SMASH THE WTO and the Poor won this Round

by pat c Wed Sep 17, 2003 11:09

Thought this was appropriate to the thread

Last Jarrow marcher dies


The Jarrow March was a protest against poverty in the town
Tributes have been paid following the death of the last surviving Jarrow marcher.
Cornelius Whalen died peacefully in hospital in Gateshead on Sunday, aged 93.

Known as Con to his friends and family, he was one of 200 jobless men who marched from the South Tyneside town to London in October 1936 to demand government aid.

Rest of story at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/3114546.stm

by We did it!!!!! Wed Sep 17, 2003 00:42

That's how we defeated Communism in Prague in '68.

I was just wondering about something. Now that the WTO is busted the US and the EU are going to form their own bilater regional agreements. All the papers say this will harm the Third world even more.

Did we do the right thing?

by Damien Tue Sep 16, 2003 22:20

I meant to say that it was the original poster (and not Barbara) who brought up the issue of circumcision

I also meant to include these links

http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/
http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/religious.htm
http://www.noharmm.org/
http://faculty.washington.edu/gcd/DOC/

by Damien Tue Sep 16, 2003 22:09

No Barbara, I reject your argument. Male circumcision is practiced mainly for "traditional" and religious (i.e. anti-sexual) reasons.
It is performed on baby boys as young as six weeks, i.e. without their permission.

I further strongly reject your insinuation that I am promoting any another agenda, other than the rights of the child to full bodily integrity (You do not specify which other agenda you are referring to). It was you who brought up the issue of circumcision, I only pointed out the inconsistency there is on this issue among some activists.

I certainly do not want to take away from the good work being done against the WTO, and also the excellent work being done to oppose female circumcision, but I think people have to begin to accept that males have feelings too, and no religion or tradition should take precedence over the rights of the child, of either sex.

After all that has been done to children in this country in the name of both religion and tradition we ought to be a little clearer on that point.

by Teddy Scissorhands Tue Sep 16, 2003 21:34

Nonsense, Ms Muldoon---that psudo-scientific rationalization for the procedure has been discredited.

And have you done or read any studies on the effect of circumcision on male sexual performance/enjoyment?

by barbara muldoon - swp Tue Sep 16, 2003 19:49

Male circumcision is practised as a matter of hygiene. Women's circumcision is practised to prevent the enjoyment of sex and in fact often makes it an absolute misery - done under the guise of reducing their propensity to promiscuity. There is a world of difference and more than a small hint of another agenda from the above.

by Damien Tue Sep 16, 2003 03:15

Thanks for that report. I think we can excuse the ghastly spelling.

What I am concerned about, however, is that you only object to female circumcision, and you don't mention male circumcision. Do you not regard boys as also having the right to bodily integrity?

http://www.boystoo.com

by bb Tue Sep 16, 2003 02:29

the guy above actually looks familiar... charity scam... like 'save the children' or something? they seem to have been getting away with this in the UK for years... in one famous incident, when the city of Exeter purged all its Big Issue sellers, a crowd of the scottish-rugby looking charity scammers swept the city for a small fortune...