Been a while since I last posted, but to be honest it's because I've been so busy, and because the government is throwing so much crap at us it has been hard to know where to begin.
On the 11th of June I'm taking part in the Exeter Anarchist Summer Conference, leading a workshop on the ideology of the ConDems and what neoliberalism has done to democracy. The "choice democracy" I'm calling it. It's, hopefully, going to be about the cultural hegemony of capitalism and the "common sense" ideology that has grown up around deficit reduction.
There were of course the two May Day festivals in Plymouth and Exeter, which were great. Lots of nice people with banners, what more can you want!
But now thrown on our plate is the new EC Draft of Britain's Road to Socialism and that's needs discussing and submissions sent to party centre by mid June.
Then there's the SW England and Cornwall District. For some unknown bloody reason I volunteered to build the website. Well I have. It ain't live yet, and may never be if the committee can't agree on some of the wording of the articles. Sometimes democracy can go too far!
And then, just to wind me up, the main news stories today. The government is looking at the "military covenant" and passing legislation on how ex-soldiers etc should be treated. Call me cynical, but is this just a massive PR stunt? Not to mention some prat of military top brass saying on the radio that he thinks ex-servicemen should get "preferential treatment" when it comes to state provided services. Yes, fair enough, if you've had a bit blown off, you probably need to get to hospital before me, but when this is taken in the context of last year's suggestion that children of servicemen should get reduced (or zero) tuition fees at uni, we're slipping very quickly towards a complete militarisation of society. Military service anyone?
"What remains of democracy is chiefly the right to choose between commodities" - Noam Chomsky
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