Anti-Austerity Demo

Yesterday (depending on reports) between 100.000 and 150.000 people attended the anti-austerity demo, organised by The People's Assembly Against Austerity. Those of us who attended had 4 Demands: health, housing, jobs, and education - the 4 areas which have been hit hardest under austerity measures and the budget statement.

Full Automation?

http://www.kitchensoap.com/2012/09/21/a-mature-role-for-automation-part-i/

Technology and Society.  The robots are after us and human life as we know it is going to end.  That’s true.  Our understanding of humanity and existence is going to end, but we’re not going to be exterminated from this planet.  Our conceptualisation and the applied meaning of the human relationship is evolving, and with technology we can reach a higher state of meaning.  Autonomous machines offer new ways of defining humanity, and the changing relationship between humans and machines.  

Only the Illusion

The cycle of war continues its familiar path, with memory its first casualty. The demonisation of enemies. The fabricated pretexts. The casualties covered up. The costs hidden off budget. The lights always at the end of tunnels.

Unfree. Yet Powerful. Exploited. Not Forgotten.

The demonstrations and resistance inside Yarl's Wood have been the most important fight in Britain for women's rights and for immigrants’ rights, because they have been inspiring - because the people in this struggle are fighting to win the most basic of demands as human beings.

March 12^th signified the National Demonstration at Yarl’s Wood, for all the men and women held like cattle inside detention-deportation centres.   For all looking to break out from under the shadow of detention.  It was for all those at the borders of Europe challenging the cynical leaders a demanding in real life the promise of democracy and freedom, of which sanctuary is fundamental.  Nearly 2000 turned up in support of this demonstration, making it the largest event against indefinite detention.

False Pretences

"You know how you're upset about the baby dolphin those egomaniac humans killed for a selfie?  Go look in the mirror because you're one of them.  2.5 TRILLION Sea Creatures are dredged from our Earth's oceans per year to satisfy your tongue... This includes plenty of dolphins.  At this rate the oceans will be dead by 2050.  Why are you pretending that you care about that one dolphin?" - Elijah Valk

Untitled

The modern war appears to be a long period of suffering and destruction for millions of anonymous, but still important, citizens, an obscure period of exposure to death, in the concreteness of existence amid the ruins.  Yet, this time creates something that exists beyond time; this death creates something beyond death.

Freedom of Passage

Something struck me the other night, as I stood waiting to pass through border controls in London upon my return to the country: ignorance. Behind me in the queue stood a couple complaining about the wait time to scan their passports and continue their journey. (Admittedly, the length of the queue was exceptionally long for 1am, but that's besides the point). Their complaints were centred around refugees, and their argument was something to this effect: