Sheffield Newswire Archive

From the Union of Concerned Scientists, nuclear engineer and whistleblower David Lochbaum explains his testimony to Congress on priority steps to avoid similar melt-downs and radiation in the United States (applies to all nuclear reactors, world-wide). Most U.S. reactors have HALF the battery backup Fukushima had, many more unprotected spent fuel rods, and unknown emergency plans. Interview from Radio Ecoshock Show 110603 24 minutes.

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Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the Luddite Uprisings: Technology Politics Then and Now

Date: Wednesday June 8th, 7pm

Venue: Feminist Library meeting room, 5a Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7XW, Nearest tube Lambeth North,

 http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154817494584557

Organised by:
Luddites200 Organising Forum
 luddites200@yahoo.co.uk
 http://www.luddites200.org.uk/

No admission charge, donations welcome. Please contact organisers about disabled access.

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Finally, Just Do It- a tale of modern-day outlaws will be heading to the big screen! This exciting new film follows a cohort of climate activism from groups Climate Camp, Plane Stupid and Climate Rush as they put their bodies in the way; attacking coal plants, chaining themselves to parliament and more. Don't miss the WORLD PREMIERE on June 9th at 6:35 pm at the Showroom Cinema.

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Facebook doesn't like naked cyclists and has hidden the World Naked Bike Ride due to happen in York on the 4th of June.  Facebook have a habit of removing political content and the Naked (or clothes-optional) bike ride is no exception.

On Saturday 4th June 2011, the SIXTH World Naked Bike Ride will take place in YORK. Start time is 5pm, gathering from 4 onwards just south of Millennium Bridge.  They have had the event page deleted on Facebook. 

It is sad when nudity is unacceptable in society yet newspapers can have page 3 girls, magazines can talk about dieting and fat celebrities with disgust and music videos have become soft-core erotica.  Our society has issue with the human body and seeing 'normal' people with no clothes has become unacceptable.  Body image being solely connected with erotica and advertising is a expected and has been used since the 1920.

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Composed of roughly equal parts racism, war-mongering, fawning and fabrication, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s speech before a joint session of the U.S. Congress on May 24 was received with adulation by the assembled Democrats and Republicans alike.

Netanyahu devoted a considerable part of his speech to a call for more aggressive action against Iran, which is surrounded by U.S. military power and has been subjected to several rounds of United States and European Union economic sanctions.

He called for a policy stipulating “that all options are on the table.” This position, shared by the Obama administration, is a coded way of saying that Iran could be the target of military attack, including the use of nuclear weapons.

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This post is a response to Charlotte DuCann’s beautiful and heartfelt post over on the Transition Norwich blog arguing that Transition needs to more explicitly embrace activism.  It is wonderful to see, whether through that blog, through Transition Voice, or through the emerging social reporting project, new voices coming through in the Transition blogosphere.  Charlotte speaks powerfully to the split that some of those engaged in Transition feel, that they almost need to keep their activism ‘in the closet’ in order to remain engaged.  She states that she sees her post as a ‘working document’, and invites reflections, so here are a few of mine.

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Advice workers and Solicitors are demonstrating at a rally outside Sheffield Town Hall On Friday 3rd June at 5pm, at Government plans to cut two-thirds of legal aid to their clients.

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This week's entire show is devoted to a recent speech by the pioneer of the free software movement, Richard Stallman. He gives a history of copyright law, and how it has become a tool of corporations to maximize profit by creating scarcity. He explains the technical and legal sides of some recent battles about DRM, and the moral and pragmatic reasons why people should refuse to use proprietary software.

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Structural violence is the effect of a systemic imbalance in society that prefers the interests of some over others. Its dynamics are less visible than that of direct violence, where the causes are generally easier to identify. The use of direct violence is mostly a state affair manifested in armed conflict. The participation of the general population is predominantly one of inaction. Structural violence, however, tends to involve the participation of the general population which is both a cause for concern and optimism.

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“Turkey pioneers the process aiming at normalization of politics and history in the [Middle East] region”

[Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, interview on ‘TRT Haber’ TV channel, 25 May 2011]

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Shell's Belmullet office was once again shut down by protesters to highlight the ongoing concerns by local residents and supporters about Shell's proposed Corrib gas project. This morning (wed 25th may) the blockade began at 7.30am and for 2 1/2 hours protesters were able to stop Shell workers entering the building. IRMS arrived around10am to end the blockade.

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Latest Media Lens Alert - on corporate media distortion of reporting on Palestine.

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The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is "the most powerful and feared lobby in Washington." For years, it's "drawn on a well-organized, well-connected, highly visible, successful, and wealthy Jewish population," subverting potential opposition.

Obama's May 22 AIPAC speech affirmed rock solid support for a "strong and secure Israel," leaving Palestinians entirely out of his equation, despite paying disingenuous lip service to their interests.

An official AIPAC statement expressed gratitude for his assurance that Washington doesn't expect Israel to withdraw to June 1967 borders, besides explicitly calling Hamas a terrorist organization, ignoring its January 2006 electoral victory as Palestine's legitimate government.

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The show this week looks at the so-called financial 'crisis' from two different perspectives. Firstly, I give an audio commentary on a presentation I created last year, Understanding the Financial 'Crisis'. Next, Michael Hudson speaks on The Spectre Haunting Europe, detailing the financial goings on in Europe, focussing on the evisceration of the Latvian economy and expanding upon his prediction of a new feudalism and a neo-liberal style fire sale of the European welfare state.

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On May 1st, Zionist groups held a vigil in front of the Iranian Mission to the United Nations in New York City to use the memory of the Holocaust to condemn Iran. Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews showed their opposition to this provocation by demonstrating on the opposite side of the avenue.

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Attached is a recording of a talk at the Sheffield Anarchist Book Fair held on 21st May 2011, titled, Luddites Organising Forum.

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Attached is a recording of a meeting held at the Sheffield Anarchist Book Fair on 21st May 2011 titled, Sheffield Social Centre: Why? What? Where?

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Attached is a recording of a meeting at the Sheffield Anarchist Book Fair held on 21st May 2011 at which the editors of 3 books discussed their publications:

All three books are edited collections of contemporary anarchist theory, with contributors from around the globe offering some unique and original perspectives on anarchism.

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Attached is a recording of a session held at the Sheffield Anarchist Book fair on 21st May 2011 titled, Anarchism 101, and described as:

Everything you wanted to know about anarchism/libertarian communism but were afraid to ask. A panel discussion featuring members of the Anarchist Federation  http://www.afed.org.uk/ , Solidarity Federation  http://www.solfed.org.uk/ and the Commune  http://thecommune.co.uk/ .

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Attached is a recording from a talk held on 21st May 2011 at the Sheffield Anarchist Book Fair, titled "Elephants, Dogmas and Taboos: a Friendly Critique of Anarchism".

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