alanjjohnstone
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In a 2016 study published in the Association for Psychological Science, researchers at New York University claim that, compared to the working-class, the rich aren't as likely to notice or be interested in the people around them. "Social class affects information processing in a pervasive and spontaneous manner,"Compared to members of the upper class, members of the working class have a more interdependent and holistic social outlook. Along the same lines, working-class individuals have been found to more accurately judge others' emotions and feel more compassion for others' suffering.This study now posits that the contrast "may have as much to do with attentional neglect as it does with reduced empathic ability."(But it doesn't explain why when standing at the bar waiting to be served, i'm always ignored as if i'm invisible)
Dave, once up and going, fully operational what are the main risks to a fusion power plant and what would be the consequences of such a failure?
Once more the media turns its sights on the Syrian/Russian attack on Ghouta, yet turns a blind eye to the equally devastating attacks on Afrin. Patrick Cockburn reports.http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/syria-afrin-crisis-turkish-forces-civilians-deaths-eastern-ghouta-assad-a8247206.html
Quote:If any of these images were coming out of Eastern Ghouta, they would be leading every television newscast and dominating the front pages. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, would be holding up pictures of dead and dying children. But because these events are happening in Afrin and not in Eastern Ghouta, in the same country but 200 miles apart, they are almost entirely ignored by both media and foreign politicians…The greatest difference between the two situations is that the atrocities in Damascus are publicised by the media across the world, while in the Kurdish case they are regarded as scarcely worth a mention…I have been struck since 2011 by the unbalanced way in which the Syrian war has been reported by the media. Vast attention was given to the sufferings inflicted on the people of East Aleppo in 2016 under attack by Syrian government and Russian air strikes, but very little notice was taken of the almost complete destruction of Isis-held Raqqa, with massive civilian casualties, at the hands of the US-led coalition.I used to attribute such uneven coverage of the war to the greater skill and resources of the Syrian opposition in recording and publicising atrocities committed by the Syrian government and its allies. Isis had no interest in the fate of civilians under its control. But in Afrin there is no shortage of film of the suffering of civilians, but it simply is not widely broadcast or printed. In many respects, the role of the international media in the Syrian war has been as partial and misleading as the warring parties inside the country or their foreign sponsors without.Cardiff march 12.30pm Grange GardensBus from Swansea – TICKETS: £4 waged or £2 unwaged. text 07506 362540 for your tickets.Glasgow Holland St, at 11.30, then march to George Square rally.
There does appear to be a total lack of class consciousness, Marcos, when workers actually vote for political parties set up and controlled by billionaires and which are no longer disguised by the use of proxy "labour" leaders.Nationalism has indeed managed to fool our fellow workers into misguidedly believing in some fictitious national interest shared by them and their bosses.But as you imply with the repetition of history…fool me once, shame on you…fool me twice…shame on me
I did it again and substituted skelf, another word i use for splinter and it got this Edinburgh person sounding like a Weegie…duh
Zhang Yesui, spokesperson for China's National People's Congress, said China would take "necessary measures" if its interests were hurt.http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-43278458
Although they refer to Anton Pannekoek, they aren't as radical as they wish to appear, supporting the transitional stage of "socialism".But as i raised in the other thread – they are evolving but as i always say, because their route has been different, they bring their own particular baggage with them, some they are discarding but retaining some other stuff they have yet to still find unnecessary to continue their journey. Is this also part of the identitarian issue…what is so different from a black American socialist other than being higher on the league table of suffering from a white, but not perhaps as up as a brown woman Asian sweat-shop worker…
As you say, ALB, I recall that "Mutual Aid" was listed each month in the Western Socialist and that was my first introduction to him and a copy of it became part of the library of nearly every SPGB member i knew. Other books of his were often added such as " Conquest of Bread" and "Fields Factories and Workshops".Bakunin wasn't much discussed or read. The other popular anarchist book was Freedom Press edition of "ABC of Anarchism" by Alexander Berkman, another anarchist work that merited a sympathetic review by the Party members i was acquainted with and available at an excellent price, too.Berkman's personal history seems to be a reflection of the evolution of anarchism…from being an assassin/attentat (or at least an attempt at one) to a disillusioned participant in the Russian Revolution.I did get a copy of Plekhanov out of the public library but i don't think i knew of anyone at the time who had it on their book shelf. Perhaps it was just too hefty a tome.Black and Red produced a number of pamphlets which i considered the overlap of socialist and anarchist ideasI certainly felt at that period there was distinct libertarian Marxist tradition emerging and growing but which many party members stood aloof from, distancing themselves from, practicing the hostility clause rather than taking advantage of a receptive change of attitude amongst some on "the Left". Speculatively, just maybe we also missed the bus with the fall of "state-socialism" and the adoption of a more liberatory co-operative and eco- socialist minded Leftism that replaced what Bookchin called workerism.StuartW did have a point where i agreed with him in principle but not in the actual practice, that we could have done a lot more with Occupy when we had a potential audience in an open gathering, inviting exchanges and engagement and in Edinburgh at least, i noticed some well-known Trotskyist names dropping their Party labels for what i considered clandestine entryism into that movement, rather than their usual strategy of creating some front-group to hijack activists into.
The sabre rattling increaseshttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43270388"If the EU wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on US companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the US." – Trump
All i know is that with any organisation that grows, there will be different emphases placed on different aspects and sometimes they will come into conflict within the organisation. Just a look at our own Party, a very small affair and look at the diversity of opinion.The more we grow, the more capable we can be coping with the various political strategies and tactics, if we maintain the principles of our organisational structure.Back to thetheme of the other thread on the overlap with anarchists. ..Can the hostility clause survive dissent WITHIN the future mass socialist movement, particularly when circumstances and situations are going to vary around the world where the existing and latent political processes perhaps require another type of approach. I read an article once on Mexico, related to the local democracy practiced in parallel with the City/State/Federal system. I think i started a thread on the use of parish councils in the past, just to link to Robbo's observation that outside Parliament other things may well happen.Revolutions throw up new forms of decision-making and organisation, this we already know but cannot predict or anticipate. Just as we are not system builders operating a blueprint, we shouldn't lay own any rules on how we actually begin to implement socialism. Parliament may well be useful for us in the UK. But we need to impress on others that other ways are going to be applied…we just don't know just yet what, how or where. As a Party of the European Enlightenment – for want of a better description – we can only speak for those countries that have a history of bourgeois democracy.But i am a firm believer, as i said, in the flexibility of our own Party's democracy. Yes it requires regular tweaking and in the future may well need adaptation and adjusting but the basic principle is there as a foundation to build upon Something we can rightly be proud of, despite the handicaps some see in it.
A new study reveals you might be able to tell just how rich someone is by looking at their face.Researchers at the University of Toronto revealed their findings in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.“It indicates that something as subtle as the signals in your face about your social class can actually then perpetuate it,” says Thora Bjornsdottir of the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto. “Those first impressions can become a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s going to influence your interactions, and the opportunities you have.”Researchers say 68 percent of the time subjects correctly guessed the class of the participants in the photographs, exceeding random chance.“What we’re seeing is students who are just 18-22 years old have already accumulated enough life experience that it has visibly changed and shaped their face to the point you can tell what their socio-economic standing or social class,” says co-author, Nicholas Rule.“There are neurons in the brain that specialize in facial recognition. The face is the first thing you notice when you look at somebody,” says Rule. “We see faces in clouds, we see faces in toast. We are sort of hardwired to look for face-like stimuli. And this is something people pick up very quickly. And they are consistent, which is what makes it statistically significant.”
Carl Icahn, a former special adviser to Donald Trump, sold $31.3m of shares in a company heavily dependent on steel imports last week, shortly before Trump’s announcement of new tariffs sent its shares plummeting. Icahn was able to sell his shares for $32 to $34. On Friday morning Manitowoc’s shares had fallen 5.48% to $26.37 The investor was a special adviser to Trump during the election but resigned his position amid concerns about potential conflicts of interest relating to his vast business holdings. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/mar/02/carl-icahn-shares-sell-trump-steel-tariffs-announcement-timing
Quote:But we don't regard choice of diet as a political matter but as a private one for each member to decide for themselves.When does imposition of unhealthy food for profit become a political issue of public health. http://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2018/03/processed-meat-for-processed-people.html
