HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS? (ZOOM)

Do you see a trend here? In the first piece the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management is quoted as saying, ’We want people to be ready, not to panic’.

Panic is exactly the emotion TPTB are trying to instil in its populations. The Bogeyman is coming to get you and we’re the only ones who can save you. Providing, that is, that you subjugate your rights, freedoms and survival to us without question and become totally subservient to us. Not forgetting the willingness to sacrifice how ever many lives we care -we don’t care in reality,- to offer up in the pursuit of our crazy quest for our insane goals. That’s capitalism folks! Are we going to change it before they destroy the world and all of us in it?

The ‘leadership’ of Western Europe are displaying a visceral hatred of Russia and are intent on destroying it. We hold no special approval for Russia, it’s part of global capitalism, capitalism being what we want the majority who run it on behalf of the minority ruling class to replace with socialism.

The current idea of the Western European elites that they can instigate a war with Russia – and its allies – and win suggests that they are aware in in a conventional conflict they could not win. The alternative is to therefore use nuclear weapons, either tactical or strategic. At that stage no one wins.

Obviously, most of us are not so stupid as to welcome the idea of mass destruction and the end of life on earth so in the period when arms, equipment and resources are being built up the propaganda ‘war’ will begin to increase in intensity. Better Dead than Red! This propaganda ‘war’ has already begun and its effectiveness will be seen over a period of time.

The solution? An awareness and understanding of, desire for, and implementation of socialism as the only sane social system which will be beneficial to the whole human race. The choice is yours.

‘The European Union has advised its 450 million inhabitants to stockpile essential supplies sufficient for at least 72 hours, citing increasing risks of war, cyberattacks, climate change, and disease.

EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib stated on Wednesday that the warning reflects a broader strategy to improve civil readiness across the bloc. While not mentioning Russia specifically, she stressed that the Ukraine conflict threatens European security.

“For three years in Ukraine, we have seen a battlefield of bombs, and bullets, drones, fighter planes, trenches and submarines. Yes, our European security is directly threatened by this,” Lahbib said.

Several EU countries have consistently named Moscow as a significant threat to regional security. France, Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland have all raised concerns over alleged Russian cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and political interference. They have also described the Ukraine conflict as an example of aggressive behaviour that poses a military threat to the bloc.

Moscow has consistently denied any intention to attack NATO countries or the EU. Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed such claims as “nonsense” meant to scare European populations and increase military budgets.

“We want people to be ready, not to panic,” Lahbib said. “Preparedness is not fear mongering – it is common sense in a time of uncertainty.”

Under the strategy, the EU is advising households to keep essential supplies, including non-perishable food, bottled water, flashlights, batteries, first-aid materials, and key documents. Citizens are also encouraged to have access to a short wave radio in case of power or communication outages.

The EU is also planning to create a strategic reserve of key resources, including firefighting aircraft, medical transport, mobile hospitals, and stockpiles of protective equipment for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents.

“Today’s threats facing Europe are more complex than ever, and they are all interconnected,” Lahbib said. “From war on our borders to increasingly frequent climate disasters, the EU must be ready to face the unexpected,” she added.

The initiative mirrors long-standing practices in countries such as Finland and Sweden, where civil defence preparations and emergency guidance are more established. Sweden, for example, recently updated its ‘If Crisis or War Comes’ handbook with modern scenarios, including how to respond to nuclear threats.

The Commission’s new plan includes the creation of an EU-level crisis hub to coordinate cross-border responses and ensure continuity of essential services, from healthcare to energy and telecommunications.’

‘Poland will urge its citizens to stockpile at least three days’ worth of supplies to prepare for a war or other crisis, Deputy Interior Minister Wieslaw Lesniakiewicz has said.

It comes after a proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to push through an €800 billion ($875 billion) military build-up intended to counter an alleged threat from Russia, something Moscow has dismissed as unfounded.

Each citizen needs to be able to survive at least three days with no help from the state in the event of war or another extreme situation, Lesniakiewicz said. He urged Poles to stockpile supplies such as water, medicine, food, and power banks. People should also get transistor radios for emergency communication when other methods are unavailable, he added.

Polish ministries will cooperate to publish a guide on preparing for crises, basing it on a similar publication released in Sweden, he said.’

‘The German government should prepare hospitals across the country so that they are able to operate efficiently in case of a military conflict, Bavarian Health Minister Judith Gerlach has argued, citing a perceived threat from Russia.



In an interview to the Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung the official claimed that the “military threat posed to Europe by Russia and the possible withdrawal of the new US President [Donald] Trump from the previous security partnership also mean a massive need for action on the part of the German healthcare system and the whole civil society.” She argued that simply beefing up the armed forces would not be sufficient to adequately address the challenge supposedly facing the country.

“We therefore need a comprehensive ‘civil operational plan Germany’” geared toward addressing a wide range of emergencies, including military aggression, Gerlach stressed.

According to the Bavarian health minister, in such a scenario Germany’s healthcare system would have to be prepared to provide services to more than 80 million civilian residents, as well as wounded military personnel.

“The state must set clear standards. This goes for the EU level, the federal and the regional [levels],” the official told the newspaper. She also emphasized the need to ensure Germany’s and the EU’s ability to produce all the medicines and drugs they may need.

Given likely personnel shortages in hospitals in case of a large-scale military conflict, Gerlach suggested that the German government should consider imposing mandatory civilian service, along with the military draft.

Moscow has consistently denied allegations that it intends to attack any NATO or EU member countries, labelling such claims as “nonsense” designed to scare people and justify increased defence budgets.’

Change

The deserving and undeserving poor

Will be forever with us so it seems,

At least as long as capitalism’s

Allowed to remain. Poverty and war

Are its indelible marks, that might be

Obscured for a while by some cosmetic

Concealer, liberally applied by a sleek

Politician, who’s not actually free

To do much else, as it’s accountancy

That must have the final decisive say

While capital continues to hold sway,

The determinant of philosophy.

It’ll not change the world unless and until

Real change has become the popular will.

D. A.

‘Lord Kitchener is flexing his finger, When it’s rivalry and competition,

And the prospects of profit seduces. A radical change is required because

The price of peace is capitalism’s loss. A beckoning to come hither once more, Inducing young men and women to war. In the cenotaph memory lingers, Although it appears amnesia prevails When a call to the colours comes their way And they sleep-march towards their beds of clay; Too often, it seems, humanity fails. Enough now of the lame old excuses For yet another bellicose mission, When it’s rivalry and competition, And the prospects of profit seduces. A radical change is required because The price of peace is capitalism’s loss.’

https://soymb.com/2024/02/socialist-sonnet-no-134.html

It’s ill-mannered to point a finger at someone we were taught. It’s more ill-mannered to use a pointing finger to con, persuade, influence and sway young men to sign up and fight capitalism’s conflicts for it.

Lord Kitchener, Secretary of War during World War One was featured on a propaganda poster pointing his finger and exhorting, (threatening?) those viewing it. Under his picture were the words ‘Wants You. Join your country’s army! God save the king.’ This appeal to patriotism, or stupidity, was considered an effective way of persuading British young men to voluntarily enlist. Based on this original there were many other capitalist states who issued similar brainwashing images.

As of yet Ukraine hasn’t issued something similar under the heading Zelensky wants you to throw yourselves into the meat grinder that is the Ukrainian Russian conflict. It must surely only be a matter of time. Russians too are perishing unnecessarily.

Most people, apart from many European Union ‘leaders’ want to see an end to the senseless slaughter occurring in Ukraine. Amongst those who may wish otherwise the opportunity to profit from the EU projected eight hundred billion Euro war fund may be an an important consideration.

It now appears that Ukraine wants to add fresh victims to the conflict in order to ensure its continuation.

The real, and only, l resolution to present, and future, capitalist conflicts all over the world, is the abolish of capitalism and the implementation of socialism.

‘Ukraine must enlist more young men into its armed forces, as a number of units face a pressing need for reinforcements, according to the country’s leader, Vladimir Zelensky.

In a regular news briefing, Zelensky announced that the military leadership had approved an expansion of recruitment targeting citizens aged 18 to 24. While mandatory conscription applies to men over 24, the government is trying to encourage younger individuals to volunteer by offering an array of incentives.

“I visited the front on Saturday. There is a demand from specific brigades, and we will be responding positively to it. There will be more brigades employing young specialists,” Zelensky stated. “This initiative will extend to the National Guard and border guard units, as all effective defence forces should be given every opportunity to enhance their capabilities.”

Under a recruitment campaign launched in February, young adults are promised 1 million hryvnia ($24,000) for a year of military service, as well as free dental care and the option to leave Ukraine after fulfilling their contract – an option not available to regular fighting-age men.

The Defence Ministry is promoting the offer by showing how much recruits can buy with the money – equating it to 15,625 cheeseburgers or 185 years of Netflix subscriptions. Critics have condemned the ad campaign as demeaning to potential recruits.

Last year, Zelensky reduced the minimum conscription age from 27 to 25, but refrained from further adjustments, citing concerns over the economic and demographic impact. Western supporters have urged Kiev to enlist younger men, saying the aging Ukrainian army is struggling to fight effectively.’

NO WAR BUT CLASS WAR

A politician once remarked that a week is a long time in politics. Five years is more than long enough for the majority working class to understand and fulfil their historical role and replace capitalism with socialism.

How much poorer do we all have to become, both financially and in quality of life, before we all take decisive action and remove the root cause?

The Metro reports that ‘An average family in Britain could be £1,400-a-year poorer by 2030, according to new analysis.

Frozen tax thresholds, rising mortgage and rent costs, and falling real earnings are all predicted to leave people worse off in the next five years.

The hardest blows will fall on the poorest third, who will bear the impact at twice the rate of middle and high earners, according to the analysis by thinktank The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).’

https://metro.co.uk/2025/03/23/uk-families-1-400-a-year-poorer-2030-22774425

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report can be read here.

https://www.jrf.org.uk/cost-of-living/starmers-missed-milestone-the-outlook-for-living-standards-at-the-spring-statement

CAPITALISM IN INDIA (ZOOM)

 ‘Why are western governments suddenly slashing overseas aid budgets? Partly because it plays well with right-wing voters, who are told it’s all spent on things like transgender mouse research. Partly, in Europe, because states are scrambling to find money for armaments now that Trump seems to be pulling the plug on NATO.

It’s an open secret in aid circles that overseas development aid can very often result in ‘an inverse correlation between aid and per capita growth‘, ie, the more aid a country gets, the poorer the people become.

So much for capitalism’s ‘noble’ aspiration to abolish poverty. Most aid is not for that anyway, but for self-serving reasons. Abolish capitalism however, and there’d be no poverty.’

https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/

Not Peace

There are ceasefires and rumours of ceasefires:

Behind the scenes diplomacy takes place,

With everyone desperate to save face,

Even as another deadline expires.

Arms industry profits continue to soar,

While the attrition rate’s unforgiving,

As also the rising cost of living

For the many dispossessed, who’re still poor.

And it’s the self-same poor’s sons and daughters

Who’ll make the munitions and build the tanks,

As well as being recruited to the ranks,

Then dispatched to the various slaughters.

Meanwhile, grandiose leaders strut around

On what they claim as their moral high ground.

D. A.

Do you own, have owned, a BMW, a Mercedes, or a Volkswagen?

If the answer is yes does that mean that you support the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei  ?

Of course not, stupid question, right?

Volkswagen, or the peoples car, was the ‘brainchild’ of Adolf Hitler and Ferdinand Porsche. In 1934 Hitler decreed that production should begin of the original ‘beetle’.

During World War Two all of the three German vehicle manufacturers were involved in producing war materials and slave labour was employed by them.

Karl Marx said, “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.”

History is again on the verge of repeating itself – tragic or farcical?

In a capitalist system Volkswagen will have no problem in offering up justification for their resorting back to war production. Well, you know we’ve got to increase our declining profits, then there’s the shareholders, and our executives bonuses of course.

How would German car workers feel about making tanks or guns or whatever would be used to kill other workers with who they have no quarrel?

Note that in the article below the EU move toward a war economy has sent the share prices of arms manufacturers soaring.

Capitalism was long ago on the wrong side of history, how much longer before the working class majority which runs it, and supports it, says enough is enough?

‘Struggling German auto maker, Volkswagen, is open to producing weapons and military equipment, CEO Oliver Blume has said. He made the remarks in response to a recent EU announcement of a plan to spend up to $870 billion on its defence sector.

The automotive giant posted declining sales and profits last year and was forced announce plant closures and mass layoffs in Germany for the first time.

Germany’s was the worst-performing major economy globally in 2023 posting a 0.3% contraction, followed by minimal growth in 2024 leading to recession. The economic crisis is partly due to the loss of affordable Russian energy following Ukraine-related sanctions.

Speaking to German state broadcaster NDR Blume announced that the carmaker was closely examining the needs of the defence industry.

All options are on the table, he said, including repurposing some factories from civilian to military production. “We are fundamentally open to such topics,” Blume claimed.

The idea has been supported by Germany’s largest arms manufacturer Rheinmetall. Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said on Wednesday that the VW facility in Osnabrueck would be a good fit for a conversion.

VW previously produced military vehicles for the Wehrmacht, the armed forces of Nazi Germany, during World War II, including lightweight transporter Kübelwagen and amphibious four-wheel-drive vehicle Schwimmwagen.

A VW plant was involved in manufacturing components for the V-1 flying bomb, a type of early cruise missile used to devastating effect by the Nazis.

The EU intensified its efforts to militarize after US President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized European NATO members for failing to meet the bloc’s defence spending commitments.

In response Brussels announced a large militarization initiative proposed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Dubbed ReArm Europe, the plan could divert €800 billion ($870 billion) into the defence sector over the next four years. While the announcement sent share prices of Europe’s largest weapons producers soaring, the plan has been rejected by Dutch lawmakers, citing fiscal concerns.’