alanjjohnstone
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A more detailed article has appeared in the Guardian describing the practice of Pasung in Indonesia with the headline "a living hell"http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/mar/21/living-in-hell-indonesia-mentally-ill-people-chained-confined-human-rights-watch-reportIndonesia's 250 million people, has only about 800 psychiatrists and 48 mental hospitals, more than half of which are in just four of its 34 provinces. 90% of those who may need to access mental health services are unable to do so.
I always recall a fellow Edinburgh branch member who was a psychiatric nurse talking about schizophrenia and this was in the late 70s or early 80s-something and his remark that he hoped the cause of the illness was something organic or to do with genetics because then we would be able to seek out cures…if it was environmental as Laing and others were saying, then the chances of changing society to treat the illness was realistically going to be more impossible to do. I was particlarly scathing about treatment of mental health at the time, particularly of ECT and the "chemical coshes" such as lithium and its side effects. I think i would be less condemnatory these days but my views at the time were coloured by the fact i was sharing a flat with ex-in-patients. They endeavoured to create a self-help group but a question was raised, was it healthy for people in recovery to remain attached to the hospital instead of moving on. I don't remember who said it but i got told…a psychiatric patient reading about mental illness is like an anorexic reading a menu.My sister became a community psychiatric nurse at 50 in a scheme created by Blair to fast track on the job qualification because of high profile lapses on treatment that had led to some random stabbings etc. She ended up working for the court system monitoring those on bail conditions of non-drug use and then later she worked for the prison system dispensing methadone. I recall watching tv one morning of the Jeremy Kyle show and her explaining…."my god, i know them".And as an aside…the more serious drug problem in prisons was the use of illegal steroids being smuggled in, all those pumping iron, physical fitness muscle bilding addicts……that and , of course , tattoos :-p
We face much the same problem with Sanders as with Corbyn. They appear radical because they are in opposition and can declare what they wish. And the fact that they appear to be advocating different does resonate with many who are tired of the status quo. But even when he was elected offical opposition Corbyn began to, not water down his positions, but more add nuances to them until they are slightly emphasis.Sanders has been rightly crticised for his foreign policy positions.Our approach upsets folk personally because we challenge their self-image…that they are supporting radicals and are for real change.I recently sussed this out in an online exchange about co-ops. The person (with an anarchist avitar) seemed shocked that i was saying that co-ops could be very conservative and be used for supporting and reinforcing the status quo and history showed that they are more often than not co-opted and any progressive elements within them were nullified by competition within capitalism.Also as Mcolme said, when i accused Wolff of lacking political confidence in promoting socialism and for settling for a half-measure of co-operative version capitalism, ("market socialism"), she could not seem to fathom how that could be and began to say our basic definitions and understandings of socialism were at odds. We are accused of sectarianism, of domatism, when all we are doing is sifting the wheat from the chaff. Even if we try the softly-softly friendly approach, once the differences arise, we are faced with a problem that the people we argue with feel compromised and under-mined. No doubt because they also get attacked by the right and this criticism of urs feels like a stab in the back to them.I am just musing , not really saying anything is definite…but pondering what psychological interaction is the best to take with those who are critical of "capitalism" and we have to disillusion them of their misconceptions. i do think it might be painful for them. I wonder if there is a better way i can disagree with someone without them thinking i'm challenging their intelligence or gullibility for holding wrong opinions.
He masquerades as an Independent but is materially supported by the Democratic Party machine in Vermont. His voting record is consistently in support of the Democratic Party. He has used his funds to finance Democrats election campaigns. He seeks to run with the fox and chase with the hounds. I call it hypocrisy to pretend that you are something you are not…and that is an independent senator. I call it hypocrisy to accuse your rival of being in the pay of Wall St and then to support her when she becomes the nominee.The party that represents his policies is the Green Party and Jill Stein yet he spurns it for the sake that his opportunity to stand for president is better within the Democrat Party rather than a third party candidate such as Ralph Nader experienced. Whether you agree or not, it will be Stein who will receive Chomsky's vote while in the swing states he recommends a vote for the Democrat Party as the lesser evil. If Sanders had any principles he would perhaps suggest similar yet he won't.But i am minded of the John Quincy Adam quote "Always vote for principle though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweet reflection your vote is never lost"Am i being ungenerous in my opinion of Sanders and questioning the sincerity his motives…I will stand corrected if the "Bern Movement" survives his defeat fo the nomination and become independently active in support for his principles…by supporting the candidate who continues to promote them…Jill Stein of the Green Party…otherwise it can be condemned as just another section of cheerleaders for Hilarity Clinton and he putting his own career ahead of the principles he says he holds.
Sanders has repeatedly stated he will endorse the nominee of the Democratic Party ie Hilarity Clinton.The Green Party holds out a welcome to him to run with them as a Third Party? I very much doubt he will accept the hand of friendship from one that shares most of his values and that he will rather support the Wall St candidate to maintain his senatorship. Principles can be bought and Bernie is happy to sell his. https://www.rt.com/usa/336047-jill-stein-bernie-sanders/
The latest SOYMB contribution to the campaignhttp://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2016/03/london-assembly-elections-and-socialist.html
The head of the Social Development Centre Waterloo Region says she's not sure a guaranteed minimum income program is all its cracked up to be."Employers may decide, 'Well, we don't need good business practices, we don't need to create well-paid positions, we don't need to create secure jobs because people will be taken care of.' "http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/guaranteed-minimum-income-could-be-problematic-warns-poverty-advocate-1.3493805
An interesting article on game shootinghttps://news.vice.com/article/millions-of-britains-birds-are-bred-in-battery-like-conditions-to-be-hunted-maimed-and-killed
Quote:In terms of yourself, who has been most significant in terms of your thinking?If we go through it… the fundamental Marxist writers of Marx, Lenin and Trotsky, basically. In terms of the ability to mobilise spontaneously, Rosa Luxemburg. Interestingly enough, for a long time I was quite interested by the writers of the New Left who appeared in the 60s. Williams, Miliband, Griffiths, E.P. Thompson and others, particularly around the historical issues themselves. That New Left that blossomed in the 60s were quite influential upon my generation, and they introduced us to Gramsci. If you remember, Gramsci wasn't even published in this country until that point in time. So that was important – and Perry Anderson too. Unfortunately, they exhausted themselves doing theoretical work without actually encouraging what they'd introduced us to, which was praxis – the mixture of theory and practice on the ground. I also think, in practical terms, some of them linked to the Stalinist parties etc., and others were taken down political paths which became either fairly sectarian, or irrelevant. When they took us down the cul-de-sac of Althusser, who was a complete headcase as far as I'm concerned, it drove us all into the sand. That sort of influence. Miliband for example was a brilliant writer, a brilliant Marxist writer in this country, but in terms of pragmatic practical politics was a complete disaster. At that point in time when he was encouraging people to leave the Labour Party, that was probably one of the strongest times for the left in dominating the Labour Party, through the late 70s and early 80s.Whats noticeable is that since these schemes were first suggested (as far back as the 1930s and the ILP, i believe, but maybe as far back as the Speenhamland system in the middle ages) no country has actually implemented UBI, the citizens wage, nationally.It has always been localised trials or feasability studies which the media then blow up into a major story. But the fact that it is becoming popularised means we should again feature a critique of it in a more detailed response…perhaps a short pamphlet…or a longer article for our educational files. Over to you, chaps.
A citizens wage for Scotland http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/universal-basic-income-snp-scotland-independent-conference-vote-a6931846.html
Quote:SNP members agreed a motion stating that “conference believes that a basic or universal income can potentially provide a foundation to eradicate poverty, make work pay and ensure all our citizens can live in dignity”. The motion called for more research into the impact of the policy, which would unconditionally give all citizens an income from the state. Members also agreed that a basic income should be considered as a possibility when designing the welfare state of an independent Scotland. The motion comes after around two SNP dozen MPs backed a call for a feasibility study into the policy.The citizens wage comes to New Zealand ?http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/new-zealand-plan-to-give-everyone-a-citizens-wage-and-scrap-benefits-a6932136.html
On internet surfs i have come across his name a few times – Henry Wallace, Roosevelt's vice-president, who was dumped by the Democrats for being too "radical" and later accused of being a "communist" when running as a progressive independent , arguing for free universal healthcare, labour reform, and the end of segregation.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_A._WallaceThis is a fairly sympathetic review of Wallacehttp://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/14297-henry-wallace-americas-forgotten-visionaryReminds me of Sanders…how many in 50 years will remember his failed attempt at the presidency or any of his policies.
What a miserable website they have.I'd have thought with all their expertise and resources they could come up with something a little better.
Quote:We stand for a positive vision of a future Europe based on democracy, social justice and ecological sustainability, not the profit-making interests of a tiny elite. For these reasons we are committed to pressing for a vote to leave the EU in the forthcoming referendum on UK membership.http://votetoleaveeuropeanunion.blogspot.fr/2016/02/eu-is-now-profoundly-anti-democratic.htmlletter to the GuardianExactly what sort of vision is totally lacking and nothing at all about how all the disparate politics of the signees can agree on a united vision …
Quote:“Fortress Europe” ensures that those outside the EU cartel of nations are subject to vicious discrimination if they are lucky, and drowning in the Mediterranean if they are not.Our blog has highlighted this issue judging it to be another form of European nationalism to the Little Englander type but seriously are they suggesting that exiting the EU will reverse Cameron's anti-refugee policies or encourage Labour to welcome refugees.
Also not to be forgotten is this earlier video by Vin.Although it can't be used as an official party video, it can be posted and linked on various websites and discussion lists https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UcYhx-24z0
