Undercurrents

Free all-day gathering for activists and the curious!

Saturday, November 8^th 12pm-11pm
Co-Sponsored by the Area Radical Reading Group of Hartford, Hartford Food Not Bombs, and the Hog River @ Collective, this all day event features panels on diverse topics such as feminism, anti-racism, anti-capitalism, radical queer politics, and domination of all kinds and their relationship with contemporary anarchist practice. We still see mostly misinformation and distortion as norms when people talk about anarchism or anarchist-inspired projects. This event seeks to dispel some of these myths, as well as build bridges between activists throughout the region by engaging in dialogue about this diverse movement—and, perhaps more importantly, what anarchism can offer other activist perspectives towards the creation of a free and egalitarian world. Thus, this event is not just about anarchism, but centered on strategies to create justice and resist structured inequality.

Activist groups throughout New England will be tabling and holding panel discussions throughout the day. This will be followed by a free community dinner provided by Food Not Bombs (from 7-8). Finally, we will finish the event off with music by local groups dedicated to social justice.

For more information please see www.myspace.com/spotlightonanarchism, call 860.978.3562 or email hartfordfnb@gmail.com.

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Today at the Capitol a coalition of social justice and criminal justice reform groups, including the Clean Slate Committee, Black Lowe, The Alliance Connecticut, People Against Injustice, American Friends Service Committee, and Youth Rights Media from New Haven, held a rally and press conference against the “three strikes” legislation proposed by Governor Rell.

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Comments to be delivered at the Board of Education Mtg.

Feb 19, 2008 Hartford Public High School I see it on the faces of everyone I meet. The Shock and Awe as we are all subjected to the constant bombardment by corporate con men. The experts and economic hit men are brought in to flood our eyesight with the facts and figures of failure. We are constantly assailed with statistics that show our children are failing, teachers are faulted for their inability to raise test scores, unions are hammered for resisting the gutting of contractual rights, parents are vilified for not being able to control the behavior of their children. We are stunned by the constant drumming of fear. Fear of terrorism, fear of disease, fear of economic recession, fear of unintended consequences. All of this is used purposefully by the change agents, the vision masters who have a program that will correct all of our concerns if we just simply surrender. If we give over our constitutional rights to participate and be willing sheep led to the slaughter house, all will be well. It is time to put our feet down and resist. (more…)

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Public portion:

I was very happy to finally receive an invitation to serve on a redesign team in a recent letter from the Brd. I have contacted a teacher in the academy my daughter is in that I am available and ready to serve. However I have a few requests in regard to the format of the letter. Based on my belief and understanding of the US Constitution and the democratic principles for which I fought, I would like recognition of myself as a member of the public and a taxpayer demanding representation by inserting a single word into the new letterhead of the schools. I would like you to call yourself Hartford, a system of public schools. This is singularly important and I will explain.
After Katrina devastated New Orleans, Milton Friedman the grand guru of unfettered global capitalism said,” Most New Orleans schools are in ruins, as are the homes of the children who attended them. The children are now scattered all over the country. This is a tragedy. It is also an opportunity to radically reform the educational system” Friedman’s idea was instead of rebuilding a world class public school system, the government should provide vouchers which parents could spend at private institutions or for profit charter schools. (more…)

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Did anyone read the article in the Courant about the dairy farmer in Ellington who had to sell his cows earlier this year in order to keep his farm? According to the article, a quarter of the 210 dairy farms in Connecticut have closed in just in the last 4 years!

If you are interested in learning more about agriculture’s precarious situation from the farmers themselves there is a viewing of the documentary The Farmer’s Voice at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church (814 Asylum) on Friday night from 6 to 8. This film is specifically about CT farms. Knox Parks is hosting the potluck event.

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John Perkins is the author of two books that expose the raping and pillaging of developing countries by economic assassins sent by the multi-national corporations to privatize national industries and degrade living standards. The books are entitled Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals and the Truth about Global Corruption. He was employed by the World Bank and IMF(International Monetary Fund). His job was simple. He would meet with the dictators and wealthy elite bribe them and promise their children access to the best schools in America while they would hand over national resources and industries to the multi-national corporations. This resulted in privatization of factories and natural resources, depressing wages and earnings of workers and allowing environmental pollution because there was no enforcement or recognition of health or environmental protection laws. People in Indonesia try to live on $2 dollars a day as a direct result of the economic assassins.

The economic hit men have appeared in Hartford. The out sourcing and hiring of consultants by the city is economic assassination. (more…)

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University presidents don’t run universities. They raise money. The principal task of a university president is to increase the financial holdings of his school. He lobbies legislators, hits up alumni, entertains rich people, and applies the goodwill of the institution he represents as his donors may command. Lower-level administrators take care of the actual running of the school. The president runs errands for boosters. (more…)