criticism, they are
>> > complaining that their abuses were exposed to public
>> scrutiny. The
>> > House of Commons authorities are even asking the police
>> to track
>> > down the source of the leak that showed how deeply MPs’
>> snouts are
>> > in the trough.
>> >
>> > As the /Observer/ commented yesterday, the distance
>> between MPs and
>> > ordinary people is now so big that they consider a
>> £24,000 second
>> > home allowance as an “incidental” perk. For most, that
>> is a lump sum
>> > they would never dream of seeing in their bank account.
>> And so,
>> > warnings of the breakdown of trust upon which bourgeois
>> > parliamentary democracy relies are flying thick and fast:
>> >
>> > * Baker concludes that auditing, transparency and
>> limits on
>> > expenses must be imposed – warning that “If we do
>> not, then
>> > the trust between the people and Parliament will
>> have been
>> > irrevocably damaged, with all the dangers that
>> holds.”
>> > * The /Daily Telegraph/, which first blew the
>> whistle on MPs
>> > expenses, concludes that: "There is no doubt that
>> the current
>> > system is rotten and cannot survive.”
>> > * The /Daily Mail/ says it means a “terminal
>> wipe-out” for New
>> > Labour and that Blairism’s claim to moral virtue
>> has been
>> > “blown to shreds”. The question now, it asks, is
>> what will be
>> > the consequences of all this. “For with such an
>> unprecedented
>> > breakdown of Parliamentary integrity and loss of
>> public trust,
>> > we are surely in uncharted territory.”
>> > * And last, but not least, a /Guardian/ blogger
>> points out that
>> > the corruption shows “how alienated the political
>> classes are
>> > from those they serve”, demanding that Oliver
>> Cromwell come
>> > back with a peoples’ army to shut the whole thing
>> down.
>> >
>> > The haughty obliviousness of New Labour after 12 years
>> in power is
>> > indeed mind-boggling. Of course the Conservatives, and
>> indeed Sinn
>> > Fein, have also been playing the system for all that
>> it’s worth, but
>> > New Labour’s arrogance is far greater than that of the rest
>> > combined. It comes at a time when income inequality in
>> Britain is at
>> > its widest point in 40 years after 12 years of Labour
>> government, a
>> > result of low wages and benefits held below inflation.
>> >
>> > MPs have justified their greed by pointing to the
>> difference between
>> > their pay and the vast salaries paid to executives in
>> the private
>> > sector. In doing so they show that they have nothing in
>> common with
>> > the people that they are supposed to represent. Instead
>> they draw
>> > their “morality” from the capitalist economic system which
>> > parliamentary democracy oversees and keeps in place.
>> >
>> > The populist right like the /Daily Mail/ is aware that
>> the limits of
>> > parliamentary democracy have been reached and that they
>> will be
>> > breached. By its actions, New Labour is opening the
>> doors to
>> > dictatorial rule. It’s time to sound the alarm bells
>> loud and clear.
>> >
>> > The current scandal shows the urgent need to campaign
>> for a People’s
>> > Charter for Democracy
>> > <http://www.aworldtowin.net/about/Rights21C.html>. The
>> aim is not to
>> > “re-build trust” in a corrupt and undemocratic
>> parliament but to end
>> > the rule of political elites, and create new forms of
>> direct local
>> > and national democracy through peoples’ assemblies.
>> >
>> > Corinna Lotz
>> > A World to Win secretary, 11 May 2009
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > >
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>>
>>
>>
>>
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