“Do you ever get the feeling that the only reason we have elections is to find out if the polls were right?” - Robert Orben

Are our political parties are becoming little more than a decoy? It is fair to say that they are becoming very similar, but it is also very true to say that the parties with the most money to spend usually do best at the polls. We can all agree that there is no such thing as a free lunch – so who really pulls the strings?

Could Women’s Lib have been financed by the Rothchild banking family? This argument is quite beguiling when you realise that up until the 1960’s taxes had only been collected from half the population.

Aaron Russo discusses both of these topics and more at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGAaPjqdbgQ. It is feature length, and compelling, so set aside some time and settle down with your ears open.

ONE HOUR OF ART MADE FLESH
This Sunday 12th July at 11.00 am BST, Tina-Louise – a fellow COEXISTer will be high on the plinth in Trafalgar Square as part of Anthony Gormley’s Art. Part of her one hour in the centre of our imaginations will be devoted to us – to COEXIST!
'I entered this competition to show support for the type of art and activity that speaks from the heart of people. That this is a chance for individuals to simply be, without a need to perform, is a wonderful and inspired idea. I never imagined I would actually get a place!

Click on this link http://www.oneandother.co.uk/ on 11.00 BST Sunday morning and we can share the moment together.

THE POPE BLAMES GREED AND SELFISHNESS FOR THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS

Who’s greed? Whose selfishness? The average taxpayer works 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for a sum of money which, after tax, barely meets his or her needs. A recent Californian Budget Study has shown that the wealthiest 1% of taxpayers saw an increase of 4.2% in their incomes. Income among the middle classes only grew by half a point and the poorest earned 2.8 percent less money than the year before. To add insult to injury, the poor and middle classes pay a greater proportion of their income in tax than the super-rich. In the UK the average person is working 2.5 months in every year just to pay Income tax and National Insurance. In essence the poorest among us are subsidising the corporations and the super-rich. What is the remedy?

How about profit sharing, co-partnership and workers participation? It is not new – the John Lewis Partnership has 69,000 partners and have shared their profits since 1920. In 2008 that share was 14% over and above each regular salary. www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk

Fastener Industries, Ohio, have been operating an ESOP (Employee Share Ownership Plan) since 1980 "Apart from the financial rewards, we now feel that our advancement is based on our achievement, not just the whim of an owner or supervisor” said one employee. “We've seen our work mates retire with sizable sums of money, and that's a tremendous incentive.” http://www.cesj.org/jbm/casestudies-vbm/fastener.html

MEAT FREE THURSDAYS

The world’s livestock industry produces 18% of greenhouse gas emissions – more than all the world’s transport. It does so because of the constant burping of methane by cows, the nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizers and manure, the natural gas that is needed to make the fertilizers, and the destruction of tropical rainforests to raise cattle and grow soybeans to feed them. Our overall food consumption may cause as much as 30% of global warming if food miles, packaging and waste are taken into account.
In Belgium, the small city of Ghent, has declared every Thursday a day free of meat, fish, and shellfish. It is the first community in the world to do so. On each Thursday, every restaurant and canteen will offer at least one vegetarian dish, and some will go fully vegetarian. Starting in September, the city's schools will make a meat-free meal the default option on Thursdays. http://www.earthfuture.com/econews/default.asp