No More Heroes

 

Thank you rapper Lowkey for alerting me to this information about The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy. Former actor and comedian. he has rapidly taken on ‘pin-up’ status in the media as he leads his country’s opposition to the Russian oligarch Putin.

It now seems he might never have gven up his acting career as The Pandora papers suggest Zelenskyy may not be the “People’s saviour” after all, but has a career somewhat similar to that of the Russian President. 

 

The Pandora documents suggest he had – or has – a previously undisclosed stake in an offshore company, which he appears to have secretly transferred to a friend weeks before winning the presidential vote. According to its findings, two of the offshore companies belonging to Zelenskyy’s partners were used to buy three lavish properties in central London.

Zelenskyy said his goal as President was to destroy “the traditional oligarchic order” and to replace it with a “fairer system”. His critics say Zelenskyy has embraced the same shadowy ways as his predecessors.

Wars involve a bloody struggle with a foreign enemy. But the real enemy is war itself and those who benefit from the bloody affair. They are often closer to home than we are told.

These kids can see that and have acted on their knowledge and wisdom.

 

Solidarity with the people of Ukraine who are in immediate danger.

 

You can read more in The Guardian and from Al Jazeera.

Stop the Warmongers

 

 

 

Italian writer Paolo Nori was informed by the University of Milano-Bicocca of their decision to postpone his course on Dostoevsky following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Dear Professor, the Vice Rector for Didactics has informed me of a decision taken with the Rector to postpone the course on Dostoevsky … This is to avoid any controversy, especially internally, during a time of strong tensions."

Nori commented, "Not only is being a living Russian wrong in Italy today, but also being a dead Russian, who was arrested in 1849 for belonging to a literary group that discussed banned books and spent four years in a Siberian prison camp.”

In the UK, Manchester’s Centre for International Contemporary Art, Theatre and Film states that “we are in discussions” about removing a statue of Engels in solidarity with Ukraine. It is unclear how toppling the statue of a German philosopher who died in 1895 (22 years before the Russian Revolution) can soothe the wounds of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

We may take satisfaction at the seizure of Russian yachts following the aggression against Ukraine, but might remain puzzled that this has never happened to American yachts following multple US aggressions.

The absurdity of this unbalanced Russophobia is par for the course for those of us who have to take cover from the logic applied to opponents of wars. Just look at the silencing of the few remaining socialist MPs when told they must not be aligned with Stop the War Coalition because it is anti-NATO. The fear we have when criticising Israel’s occupation of Palestine for fear of being accused of anti-semitism.

Right now the situation is dangerous for Ukrainian lives and for the future peace of the world. We must emerge fron our mental bunkers and take to the streets – against Putin’s war and against NATO’s wars - past, present and to come.

If you are tempted to say “what do you know about war, you cannot speak for the people of Kyiv and Kharkiv.” My answer is f..k you. I was in Sarajevo when that city’s people were under bombardment and living and dying under similar conditions.

Our task is not to stop drinking vodka ot reading Russian novels. It is to stop the warmongers wherever they are. So solidarity with Ukraine, with the anti-war movement in Russia and join me at the protests taking place this weekend.

Lindsey German of Stop the War Coalition on this weekend’s protests - here

 

Ex-UKambassador Craig Murray on Putin and NATO - here

www.davidwilson.org.uk

 

(photo taken in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina in 1993) 

Billionaires are killing us - literally

 

 

Perhaps the attention now being given to Russian oligarchs will direct us to the damaging effect billionaires have on our world today. Here is a list of the ten richest men in the world taken from Forbes magazine.

Ѕtеvе Ваllmеr: ($61.6 b), former CEO of Microsoft

Lаrrу Еllіѕоn: ($63.9 b), co-founder Oracle

Ѕеrgеу Вrіn аnd Lаrrу Раgе: ($68 b $67 b), founders of Google

Саrlоѕ Ѕlіm Неlu: ($72 b), with 40% holdings in Mexico Stock Exchange

Аmаnсіо Оrtеgа: ($81 b), owner of fashion label Zara

Маrk Zuсkеrbеrg: ($84 b), founder of Facebook

Wаrrеn Вuffеtt: ($102 b), CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

Віll Gаtеѕ: ($106 b), Microsoft founder

Веrnаrd Аrnаult: ($107 b), Chairman of LVМН, mаnufасturеr оf luхurу gооdѕ

Јеff Веzоѕ: ($140 b), founder of Amazon

Here are the ten richest Russians who, you will notice, are poverty-stricken by comparison to the list above.

Alisher Usmanov (19.5 b), investor in Facebook and Chinese electronics company company, Xiomi

Suleiman Kerimov ($15.8 b), owner of distressed companies and gold producer, Polyus

Pavel Durov (7.2 b), creaor app Telegram

Andrey Melinchenko (17.9 b), owner of fertilizer company Eurochem and coal company Surek

Gennady Timchenko ($22 b), gas producer Novatek and petrol company Sibur

Leonid Michelson, ($24.2 b), gas producer Novatek and petrol company, Sibur

Vagit Alexperov ($24.9 b)m founder of Lukoil

Vladimir Lisin ($26.2 b), majority shareholder in Novolipetsk Steel

Vladimit Potamin ($27 b), organiser of private takeover of state companies

Alexey Mordasov ($29.1 b), CEO steel company Seversta

Craig Murray former UK ambassador states that.  “Usmanov is the UK’s wealthiest man ...Through New Labour and the Tories Putin’s right-hand man has always had the special protection of the British state. I have never understood why …. Usmanov helped Putin suppress Russia’s free media through compulsory purchase …. I sent a classified report on his criminal activities from Tashkent”.

Robert Reich, economist and former US Secretary of Labour has commented recently, “When I graduated in 1968 the typical corporate CEO got twenty times the pay of the average worker. When I became Labour Secretary in 1993 the ratio was 61-to-1. Today it’s 320-to-1. Capitalism is off the rails.”

Boris Johnson has spent six holidays at this Tuscan villa as the guest of Russian billionaire, Eugeny Lebedev. Just one reason why Usmanov and other Russian oligarchs have been given eighteen months to move their ‘sanctioned’ monies.

I would recommend reading this from Craig Murray. He has moved from being brave whistleblowing diplomat to articulate investigative journalist.

Solidarity with Russian anti-war movement

 

 

 

A new coalition of anti-war socialists has formed in Russia. In the run-up to the @ProgIntl Forum for Peace. Here is a translation of their manifesto.

“We are told that opponents of this war are hypocrites - that they stand not against the war, but for the West. This is a lie. We have never been supporters of the United States and its imperialist policies.”

Replace the words ‘West' with ‘Putin' and 'the United States' with ‘Russia' and you have Keir Starmer’s words about Stop the War Coalition.

Solidarity with the anti-war movement in Russia. We have everything in common with them and nothing but contempt for the Putins and Starmers of this world

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As if in a Dream

 

 

 

 

As if in a dream, by Michael Rosen

I'm hearing radio programmes

playing Ukrainian patriotic songs

and lovingly produced discussions

about the history of Ukraine

and admiration pouring out of my radio and TV

for the brave people of Ukraine

daring to stand up to this terrible invasion

and I felt warm and sad at the same time

wrapped in the care and kindness of it all

and I was pouring out my admiration too,

and images from the TV came to me from last night

of hundreds of people squashed into a station subway

trying to get out on a train to Poland

and more sounds from the radio

of people on the border shivering and hungry and crying

not knowing if they could get out

while arcs of light flashed over apartment blocks

and the morning showed the cold grey ruins of people's homes

and I heard the words of sympathy

from our leaders

while they explained that Ukrainians

would need visas or relatives in Britain

if they want to come here

and I wasn't sure that people crushed

into the subway would have visas

or relatives here, would they?

so if they don't have visas and relatives

what happens to them in the freezing cold

on the Polish border?

and I thought about the care and kindness

coming out of my radio

and I felt uneasy

that I remember other invasions

other bombings,

and the same radio and TV stations

pouring out hours of words

on why similar bombings and invasions

were necessary and good bombings and invasions

and why those resisting were crazy and bad

and of course - as always -

why there wasn't room for people of those countries

to get out and come here

and I was left looking for the principle being defended here.

This principle can't be that it's wrong to invade

other countries.

The principle can't be that it's wrong

to bomb civilians.

The principle can't be that we must help

those who resist invasions.

The principle can't be that we must help

refugees.

But then I thought,

what's the matter with me?

what is the matter with me?

why am I looking for a principle?

Well, not a principle that lasts

or a principle that is valid in all places.

Our leaders' principles are things

they pick up, boast about

and then drop

in the hope that we can't remember anything

from before last week.

Or that we don't notice what else they do

in other parts of the world.

One moment they are friends with people

who are tyrants or backers of tyrants

and the next they are explaining to us

that the tyrants are tyrants

and friends of tyrants are the friends of tyrants

as if we didn't know that the tyrants are tyrants

and that they themselves are friends

with the friends of tyrants

as if we hadn't noticed this

as if we had now forgotten this.

And this is a cycle

that goes on and on turning,

it's turning in my mind

remembering my parents

talking of the leaders of their time

chumming up with Nazis

corporations selling oil to the Nazis

oil they would use to bomb us

and my parents talking of uncles and aunts and cousins

who criss-crossed the very same land

that the refugees are crossing now,

one who escaped

the rest who didn't

and it's a cycle

it's a cycle that grinds millions into the ground

burnt, dismembered, starved, maimed

and I am listening to the radio.

And I am listening to the radio.

More than one flag

 BBC - “It’s very emotional for me because I see European people with blue eyes and blonde hair being killed” - Ukraine’s Deputy Chief Prosecutor, David Sakvarelidze

CBS - "This isn't Iraq or Afghanistan...This is a relatively civilized, relatively European city" - CBS foreign correspondent Charlie D’Agata

Al-Jazeera - "What's compelling is looking at them, the way they are dressed. These are prosperous, middle-class people. These are not obviously refugees trying to get away from the Middle East...or North Africa. They look like any European family that you'd live next door to."

BFM TV (France) - "We are in the 21st century, we are in a European city and we have cruise missile fire as though we were in Iraq or Afghanistan, can you imagine!?”

The Daily Telegraph - "Ukraine is an European country. It's people watch Netflix and have Instagram accounts. War is no longer something visited upon impoverished and remote population." - Daniel Hannan

ITV (UK) - "The unthinkable has happened...This is not a developing, third world nation; this is Europe.

 

Solidarity with Ukraine, of course and I’m sure that those placing the Ukrainian flag on their timelines and in their windows are not racist. But why stop with Ukraine? To stay distant from the comments above I suggest adding two other flags, Yemen and Palestine.