On Thursday 1st March, 7.30pm at the Harrogate Friends Meeting House, there will be the launch of a new report about the secretive US base just to the North of Bradford. 'Lifting the lid on Menwith Hill' is a compelling read, and we have reason to thank its author Dr Steve Schofield.
The main thrust of the report is a withering rebuttal of the idea that the base brings in significant money into the region. In fact, the top secret base brings in very little, and as it turns out, actually costs the UK taxpayer.
One of the more surprising findings was that all the US personnel live tax free, whilst benefiting from state schools and hospitals. Tens of millions are lost to contractors and workers in what is effectively a little tax haven on the Yorkshire Moors. The economic case for the base is carefully deconstructed by Dr Schofield, but it is not just the cost to the British government that is under scrutiny.
Menwith Hill is an illegal site, performing military and industrial espionage for the US government. It is totally undemocratic and the British Government has no oversight of the project at all. It is simply part of the US empires deep penetration of the global arena to help further its own ends.
Menwith Hill has got to close, and this report highlights that this could well be a benefit to the region's economy, as well as curtailing the ability of US industry to gain competitive advantage over British and other European companies. The British Government is crazy to diminish its own sovereignty by allowing its citizens and businesses to be spyed on from within our own borders.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Monday, 27 February 2012
Occupy London Stock Exchange Evicted! Show Solidarity!
I've just had the text from one of those camped by St Pauls - the eviction has begun on the steps of the Cathedral. For those nearby, I urge you to go down and show solidarity. The Occupy movement has been at the heart of challenging the widespread inequalities of global power and wealth, and they need us now.
It is vital that the eviction takes place as non-violently as possible - but there inevitably will be those who might provoke violence from both sides - that is why witnesses are needed urgently. If you live in London, and can get over, there is no time to delay. For the rest of us, we can pray, and we can rededicate ourselves to the cause of the Occupy movement where ever we are.
The Occupy movement is not just outside St Pauls, it is where ever any of us stand with the oppressed and stand up to the powerful. It is where communities stand against corruption and against the tyranny of the wealthy. Occupy is anywhere we resist attempts to destroy our welfare state, it is where ever we build alternative ways of being community. Places where equality, creation and neighbour are at the heart of all we do. Places where people and planet come before profit.
You cannot evict an idea whose time has come. Revolution is as inevitable as resurrection. You just have to believe in it.
It is vital that the eviction takes place as non-violently as possible - but there inevitably will be those who might provoke violence from both sides - that is why witnesses are needed urgently. If you live in London, and can get over, there is no time to delay. For the rest of us, we can pray, and we can rededicate ourselves to the cause of the Occupy movement where ever we are.
The Occupy movement is not just outside St Pauls, it is where ever any of us stand with the oppressed and stand up to the powerful. It is where communities stand against corruption and against the tyranny of the wealthy. Occupy is anywhere we resist attempts to destroy our welfare state, it is where ever we build alternative ways of being community. Places where equality, creation and neighbour are at the heart of all we do. Places where people and planet come before profit.
You cannot evict an idea whose time has come. Revolution is as inevitable as resurrection. You just have to believe in it.
Sunday, 12 February 2012
A Greek Tragedy
The bankers have won. They can completely destroy an economy, then become the ones who impose the 'rescue' package. In Greece tonight, we see the unabated power of modern capitalism. It doesn't matter what the people think; it doesn't matter what the politicians think; it doesn't even matter what the following Greek elections might produce; everyone will be forced to sit down and eat an enormous excrement sandwich, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
When I think of the suffering of the Greek people it makes my heart sink. The majority of the population are facing horrific changes, loss of savings, loss of security and earnings.
The government were already making huge cuts to the public sector when they were forced to find another chunk of money, meaning cuts to pensions and the minimum wage. The problem stems from an inability to tax the rich in Greece itself, so making the poor poorer will not make things better. The economy will be bled dry and the government will be even less likely to collect the tax revenue it needs.
Maybe the rioting on the streets of Athens will be a warning to the rich and powerful of Europe; you cannot keep making the people suffer and not expect a backlash. Eventually, there will be no gated community that will be able to protect the elite from the anger of the oppressed. God save us from this economic madness.
When I think of the suffering of the Greek people it makes my heart sink. The majority of the population are facing horrific changes, loss of savings, loss of security and earnings.
The government were already making huge cuts to the public sector when they were forced to find another chunk of money, meaning cuts to pensions and the minimum wage. The problem stems from an inability to tax the rich in Greece itself, so making the poor poorer will not make things better. The economy will be bled dry and the government will be even less likely to collect the tax revenue it needs.
Maybe the rioting on the streets of Athens will be a warning to the rich and powerful of Europe; you cannot keep making the people suffer and not expect a backlash. Eventually, there will be no gated community that will be able to protect the elite from the anger of the oppressed. God save us from this economic madness.
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Stephen Hester - worth every penny?
Today we learnt that even Phillip Hampton, the chair of Royal Bank of Scotland has been too embarrassed to accept his £1.4m handout. This is in stark contrast to the greed of Stephen Hester, the other RBS bigwig, who happily accepted a £1m bonus this week.
The Prime Minister simply blamed the last Labour government, and tried to sound like he was actually doing something about the banking bonus culture. There is much the PM could do. The RBS is effectively a publicly owned bank. The state could easily intervene if it really wanted to. But this goes against every fibre of Cameron's ideology. He is happy to cut or freeze public sector wages, whilst allowing the bankers to do as they please.
Stephen Hester was effectively rewarded for 'reducing the risks' of the RBS. This amounts to failing to lend to British industry at a time when it desperately needs investment. It was the failure of RBS to renegotiate a loan to the Peacock chain of shops that led them to go under, costing 1000's of jobs and another gap on the highstreet. For this, and many other crimes against the British economy, Mr Hester should be ashamed of himself, and certainly he should not accept a £1m bonus.
There is little point of Cameron condemning this publicly, but doing nothing to change the situation. Let us do all we can to shorten the life of this bourgeois government and the influence of their friends in financial high places.
The Prime Minister simply blamed the last Labour government, and tried to sound like he was actually doing something about the banking bonus culture. There is much the PM could do. The RBS is effectively a publicly owned bank. The state could easily intervene if it really wanted to. But this goes against every fibre of Cameron's ideology. He is happy to cut or freeze public sector wages, whilst allowing the bankers to do as they please.
Stephen Hester was effectively rewarded for 'reducing the risks' of the RBS. This amounts to failing to lend to British industry at a time when it desperately needs investment. It was the failure of RBS to renegotiate a loan to the Peacock chain of shops that led them to go under, costing 1000's of jobs and another gap on the highstreet. For this, and many other crimes against the British economy, Mr Hester should be ashamed of himself, and certainly he should not accept a £1m bonus.
There is little point of Cameron condemning this publicly, but doing nothing to change the situation. Let us do all we can to shorten the life of this bourgeois government and the influence of their friends in financial high places.
Saturday, 21 January 2012
'A Ring of Prayer' around Occupy LSX!
When Symon Hill of Ecclesia texted me about this idea last week, I immediately said I would support it if at all possible. Now the high court has given the green light for an eviction of the occupy tent community camped outside St Paul's Cathedral, it is clear that at some point in the coming weeks, a showdown is inevitable.
Our sincere hope it that it will be a negotiated and peaceful end. It is not in the interests of the protesters, the Cathedral or indeed the city of London Corporation for it all to finish in violence. So the ideas of the ring of prayer is simply; should a forceful eviction take place, people of faith should get to the site if possible, and pray and witness throughout all that occurs.
Prayer is a proven source of successful Nonviolent Direct Action - it reduces conflict and forces each side to examine their behaviour. Christians in London should prepare themselves to head to St Paul's and show the power of Christ the peace maker. Christians and people of all faiths who can't get down there should organise localised prayers as a sign of solidarity should a forced eviction take place.
The reason is clear - the occupy movement has been the most important movement in decades in challenging the appalling state of modern capitalism - and we should do all we can to recognise the significance of this protest. We can not read 'Those with two coats must give one to the one with none' in our Bibles and fail to realise that God calls us to a life of sharing, not a world of inequality and greed.
Our sincere hope it that it will be a negotiated and peaceful end. It is not in the interests of the protesters, the Cathedral or indeed the city of London Corporation for it all to finish in violence. So the ideas of the ring of prayer is simply; should a forceful eviction take place, people of faith should get to the site if possible, and pray and witness throughout all that occurs.
Prayer is a proven source of successful Nonviolent Direct Action - it reduces conflict and forces each side to examine their behaviour. Christians in London should prepare themselves to head to St Paul's and show the power of Christ the peace maker. Christians and people of all faiths who can't get down there should organise localised prayers as a sign of solidarity should a forced eviction take place.
The reason is clear - the occupy movement has been the most important movement in decades in challenging the appalling state of modern capitalism - and we should do all we can to recognise the significance of this protest. We can not read 'Those with two coats must give one to the one with none' in our Bibles and fail to realise that God calls us to a life of sharing, not a world of inequality and greed.
Friday, 20 January 2012
Preserve Bradford's Greenbelt!
It was disturbing indeed to sit in on the Bradford Council as they made up their minds on the development plan from Holmewood and Tong. They voted to build 600 new houses within the Holmewood and a staggering 2100 new homes on the greenbelt land around it.
The previous council determination to build new housing only on brownfield sites seems to have gone out of the window. The council officers made a number of points to assert their position. 1) the plan is the only way to develop the Holmewood estate 2) That Leeds Council and people have no right to influence Bradford's position 3) That young people need housing 4) That those opposed to the decision were simply a noisy minority 5) that the land was simply 'farmland' so not such an important part of the Greenbelt
The clear and obvious case against building nearly 3000 new homes around the estate, is that it will do little to improve the conditions of the people who live there. In fact, it will add to the pressure on local amenities and take away one of the few advantages to living on the estate - access to beautiful greenbelt.
Of course Holmewood needs improvements, but the new estates already built on the edge of area have proven disastrous, and not improved social integration in the area. Yes, young people need new houses, but they need low cost, starter homes and flats - closer to the city centre. They don't need 3/4 bedroom expensive houses, the ones developers are hoping to make a killing from out of this development.
To call those who bothered to come to the meetings and 'consultations' a noisy minority was disingenuous indeed. Those in favour of the scheme had not got thousands of names on a petition, or proven that it was what the area really needed. It seems that any protest that the council disagrees with is far too easily dismissed. Holmewood folk are losing their greenbelt because it is easier to screw over working class communities rather than encroaching on the greenbelt surrounding some of the more affluent areas of Bradford.
It is not over yet.
The previous council determination to build new housing only on brownfield sites seems to have gone out of the window. The council officers made a number of points to assert their position. 1) the plan is the only way to develop the Holmewood estate 2) That Leeds Council and people have no right to influence Bradford's position 3) That young people need housing 4) That those opposed to the decision were simply a noisy minority 5) that the land was simply 'farmland' so not such an important part of the Greenbelt
The clear and obvious case against building nearly 3000 new homes around the estate, is that it will do little to improve the conditions of the people who live there. In fact, it will add to the pressure on local amenities and take away one of the few advantages to living on the estate - access to beautiful greenbelt.
Of course Holmewood needs improvements, but the new estates already built on the edge of area have proven disastrous, and not improved social integration in the area. Yes, young people need new houses, but they need low cost, starter homes and flats - closer to the city centre. They don't need 3/4 bedroom expensive houses, the ones developers are hoping to make a killing from out of this development.
To call those who bothered to come to the meetings and 'consultations' a noisy minority was disingenuous indeed. Those in favour of the scheme had not got thousands of names on a petition, or proven that it was what the area really needed. It seems that any protest that the council disagrees with is far too easily dismissed. Holmewood folk are losing their greenbelt because it is easier to screw over working class communities rather than encroaching on the greenbelt surrounding some of the more affluent areas of Bradford.
It is not over yet.
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
The Occupy LSX faces eviction, but not defeat.
Today's high court judgement to allow the eviction of the Occupy camp at St Paul's was not entirely unexpected. There will be a chance for an appeal tomorrow, and the corporation will not enforce the eviction till 16.00 on the 27th Jan, but eviction will come.
Over 100 have quickly signed a petition to form a 'circle of prayer' around the camp should a forced eviction be enacted. People will physically 'pray in the way' if they can get to London in time, or pray for a peaceful outcome where ever they happen to be when the time comes.
These brave people in central London have illuminated the horrors of unregulated capitalism. We have a system built on inequality and greed, and the state needs to intervene if we have a chance of reining in the excesses of the financial district. The campers down at St Paul's have done the world a great justice, as uncomfortable as it has been for some. The Church needs to show it's solidarity with this movement, even if this feels difficult and against the status quo. I believe that the occupy movement has been a blessing to the church, and one of the most important protest movements of the modern age.
They may eventually be moved on, but they are not defeated. They have left their mark, and the financial district and the church will never be the same. The occupiers may get kicked out, but they will simply do something more imaginative - the 'bank of ideas' and the law courts occupation shows their determination and creativity. Despite the imminent eviction, the occupy movement is here to stay!
Over 100 have quickly signed a petition to form a 'circle of prayer' around the camp should a forced eviction be enacted. People will physically 'pray in the way' if they can get to London in time, or pray for a peaceful outcome where ever they happen to be when the time comes.
These brave people in central London have illuminated the horrors of unregulated capitalism. We have a system built on inequality and greed, and the state needs to intervene if we have a chance of reining in the excesses of the financial district. The campers down at St Paul's have done the world a great justice, as uncomfortable as it has been for some. The Church needs to show it's solidarity with this movement, even if this feels difficult and against the status quo. I believe that the occupy movement has been a blessing to the church, and one of the most important protest movements of the modern age.
They may eventually be moved on, but they are not defeated. They have left their mark, and the financial district and the church will never be the same. The occupiers may get kicked out, but they will simply do something more imaginative - the 'bank of ideas' and the law courts occupation shows their determination and creativity. Despite the imminent eviction, the occupy movement is here to stay!
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