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Yes we can...

America has elected a president whose father 60 years ago would not have even been served in certain restaurants... A cease fire has at last been declared in Gaza and the big wheel has been banished from Yorks historic city skyline. Things are looking up!! Obama has drawn a line under the work of his inept predecessor: "Recall that earlier genrations... understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint."

The following is the prepared text of President Barack Obama's inaugural address, delivered Jan. 20, 2009, in Washington, D.C.:

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Source: Presidential Inaugural Committee

Beware of Rover

Where am I?"

"In the Village."

"What do you want?"

"Information."

"Whose side are you on?"

"That would be telling.... We want information. Information! INFORMATION!"

"You won't get it."

"By hook or by crook, we will."

"Who are you?"

"The new Number Two."

"Who is Number One?"

"You are Number Six."

"I am not a number - I am a free man!"

(Laughter from Number Two.)

Patrick Mcgoohan who recently died (co-producer as well as lead characterin the 1968 TV drama) was just ahead of his time - keeping alive the scenario foretold by Orwell in the novel 1984. Wikipedia entry speculates on his motivation for the series as being to identify human greed and selfishness as the biggest risk to the future. Less well known are his views on the consumer society:

"I think progress is the biggest enemy on earth, apart from oneself... I think we're gonna take good care of this planet shortly... there's never been a weapon created yet on the face of the Earth that hadn't been used...

...We're run by the Pentagon, we're run by Madison Avenue, we're run by television, and as long as we accept those things and don't revolt we'll have to go along with the stream to the eventual avalanche... As long as we go out and buy stuff, we're at their mercy. We're at the mercy of the advertiser and of course there are certain things that we need, but a lot of the stuff that is bought is not needed...

...We all live in a little Village... Your village may be different from other people's villages, but we are all prisoners."

- 1977 interview

 Following on from Danger Man, this series captured the sinister mood of the era, at the height of the cold war, with many of the leading edge technology of surveillance used by the Soviet and communist countries being applied without No 6 being able to work out whose side was in charge of 'the village' - in itself a comment on the role of the enemy threat in keeping its citizens 'prisoner' in the prevailing political philosophy.

Take off and landing

Much in the news this week about air travel - Geoff Buffoon announces the green light, without allowing a debate, for spending billions on a new runway at Heathrow that will see 2000 houses bull-dozed to the ground. A skilled pilot saves 150 lives by landing on the Hudson River after both engines are knocked out by a bird strike, closer to home the council wins a public inquiry after refusing a massive expansion of the former RAF airfield at Elvington. One of the main grounds on which it was turned down by the inspector was its proximity to a wildfowl reserve that has over half of the total UK population of two bird species - the ruff and the spotted crake. There is also a very welcome judgement that the 'draft green belt' around York has some legal weight, even though we dont yet have an adopted Local Development Framework document in place. The inspector ruled that the proposed development would significantly detract from the 'openness of the green belt' and that the benefits would not outweigh the harm. Perhaps if we had had this inspector for the university Heslington East expansion plan it might not have got approval.

As for the row about Heathrow expansion, its an ill wind that seems to be recruiting well for the Green Party, with a Labour council leader resigning from the party in protest and announcing his intention to join the Greens:

Bury Labour Group Leader joins Green Party

Mark Ereira-Guyer, long standing St Edmundsbury councillor and current leader of the Labour group, has resigned from the Labour Party in dismay at the Government decision to give the go-ahead to another runway at Heathrow, and has applied to join the Green Party.

Mark said

"  The vast environmental changes wrought by humanity now threaten us in a most profound way, and the Government's decision to go-ahead with a third runway at Heathrow does nothing to protect us all from the catastrophic impact of climate change and environmental degradation. Alongside their support for expansion at Stansted this is just too much to bear. I am committed to working towards a better world and I want to see the UK government provide firm global leadership in combating climate change.

Not doing so today has meant, with a heavy heart and great sadness and after 27 years of Labour Party membership, I have been compelled to hand in my Party membership. I believe that the Party has completely lost its connection with its membership and simply refuses to listen to those it should do.

I look forward to continuing to represent the interests of the local community I represent on St Edmundsbury Borough Council as an active and energetic exponent of environmental issues and social justice in Suffolk, the region and globally as a member of Suffolk's Green Party team. "

Cllr Ereira-Guyer served as a St Edmundsbury councillor from 1995 to 2003 and again since May 2007 as representative of the St Olave's ward.  In the earlier period he held several prominent positions in the controlling Labour Group as Deputy Leader, Cabinet Member for Culture and Chair of the Transport & Public Works Committee.  In 1997 and 2001 Mark contested Bury St Edmunds for Labour in the General Elections; running a close second to the Conservatives. 

Mark has lived in Bury St Edmunds for 15 years, and as a businessman works as charity advisor and consultant; he has two children with his partner, Gaby.  He is also a school governor at Howard Primary School and is a trustee, and active volunteer, for many local organisations.

Councillor John Matthissen, Suffolk Co-ordinator of the Green Party, said :

"We very much welcome this long overdue recognition by Mark of his true political complexion.  He is well known to many local greens for his work with Greenpeace and development charities, and his regular attendance at the Bury Green Fair.  We now have representation on three of the seven councils in Suffolk, and are well-placed to move further ahead once decisions are made about the future shape of local government in the county."

For further information

Mark Ereira-Guyer    01284 703526    07913 81 88 38
John Matthissen        01449  771742   07976 308128

Euro elections plus London by election opportunity in Hackney

While Shan Oakes and Martin Hemmingway work to build the Green profile in Yorkshire, our two MEP's in the south face an ever more difficult task to get re-elected as the EU expands.

In 1999, Jean Lambert was elected as London's first Green Party MEP - and
in 2004, she was re-elected with an increased share of the vote. On June
4th 2009, she faces re-election again - but due to EU enlargement, there
are less European Parliament seats to go around in the UK, and more votes
are needed every time to achieve re-election.

The work of the European Parliament can sometimes feel remote from
people's everyday experience - but nothing could be further from the
truth. Much of the UK's environmental, social and human rights legislation
is now decided at an EU level, and the often unheralded work of our MEPs
makes an enormous difference to the shape and impact of those laws. Jean
has been tireless in working for social justice, environmental
sustainability and peace - as recognised by the fact that she was named
Justice and Human Rights MEP of the year in 2005.

Among other issues, Jean has focused on trade union rights, fairer
treatment for asylum seekers, and the abolition of the UK opt-out to the
Working Time Directive. She has been a prominent voice in proving that
Green issues are not confined to the environment, but are concerned with
building a more fair and just society. There is little doubt that she is
one of the most progressive voices anywhere in UK politics today.

And now, she needs YOUR help! To continue her excellent work in Europe,
Jean needs to get the message out to millions of Londoners - and she can
only do that if progressive voters spread the word, volunteer, and donate
to her campaign. She isn't funded by corporations, lobbyists or
millionaires - instead, her re-election campaign is relying on the efforts
of ordinary Londoners.

Could you spare £10/£20 to help re-elect one of the UK's most effective and
progressive politicians? Or perhaps you could spare an hour or two to
volunteer with the campaign? If you'd like to donate online, please, visit
http://tinyurl.com/8rh9qh - and if you'd like to volunteer in any way,
contact the campaign at reelectjean@hotmail.co.uk, and keep in touch with
developments through Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/6e8ceh. Jean can keep
changing things for the better - but only with your help!

In addition, London Green Party is currently fighting a crucial
by-election in Stoke Newington Central, a ward within Hackney Council. The
election for this WINNABLE seat is on January 29th, and the ward has a
high proportion of Green voters, so work done here will also help in the
Euro Elections too. If you can help with door-knocking or leafletting,
please do contact the candidate Matt Hanley on 020 7812 9063 or at
matt.hanley [at] greenparty.org.uk. For more about the campaign, visit
http://www.hanleyforhackney.org.uk/."

Careless talk...

These wartime slogans are lodged in the national psyche. One enterprising individual living in London has brought together an extensive collection of posters from 1939-45, some of which can be seen in an exhibition currently on in the entrance to York College. Prints of them in various sizes and formats are available to order via

http://www.postersofwar.co.uk/index.html

Home Front Posters from World War 2

These classic World War 2 posters are genuine historical documents providing a fascinating insight into an extraordinary period of British History.

The posters illustrate the topics of "talk kills", recruitment, food production and health.

There are themes students and tutors may want to pick up and link to current topics in history, politics, the family, employment, every child matters and the community. The Fine Art, Design and Craft team are linking the Exhibition to Poster design, Printmaking techniques, Graphic Design, Typography, Text and Image, and themes such as Nostalgia, colour in design, form in fashion and composition.

Tragedy unfolds in Gaza

Heres one for police files, to save some work for the evidence gatherers! To my left is veteran peace campaigner and 'Honorary Freeman of York' Joyce Pickard

People have been protesting around the world today as another 10 Palestinians die while at prayer in a mosque and ground troops start moving into Gaza. Today in York some 200 people joined a protest on the streets, in Hull there were 300, in London some 5000 are protesting outside the Israeli embassy. Reports of Metropolitan police intimidation and unprovoked attack on demonstrators in a subway were carried tonight on BBC News 24, along with a massive riot police presence to contain the demonstrators well away from the Israeli embassy.

While the economy appears to still  be nose diving, and the Israelis are bombing the hell out of the Palestinians, there is some good news for 2009 - Obama will soon replace Bush and has already started the process of closing down Guantanamo Bay. If he can restart the peace process in the Middle East and extract his troops from Iraq he stands some chance of being a force for good. Another test will be whether he scraps the confrontational 'Missile defence' programme, responding to the Russian threat to target missiles on Europe if the US goes ahead with stationing rocket launchers in the Czech republic. This confrontation has remarkable echos of the Cuban missile crisis, only now the US is the aggressor not Russia.

On the economy, baling out the banks and car manufacturers may buy time, but all the signs are that we are heading for a massive depression- investing in the 'Green New Deal' would tackle climate change and help regenerate the economy. The recent cut in VAT is too indiscriminate, with much of any extra spending going on goods and services from overseas, doing very little to create sustainable local employment. Our new year's resolution should be to try to make sure as much of our spending as possible goes to local shops and service suppliers- that way the money stays in the local economy rather than the pockets of private equity firms or multinationals. See www.localworks.org for more about the 'leaky bucket' economy.