Reflections on Chomsky & the Responsibility of Intellectuals in public spaces by Brian Bamford

ON Saturday, 13 March 2021 Andy Wastling wrote in a post entitled 'We ain't got no swing; Except for the ring of the truncheon thing':

'Local Public Space in Rochdale & the homeless: At the local level readers might want to ask their prospective ward councillors standing for public office in May what their personal views are on the anti-democratic measures lurking in the small print of Rochdale Councils Public Space Protection Order? ...' and he concluded 'It would be interesting to see how many councillors have actually even read the locally drafted legislation they voted for which can also be readily deployed against union members on a legitimate picket line or require campaigners to ask permission before handing out leaflets on a street stall or holding a demonstration in the town centre?'

This post allows us to recall what Neil Smith and Amahl Smith observed intheir easay entitled 'Reflections on Chomsky's "The Responsibility of Intellectuals".': 'In "The Responsibility of Intellectuals" Chomsky focused on the responsibility of individual intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies. But if they they are to be able to do that in a way that has impact, there are perhaps prior responsibilities that need exploring.' In particular they refer to ' "CIVIL SPACE" and the infringement of liberties".' and they point out that 'Above we touched on changes to the academic environment that may discourage at least one set of intellectuals from speaking out', but they conclude that '"Civic space" is the set of conditions that enable citizens to organise, participate and communicate without hinderance' and that 'Civic space is only secure when a state protects its citizens and "respects and facilitates their fundemental rights to associate, assemble peacefully and freely express views and opitions".'

At the time of publication of the essay in 2019 by University College London the authors remind us: 'As the organisation Civicus demonstrates, there is ample evidence that civic space is under attack around the world, and that vulnerable groups are discouraged from speaking out, often under the pretect that this is a necessary part of the counter-terrorism agenda.'

'To take a simple example' the authors say: 'as part of its attempt to stop "radicalisation", the UK government instituted the "Prevebt" strategy. Among provision requires that social services, faith leaders, teachers, doctors and others refer those at risk of radicalisation to a local Prevent body, which then decides what to do.. Among the signs that someone may warrant referral is "having a sense of grievance that is triggered by personal experience or discrimination or aspects of government policy".'

To conclude the authors write: 'The changes in the powers of the UK government [already] touched on above reflect ideologically motivated infringement of liberties more generally. This can be illustrated with a motion brought at the 2017 annual general meeting of the civil liberties and human rights charity Liberty, attcking aspects of the UK government's regressive legislation.'

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We ain't got no swing; Except for the ring of the truncheon thing [1] | by Andrew Wastling

SUCCESSIVE generations of Britain's working class it would seem are destined to endure a double hammering on the anvil of Tory economic policy and the cosh of the police truncheon. This multi-generationalional masochism is in some cases entirely self inflicted by the apparent inability of elements of the working class to agitate, educate and organise at grassroots level to vote for candidates who represent their class interests (The infamous Working Class Tory voter) or to establish working models of self-government outside of, and independent to the terminally corrupt Parliamentary system ,

( The Non-Parliamentary Road to Socialism ).

This pantomime more akin to a Dario Fo farce than a mature fully functioning democracy is abley co-facilitated and enabled by a neutered Blue Labour bureaucratic class hunkered down in their Town Halls bunkers and a sycophantic & quisling mainstream media promoting a 24/7 pro-government propaganda news agenda narrative.

No one should be surprised that former Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp is set to be appointed the Chairman of the BBC's board of directors after donating more than £400,000 to the Conservative Party since 2001 .It should come as no shock to any of us either that a rogue Johson administration will be expecting an imminent popular backlash and is pre-rigging the courts and legislature accordingly. Johnson after all bought the three water cannon he expected to have to deploy on the streets of London when he was Mayor way back in 2014 (although they were subsequently scrapped Johnson said later: We can’t use them at the moment. That is correct. We haven’t been given a general licence for their use. We will keep these devices in reserve and should there be another occasion when they might be a useful tool of crowd control, the Metropolitan police commissioner can make another application.)

More recently the arrest and ten thousand pound fine of a pensioner for organising a socially distanced protest in support of an increase on the paltry one per cent pay rise for NHS workers in Manchester, (Has GMP been consistent in handling protests during Covid? What police, protesters and Andy Burnham have to say... - Manchester Evening News) , and this weekend's effective banning of the vigil for Sarah Everard in Clapham by Metropolitan Police shows clearly which way the wind is blowing and the chilling effect it is set to have on future protests. The 1986 Public Order Act and the 1994 Criminal Justice Bill & Public Order Bill serve as just two reminders of how a reactionary state apparatus legislates to suppress not only political dissent but lifestyle choices such as New Age Travellers (The Battle of the Beanfield) and Britain's 1990's Warehouse & Acid House Counter-culture - both seen as a serious challenge to a moribund establishment by disaffected and creative youth.

This is merely history repeating itself as the state seeks once more to silence voices of dissent and prevent the free association of people as it has done for centuries from The Diggers of St.George's Hill in 1649, through to Peterloo, Red Clydeside, the 1984 Miners strike and the Poll Tax Riots of the 1990's and beyond.

The famous quote attributed to Emma Goldman: If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution seems likely to resonate loudly in Covid ravaged Britain as a government claiming to be Levelling Up might suddenly find the Levelling process goes in entirely an unexpected redistributionary direction. Britain's youth may be willing to accept curtailments to their individual freedoms & liberties this summer as a necessary precautionary measure to combat the transmission of Covid through our communities it is difficult to see how such draconian restrictions will be imposed or widely followed next summer (or the summer after that) without some kind of culture clash ensuing later if not sooner.

Local Public Space in Rochdale & the homeless

At the local level readers might want to ask their prospective ward councillors standing for public office in May what their personal views are on the anti-democratic measures lurking in the small print of Rochdale Councils Public Space Protection Order?

Local campaigners rejected the deeply flawed legislation on the grounds that:

The Council should not fine people who are homeless if they beg for money. We also believe banning people from giving out leaflets is a serious attack on our civil liberties. The other parts of the order are unworkable and will lead people, particularly young people, to be brought unnecessarily into the criminal justice system.

http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/pdf/2018-08-22-made-rochdale-town-centre-pspo-v2.pdf

It would be interesting to see how many councillors have actually even read the locally drafted legislation they voted for which can also be readily deployed against union members on a legitimate picket line or require campaigners to ask permission before handing out leaflets on a street stall or holding a demonstration in the town centre?

If they want our votes sometime before May 6 is probably a good time to put them on the spot The price of freedom truly is eternal vigilance!

In the meantime here's a summary of organisations calling for protection of the right to associate and protest:

Netpol:

Netpol have launched an urgent petition calling on the National Police Chiefs Council to adopt new guidelines to protect the right to protest – or explain why they refuse to do so. Add your name today. A Charter for Freedom of Assembly Rights | Netpol

Liberty:

In the coming weeks, MPs will vote again on the harmful Coronavirus Act – the biggest threat to civil liberties in a generation. Email your MP today and tell them to change course, scrap the Coronavirus Act, and replace it with a rights-focused approach, such as the Protect Everyone Bill. Liberty Human Rights

Amnesty International:

Amnesty International has condemed the conviction of Spanish rapper Pablo Hasél for “glorifying terrorism” and is calling on the Ministry of Justice in Spain to change the criminal code and defend freedom of expression.

Hasel has been sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment and six years’ disqualification from employment in the public sector. He has also been convicted of insulting the Crown and state institutions. In total, he will face a fine of almost 30,000 euros.

Esteban Beltrán, Director of Amnesty International Spain, said: “No one should face criminal prosecution for expressing themselves on social media or for singing something that may be distasteful or shocking. Expressions that do not clearly and directly incite violence should not be criminalised."

“Pablo Hasél’s imprisonment is an excessive and disproportionate restriction on his freedom of expression, but he is not alone in suffering the consequences of unjust laws: many other artists, journalists or activists have received heavy fines or long periods of exclusion from the public sector. It’s a sad consequence for our society: self-censorship for fear of repression.

If the articles of th“e Criminal Code are not amended, freedom of expression will continue to be silenced and artistic expression will continue to be restricted.”

* Source: Spain: Jailing of rapper is 'unjust and disproportionate' | Amnesty International UK

Green and Black Cross :

Provide volunteers able to help with legal matters arising from protest and actions only. An independent grassroots project set up in the spirit of mutual aid to support social and environmental struggles within the UK.

Excellent demonstration Bust cards can be downloaded from : Bustcard | Green and Black Cross

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APPENDIX :

[1].London Calling : The Clash ( Joe Strummer & Mick Jones ) 1979

EDITOR'S POSTSCRIPT:

BASED ON LIBCOM ACCOUNT.

Who is Pablo Hasél? And what is happening in Spain in regards to his case and the riots that followed?

Pablo Hasél is a 32 year old Catalan1 rapper and anti-fascist. As a rapper his songs generally focus on left-wing causes, armed struggle, and are frequently critical of the Spanish monarchy.2 The Spanish state has extremely retrograde laws regarding what may be thought of as ‘freedom of speech’. These include article 491 of the Spanish Penal code which calls for fines and prison sentences of up to two years for ‘Insults to the Crown’, and Article 578 which calls for similar punishment for ‘glorifying terrorism’. These laws are used disproportionately against people on the left and anarchists, while far-right individuals and neo-nazis are rarely if ever charged or sentenced to jail time.

Pablo Hasél has repeatedly run afoul of these laws. He has refused to censor his message and because of this he has been prosecuted for the content of his lyrics, especially his references to historical armed groups such as GRAPO3, and criticism of the king and the Royal family. In 2018 he was found guilty violating Article 578 and 492 and was ordered to enter into prison two years later in February of 2021. Hasél refused to voluntarily turn himself in, instead issuing a public statement and barricading himself among supporters inside Leida University. Riot police fought their way into the university and took him into custody on February 16th. His arrest and the underlying anger felt among a large segment of mostly young people in Catalunya and throughout the Spanish state led to almost a week of rioting especially in Barcelona, but also in Madrid, Valencia, the Basque Country and smaller cities like Vic, Iruñea (Pamplona), Lleida and Granada.

The widespread nature and strength of the rioting surprised many among the Spanish status quo, however it is clear that a tension has been building for quite some time as the Spanish state continues to expose and even flaunt its authoritarian nature.

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Reply to Cllr. Blundell on 'aggressive begging':

 “There is only one way to solve this issue…crack down. Fine aggressive beggars and arrest them.”
Councillor John Blundell in the MANCHESTER GAZETTE

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'I have yet to see or hear a rational definition of the term "aggressive begging".  I do not believe that fining people who often have mental health and addiction issues is the way to progress with the issues of those impacted by rough sleeping and homelessness .  In Rochdale, they have issued fines to three people.  This measure is ineffective and inhumane, proposed and supported by people with little empathy and no real understanding of the problems they so glibly talk about.  There needs to be money made available to support people who wish to escape what are often fraught and dangerous circumstances.  People who wish to bring a PSPO into force in Manchester city centre should reflect on their reasons for doing so, because I believe it stems from contempt and disgust, which in my view makes them unfit for public life.'

- Spokesperson from Rochdale Campaign against PSPO (PUBLIC SPACES PROTECTION ORDERs)

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Simon Danczuk seen in Aldi

REPORTS of sightings of Simon Danczuk, the former MP for Rochdale, buying a meal for one in the Aldi Supermarket on Kingsway in Rochdale is causing concern.   We do hope that it won't end-up with him having to be moved-on in the Rochdale town centre under one of them Public Space Protection Order (PSPO)*, which may be imposed on down-and-outs by Rochdale Council under Simon's former friend Richard Farmell, the leader of Rochdale MBC.

 www.themeteor.org › Features 

*    Public Space Protection Order (PSPO):

• Consumption of alcohol on the street
• A Curfew on under 18’s being on their own in the town centre between 11pm and 6am
• Driving/using a car in an anti-social manner.
• Obstruction and loitering on a public highway
• Anti social parking
• Unauthorised distribution of printed materials and leaflets.
• Use of skateboards,bicycles, and scooters.
• Begging on the street.
• Foul and abusive language.
•  Control of commercial or charity collection or soliciting for money in the street

'Affordable Homes' in Rochdale & Beyond?

6,374 - 33 = 6,341

by Andrew Wastling  

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TODAY's report from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Joint Greater Manchester Combined Authority & AGMA Executive Board Scrutiny Pool , Social Housing , (Councillor Richard Farnell, Portfolio Lead, Planning & Housing & Eamonn Boylan, Portfolio Lead Chief Executive for Planning & Housing, 7 April 2017), reveals that  just  164 so-called 'affordable homes' were secured through Section 106 agreements with developers.  Only 20% of these, or in actual numbers , 33 homes were for so called 'affordable rent' - itself more expensive than 'social rent'.

This same report (1). adds that:

'By contrast, there remain low levels of new affordable homes being delivered through the planning system via s.106 agreements, where the challenge of scheme viability makes it difficult for authorities to secure affordable homes in a G[reater] M[anchester] market context.  The latest figures from CLG show just 164 affordable homes secured in 2015/16, 80% of which are for affordable home ownership or shared ownership. That total is a significant increase on previous years, so it may be that this is the start of an upward trend, though it is too early to be confident.'

Readers can draw their own conclusions on claims that these figures represent  'a significant increase on previous years', I am sure!

The report goes on to confirm that  Rochdale has  a total of 6,374 households on the housing waiting list.  Additionally of Rochdale's dwelling stock in 2015 only 21,370 was non Private Sector whilst we had over three times , or 70,070 , dwellings in the Private Sector -  numbers which tell their own story simply by themselves.

file:///C:/Users/awast/Downloads/08_Scrutiny_social_housing_April_2017.pdf

Isn't building homes for those in desperate housing need a much more constructive solution to Britain's severe housing crisis than criminalising and fining the homeless as Rochdale Council seem intent on doing with their draconian PSPO - Public Space Protection Order ?

These figures also beg the obvious question of is it really wise to consider  'some options of demolition'  of College Bank flats, when we clearly already have such considerable unmet housing need already in our town ?

Finally I'm just wondering how many, if any at all, of these 33 'affordable homes' were actually built here in Rochdale to meet our growing local housing need or to house the 6,374 households on our waiting lists?

Beggar's Opera* Or Comic Opera?

Strangling Civil Liberties on a United Front
by Brian Bamford

Tonight, at Rochdale Town Hall's Full Council meeting of the Rochdale Town Council, it was more like watching a stage show of Bertold Brecht's 'Threpenny Opera' than serious politics.  It was like viewing a tribe of back-patting gangsters as both the Tory and Labour politicians vied with each other to heap on the praise.  Talk about cosy council politics!

Councillor Liam O'Rourke even pontificated on how often the local Tories would join up with the governing Labour lads and lassies to proclaim and pass proposals and present a united front, no matter the perverse political origins of the proposals.  At one stage we were left wondering if the bashful Councillor Blundell was having an affair with one of the Tory lassies, so intimate was their demeanour.

There is much of the tragi-comedy about politics in Rochdale these days, which even in its own petty way rivals Brexit and Trump on the stage of national and international politics.

A major asbestos scandal has dogged the town for decades, the site of the former asbestos factory is now fast becoming a dump for waste which is being fly-tipped on an industrial scale; buildings surrounding the town centre neglected for decades are now cracking and disintegrating to such an extent that recently the trams to the town centre had to be stopped and buses diverted; travelling people now threaten Cronkeyshaw Common; market traders disappointed with the poorness of their trade in groceries have formed a co-op and are threatening to leave the town and now the Greater Manchester Spatial Strategy threatening the Green Belt around Rochdale.

But recently, it has been the proposals for issuing Public Space Protection Orders with on-the-spot penalties that has been causing consternation.  And this seems to be where the Tories and labour parties are uniting most.  Tonight, Councillor Sullivan and Councillor Howard moved and seconded a motion for extending the imposition of Protection Orders to the proximity of schools.  The motion stated:
'This Council welcomes the future consultation on potential use of Public Space Protection Orders in the Town Centre and recommends the introduction of similar Orders to enhance road safety outside schools.  As a Council we are committed to protecting the safety and welfare of the Borough's children, which is often put at risk by irresponsible parking outside schools.  The Council calls upon the Cabinet to develop proposals to trail Public Space Protection Orders around schools with known parking problems to tackle the associated risk to children, parents and carers; and following a period of monitoring to establish the success of this intuitive, the Council should explore options to roll out a programme of Protection Orders around schools.'
What this means is that extra unnecessary laws will be brought in by the law-makers of Rochdale to duplicate laws that already exists.  Natural justice, it seems, will now be binned in Rochdale!
What began with a Labour Party campaign to clean-up Rochdale Town Centre of beggars and other  'wrong-uns' , is now moving relentlessly on to a campaign against improper parking around school yards.  To get support for the motion one councilor last night even invoked images of car-keys being snatched by an angry schoolmaster trying to restore order and cat-fights by parents outside the school gate over parking spaces as mothers hung up their handbags to freely sally-forth in a fiery frenzy claiming the right of place to a space nearest to the school gates.
Bring on the 'On-the-Spot' Fines for Rochdale's disabled beggars and down and outs! 
Let's have more 'Public Space Protection Orders' against irate parents who park badly! 
The good Councillor Jane Howard, the Shadow Portfolio Holder for Adult Care and seconder of the motion relating to good order at School Gates, even whinged last night about not just swearing, but about one councilor actually 'blaspheming in this Council Chamber' she said, as had happened at the last full council meeting. 
With such examples of innate wickedness, the good councilors of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale couldn't vote the motion through quick enough!  The band-wagon to corral the public is underway!  Bring on the Zoo-Keepers!



*  The Beggar's Opera is the story satirised politics, poverty and injustice, focusing on the theme of corruption at all levels of society. Lavinia Fenton, the first Polly Peachum, became an overnight success. Her pictures were in great demand, verses were written to her and books published about her..   Elisabeth Hauptmann (with Bertolt Brecht) and Kurt Weill adapted the opera into Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera) in 1928, sticking closely to the original plot and characters but with a new libretto and mostly new music.