The Corporate Media; the Ministry of Truth

The truth ends where censorship begins

George Orwell's book "1984", discussed the idea of a totalitarian Government, broken down into four different departments, one being the Ministry of Truth. Unlike it's namesake, the ministry was responsible for the falsification of historical events. It was the propaganda arm controlling information: news, entertainment, education, and fine arts.

Today we know the ministry of truth as the corporate media. This fact was reaffirmed for me recently, when Marcos Baghdatis, a Cypriot tennis player was hauled into the cultural sensitivity ministry of truth department over his politically based comments about Turkey and Cyprus (he believes that the Turkish should leave Cyprus to the indigenous Greeks). There was a big media furore over whether someone of his station (that is a public figure/ sportsman) should not be allowed to express his political opinions and should instead stick to sport.

Strangely though, actors are more than welcome to express their political opinions as long as it meets the criteria of the thought police, examples of which include Arnie, Angie and Mr Oh so suave Clooney. So lets not forget that anyone is allowed to mix their fame in the political arena as long as the ministry of truth has approved. Sadly, the role of the media is no longer in reporting information, but has become an enforcer of state induced propaganda and thought control.

On a separate but still related issue, I spoke with my sister in law regarding her role as a journalist. She told me how she didn't feel it was relevant to include the race of a person when discussing a crime that had been committed. I asked her about the following: 1.) What if the media is being used to catch someone and it's a description to inform the public? 2.) Like the Geraldton murder by Aborigines of a white man, doesn't it show to the general public there are still significant issues to be dealt with? Rather than pretending that there aren't strained race relations between indigenous and white fellas? If the media doesn't report it, how can it EVER get better? 3.) It's not the role of the media to determine what is and what isn't relevant. That's for the public to decide. Whether she was aware of it or not, her decision not to include certain information based on her interpretation of what is relevant is still a form of censorship no matter how good her intentions.... and we all know...

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions"

She told me a little anecdote about a piece she was doing for her radio station, and it was called "what frightened you as children", someone called up and said hare krishna's. Offensive? Or amusing? She told me it didn't make it through the PC police. What bullocks. In her efforts to appease all and be a sycophant, she has become the traitorous censor that has become the corporate media.

In keeping with tradition of free speech includes hate speech, and the freedom to offend, I found the following on the bay area national anarchist website...who surprisingly are upset by this little pearl. It's a cartoon found in the this months issue of Heeb magazine which is being sold at Barnes and Noble...

So, if it's ok for Jews to make fun of us Gentiles and have it published in a reputable book store, it's only fair that I should be able to make a joke regarding Jews and ovens...... right???

Take it away Nelly;

Paint my face in your magazines
Make it look whiter than it seems
Paint me over with your dreams
Shove away my ethnicity
Burn every notion that I may have a flame inside to fight
And say just what is on my mind Without offending your might

Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless what are you gonna do
So say what you want Say what you want

I saw her face outside today Weatherworn, looking all the rage
They took her passion and her gaze and made a poster
Now it's moccasins we sport
We take the culture and contort
Perhaps only to distort what we are hiding

Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless what are you gonna do
But say what you want Say what you want

Hey you, the one outside, are you ever gonna get in, get in
Hey you, the one that don't fit in, how ya, how ya gonna get in
Hey you, the one outside, are you ever gonna get in with your
Broken teeth, broken jaw, broken mojo

Yeah, this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless, what are you gonna do
Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless, what are you gonna do

What are you going to do? How about telling the truth?

In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth will be revolutionary - George Orwell.

Gone Fishing

Apologies all, Anarchy downunder will be back soon.....

In the meantime check out The Crux of Corporations and The CRA and Counter Economic Activity

Separatism for Lakota Indians and Australian Aborigines

The Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the United States. Long-time Indian rights activist Russell Means said....

"We are no longer citizens of the United States of America and all those who live in the five-state area that encompasses our country are free to join us.The new country would issue its own passports and driving licences, and living there would be tax-free -- provided residents renounce their US citizenship."

A delegation of Lakota leaders delivered a message to the State Department on Monday, announcing they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the United States, some of them more than 150 years old.

The move is completely legal after the United Nations adopted a non-binding declaration for the rights of indigenous people, and the fact that the treaties have been repeatedly violated. The main reasons for this move are horrifying statistics; Lakota teen suicides are 150 percent above the norm for the United States; infant mortality is five times higher than the US average; and unemployment is rife.

"Our people want to live, not just survive or crawl and be mascots."

It seems to me that the Lakota Indians need separatism for their own "racial" survival. If the rates of infant mortality are so high, moving closer to U.S cities with proper health facilities would improve these statistics. Hence, I believe this move is to preserve their racial and cultural identity.

This reminds me of the Australian Aborigines, who through forced assimilation, as a population have also been decimated racially and culturally.

I really admire Glen Atkinson 's gusto, that he has the courage of his convictions to stand up and fight for his people, regardless of the ramifications to himself for his actions. (very Emma Goldman!). He believes that the Australian court system and police have no power over him or his people.

"I don't believe they [white man] have the jurisdiction to adjudicate Aboriginal people under law. "

I totally support the indigenous people of this country to maintain the land in the way that they see fit, without intervention from the Australian Government or its immigrant population. If you believe immigrant to be a pejorative term, it is, and I refer to the original (and current) immigrants to this land. Ideally, what Glen is expressing here is the right for his people to form autonomous Aboriginal communities. Communities built along racial and cultural separatism, no different from the Lakota Indians in the United States, who based on statistics shown, is necessary for their survival. Many of the Australian Aboriginal dialects are already extinct, and the people who call themselves Aboriginal are far from what their traditional ancestors looked like. I think it's terribly sad, that white man has caused such devastation to an indigenous people. Unfortunately, these are the effects of large scale immigration to any population, where the only solution is separatism (not forced, but voluntary); an anarchist community based along racial and cultural homogeneity.

I do not say these things lightly, as I believe they are highly controversial, however, for the preservation of the indigenous people of both Australia and the United States, this course of action is a necessity. To waste time over moralising arguments is to deny the right of a these people their chance at survival in a world seeking to form a uniform hegemony. For the preservation of biodiversity, the Australian Aborigines and the Lakota Indians must be allowed to form their own autonomous communities, free from state intervention in whatever manner they deem appropriate.

References:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iVC1KMTOgwiSoMQyT2LwZc9HyAgA http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22951412-661,00.html

A Dangerous Woman

Book Review:

I've just finished reading my first graphic novel "A Dangerous Woman" by Sharon Rudahl. It's a biography of Emma Goldman, a Russian Jewish Anarchist from the twentieth century living in the United Sates. I have to say, it's one of the most entertaining and informative reads about Emma's life. I can see why people get into comics, and while it's strange to think of an anarchist as a "super hero", Emma was nothing short of an extraordinary person. She pushed boundaries not just for statists, but for women, overtly expressing the right for a woman to execute her will with her stance on free love and birth control. Ultimately she would be considered a staunch feminist and proudly Jewish, and yet she didn't approve of women's suffrage, and I doubt she would approve of Zionism. Emma is just as much a revolutionary in her time, as she would be now, and all the sacrifices and challenges she faced are still relevant today.

Emma served multiple jail terms, with a 2 year stint for her opposition to World War I. While in jail any benefits she received she equally shared among the prison population, she was a true socialist.

What I believe to be the most relevant to the current political foray was the 1903 anti-anarchist law in the United States which prohibited entry to anyone opposed to organised Government. This law was passed after the assassination of President McKinley in 1901 by Czologsz (an anarchist), for which Emma was accused of being involved.

In 1903 an English anarchist by the name of John Turner was to give a lecture, but was refused entry to the U.S to which Emma established a free speech league. This particularly struck me as being relevant, as we see many people today barred entry into certain countries and even jailed for speaking out about certain topics. For those who believe certain topics should be barred, I give you Emma's speech......

Free Speech means nothing if it does not mean the freedom to say what
others don't want to hear

She chained herself to a light pole and continued to say that under the first amendment, free speech meant that she can write and say as she pleased..... Times haven't really changed, Oh, Emma, if only you were still here...

What also fascinated me about Emma was her steadfast belief in equality between men and women, and yet refused to accept women's suffrage. Instead she was quoted as saying

Women's suffrage will mean more meddling and regulating morals

In a republic there are many ways for the strong, the
cunning, and the rich to seize power and hold it!

Some of Emma's non-anarchists influences included the nihilists and Nietzsche, so it's no surprise that she wasn't particularly fond of moralising arguments.

I can't honestly do this book any justice, it's a great read, and there are so many facets to Emma and her extraordinary self-sacrifice for the greater good. She is truly inspirational.

The political arena leaves one no alternative, one must either be a dunce or a rogue.

So what are you? A dunce or a rogue?

Santa is an anagram for satan

It's that time of year again when we all go into significant debt to buy crap for people we don't like, and for which they don't need. How did this happen, and why would you want to prevent people from celebrating Santa style consumerism?

Ironically, it was puritan Christians arriving to America in 1492 who celebrated jolly old saint nic which today has become a secular holiday. I couldn't quite understand why primary schools and pre-schools in Australia would ban Santa Claus from visiting and putting up the traditional tree and decorations, quoting that it would cause offense to our newly arrived migrants. Now, I can understand that Christmas is a christian holiday, and not all people in Australia are Christians. However, saint nic is only loosely associated with Christianity, and in fact, if you ask any christian what they think of Santa they will say he is co-opting the real meaning and message of Christmas. So, why ban the guy? Last time I checked, he was one of the few people who saw past religion, race, gender and class. Doesn't Santa conceptually represent the most egalitarian person in the world today?

I think in Australia, if you're trying to create another cronulla, the best thing you can do, is ban Santa from the mainstream secular crowd.

For me personally, I think the whole Christmas consumerism is highly over-rated, but realistically, we're talking about banning a secular holiday. Go figure.

Then of course, there was Santa's highly controversial 'ho ho ho', which was deemed offensive to women. Again, last time I checked, there hasn't ever been a female Santa Claus, so saint nic has always been an offensive sexist bastard. Why change now? Personally, I always liked that about him, and his ability to scare the crap out of little kids.

I always wondered too, why is it when we're told to save energy and 'go green', all these western consumers are putting up Christmas lights sucking down thousands of kilowatts of energy? Combine this with our obligation to spend $30 per person on everyone we've ever known, and you've got the perfect breeding ground for the best consumer holiday for corporations EVER.

This year, my wife and I have decided, no Christmas presents for anyone; period. This includes people who tenaciously keep to handing out gifts even after we've begged them not too. This means of course, come Christmas day with the "out-laws" we have to graviously accept gifts while looking the giver in the eye and say " sorry, nothing for you". It's such a scummy thing to do, but in the long run, they get the message, and they too will stop handing out useless gifts.... eventually ending the cycle of needless consumerism.

"Christmas Consumerism" by Scotty Zuke, who has the down low....

It's that time of year again: The Annual Holiday-Themed Mass Consumption Month! Actually, that's not exactly correct. It used to be just a month, but every year the Christmas shopping season is stretched a bit further to boost sales. If you think about it, it's truly remarkable how we Americans are driven into a buying frenzy. The Christmas music is usually the first sign. Malls and stores will begin playing the music earlier every year, tricking the shoppers into thinking that the holiday season is quickly approaching. Besides that, it is scientifically proven that background music affects shopping habits, and I can't help but imagine that the music associated with Christmas is extremely powerful in increasing buying.

National or Notional Anarchists?

So what are the different kinds of anarchists? Well, here's my list of all the ones I could find, and in no particular order.....

Indivdualists Anarchist; Autarchism; Collectivist Anarchist; Anarchist Communism; Anarcho-Sydnicalism; Anarcho-capitalism; Agorist; Christian Anarchist; Orthodox Anarchist; Punk Anarchist; Green Anarchists; National Anarchist; Market-left libertarian; Crypto-Anarchism; Analytical Anarchism; Left Anarchy; Right Anarchy; Insurrectionary Anarchy; I'm sure the list goes on.....

My personal favourite, Anarchism without adjectives is an ideology which tolerates the coexistence of different anarchist schools. I wanted to do a post about this as there seems to be a lot of talk lately about what constitutes an anarchist, and the right for one group or person to call themselves an anarchist, and their dismissal of alternative schools of thought as not.

"Intellectual property and the title anarchist" by Royce Christian

It's amazing that while most Anarchists, of all stripes, reject intellectual property laws as simply a construct of the state, the most extreme among us have this tendency to enforce their factions ownership of the term 'Anarchist'. Truly, it is amazing to see. Fanatical Anarchists unquestioningly support their own brand of Anarchism denounce all others as somehow 'fake'. They are in fact the largest hypocrites among us. These are the people who have a unyielding confidence in what they know is the truth, the way and the light. Anything that doesn't accept this obvious truth is deemed false and thus statist. Unfortunately for the rest of us, this kind of unreasoned fanaticism has many proponents within the Anarchist movement.

Let's consider the National Anarchists, as they seem to be the most polarizing of all the different factions. National anarchism has its origins in the UK, and is largely the brainchild of Troy Southgate, an individual with a long history of involvement in the British neo-Nazi movement, including organisations such as the National Front, the International Third Position, the English Nationalist Movement and the National Revolutionary Faction. Critic Graham D. Macklin notes that “When put into its wider context… ‘national-anarchism’ appears as one of many groupuscular responses to globalization, popular antipathy towards which Southgate sought to harness by aligning [his activities]… with the resurgence of anarchism whose heroes and slogans it arrogated, and whose sophisticated critiques of global capitalist institutions and state power it absorbed…”. In essence, ‘national anarchism’ is an attempt to use anarchist rhetoric and imagery in order to better advance the cause of reactionary, racist and fascist politics.

So, we've established that national anarchism itself was created by fascists and is thus considered a racist form of anarchism (because it's anti-state). Wikipeadia has a lot to say on the topic of the history of Anarchism with Nationalism , so in reality, the idea isn't particularly new, and is really just the rehash of an old story.

But are they really racist, or just exclusionary? I believe the later, but I'll come to that in a moment. I believe that national anarchism isn't just for Europeans, but rather national anarchism embodies the idea that people can form communities based upon lines that suit their interests.

Each type of anarchism which I've listed above is just that. A group of anarchists who have come together along an issue which they believe to be important. Be it, social (communism anarchists), economic (agorist), religious (orthodox or christian). These are all anarchists who have formed a group with similar ideas.

In the words of a famous european anarchist; Pierre Joseph Proudhon

Whoever puts his hand on me to govern me is a usurper and a tyrant. I declare him my enemy.

My conscience is mine, my justice is mine, and my freedom is a sovereign freedom.

Under anarchist doctrine, people have the freedom to form groups based along whatever issues are important to them. Further, freedom includes the freedom to hate, the freedom to offend, and the freedom of self-expression, on the basis that there is no physical harm impacted upon another.

From my point of view the killing of another, except in defense of human life, is archistic, authoritarian, and therefore, no Anarchist can commit such deeds. It is the very opposite of what Anarchism stands for...
Joseph Labadie

"Government is an association of men who do violence to the rest of us."
Leo Tolstoy

Therefore, so long as there is no violence against another, the principle of national anarchism is a principle of freedom of association. National Anarchism is really something in which we all practise with our different forms of anarchism. Instead of the term National Anarchism, we can change the name to "ideas based anarchy" or "community anarchy". It seems to me, that each group of people organicly formed will be based upon principles agreed upon by that community. Be it religious doctrine, racial, cultural or sexual orientation homogeneity. That is, communities can form along homosexual lines, along identity politics or economical politics. Regardless of your particular opinion as to the validity of these communities, the reality is, that they will form, and in fact, your allegiance to a particular school of anarchistic thought, is by it's nature exclusionary and a form of national anarchism.

So why national anarchism? Based on my assumptions above that it's not neccessarily racially based, but based on any idea or principle important to individuals, "National" is the description of what the community is. After all, each community can be considered a "Nation unto itself". One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. It is an ethical and philosophical doctrine in itself, and is the starting point for the ideology of nationalism. These nations - as described are anarchistic schools of thought. So, in essence we are all national anarchists - but what about the European National Anarchists? These are the National Anarchists who wish to form along racial lines, or upon identity politics.

My answer - remains the same. Freedom. Freedom from co-ercion is the highest form of anarchy. The ability of a "nation" (as described in this post) to self-determination. Further, there are other racially based anarchists out there who believe identity politics is important. Power 2 the people is an African American Socialist Anarchist, with a strong emphasis on anti-racism, and yet has strong support for the Black Panther Party, and the struggle for his African brothers under their current dictatorship and imperialism. If this is not racist, how can Europeans with the same strong ethnocentric community ties be considered to be racist? While this isn't the main point of the article, and needs much further investigation, I think it's important to note, that National Anarchism, the rise of "nations" of anarchy, are a central doctrine of any true anarchist. The fact that we disagree on certain ideas and principles, which gives rise to the different factions only further supports the principle that:

"Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet."

- Rudyard Kipling

and thus, National Anarchism is one answer to such a dilemma.

We the people will not be chipped

RFID or Radio-Frequency-Identification tags have been used to track product shipments, enable digital payments on transport systems and tollways, identify animals such as cattle, migrating birds and pets, protect fleet or privately owned motor vehicles. But are we becoming a surveillance state?

The use of RFID technology has engendered considerable controversy and even product boycotts by consumer privacy advocate Caspian (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) refer to RFID tags as "spychips". The two main privacy concerns regarding RFID are:

1. Since the owner of an item will not necessarily be aware of the presence of a RFID tag and the tag can be read at a distance without the knowledge of the individual, it becomes possible to gather sensitive data about an individual without consent.

2. If a tagged item is paid for by credit card or in conjunction with use of a loyalty card, then it would be possible to indirectly deduce the identity of the purchaser by reading the globally unique ID of that item (contained in the RFID tag).

In a corporate consumer spy incident, which was uncovered by the Chicago Sun-Times, shelves in a Wal-Mart in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, were equipped with readers to track the Max Factor Lipfinity lipstick containers stacked on them. Webcam images of the shelves were viewed 750 miles (1200 km) away by Procter & Gamble researchers in Cincinnati, Ohio, who could tell when lipsticks were removed from the shelves and observe the shoppers in action.

.... and just to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, the FDA has approved the use of the chips in humans......

In 2006, Cincinnati, two employees for the company citywatcher were forced to be micro-chipped with an RFID tag for improved security access to valuable data storage areas. The Baja Beach nightclub in Barcelona reportedly uses RFID implants to track regular patrons and allow them to pay for drinks electronically, while the Mexican Attorney-General's Office implanted 18 of its staff with tags to control access to a secure data room. Other suggested uses for the RFID chip include their inclusion into National Identity cards and replacing soldier dog tags with the implantable chip.

Although, not all tags are implanted within the body, in Japan and the U.K there is at least one active school where children are micro-chipped (on their bags or name tags) in order to track their movements in the interests of security. Ah, yes, the old propaganda technique "What about the children?", "do it for the children" and my personal favourite "But, we must protect the children".... kinda of reminds me of Labour (tweddle dee) and Liberal (tweddle dumb)'s education revolution... but alas, I will save this for another time. The United Sates is already undergoing biometric data collection of children at primary schools in the interests of finding them quickly if they are abducted or assaulted, but then, isn't it easier to introduce a National I.D card when you already have all the information, you just need to wait a generation or two.....

Getting back to the real matter at hand - Japan is looking to create an Island where everything is RFID chipped.

The nation is looking to set up an "experimental landmass" where a smorgasbord of sensors will "allow doctors to remotely monitor the health of the elderly," and in another instance, "monitor the movement of pedestrians and notify nearby drivers." Additionally, IC tags could be implanted into produce in order to divulge information such as where it was grown to a shopper's mobile phone. Reportedly, the government is talking with local telecom carriers, electronics manufacturers, automakers, and several "other companies" as it attempts to assemble the pieces, and while no specific test site has been nailed down just yet, "the northern island of Hokkaido or southern island chain of Okinawa" are currently the most likely candidates

(so much for the "size of a grain of rice" propaganda)

Makes you want to join the amish really.....

But for those of you who are more fight than flight, here is a legal company in America McKenna Long & Aldridge pushing to change the laws to encourage the uptake of the RFIP chip. http://rfidlawblog.mckennalong.com/ Bastards!

Which just goes to show, companies might be pushing for these things to happen (micro-chipping the population), but someone is actually doing the bidding of these companies, because of the pressure to conform to the organisational culture (or they have bought the propaganda hook, line and sinker). We need to bring back social shaming! The excuse that you were "Just doing your job" just doesn't cut the mustard. Stand up for your rights, stand up in your workplace when the wrong thing is happening. Don't assume it's someone else's problem. We all have a responsibility to expose the truth. If you work for a company that is pushing this agenda, expose them!

References:

http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,22785408-5013038,00.html

http://rfidlawblog.mckennalong.com/

http://www.privacy.org.au/Campaigns/ID_cards/HSAC.html

http://personallifemedia.com/blogs/living-green/2007/08/03/16-million-study-human-rfid-implants/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFID

http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/15/japan-looking-to-establish-wireless-island/