Big Brother’s Education

Big Brother’s Education

The UK government has urged all British Higher Education institutions to monitor and tackle ‘extremism’ amongst student groups. Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell argues that the threat from extremism is a “real and serious threat”.

This move comes after the request in 2006 for all HE institutions to monitor and assess learners who may be involved in ‘extremist’ activities. This policy is now to spread, not only further into student activities, but also into the domain of academic practitioners, lecturers and speakers who may ‘promote or advocate… extremism’.

However, the problem as always is how exactly do we define extremism? For example, in a sociological discussion how do we dismiss the ideas of Jean Paul Sartre, Frantz Fanon, or ‘Che’ Guevara, all of whom advocated violence as a necessary component of social revolution? ‘Revolution is a violent phenomenon’ as Fanon once argued. Or, is this mandate aimed at the Islamic population and if so, are we not focusing upon a minority group and alienating that group from wider society? Or, are these measures aimed at all those who oppose the current world order and the dominant bloc?

The idea of urging HE staff to monitor students for signs of ‘extremism’ is preposterous due mainly to the definition of ‘extremism’ and the connotations of that term with ‘terrorism’, the latter being another undefined term. In the latter part of the 20th century the communists were deemed the enemies of the state – the equivalent to the modern day ‘extremist’ and the latter day witch. In 1980’s Britain, the Irish were the enemy ‘terrorist’ threat, being replaced in modern times by those who follow Islam. Enemies change to reflect the concerns of the dominant group; any form of powerful opposition must be crushed, as Socialism was in the 20th century, and as Islamic militarism is being in the modern day. In all, the real problem is who is the real enemy, the real extremist, the real threat to humanities’ welfare?

The cold blooded killing of innocent civilians is a terrorist act, a disgusting act, yet this should never be confused with violence engendered through the need for social change, in all with the concept of revolution. The boundaries between extremism and emancipation are becoming blurred. Let us hope that this new government initiative is aimed only at those planning to murder innocents and not all those who don’t conform to the standards of the dominant group, or even those who seek to undermine the dominant group. If such a thing occurred then the power of the elites would be absolute and without precedence in our long, bloody history.

Worst of all, this time, there could be no turning back.

Kenya Crisis: Colonialism Through Consent

Kenya Crisis: Colonialism Through Consent
By T.D. McDonough, 2008.

The corporate media has failed to question the wider context behind the events unfolding in the Republic of Kenya and the real interests of the global elite in maintaining auxiliary control. The corporate interests within the east African nation must be explored if we are to understand the real mechanisms at work beyond the failed election and the resultant turmoil.

Kenya has been a long-standing ‘client’ of the IMF and the World Bank, both of whom, despite their misleading titles, are corporate entities, not social organisations. As such the IMF and the World Bank have invested heavily in the country’s ‘economic reconstruction’ since the pseudo-emancipation from the British Empire in the 1950’s. Like all developing nations, the accrued debt coupled with the reliance on exterior assistance enables the dominant powers – the IMF, World Bank and their ‘investors’, in this case – to maintain influence, even to exert control, over the ‘client’ country. This also includes the subservience and loyalty of elected officials.

However, in 2006 the Chinese government approved a request by CNOOC Ltd, a state-owned energy conglomerate, to begin oil explorations in the region, including the coastal regions of Kenya. This follows China’s long-standing interests in east Africa, or as one commentator in Nigeria observes: ‘the Chinese seem to have started where the Europeans left [off]‘.

China’s been deeply involved in east Africa, both ideologically and economically, since the 1960’s and the recent development is simply an extension of a long term plan to hegemonise, then colonise, East Africa, much like the Western nations did in the latter centuries, although the Chinese have pursued a strategy of coercion and investment, rather than unlimited force and aggression.

So, the full image begins to emerge: Kenya is the site of contention of two of the world’s dominant powers. The ‘current’ President Mwai Kibaki is friendly to western interests mainly due to his unwavering subservience to the IMF and the World Bank. Kibaki has passed numerous constitutional reforms in the past decade including privatisation laws, the redistribution of ‘idle’ land and reforms to the economy allowing for easier foreign investment. Kibaki proposed a new constitution in 2005 but received a resounding ‘no’ from the electorate.

The current dispute in Kenya is due to wide-spread allegations of corruption within the voting system. By all accounts, the opposition party, the ODM, was ahead in the votes until the final stages, when Kibaki’s PNU raced across the finish line. The country was soon plunged into chaos.

Tensions have been rising in Kenya over the last few years and the Western and Eastern powers have been well aware of this fact. But, chaos is King, especially when profit and potential oil reserves are at stake. By maintaining Kibaki’s presidency the Western powers can maintain their influence and safeguard against the expansion of China’s burgeoning African empire; or, alternatively, if the situation becomes even more extreme they can intervene directly and secure their interests through NATO and the UNThat is, unless the people organise themselves and take the path of revolution, which is, sadly, very unlikely. It seems that Kenya will remain an ideological battlefield for some time.

Its yet another sickly dose of reality: the realisation that the people of Kenya will never receive any legitimate assistance; by all accounts they are trapped between the jaws of a lion and the claws of a dragon, with either path leading to further exploitation and even more death. Mark these words: “there be oil in Kenya!” Expect the announcement before the close of 2008.

As always, the corporate media has failed to inform the public. The news channels have instead opted for sensationalist claims, such as ‘genocide’ (ITV News), ‘rape’ and ‘pillage’ (Sky/Fox News) and even ‘tribal warfare’ or ‘another Rwanda’ (BBC News 24). This couldn’t be further from the truth. Although the tribal differences in Kenya are being exploited, the violence in Kenya has western corporate sponsorship, whose aim is to withstand a Chinese takeover – let the facts be known and the truth will soon follow.

Ring of Power: Secret History Rediscovered

Ring of Power: Secret History Rediscovered

This documentary represents over four years of research by an anonymous professional. The result is an astonishing account of the histories of the world detailing the transference of power from the ancient world to the modern age and the mechanisms of that power, from organised religion to the corporate media and the pantomime of limited democracy.

The production values are far from professional but the high degree and accuracy of the information is remarkable, as is the ability of the film-maker to present the complete picture from an ancient and complex puzzle.

We are ultimately left with the same conclusion about the state of affairs in our world. The cookie trail ends with the banking elite and the small cabal of closed families who manipulate world affairs using whatever means necessary. Up until this point they have only been able to manipulate global events and adapt to social change, but the time is drawing near when they will be able to control global events and prevent social change. This video is a remarkable step into that reality.

Ring of Power 1.1

(144mins. Produced by Amenstop Productions. Hosted at Google Video.)

Ring of Power 1.2

(140mins. Produced by Amenstop Productions. Hosted at Google Video.)