All 9 entries tagged Politics

Third and Final Warning

Writing about web page http://www.pennedinthemargins.co.uk/?p=605

Yaba

Crusht yelo

crystals tunga fiz

4 a cut, ntry in2

yr blud:

BeamEye God; b

my subtxt; tear

my Sol on the

whook by the

d(t)or

(Maid of Yelo

Crystals.)

(from 'Three Warnings', Static Exile)

George Ttoouli : 31 Mar 2010 10:00 |  Tags: Photography Poetry Politics |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Second Warning

Writing about web page http://www.pennedinthemargins.co.uk/?p=605

Daisy Cutter

A

starling’s

batch

of iceblu

mints

1/2 smasht

on the sidewalk of yr tung.

(from 'Three Warnings', Static Exile)

George Ttoouli : 30 Mar 2010 10:00 |  Tags: Photography Poetry Politics |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

First Warning

Writing about web page http://www.pennedinthemargins.co.uk/?p=605

May Day

Let there b riots

o pls

4 there is sunshine

like paperwork

everywhere

& I’ve deadlines

o, somebody

pls hurl a brick

(from 'Three Warnings', Static Exile)

George Ttoouli : 29 Mar 2010 10:00 |  Tags: Photography Poetry Politics |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Sussex Protests Halted by anti–democratic VC

Writing about web page http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nosummarysuspensions/signatures?page=8

News coming in about the protests at Sussex University against job cuts.

BBC News (the only online national media outlet to report on the situation so far, by the look of things)

The Stop the Cuts blog - the unions' and students' side of events. Video of riot police presence here.

Sociaist Worker

The most disturbing part of this situation is the High Court Injunction attained by the VC, Mike Farthing, which prevents further occupational protests from taking place, even if they are peaceful - a curtailment on democratic union activity that sounds utterly anti-democratic. Why should one man have the right to prevent the protests of a group of people whose livelihoods and education are at threat?

And this letter just circulated by the UCU, from an academic at Sussex, calling for signatories against the VC's suspension of six students - again, without call for any kind of committee or other democratic process. Does Farthing think he has some kind of martial law authority over the university to protect it from a crisis caused by the government's cuts?

Please sign the petition - this isn't simply about problems caused by the recession, this is about the right to speak out in defence of higher education standards.

Dear all,

I expect few of you will have heard that 6 students have been suspended by
the VC (acting alone) for participating in the occupation of Sussex House
last Wednesday (5 March)

These students are now probibited from coming onto campus (and obviously
too to participate in lectures and submit any examination work etc.)

There is a petition asking their reinstatement.

Signatories can add a comment and these can be very interesting, so please
do not shy from doing this if you feel you have something to say.

The VC has also got an injunction from the High Court preventing any
student protest on campus (which is not specifically authorised).

The students have responed by calling on students to come on Library Square
to have their individual picture taken with a placard saying 'I too
participated in the occupation of 5 March'. They say they have already more
than 100 people who have had their picture taken.

I feel the bypassing of normal procedure if there was ground for
disciplinary action (which so far has certainly not publicly surfaced) is
extremely worrying, looking like a rather poor and in that case
counterproductive) attempt by the VC to resort to the most undemocratic and
alienating means to stifle protest.

Although the police have not been viciously brutal, there was an extremely
heavy police presence on campus which relying witnesses say was completely
disproportionate and though spray was not used, it was apparently
threatened.

While there already was a 'Stop the Cuts' campaign at Sussex (116 posts are
at risk with management refusing to contemplate the 'Unique Solution'
offered by the Union which would involve voluntary fractionalization of
contracts), it looks like we now also need to have a campaign to defend the
right to protest.

George Ttoouli : 10 Mar 2010 13:01 |  Tags: Politics Protest Student Suspensions Sussex Ucu |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Brainwashing techniques

The brainwashing techniques I used in my talk on Ballard last week are readily available at Cracked.com.

I also picked up an interesting article about how the brain plays to simplicity. The article extends one of the Cracked techniques - #3, keeping you in line with shame - which points to an evolutionary security developed through tribal conformity:

Psychologists have determined, for example, that shares in companies with easy-to-pronounce names do indeed significantly outperform those with hard-to-pronounce names. Other studies have shown that when presenting people with a factual statement, manipulations that make the statement easier to mentally process - even totally nonsubstantive changes like writing it in a cleaner font or making it rhyme or simply repeating it - can alter people’s judgment of the truth of the statement, along with their evaluation of the intelligence of the statement’s author and their confidence in their own judgments and abilities. Similar manipulations can get subjects to be more forgiving, more adventurous, and more open about their personal shortcomings.

Relating this to Ballard's call, in an interview with V Vale for RE/Search, for individuals to establish a "moral microclimate", you could argue that post-surrealism's struggle for social progress involves resistance to the tribe. (This implies Dadaism's moral aesthetics also - non-conformity as a fundamentally optimistic activity, that originality leads eventually to the notion of a better society.)

There's a need to resist conformity in order to protect one's rights, the ability to decide for oneself whether, e.g. a given text is of value to society, or simply part of the herd buzz; and to resist government actions that are morally reprehensible. But there's also security to be had in finding like minds and some people just can't stand that. I've a feeling that if everyone had started thinking the way Ballard did, he'd have tried to a way out of that grouping, to keep individualising and criticising his social environment. He tried to write the present by keeping himself outside of it.

The article goes on:

A handful of scholars have already started to explore the ways that advertisers, educators, political campaigners, or anyone else in the business of persuasion can use these findings. And some of the implications are surprising. For example, to get people to think through a question, it may be best to present it less clearly. And to boost your self-confidence, you may want to set out to write a dauntingly long list of all the reasons why you’re a failure.

Happily, this reinforces my hatred of cliché. To be understood well, to force a cerebral engagement with creative writing, as well as an emotional connection, one has to write in a way that is original. I don't agree with the idea that the writing needs to be unclear - I hate trying to read badly presented critical texts with too much verbosity. They blind me. But clearly presented language, originally phrased, allows readers to engage with ideas in ways that cannot be lapped up and dismissed.

So to quote my favourite ever quote, ever, ever, by Ezra Pound:

The secret of popular writing is never to put more on a given page than the common reader can lap off it with no strain whatsoever on his habitually slack attention.

George Ttoouli : 23 Feb 2010 09:00 |  Tags: Brainwashing Creative Writing Jg Ballard Politics |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Ugandan govt. considering homophobic law – Avaaz

Writing about web page http://www.avaaz.org/en/uganda_rights_2/?vl

Message from Avaaz, about a law on the verge of being passed in Uganda:

Uganda’s parliament is preparing to pass a brutal new law that would punish gay people with prison -- even death.

Initial international criticism drove the President to call for a review. But after a well-funded and vicious lobbying effort by extremists, the bill looks set to be passed -- threatening widespread persecution and bloodshed.

Opposition to the bill is rising, including from the Anglican church. Ugandan gay rights advocate Frank Mugisha writes, This law will put us in serious danger. Please, sign the petition and tell others to stand with us – if there’s a huge global response, our government will see that Uganda will be internationally isolated by the proposed law, and strike it down.

With the decision expected in days, only an irresistible wave of worldwide pressure will be enough to save Frank's life and many others. Let’s build a huge petition to stop the gay death law -- click here to take action, then forward this email:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/uganda_rights_2/?vl

The petition will be delivered to President Museveni and the parliament at the end of this week by top Ugandan civil society and Church leaders. Pro-death penalty advocates have also planned a march this week, so our voices need to be louder than theirs!

The bill proposes life imprisonment for anyone convicted of having same-sex relations and imposes the death penalty for “serial offenders”. NGOs working to prevent the spread of HIV could be imprisoned for up to 7 years for “promoting homosexuality”. Even members of the public face up to three years in jail if they fail to report homosexual activity to the police within 24 hours!

The bill’s advocates claim that it defends national culture, but its strongest critics come from within Uganda. The Reverend Canon Gideon Byamugisha is one of many who’s written to us – he says,

It is violating our cultures, traditions and religious values that teach against intolerance, injustice, hatred and violence. We need laws to protect people -- not ones that will humiliate, ridicule, persecute and kill them en masse.

By rejecting this dangerous bill and supporting the breadth of opposition to it, we can help set a crucial precedent. Let’s build massive support for Uganda’s human rights defenders, and save lives by stopping this bill -- sign now here, then tell friends and family:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/uganda_rights_2/?vl

With hope and determination,

Alice, Ricken, Ben, Paul, Benjamin, Pascal, Raluca, Graziela and the whole Avaaz team

SOURCES

African letter to Ugandan President to throw out Anti-Homosexual Bill:
http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=22761

Ugandan church leader brands anti-gay bill 'genocide':
http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2009/dec/04/gideon-byamugisha-homosexuality-bill

Human Rights Impact Assessment of Uganda's Anti-homosexuality Bill By Sylvia Tamale, The Dean of Law at Uganda's Makerere University:
http://www.zeleza.com/blogging/african-affairs/human-rights-impact-assessment-ugandas-anti-homosexuality-bill-sylvia-tamal

George Ttoouli : 17 Feb 2010 09:00 |  Tags: Avaaz Politics |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

National Student Survey – for Finalists

Writing about web page http://www.thestudentsurvey.com/

Had an important message from the CAPITAL Centre:

As you may know the National Student Survey is doing the rounds.

Let me be clear, both the Government and the University take this survey VERY seriously. By filling it out you are lending your voice to something which carries a lot of influence with the powers that be. This survey is a way to make things happen.

If you've experienced and enjoyed CAPITAL's approach to teaching and learning then this is a hugely important platform to make those feelings heard - not to mention any other issues you've encountered whilst being a student.

If you want to take ownership of your Higher Education experience, then filling out this survey is vital. Whether you're a 1st year with years at Warwick ahead of you, or a 3rd year hoping to influence HE positively before you leave - this is one of the most effective weapons you have.

Here's the link.

Have a good weekend,
thank you

the CAPITAL team

It's always easier to criticise when you're annoyed with something, but when the opportunity comes up to say good things, it's important to speak out.

My own experience of working in the CAPITAL Centre, with the support of Open Space Learning development and a generally wonderful atmosphere, is that it's not only changed the way teaching and learning happens, but strengthened the student-staff community and allowed a tremendous amount of student-led activities to take place. I don't think there'd be an Ugly Cousins Club without the Writers' Room, nor exciting opportunities like the resident theatre ensemble, Fail Better, without CAPITAL as a whole.

So if you have a moment to support CAPITAL by saying what you think of the centre, please do mention them in the survey. Of course, if you've criticisms (really?! is that possible of CAPITAL?) then it's an opportunity too.

George Ttoouli : 16 Feb 2010 09:00 |  Tags: Capital Politics |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The Great Destroyer (Modwheelmood)

Writing about web page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyVGyNNSuow

Yeah, I think I'll dedicate this one to Tony Blair, after his recent blather at the Chilcot Inquiry.

George Ttoouli : 08 Feb 2010 09:00 |  Tags: Music Politics |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Hari Kunzru links

Writing about web page http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,1089901,00.html

So here are the two links from class this week.

[It occurs to me that if you're in the poetry seminar group at the moment, a lot of this may not make sense right now.]

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,1089901,00.html

And in his own words:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,1090959,00.html

My own feeling is that people need to know when to separate and combine their writing and their ideologies. Sometimes, the stories that occur to you, or 'cull you from the world' to paraphrase Arundhati Roy, are ideology-driven anyway. Andrew Miller said that his writing comes from a sickness, or problem, with himself, or his place in the world. (Oxygen is about the apathy of middle class English writers like himself.)

But when the writing isn't inherently driven by ideology, should it be forced to fit into that straightjacket? As Keats wrote in a letter, poetry should not have "a palpable design" on the reader. But in some cultures, poetry is for political expression, primarily - I'm reminded of an excellent (now out of print, I think) Heinemann African poetry anthology, which demonstrated this to me.

I'm not trying to provide the answers, just opening doors.

G

George Ttoouli : 12 Oct 2007 19:19 |  Tags: Harikunzru Icw2007-8 Immigration Politics Writing |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem