Mayday May Day Beltane?

Mayday is from the French m'aider ('help me'). It is usually repeated three times to make clear it is an emergency ...equivalent to the Morse code SOS. May Day is a different matter. It has ancient roots. It is mid-spring. Halfway between the equinox and the solstice. Often called the Beltane , from the Irish Lá Bealtaine, it has been (and is still) celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man for centuries. Many other cultures celebrate this seasonal corner as well. There's yet another May Day which celebrates International Workers Day and the Haymarket protests in Chicago May 4th, 1886. On the first of May "all Social Democratic Party organizations and trade unions of all countries should demonstrate energetically for the legal establishment of the 8-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace “. So mayday, mayday, mayday – we face an emergency. It is time to connect to nature and promote and protect workers.

As a nation, our house is on fire. Capitalism runs its destructive course and democracy (if it ever did exist) is gone...purchased by the oligarchs. Lust for money has led us to endless war, destruction of our ecosystem, and the oppression and abuse of working people in order to obtain ever more profit. It isn't just in the US. This is a global phenomenon driven by the world's elite and their multi-national corporations. It is time to cry MAYDAY!

Let's look at some of the actions which happened this week.

What democracy?

It's nothing new...but it's on tape. The mechanisms of corporate control in the demonratic party on display. Interview with the shunned progressive and Lee Fang the reporter who broke the story (video or text)
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/26/senior_democrat_caught_on_tape_pr...
Lee's story https://theintercept.com/2018/04/26/steny-hoyer-audio-levi-tillemann/
Caitlin Johnstone's take -
https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/pelosi-i-dont-see-anything-inappropri...
and of course Jimmy Dore wades in too (19 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mySXaG05Gw

No progressives allowed in the democrap party, and no third parties either! They are smearing Jill Stein as though they see her as a threat...or perhaps she serves as a distraction. Nice interview this week (video or text)
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21675:Green-Party%27s-Jill-Stein%3A-Russ...

Rigged from start to finish. US elections are the most unreliable in the developed world....and it ain't the Russians. http://www.gregpalast.com/cambridge-analytica-aint-nuthin-look-i360-data...
This is the third time I've posted this link because I found it to be such a good conversation between Chris Hedges and Journalism prof Mark Miller. Great description of our failed election system in the last 10 min of this 25 min discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec9uRsku4oA

So we don't have democracy at home, but we're going to spread it over the world. And other countries better not try to serve their people rather than our corporations. The US has maintained a blockade around Cuba for sixty years...doing our best to choke their government. They have survived and elected a new president this week...
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21647:Cuba%27s-New-President-Faces-Many-...
Interesting story about ABC reporter's relationship with Castro
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/24/the_untold_story_of_how_fidel
Amazing that we resent Cuba's success despite our efforts at repression
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/aug/...

It is the same trick we're pulling in Venezuela...our best to insure a socialist government will not succeed. https://fair.org/home/joe-emersberger-on-venezuelan-elections-dahr-jamai... The blatant grab of power in Brazil speaks volumes as does the Honduran faux election. Mexico's leading presidential candidate might be a populist.
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21654:Mexican-Presidential-Candidates-Ga...
If he's elected TPTB will get serious about smearing him as well.

This week brought European visitors to the white house. There was a contrast between Macron and Merkel's visit.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/28/donald-trump-emmanuel-ma...
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/04/28/merk-a28.html
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/04/28/merkel-trump-meeting-strange-mo...

Mayday

Stirring The endless war in the middle east and around the world...
And congress plans to give the president even more war powers. How hypocritical...
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21651:Corker-Kaine-Bill-Claims-to-Limit-...

Phyllis Bennis and Medea Benjamin discuss Pompeo and his new Secretary of state position
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21573:Pompeo-Confirmed%3A-Ready-to-Pursu... (18 min or text)

Medea continues by explaining our relationship with Iran
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/inside-irans-relations-with-the-u-s-an...

The over-reach of MSM in Syria is creating doubt and offer an opportunity to challenge the Syrian War.
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2018/04/23/msm-is-frantically-attacking-dis...
45 min podcast on the same topic
https://soundcloud.com/going_rogue/ep-72-msm-is-frantically-attacking-di...

How do they just continue to manufacture war based on lies?

It looks likely there was no chemical attack in Douma ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZrMfdgw64
http://21stcenturywire.com/2018/04/27/no-attack-no-victims-no-chemical-w...

Similarly the spy poisoning case has disappeared from the news cycle. That story is also unraveling http://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/04/the-silence-of-the-skripals-governm...

But wait...now we're staying in Syria....forever! (18 min) Ron Paul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm-GRJk85Kk

Yemen is a greater irony. Now who are the terrorists?
http://inthesetimes.com/article/21061/Donald-Trump-war-Yemen-Syria-Saudi...

And Israel is our ally?

Rania Muhareb and Tareq Zaqoot of Al Haq discuss the IDF's shooting of hundreds of unarmed protesters, including women, children and journalists
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21664:Will-the-International-Criminal-Co...

Comparing victims in Douma and Gaza
http://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/170-more-blog-posts-...

But we use the opportunity to sell more weapons. Everything is going as planned.
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21646:How-the-Massacre-in-Gaza-became-an...

Hey but there is some good news from Korea...if we don't intercede and screw it up.
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21672:Korean-War-Finally-Ending%2C-in-Hu... (15 min)
Some suggest it won't be a lasting peace due to outside interests
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/04/a-most-hopeful-korean-summit-with-l...

If the peace deal is reached there will be a shift in the balance of power in Asia. Dr. Gerald Horne says that Trump's trade policies and disregard for Japanese interests might push Japan into closer relations with China. (video or text)
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=767&...

Gerald Horne suggest the big story at play is China vs Russia (video or text)

I think there's a battle royale taking place within the highest levels of the U.S. ruling elite. A simple way to put it is that one faction says confront Russia first, with regard to maintaining U.S. imperialism's hegemony. The other faction says confront China first.

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=767&...
Part 2 focused on Trump's effect on the elites http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=767&...

Workers of the world unite!

Story of the Haymarket affair in Chicago, May 4, 1886 featuring decedents of protestors (30 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFmD7dz4rgo

A brief history of the US labor movement...
http://americanhistory.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175....

Today it's teachers that are taking the lead defending the public education and workers rights. I wonder how many of them know about the haymarket affair.

Where will the strikes lead?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/28/us-teachers-strikes-work...

The strikes are inspiring others...
http://www.fightbacknews.org/2018/4/28/may-day2018-fight-billionaires-th...

The strike is leading some teachers into politics
http://educationopportunitynetwork.org/the-kentucky-teachers-strike-was-...

Arizona High School Counselor Annie Conway says education advocates are fighting back against draconian budget cuts and the privatization of public schools
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21680:%27I%27d-Rather-Be-Teaching%27-Ari... (9 min)

In Arizona, charter schools make up nearly a quarter of all K-12 publicly funded schools and educate about 17 percent of students.
https://ourfuture.org/20180423/arizonas-teacher-uprising-is-bridging-dif...

But the Corporate oligarchs are very clever...change history by providing free materials
https://www.theroot.com/millions-of-students-are-quietly-being-taught-th...

Some people approach it with a religious slant. Rites and rituals can give meaning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yljKWYOJB8E (5 min)

In Edinburgh they have a big party on the Beltane...neopagans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur3PVXBKtj4 (5 min)

Give me that old time religion

Let us worship like the druids
drinking strange fermented fluids
running naked through the woods
it's good enough for me

I tend to be less spiritual about the planet and more practical. I think this couple in Australia has a good approach to living in harmony with nature with their off grid tiny house https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83vzo2J09VM (17 min - 1st 5 min is alt-energy)
I was intrigued by the home gas generator
https://homebiogas.com/shop/buy-the-homebiogas-system/

Also Morris and Garland dances...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNiCCqxkgvU (4 min Morris Dance)
Morris dance is at least 600 years old tradition with pagan connections
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQAtJzvyG8k (3 min garland dance)
Garland dancing is more modern from the 1800's mill town cultures of Britain.

We are not very ritualistic around our place, but I usually have a brush pile or two to burn if the weather is nice...if not tomorrow night then some time this week. Somebody has to bring back the sun's light. There are many ways to connect with the planet and find yourself in the cosmos. I've been fortunate to be on our little spot for thirty years now. I've aged with the forest, and it seems we have a kinship in that growth. Here's wishing you all a peaceful path...

The full moon is tonight, https://www.space.com/36040-april-full-moon.html
but tomorrow night it will still be bright for the Beltane.

As always, I'll look forward to your stories and comments below.