Both hate Iran

Tehran “has clear goals, which are the annexation of southern Iraq and the east of the Arabian Peninsula” as well as strengthening ties to its followers in southern Lebanon.

In what he imagines to be irony, Marko Attila Hoare has responded in the following fashion:

“Perhaps that’s the solution ? We could have separate schools for the working class and for the middle class. And in the working-class schools, so as not to patronise the children, we could encourage them to swear, twock cars and make spelling mistakes.”

Does this guy know what I do for a living? With regards to the former, we already have this; as for the latter, they need no encouragement from me, I can assure you. But I digress…

“Thanks to Shuggy’s post, I’ve realised the error of my ways. I realise that if Geordies or Glaswegians spew vulgar abuse, mug old ladies and set fire to immigrants’ homes, they are just expressing their true, gritty, proletarian Northern culture.”

Notice the weaving going on here: spewing vulgar abuse, mugging old ladies and racist arson are part of a seamless garment in the hands of Mr Hoare - this being a man eminently qualified to take the measure of the untermensch. Anyway, all this reminds me of the kinda thing we see too much of in the media and especially in the blogosphere: these who think most of the word’s problems are attributable to the fact that no-one asked them to run it. If only they’d realise that there’s a good reason for this…

Dockworkers in Durban have cocked a snook at president Thabo Mbeki and his quiet diplomacy by refusing to unload a shipment of Chinese-supplied ammunition, grenades and mortar rounds bound for Zimbabwe.

According to the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union:

“Satawu does not agree with the position of the South African government not to intervene with this shipment of weapons. Our members employed at Durban Container Terminal will not unload this cargo neither will any of our members in the truck driving sector move this cargo by road.”

This is a most welcome development. Let’s hope we see more of this internationalist initiative-taking by workers supporting their brothers and sisters across the world.

Latest: Southern African anarchists quoting SAfm say that another ship carrying arms is heading for the Mozambican port of Beira, with the aim of gaining easier access to Zimbabwe. Efforts are currently being made to link up with Mozambican workers and have Beira shut down.

Shit and that.

Just a note - nothing else. And that.