The Poverty of Philosophy

The Poverty of Philosophy

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French workers capture boss

The chief executive of Sony in France was held overnight by striking workers at the company's factory in Pontoux-sur-l'Adrour in south-west France.

The plant's 311 workers are to be laid off as part of the electronics giant's plans to save Y100bn. The company has so far refused to cover the relocation costs of workers.

Representatives of the CGT union claimed that preventing the men from leaving was the only way to get management to listen to them. "We hope that this time our voices will be heard," says union representative Patrick Achaguer.

The bosses were only allowed to leave the site when the French government stepped in to force management to return to the negotiating table.

And this is not the only expression of the growing desperation and power of workers. Last month two bosses from Michelin, the tyre manufacturer were held for two days by workers trying to stop a factory closure.

British trade unions could learn a great deal from French tactics.

Message to Obama and Brown: Yes We Can

A national tour of Stop the War public meetings, titled YES WE CAN - with speakers ranging from Tony Benn to the film director Ken Loach - comes to Haringey on Thursday 19 March, when the speakers will include Guardian journalist Seumas Milne, human rights lawyer Louis Christian and Lindsey German, national convenor of Stop the War. (Full details below).

These meetings are part of the build up to a national anti-war demonstration which will take place on April 1, when the leaders of the G20 countries meet in London, which will also be Barack Obama’s first visit to this country.

While Obama’s decision to start withdrawing troops from Iraq and the closure of the Guatanamo concentration camp distances him from his predecessor, he has disappointed many who didn’t expect his slogan “change you can believe in” to mean continuing most of George Bush’s war policies.

50,000 US troops will remain in Iraq for at least another two years, the war in Afghanistan is to be escalated and Israel’s barbaric and illegal treatment of Palestinians will still receive unqualified support.

Gordon Brown, like Tony Blair before him, is committed to the same slavish support for all aspects of American foreign policy. While Britain sinks into its worst economic crisis for at least 70 years, the government - having already wasted 13 billion pounds in the past seven years on illegal and unnecessary wars - will still this year double the expenditure for its attacks on Afghanistan.

It is a scandal that so much money is being spent on these conflicts rather than on housing, schools and hospitals. Similarly, in the view of Haringey Trades Union Council - joint organisers with Stop the War of Haringey’s meeting on Thursday - the same purpose could be served by the hundreds of billions the government is spending to bail out the bankers who were a prime cause of the economic mess we’re in.

These are all themes which will be discussed at next Thursday’s YES WE CAN public meeting. Please publicise the meeting as widely as you can.

YES WE CAN PUBLIC MEETING
THURSDAY 19 MARCH 7.30 PM
Called by Stop the War Coalition and Haringey Trades Union Council

FREE PALESTINE - END THE WAR ON TERROR - JOBS FOR ALL - BAIL OUT PEOPLE, NOT BANKERS
Speakers:
SEUMAS MILNE – The Guardian
LOUISE CHRISTIAN – Human rights lawyer
LINDSEY GERMAN – National Convenor, Stop the War
RAY MORRELL – Unite trade unionist
PALESTINIAN SPEAKER – To be confirmed

WEST INDIAN CULTURAL CENTRE
CLARENDON ROAD, LONDON N8 (Off Hornsey Park Rd, nearest tube Turnpike Lane)

Yes We Can Shut Down the G20

YES WE CAN NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION

WEDNESDAY 1 APRIL: ASSEMBLE 2.0 PM

US EMBASSY, GROSVENOR SQUARE, W1A 1AE

The anti war movement will be marching from the US embassy on Wednesday 1 April, the day Barack Obama and the other world leaders arrive in London for the G20 Summit.

The march will be in support of Gaza and against the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and for the abolition of nuclear weapons. It will assemble at 2 pm at the US Embassy, Grosvenor Square, London.

Our message will be: YES WE CAN end the siege of Gaza and free Palestine, get the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, abolish all nukes, create jobs not bombs and stop arming Israel.

We are calling for the biggest possible mobilisation for this national demonstration. We are asking all local Stop the War groups to book transport for the day.

We will also be protesting at the G20 summit at the Excel Centre in East London on Thursday 2 April at 11 am

For flyers, posters and other publicity phone the Stop the War Coalition office on 0207278 6694 or e-mail at office@stopwar.org.uk

This weeks meeting: Do we need a new women's movement?

This weeks branch meeting will be:

Do We Need a New Women's Movement?

with Judith Orr

7.30pm, Kitap Evi Bookshop, Tottenham High Street
Nearest Tube Seven Sisters

Many mainstream commentators believe that women have acheived formal equality with men, and that now the corridors of power are open to an elite, there is no longer a need for a movement of the kind which grew throughout the 60s and 70s.

These days calls for women's equality are more likely to be directed against the enemies of Western society. George Bush, that great feminist liberator who came to power promising to take away the right of women across America to control their own fertility, used the treatment of women as one of the foundations for his disastrous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Come to the meeting to discuss whether the women's movement is still relevant in our times, and how feminists can respond to the hijacking of the idea of liberation by warmongers.