blessed britons

In late 1965, the UN General Assembly formally called on all states to ‘respect the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus’ – the high point of Makarios’s efforts to secure the international position of the republic, free from interference by outside powers. Embarrassed to vote openly against the resolution, as too brazen an indication of their intentions, Britain and America made their displeasure clear by abstaining, along with their numerous clientele.

— Perry Anderson

The Divisions of Cyprus

mad world

If a bank makes a loan, nothing is lent, for the simple reason that there is nothing of substance to lend, The bank simply makes what it terms a 'loan' against the amount of money deposited with it at that time. This is all done with the utmost ease. The bank has simply to agree that a person may take out a loan of, say, £5,000. The person taking out the loan can then spend £5,000 and hey presto! £5,000 of new number-money has been created. It is as simple as that! No one with a bank account is sent a letter telling them that the money in their account is 'temporarily unavailable, because it has been lent to someone else', because it hasn't. None of the original accounts in the bank has been touched, reduced or affected in the slightest way... but £5,000 of new spending power has been created; £5,000 of new number-money enters the economy at the stroke of a bank manager's pen...

— Michael Rowbotham

The Grip of Death

coal

how many razor blades, Officer?

Submitted by antarchi on August 12, 2008 - 11:29.

I've been living in a cage in rural England. The cage was a field was a camp site for concerned environmentalists, and had barricaded gates and sentinels inside and out.