Communism alive and well in Western Europe.

[Stanley Edwards]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marinaleda

My house mate has just returned (literally this minute) from the annual fiesta. He's very proudly carrying photographs of himself with the mayor. He is totally wasted after a couple of days on everything. My house mate's name is Lenin

Sounds interesting. I plan to visit soon.

The villagers have been making news recently for hijacking local supermarkets.

 

[DrRingDing]

I met a Finnish guy called Lenin. I called him Dave.

 

[Pickman's model]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marinaleda

My house mate has just returned (literally this minute) from the annual fiesta. He's very proudly carrying photographs of himself with the mayor. He is totally wasted after a couple of days on everything. My house mate's name is Lenin

Sounds interesting. I plan to visit soon.

The villagers have been making news recently for hijacking local supermarkets.

when did you start drinking today?

 

[Stanley Edwards]

when did you start drinking today?

It is Andalucia day - public holiday. Cheese on toast with red wine for breakfast/lunch Just a glass.

 

[Pickman's model]

It is Andalucia day - public holiday. Cheese on toast with red wine for breakfast/lunch Just a glass.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marinaleda

My house mate has just returned (literally this minute) from the annual fiesta. He's very proudly carrying photographs of himself with the mayor. He is totally wasted after a couple of days on everything. My house mate's name is Lenin

Sounds interesting. I plan to visit soon.

The villagers have been making news recently for hijacking local supermarkets.

Sounds cool.

 

[Stanley Edwards]

Sounds cool.

Sounds very cool. The plumber who came to our house yesterday lives there. He's built his own house. Rents the land for €15/month and exchanges skills. He invited us all back for the fiesta. Only Lenin was able to go, but an open invitation remains.

Couple of months ago about 200 villagers just walked into the local supermarket and helped themselves in protest at the lower prices being paid for agricultural produce. I also like the idea of a self-policing town. Many towns in Spain are over policed. In Marinaleda there are no police

 

[Libertad]

Juan Manuel Sanchez Gordillo has also been accused of being an autocratic self-publicist.

 

[Hocus Eye.]

Stanley, don't blot your copybook while you are there. You had better do some work other than drawing. Get on to a farm and do some grafting, the whole place depends on people pulling their weight. Good luck.

 

[Ax^]

I met a Finnish guy called Lenin. I called him Dave.

tbf Trigger you call everyone dave..

 

[smokedout]

Only Lenin was able to go, but an open invitation remains.

that's probably the best thing you've ever posted and it was an accident

 

[Stanley Edwards]

wobbly

 

[Stanley Edwards]

Stanley, don't blot your copybook while you are there. You had better do some work other than drawing. Get on to a farm and do some grafting, the whole place depends on people pulling their weight. Good luck.

You are implying I am a lightweight when it comes to hard work. I grew up on a farm. Had to wake at 6 to do chores before school. It was a manufacturing organic dairy farm. Home to many families. I know all about cooperative work ethics. People who know me know they can rely on me when all hands on deck are needed.

I'll admit art is my easy option for cash, but it still isn't easy work. Few people make it work the way I do.

 

[Stanley Edwards]

Juan Manuel Sanchez Gordillo has also been accused of being an autocratic self-publicist.

I'm sure he's been accused of much worse things.

The first I heard about the village was the supermarket raids. It made World news. I understood it was in protest at the lower prices supermarkets were paying for farm produce. However, I see The Guardian reported it differently. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/15/spanish-robin-hood-sanchez-gordillo

If he is a self-publicist he isn't very good, or at least he wasn't on my radar for the 8 years I have been based in Spain.

 

[Firky]

What's hi-jacking a supermarket?

 

[Pickman's model]

I'm sure he's been accused of much worse things.

The first I heard about the village was the supermarket raids. It made World news. I understood it was in protest at the lower prices supermarkets were paying for farm produce. However, I see The Guardian reported it differently. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/15/spanish-robin-hood-sanchez-gordillo

If he is a self-publicist he isn't very good, or at least he wasn't on my radar for the 8 years I have been based in Spain.

but i suppose a fair portion of your radar was devoted to bars and to girls and to children strolling over your art.

 

[Libertad]

What's hi-jacking a supermarket?

Political trolley-dash.

 

[Pickman's model]

What's hi-jacking a supermarket?

a nice little earner.

 

[Firky]

Political trolley-dash.

Gromyko's Supermarket Sweep?

 

[Stanley Edwards]

What's hi-jacking a supermarket?

My bad phrasing.

They walked in and helped themselves to dry goods and essentials. They didn't take any luxury goods, or booze. Just grabbed basics and distributed them to food banks.

 

[Stanley Edwards]

but i suppose a fair portion of your radar was devoted to bars and to girls and to children strolling over your art.

Possibly.

You know what happened the other day? A small child was looking at my sketch on the ground whilst his parents waited for him. His parents had no interest whatsoever. They started to walk away and then the child started to gesture with his feet that he was going to stamp on the sketch. "Oi!" I shouted (a little too loudly). He ran away to his mum. I walked up to his father and simply asked if he could speak with his child and show a bit more respect. He asked how much money I wanted. "None - it doesn't matter, but I would appreciate it if you explained to your child". The guy then called the police. Waited for police to arrive. They turn up 10 minutes later and tell me to pack up and go. Some parents should have things done to them. Cunts.

 

[butchersapron]

Note the normalisation of the existence of food banks contained in this top-down version of self-reduction.

 

[xenon]

interesting. I wonder how many hours picking artichokes it would take to exchange for a house build. And what about utilities, water, electricity, broadband etc.

 

[Stanley Edwards]

Note the normalisation of the existence of food banks contained in this top-down version of self-reduction.

There are many in Spain. I'm not sure how many operate out of necessity, or whether they're just providing a service to reduce food waste. I've raised money for a local food bank, but no-one in Granada really relies on them. Those who are able have a choice of free kitchens to use. Those who can't receive help and food from established distribution agencies.

Personally, I think they are a good thing purely for recycling good produce, but I can't see a genuine need for them. However, the fact that they are now an everyday thing (just a year ago few people here knew what a food bank was exactly) does reflect on how the people of Spain feel today.

Far to easy to remain oblivious to what is happening if you live like I do spending the majority of time in the centre of tourist cities. The tourists are not affected.

 

[Stanley Edwards]

interesting. I wonder how many hours picking artichokes it would take to exchange for a house build. And what about utilities, water, electricity, broadband etc.

I wonder also. I'll visit soon and document from an impartial viewpoint Hopefully get to meet the mayor also.

 

[Libertad]

They have a website: http://www.marinaleda.com/

 

[xenon]

They have a website: http://www.marinaleda.com/

It's in Spannish though. (Unsurprisingly)

 

[Stanley Edwards]

It's in Spannish though. (Unsurprisingly)

FFS! Their website is sponsored by Spanish Direct Line insurance

 

[JHE]

In what they describe as a symbolic action, a couple of hundred members of the Trade Union associated with Gordillo, the SAT (Andalusian Union of Workers), have carried out an 'expropriation' from a supermarket, a branch of Carrefour, in the province of Seville.

They have taken 10 trolley-loads of school stuff - pens, pencils, felt-tip pens, rubbers, pencil sharpeners, notebooks and so on - and will distribute these to needy families over the next few days in time for the start of the new school term.

The security guards at the supermarket, having been informed of the nature of the action by Diego Cañamero, the General Secretary of SAT, did not intervene. There was no violence.

 

[JHE]

.