The only lving boy in Crofton Park
Congratulations Jim on keeping the spot in the Total Politics green list, and to Flesh for zooming into the higher echelons. Flesh has a fantastic post on how to be a top blogger, in which I get some undeserved compliments.Like Weggis, I offer my commiserations to the downwardly mobile, including Green Ladywell and Anglo-Buddhist Combine.
Some Bob recommendations: Chris Dillow on motives and consequences in Afghanistan; Flying Rodent on the Furedi cult; JP Pagano's Normblog profile; Max Dunbar on the illusion of realism; A machine with a single spring - on Hegal and Pol Pot; Carl on The Labour club in the age of austerity; Hans Kundnani on the new left and the neocons; Robert S Wistrich on Trotsky's Jewish question; Ze'ev Avrami on when Leonard Cohen sings; China - trouble in the world's sweatshops; Harpy sez Keep Libraries Public; A Kurdish village governed by none; Phil Dickens on anarchism and the middle class; Oona King in conversation with David Aaronovitch (from Oona's "cringe-making" blog).
Some on the English Defence League: Modernity imagines being a British neo-fascist (explained here); "Malatesta" on the EDL, Bradford and anti-Asianism; Phil Dickens on Hope not Hate; AWL on the EDL threat; Street fighting for the establishment.
More Jogo recommendations: Terry Teachout on David Mamet; Rich man needed to save Yiddish;
And here's a different Bob, Jim Bob, originally of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, singing "The Only Living Boy in New Cross" acoustically. Not great sound quality, alas. (Via comments at a post on this song at Transpontine.)
Jim Bob cooking the Only Living Boy from Jonathan Main on Vimeo.
Some Bob recommendations: Chris Dillow on motives and consequences in Afghanistan; Flying Rodent on the Furedi cult; JP Pagano's Normblog profile; Max Dunbar on the illusion of realism; A machine with a single spring - on Hegal and Pol Pot; Carl on The Labour club in the age of austerity; Hans Kundnani on the new left and the neocons; Robert S Wistrich on Trotsky's Jewish question; Ze'ev Avrami on when Leonard Cohen sings; China - trouble in the world's sweatshops; Harpy sez Keep Libraries Public; A Kurdish village governed by none; Phil Dickens on anarchism and the middle class; Oona King in conversation with David Aaronovitch (from Oona's "cringe-making" blog).
Some on the English Defence League: Modernity imagines being a British neo-fascist (explained here); "Malatesta" on the EDL, Bradford and anti-Asianism; Phil Dickens on Hope not Hate; AWL on the EDL threat; Street fighting for the establishment.
More Jogo recommendations: Terry Teachout on David Mamet; Rich man needed to save Yiddish;
And here's a different Bob, Jim Bob, originally of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, singing "The Only Living Boy in New Cross" acoustically. Not great sound quality, alas. (Via comments at a post on this song at Transpontine.)
Jim Bob cooking the Only Living Boy from Jonathan Main on Vimeo.
Comments
A couple more links on the EDL that may be of interest.
This is the account of Bradford on Saturday from Permanent Revolution. Apart from the fact that I think it's overly simplistic to simply describe the EDL as Neonazis, it's a reasonably good article. It fits with my experience on the day, although I think they are arguably overstating how big this incident was. It was a victory, but I'm less convinced they were run out of town as such (unlike Cardiff and Glasgow).
What is telling is that the UAF now seem to be claiming incidents like this as some kind of victory, despite the fact it's actually very different than the tactic of a "peaceful multicultural celebration" they implemented on the day. That was pretty standard, as these things go. I didn't see the HnH vigil at all.
The other one is even more controversial. The whole EDL/ZF saga rumbles on. See Jonathan Hoffman's article in the Jewish Chronicle.
I have to say that I'm not impressed with Hoffman's argument that, yes, the EDL were there. But it wasn't a jointly organised demonstration (which I'm sure it wasn't). But they can go on the demonstration if they want because "we have freedom to protest in the UK and that organisers of demonstrations cannot control who is there. If he or Greenstein wants to control street protests then they need to move to Hanoi, Tehran or (best of all) Gaza."
That's very different and very troubling compared to the CST's previous excellent statement that "The ZF made it clear that the EDL were not welcome and we insisted that we were not willing to have the EDL inside a demonstration which our volunteers were securing."
I'm sure, to be clear, that the CST's comment at the time that "what is particularly disappointing is that despite this, some Jewish anti-Zionists (for instance in this letter in today’s Guardian) seem determined to make the allegation that the ZF happily stood alongside the EDL on a demonstration secured by CST, when this is not true, in order to make a political point" was made in completely good faith. But Hoffman seems to not be sticking to that.
I hope the CST take moves to sort this one out. All it would take is them sticking to their guns about refusing to secure demonstrations which contain EDL members.
If not, we have a problem. And it's one which ties heavily into my previous point that this issue absolutely has to be taken away from the whole Zionist/anti-Zionist dispute. If action is necessary, it needs to be done by those who are clear that their primary motivation is anti-fascism, not ideological viewpoints on Israel. Because, it is at least looking more likely that there may come a point where it is necessary for the issue of EDL members on ZF demonstrations needs to be dealt with. Regardless of Hoffman's personal opposition to the EDL, which I'm sure is genuine, this is not a situation that can be tolerated indefinitely. And it really isn't in the ZF's interests to allow their demonstrations to become an issue for antifacists.
Hoffman is absolutely playing with fucking fire here...
I hope the CST take moves to sort this one out. All it would take is them sticking to their guns about refusing to secure demonstrations which contain EDL members. If not, we have a problem. And it's one which ties heavily into my previous point that this issue absolutely has to be taken away from the whole Zionist/anti-Zionist dispute. If action is necessary, it needs to be done by those who are clear that their primary motivation is anti-fascism, not ideological viewpoints on Israel. Because, it is at least looking more likely that there may come a point where it is necessary for the issue of EDL members on ZF demonstrations needs to be dealt with. And that is not something the ZF should be risking, in terms of their own interests.
Hoffman is absolutely playing with fucking fire here...
http://thoughcowardsflinch.com/2010/08/29/its-all-gone-quiet-over-there/
Ta very much, Bob.
PS: I was imagining that OTHER people were this *neofascist* and how they would think in his place..sorta