16 Jun 2007

Gobshite politicians?


The evidence is over whelming politicians of what ever colour sell out for a pension, a salary, even expenses for a day off of work.

There is very real evidence of catastrophic risk of environmental failure, possible nuclear war, etc....yet the average gobshite politician is most concerned with cash.

The difficult question is not how to win elections but how to avoid cooption. After much sober reflection I think a big mistake many Green Parties have made is to create a 'leader'....surely not a way of avoiding cooption but of making the trap spring more firmly shut.

Thank goodness for Cornerhouse, they have been fighting New Labour government over the BAE corruption scandal....impressive stuff, as they say 'guns don't kill people, politicians do'.

Here is a summary of Larry Lohmann's work for Cornerhouse on corruption, injustice and environmental destruction in Southern Thailand. more here

The Struggle of Villagers in Chana District, Southern Thailand
in Defence of Community Land and Religion against the Trans Thai-Malaysian Pipeline and Industrial Project (TTM) 2002-2007
by Chana activists and others


first published May 2007 | PDF

Since 1999, villagers in politically-troubled southern Thailand have been fighting the Trans Thai-Malaysia (TTM) gas pipeline and gas separation plant scheme. The project, promoted by Thailand's recently-ousted tycoon prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and backed by a consortium of international banks including Barclays, HSBC and ING, has illegally taken over Muslim communal 'wakaf' land and other public lands, illegally hired police as private guards, deployed violence and threats against villagers, severely damaged livelihoods and the local environment, violated human rights, and, in the words of local people, "trampled on the principles of Islam".

In words and pictures, this 165-page book (2,105 KB) recounts five years of determined struggle by local people against TTM and the forces, both local and international, ranged behind it. Most of it was written by local activists themselves and features their own voices.


There is some confusion over Cornerhouse's philosophy, I would say 'it's socialism Jim but not as we know it'.

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