SLLU VOICE!

In this issue: Mass RL and SL protests against the Iraq war; Conscious Lounge events times; SLLU publish Aims and Principles document; Anti FN demo; Letters to the editor

Mass US protest against Iraq war




I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. Some of these young men think that war is all glory but let me say war is all hell: William Tecumseh Sherman.


As the Iraq war grinds towards its fourth anniversary, the UK has been wrong-footed by the US.
Blair clearly wanted the whole sorry mess done and dusted by now, so he could step down in a blaze of glory. Or go on and on and on in a blaze of glory, perhaps.
But the idiot to whom he is shackled, George W Bush, is determined to pour a further 21,500 US troops into the furnace, and would no doubt like to see the UK make a contribution.
Bad news for Tony. Catastrophic news for the troops and the people of Iraq, who have paid with their lives for Bush and Blair’s imperialist misadventure in the Gulf. But the tide of opinion is turning very much against these Western warlords.
On 27 January, tens of thousands converged on Washington DC to attend a mass anti-war rally outside Capitol Hill.
Veterans and military families, including bereaved families holding up pictures of their lost sons and daughters, stood up alongside peace groups and ordinary citizens, and actress and veteran peace campaigner Jane Fonda, speaking at her first anti-war rally in 34 years.
Speaking from a stage on which stood a flag-draped coffin, Fonda said: “Silence is no longer an option. I’m so sad we have to do this - that we did not learn the lessons of the Vietnam War.”
Support for the Iraq war has hit an all-time low in the US, with the majority of Americans deploring Bush’s call for a further US troop deployment.
The US electorate gave the Republicans a thumping at November’s mid-term elections, but the Grand Old Party still controls the White House and will, if Bush’s troops plan is anything to go by, wreak havoc until the electorate can kick them into touch in 2009.
In the UK, anti-war feeling grows daily, and is likely to deliver a crushing blow to Blair’s Labour, who weakly acquiesced in their paymasters’ murderous jaunt, at the Scottish elections in May.
Not only has Westminster colluded in a war that has killed at least 600,000 civilians, it has done so while agreeing to host a new generation of weapons of mass destruction, namely the Trident nuclear submarines moored in the Clyde, outside Glasgow.
For £76billion, the UK can remain a major potential target for terrorist attacks and endure the transport of deadly nuclear missiles along British roads.

Here on Second Life, people used their time in this digital world to show their disgust at the Bush/ Blair imperialist foray and resource grab in the middle east. On Jan 30, in solidarity with the real life marchers for peace in DC, real people from around the world, sent their avatars to the Capitol Hill sim. The demo, organized by the SL Netroots group can be seen at:
http://www.rikomatic.com/videos/AvatarsvsWar.mov

Silence is no longer an option.

http://rootscamp.pbwiki.com/RootsCampSL
http://www.codepink4peace.org/


Conscious Lounge
Conscious Lounge is a dance, media, and performance space, focusing on conscious hip hop, electronica and spoken word, as well as video and performance art. All events at present are free, although donations to the artists and the club are always welcome. 3rd Floor: The Center for Conscious Eduation is an educational institution centered on combining media skills training with critical theory and practice. Our classes are rooted in the traditions of Paolo Freire - as such, we foster education in a mutually supportive, community-minded environment. As with Conscious Lounge, donations to the Center are most welcome. Lastly, we also have a gallery space! (It's located towards the rear of the 3rd floor.) Subtle Arts Gallery focuses on urban-centered art in all its forms -- especially murals, graffiti, stencils, culture jamming, pranks, fair use, public art, and so forth. All proceeds in this space go to the artist. If you are interested in any of the above projects, IM solidad Sugarbeet.

PROTEST!
ANTI FN: There was a mass protest at the FN HQ on Axel on Sunday 10 February. The demo was a great success - with people from all over sl attending and many organisations were represented, including anti fn and SLLU. Look out for notices detailing the next demo. It has been pencilled in for next Sunday around 19.30 gmt - tho this is subject to change.

SLLU PUBLISH AIMS AND PRINCIPLES DOCUMENT

The SLLU Core group – made up of founder members, stepped closer this weekend to completely democratizing the SLLU when they agreed on a proposed Aims and Principles document. It reads as follows:
AIMS & PRINCIPLES
1 Our name shall be Second Life Left Unity (SLLU)

2 The SLLU stands for the transformation of society. To replace capitalism with an alternative classless, stateless economic system based on collaborative democratic ownership and control of the key sectors of the Second Life (SL) economy. A system based on physical freedom; artistic freedom and environmental protection rather than private profit and promotion of Real-Life mass produced corporate products.

3 The SLLU will provide political support and solidarity to all those who are involved in fighting back against injustice, whether it be trade unionists, community organisations, tenants groups, anti nuclear protesters, animal rights campaigners, anti racist organisations, feminists, anti-war groups, mental health advocacy groups, LGBTI rights organisations and other campaigns and protest movements.

4 The SLLU will oppose discrimination in any form on the basis of race, religion, language, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability - and on SL - species.

5 The SLLU will campaign for a an environment where each individual user is fundamentally considered to be equal: we stand in opposition to the divide between digital haves and have nots and seek a balance between technocratic power and citizen power. Recognising that in SL sovereignty resides, and ought to reside in the people, the SL citizens, regardless of membership privileges, as opposed to the fiefdom of the Lindens and will always seek the citizens' prior consent to any transfer of powers outside SL.

6 The SLLU actively promotes the international solidarity of the world community and oppressed to defeat capitalism and imperialism. While preserving its political and constitutional autonomy the SLLU will build the closest possible links with ****peace loving***** left radicals, ****socialists***** and ***left*** revolutionaries. across SL and the real world (RL).

7 We oppose the use of violence as a group strategy within SL.
By violence we refer to the use of symbolic RL or fantasy weaponry and/or the imposing of our will on others by forceful means.

8 SLLU firmly stand for the bringing of international cooperation and awareness through education and the discussion of the issues raised by capitalist hegemony which the RL mainstream media fail to report. SLLU bbelieve that by avoiding authoritarian teacher-pupil models of education and based on peoples actual experiences and continued shared investigation, every human being, no matter how impoverished or illiterate, can develop a new awareness of self which will free them to be more than passive objects responding to uncotrollable change. As Freire said, and SLLU agree, each individual wins back the right to say his or own word - to name the world.



Letters to the Editor:

Dear Editor
Just to remind members of SLLU AND sympathizers – we have tip jars in Anti-FN HQ and also the Scotland Sim. All money is for the group – and currently is used to pay rent and will be for further forays into SL. Some have said we should buy a small sim ourselves and others say we should rent many small properties across sl. What do You think? Please IM me,
SLUL Revolution
References:

http://slleftunity.blogspot.com/
http://www.scottishsocialistparty.org/
http://www.scottishsocialistvoice.net/
http://lotusmedia.org/a-smashing-success

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