Obama Wins: "The best has yet to come"!

Nice of the American people to arrange some good news to start my birthday! :)

Vote Barry - Message for White Voters

Seriously - Good luck for tomorrow President Obama. Fingers crossed. Hat tip Harry Place (check out the other videos) 

The Miami 5

Yesterday I went to the AGM of the London UNISON Europe and International Committee. One of the speakers was Natasha Hickman from Cuba Solidarity Campaign who spoke about "The Miami 5".

These are 5 Cubans who worked for the Cuba intelligence agencies to infiltrate and spy on extreme right wing anti-communist terrorist organisations based in the United States during the 1990's. They were arrested by the US authorities and sentenced for espionage and conspiracy to murder (which they deny).

To be honest, they are obviously Cuban patriots who volunteered to spy in US and must have known the risks they would face if caught. However, it is clear that they were mainly working against right wing extremists who have murdered Cuban civilians and even western tourists in their "War" against the Castro government. It was also clearly unfair for their trials to be held in Miami which is dominated by Cuban exiles who are rabid anti-Castro.

Most importantly I am still completely and utterly amazed that the United States still shames itself by continuing with an economic "war" and blockade of Cuba. This is now 50 years old. What on earth is the point? The "Cold War" is surely finished?

So the US government does not like the Cuba government. So what? It doesn't stop the US trading with China? The US is acting like a regional bully and must stop the blockade, which serves no purpose whatsoever and is in fact completely counterproductive, since it serves as a rallying call for the Cuba government.

I asked Natasha what is going on and she said that to some Americans the word "Cuba" is like a full moon to a werewolf.

Picture is from the UNISON NDC conference where the wives of the imprisoned Cubans spoke about the hardships their families face from the years of imprisonment.

There Is Power In A Union

Class conflict in the first sucessful Revolutionary Republic?

"About twenty of Madison Wisconsin's bluegrass musicians, as the collective Pickers' Local 608, gathered at Audio For The Arts on Sunday, March 6th 2011, to record their own version of There Is Power In A Union, with special featured guest banjo man Bill Evans! Thanks to Kirsten M. for the camera work! Bluegrass Local 608 includes members of The Oak Street Ramblers, The Malt Liquors, Cork 'N Bottle String Band, The Pints, Spare Time Bluegrass Band, Northern Pikers, and others...

Call Mr Robeson: Early Spring Tour 2011

"Paul Robeson is a great and famous actor, singer and civil rights campaigner.  When over the years he gets progressively too radical and outspoken for the establishment’s liking, he is branded a traitor to his country, is harassed, and denied opportunities to perform or travel.  Just as physical, emotional and mental stress threaten to push him over the fine line between genius and madness, he is summoned to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee, to give the most difficult and important performance of his career.

Call Mr. Robeson is a roller coaster journey through Robeson’s remarkable and eventful life, and highlights how his radical activism caused him to be disowned and disremembered, even by the leaders and descendants of the civil rights movement.  It features some of his famous songs and speeches, including a dramatic rendition of Ol’ Man River.  It features some of his famous songs"

January 4 - 23 (not 10, 17 or 24): London. THEATRO TECHNIS, 26 Crowndale Road, NW1 1TT 7.30pm (Tues - Sat) 3.00pm (Thurs, Sat, Sun) £10/£8. (2 for 1 on 4 - 6 and 11 and 18) 0207 387 6617. http://www.theatrotechnis.com/
January 25: Darlington. DARLINGTON ARTS CENTRE,Vane Terrace, DL3 7AX 8pm. £10.50 (discounts available) 01325 486555 http://www.darlingtonarts.co.uk/
January 26: Bury. THE MET, Market Street, BL9 0BW;
8pm. £10/£6 0161 761 2216 www.themet.biz0161 761 2216 http://www.themet.biz/
January 27: Salford. THE LOWRY, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ 8pm. £10/£8 0843 208 6010 http://www.thelowry.com/
January 28: Derby. THE GUILDHALL THEATRE,Market Place, DE1 3AH 7.30pm. £10/£8 01332 255 800 http://www.derbylive.co.uk/
January 29: Goole. JUNCTION, Paradise Place, DN14 5DL 8pm. £8/£6 01405 763 652 http://www.junctiongoole.co.uk/
February 4: Peebles. EASTGATE THEATRE & ARTS CENTRE, Eastgate, EH45 8AD 7.30pm. £13/£11 01721 725 777 http://www.thebooth.co.uk/
February 5: Inverness. EDEN COURT THEATRE, Bishops Road, IV3 5SA 8pm. £12/£10 01463 234 234 http://www.eden-court.co.uk/

SUPPORTED BY UNITY THEATRE TRUST Double Award Winner Ogeyinka Merit Awards for
Excellence, London, October 2010 Angel Award for Artistic Excellence & Best Male Performer.
Brighton Festival Fringe, May 2008  D E S I G N : W W W. H O L D E N A N D S O N S . C O . U K  
(hat tip SERTUC)

Send A Christmas Card to IKEA about Unions

IKEA is stopping American trade unions from speaking to its US work force and refusing to discuss a collective agreement.  The local union is asking shoppers to help workers and send the CEO a suitable Christmas Card!

Check out the "DIY Guide to Management" here and send off an electronic version.

(this is a clever union campaign - I have not seen anything quite like it this side of the pond?)

Hat-tip thingy Labourstart