'If you're broke enough for the bus you might just join the army'

Back in March I published a compilation of the first half dozen interviews I had conducted with anarchists in the North Eastern USA. Here I present another 11 such interviews recorded with 20 anarchists during a vast n of a journey that started in Miami, moved North to Cleveland, west to Bellingham and then began the long descent south to LA.

The democratic primary continued to be the backdrop as the months and thousands of miles passed by both in terms of my closing question and the conversations on dozens of Greyhound trips. But I passed through more besides, from counter-spying on Burger King HQ in Miami, to attending a Winter Soldier hearing in Gainesville. From witnessing the destruction of Detroit to speaking in the heart of Chicago. From a mini riot in Olympia on Mayday to journeys end in the vastness of LA.

Related Links: Speaking tour details Previous Interviews

If you were walking the streets of Paris this month 40 years ago, chances are you would be completely caught up and participating in a time that has since changed French society forever.

Then, France was on the verge of a total revolt with 12 million workers on strike, 122 factories occupied, and millions of students fighting for a radical change in the way the world was working. A spark that boldly called for revolution and dreamed of an end to capitalism appeared to come out of nowhere. Its ripples sparked further questioning and action in other parts of the world including our own little island.

Ultimately, Paris ’68 did not succeed, but that’s not to say that the spark has been fully quelled or, indeed, that it wont boldly appear again in what are still troubled times.

On The Streets!

Over 1,500 people marched last Saturday demanding that cannabis be legalised in Ireland immediately and that the hypocrisy of cannabis prohibition end in all countries where it is still in place.

On Saturday last, the second annual Legalise Cannabis march was held in Dublin city centre.

The march was one of over 220 held worldwide in protest against the continuing prohibition of cannabis use in these countries.Hundreds of thousands turned out globally to highlight the hypocrisy, a legacy of twentieth centruy ignorance that has sadly persisted into the twenty first.

Related Links:Legalise Canabis LC Myspace LC Bebo 2007 march

Image of Beirut via Flickr

As reports come in from Lebanon, an indy.ie correspondent is sending in on the ground, first hand reports

The General Strike started on May 7th when unions called for a strike to increase the minimum wage from 300,000 Lebanese pounds to 960,000 due to inflation in food and fuel prices. That's an increase from $200 per month to just over $600 per month, the Government offered a mere $100 of an increase. It was then revealed that Hizbollah had their own telecommunications network and the government demanded that they shut it down. There was to be a big demonstartion for the 7th but there were rumours that pro government militia snipers were goung to attack the demonstration and protests at the airport road so the unions backed down. However the strike went ahead and the usually intensely manic streets were empty of traffic.

Related Links:
BBC and some of Al Jazeera coverage is good
BBC: Gunmen take over West Beirut , BBC: In pictures: Lebanon crisis , Nakba 60th Anniversary
Left Wing Blogosphere marxist from Lebanon, Angry Arab News Service: Sursock, Farfahine

Don't look too closely...

A through the looking glass encounter into how campaigns are run by people with money, political machinery, suits and plush red carpeting. There were very few members of the public but It's well worth going along. The food is great. Posh sandwiches and raspberry chocolates.

I found the whole thing very interesting though many of our representatives ambled off before Angela answered their questions. Maybe they knew the answers already.

It's possible to reserve a seat on www.forumoneurope.ie Manuel Barosso Eu Commissioner is speaking this thurs. At 11am I think.

When Angela Merkel addressed the National Forum on Europe on Mon April 14th every party except Fianna Fail, expressed reservations about the Lisbon Treaty. Interestingly none of the coverage on RTE that I saw showed a single question that she was asked.

Related Links:Campaign Against The EU Constitution Indy Lisbon Coverage