tl;dr

In 1933, amidst the Great Depression in Australia, Communist Party members Reginald “Shorty” Patullo and Noel Counihan instigated the Battle of Phoenix Street in Melbourne. This event, a protest against anti-protest laws, involved Patullo scaling a tram to shout slogans while Counihan locked himself in a steel cage to address onlookers. Police violence against the protesters, especially the shooting of Patullo, galvanized public support for the “Free Speech League.” The League, backed by unions and some Labor MPs, challenged the UAP government’s restrictions on public gatherings. The government was forced to release Patullo and amend traffic laws, effectively decriminalizing open-air meetings. The Battle of Phoenix Street is remembered as a significant victory for working-class history in Australia. It forced even staunch anti-communists like Robert Menzies to concede the legality of communist expression, highlighting the power of organized resistance against repressive laws.

I would like to see one right winger sit in jail for once

Even if they “come correct”, I’m done with them.

I feel like FAIR should add this story to their db

At least they got their 22% pay raise. Well deserved.

When faced with a political system where the opposition is controlled and ineffective, people can take several actions to foster genuine change and resist manipulation:

1. Build Grassroots Movements
2. Focus on Direct Action
3. Promote Independent Media
4. Hold Leaders Accountable
5. Leverage Social Media for Advocacy
6. Build Coalitions Across Ideologies
7. Educate Yourself and Others
8. Create Parallel Systems

By focusing on decentralized, transparent, and community-driven approaches, people can challenge the dominance of controlled opposition and work toward meaningful systemic change.

Oh look… Blackstone.

This Jacobin article discusses how private equity firms are exploiting loopholes in the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) System, a Depression-era program meant to encourage affordable mortgage lending. Instead of supporting affordable housing, these firms are using government-subsidized loans obtained through insurance companies they own to fund their own business ventures, including buying up housing and driving up rents.

Here’s a breakdown:

• The Loophole: Private equity firms are acquiring insurance companies, which then access low-interest loans from the FHLB system. These loans are supposed to be used for affordable mortgages, but the insurance companies invest the money in the private equity firms’ portfolios instead.
• Who’s Doing It: Major private equity firms like Apollo, KKR, and Blackstone are heavily involved. Apollo is a major player, earning potentially hundreds of millions of dollars annually through this practice.
• Impact: This diverts funds away from affordable housing initiatives and allows private equity firms to expand their holdings in the housing market. This contributes to rising rents, increased evictions, and a squeeze on homebuyers.
• Lack of Oversight: There’s little oversight on how the loans are used, making it difficult to track where the money goes.
• Trump Era: Reforms to fix the system are uncertain under Trump’s nominee for housing regulator, Bill Pulte, who has ties to the private equity industry.
• Real-Life Example: The article highlights the story of Darlene Simpson, a tenant in California whose rent has doubled and maintenance requests have been ignored since Blackstone (a major private equity landlord) purchased her building.
• The Big Picture: Private equity firms are becoming major landlords, profiting from the housing crisis while using funds intended to alleviate it.

Viva la resistance

Alternative headline: Big Time Ad Agencies Restructuring Their Biggest Bullshitters

It does, doesn’t it.

At this point it seems like the game plan for the ultra wealthy is to make the earth uninhabitable for everyone but them.

When can we arrive on the party isn’t being haphazard but is a direct threat with intent? So many opinion pieces on how the party is “unaware.” They’re not, though. And that’s the problem.

Ah yes. A cost saving endeavor from the cost savingest admission.

This. Even in nazi Germany they had pockets of progressive teachers disguised as clergy.

I wouldn’t say sleepwalk. They know what they’re doing.

We should also all get 3D printers.

Bless the working class and the solidarity it carries globally