from cumbria could give us some real, unfiltered news about this. we in the cities are a bit cut off from events

The farmers are under seige. They are forced to comply with Draconian measures which are destroying their livelihood and is wholly unecessary. I hope they can win this battle and force MAFF, to get to fuck! It's becoming quite transparent that this is an artificially induced epidemic, for political (NWO) objectives. The human and animal trauma is inconceivable to a city dweller.

Stop the Slaughter

When the media is so awash with lies and half truths, the latest suggestion that “we” should slaughter ½ million sheep can only be met with the answer “Who are the real sheep?”; the woolly creatures to be found in the fields and glades of the Forest of Dean or the pacified woolly headed creatures sitting in front of our televisions. Whilst politicians argue whether or not foot and mouth has got out of control, where is our voice shouting the obvious: “Capitalism is out of control – Stop the Slaughter!”

When we look at the facts of foot and mouth we discover that it is not as terrible as the media would have us believe. Very few animals die from it, there are cures and there are vaccines. What terrifies the bosses is the effect it has on profits. Milk yield goes down, animals are slow to put on weight. For the bosses livestock is simply an element in the productive process, a component in the factory farm. The animal is reduced to being a living embodiment of value where the fact that it is living can be ignored. It is just a figure in an economic equation. The scant legislation as regards animal cruelty reflects an economic/political balancing game to maximise profitability even in the face of popular protest. The more recent vilification of animal rights activists as terrorists shows how critical this area of protest has become. Without necessarily adopting the priorities of animal rights activists, we can still see how we as human animals are not so far removed from our furry cousins. Each cruelty imposed upon dumb animals makes it easier for such cruelty to be imposed human animals. The slaughter of the sheep makes it easier for another human generation to be shepherded to the killing fields of war. Stop the Slaughter!

Indeed the massive slaughter of dumb animals is firmly enmeshed in the imperial domination of Euro-American capitalism. For the slaughter is dictated by the logic of maintaining a “Foot and Mouth Free Status”. And the importance of this is to establish protectionist measures in the name of animal health whilst paying lip service to the myth of free trade. “Foot and Mouth Free Status” is a powerful myth to wage economic war against Africa, South America and the far East, to ban meat imports from these countries and to depict them as dirty and disease ridden. In reality the chemicals routinely pumped through the living carcasses of Euro-American are far more dangerous to human health. The implications of genetic engineering have yet to fully emerge. If this slaughter goes ahead it will lead to more experiments, more Dolly the Sheep. These new creatures with built in immunities will be rushed into production to replace the depleted sheep stocks. Stop the Slaughter!

Commodity relations are intensifying. Every stage of the production process loses any intrinsic or natural characteristics in favour of the universal characteristic of capitalism. An animal is meat even before it is born – a projection on an economist’s graph. The remnants of ‘traditional’ farming are being swallowed up by the ever-expanding swathe of agri-business. This crisis, like those before it will speed this process up as the more powerful concerns successfully lobby for compensation which the small-scale farmers do less well out off. The slaughter accelerates the industrialisation of the countryside. Stop the Slaughter!

What we must assert is that Foot and Mouth Disease is not the cause for the slaughter. That cause is capitalism. We must set out to prevent the slaughter using all the methods and techniques which years of protest have taught us. We must refuse to accept the limitations on our movements because the logic of capitalism equates a mild disease with death – because we equate capitalism with death: First they came for the sheep! Stop the Slaughter!

We must turn the political agenda upside down and leave the newshounds gobbing like goldfish as we implement a simple slogan: Stop the Slaughter!

We must ensure that resources are switched to alleviate animal suffering rather than stoking the pyres of capitalist obsolescence. Stop the Slaughter!

We must stem the subjugation of all human and animal activity, of the whole of nature to the precepts of the economy which has reached its highest form as globalised capitalism. We must break this system which condemns millions to starvation and misery across the world whilst stifling those of us in the affluent zones with the phoney sentimentality of Comic Relief and other such charades.

Stop the Slaughter

does *country gal* live near the trouble spots? if so, more info, please. daily updates if possible for we londoners ! i think *ac* has some good points too, and i agree with the remarks about the sickening *comic relief*. 15 yrs of hilarity and more poverty than ever... long live che guevara

I MANAGED TO FIND A LOCAL NEWSPAPER ONLINE CALLED *CUMBRIAN NEWS AND STAR* A FEW MINUTES AGO, BUT I LOST IT AGAIN. IT HAD A FEW RELEVANT ITEMS. KEEP SEARCHING !

Now that's what I'm taking about, but couldn't articulate it, animals today, humans tomorrow, but we've already seen how humans can inflict similar barbarism on fellow humans in Rwanda, although I think that was some kind of psychotronic crazy-ness, artificially (microwave) induced, with the UN observing the 'experiment' from the periphery. All the money donated to Rwandan AIDS victims from 'comic' relief, will go back into the hands of pharmacuticles. The poor are left to carry the poor, and comic relief is destined to be repeated for decades to come! I live in North London!

GUN SEIZED AS MASS
CULL DESCENDS INTO
FARCE

TALK of rural revolt appeared to be nudging the
Government into retreat today as plans for a mass
cull to beat foot and mouth disease descended into
confusion.

Police seized guns from one farmer when threats
were made to an official from the Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. (MAFF)

It is understood the threats were made by a member
of the farmer's family, in response to the news that
ministers were planning a slaughter of all animals
within a 3km radius of infected farms, whether they
were infected or not.

The incident near Penrith is the tip of an iceberg of
frustration in Cumbria, where there has been
widespread criticism of the Government' handling of
the crisis.

In Abbeytown, near Silloth, protesters took to the
streets yesterday, upset at how the situation seemed
to be spiralling out of control.

The Cumbrian branch of the National Farmers' Union
is breaking ranks from the organisation's national line,
calling for the cull to be abandoned.

This morning, as the number of cases rose to 75 in
Cumbria and 263 nationwide there were signs that
their discontent was having an effect.

The apparent realisation that the cull of sick animals,
let alone healthy ones, is a logistical nightmare has
prompted the Government to delay the mass
slaughter.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown last night said the
planned mass cull of healthy animals would not begin
until the scientific thinking behind the measure had
been explained to concerned farmers.

He said: ''The culling in the 3km zones is not going to
start until the chief vet has had a chance to explain it
to farmers.

''I have asked Jim Scudamore to visit Cumbria on
Monday to explain directly to farmers why this is
necessary.

''There are a lot of people who are frightened and
worried and that's why we have a responsibility to
them.''

Junior agriculture minister Joyce Quinn is expected in
Cumbria tomorrow followed by the Government's chief
vet, Mr Scudamore, on Monday.

Mr Brown has also promised to visit as soon as
possible.

The delay is set to prolong uncertainty for farmers
already angered at the confusion surrounding the
proposed cull.

"We are just in limbo," said John Stamper, 69, who
farms at Little Broughton and Dearham, near New Hall
Farm in Sunny Slack, where the disease has been
confirmed. "We really don't know what is happening -
it's sheer cruelty to confine the animals as we're
having to now.

"We're just frightened to death."

Initially, it was understood that all animals would be
killed - including cattle.

Hours later, and there was an apparent U-turn on this
policy, with Mr Brown claiming it would only apply to
sheep and pigs.

There was more confusion to come last night, when
MAFF admitted that the policy would not simply be a
matter of drawing an imaginary circle around all
infected farms, as was announced in the Commons
on Thursday.

It has emerged that some farms within three
kilometres of confirmed cases may escape the cull,
while in other locations, animals may have to be killed
if they are further away from infected sites.

Les Armstrong, a local NFU representative, who is
himself a victim of the disease, said ministers had
blown Cumbrian farmers to bits with their muddled
thinking.

"It's pointless slaughtering more animals if they can't
do the job properly now," he said.

Delays between the slaugher and incinceration of
carcasses has led to a massive backlog of rotting
animals on farms.

Slaughter

Last night Cumbria County Council was discussing
using landfill sites near Carlisle and Penrith to
dispose of the bodies.

The RSPCA urged the Ministry of Agriculture not to
slaughter animals which have no proven link to foot
and mouth disease, describing the move as ''a step to
far''.

Lobby group Farmers For Action said it was launching
a legal battle in a bid to stop the cull.

One of the group's regional co-ordinators, Andrew
Spence, said farmers would barricade themselves in
their farms rather than see healthy animals killed.

PUT AWAY YOUR GUNS
BEFORE SOMEONE IS
KILLED, SAYS MP

FARMERS are being urged to put away their guns
before the foot and mouth crisis claims its first human
life.

The plea from Penrith and the Border MP David
Maclean came after a potentially-lethal flashpoint on a
farm in his constituency.

In a telephone call to MAFF's Carlisle office, an
enraged farmer from near Penrith had threatened to
kill one of their officials as the pair argued over the cull
of non-infected livestock.

Police visited the farm yesterday and the farmer
involved agreed to hand over his shotgun, which was
licensed.

Message

But, despite ending peacefully, the incident prompted
Mr Maclean to issue a warning about the dangers
posed by guns among the farming community in the
current climate. The Tory MP fears that stressed-out
farmers could kill themselves or someone else.

He said: "My message to farmers is put away your
guns - or hand them to the police temporarily. The
last thing we want is for anyone to turn the guns on
themselves or someone else.

"These are genuine fears that I have. I am very
concerned indeed. Emotions are running high. We
have had someone being threatened with a gun, albeit
over the phone. It is a desperate situation for many
people now.

"I have had calls from farmers who haven't got foot and
mouth saying 'they will have to kill me before they kill
my cattle'."

Mr Maclean said tempers were becoming even more
frayed because of delays over the killing and removal
of infected animals. This had led to increased worries
that non-infected livestock on neighbouring farms
would be struck down in the interim period.

Cumbria police have offered their support to MAFF,
promising to seize weapons from anyone suspected
of making a threat involving firearms.

"While I understand how distressing it is for farmers,
when a firearm is mentioned you cannot afford to take
any risks," Superintendent Brian Horn said.

"I would urge farmers to think very carefully about
making emotional statements about what they will do.
The news of a cull on healthy sheep has been
absolutely devastating and I understand that people
are upset but any threats to life will be investigated by
us and weapons seized if necessary."

Disorder

Supt Horn said the police would attend farms with
MAFF officials if asked to and added: "If there is the
potential for any disorder or breach of the peace, the
police will help.

"The ministry has the authority to enter farmland and
if they are unable to do that then we will assist them."

Supt Horn was confident that the majority of farmers
were law-abiding and there had been no further reports
of problems last night

Put away your gun before someone is killed...what like a million animals? If this cull was so necessary to contain the disease, how come they can back-track now? Are farmers so THICK they need Scudamore to spell it out? They have the right to defend their livelihood and we should join them in mass protest at this attack on country life.

Very pleased to be getting such a response from my report. On the one hand, I can understand why those of the urban based groups may not be familiar with the full range of events in the rural areas, but then, when such as the SWP pose as being Trotskyists and having all the answers and THEN dismiss the farmers as being neccessarily 'reactionary' and too few in number to really bother about, one hears the alarm bells going. How irresponsible of them ! How can they not be falling back aghast at the speed with which the entire political edifice is melting away ? What do they think that farmers will do unless they go to them and try to persuade them of the socialist case ? In fact, socialists DO have something to offer in the concept of the planned economy, when the current regime [which is, frankly, starting to look like something from the Weimar era] has nothing. The trouble is, of course, that, unlike socialists in the USA and most other countries, the SWP types never went out into the field [literally!] Why ? Because its easier and more exciting to stay in the cities, preferring to busy oneself with industrial strikes, student actions and reading up on geopolitics. So do I ! But [to repeat myself], any example of a successful revolution that comes to mind seems to have offered some hope to the agricultural sector, but I can think of lots that failed precisely because they didn't !

I am a resident of Throckmorton where the Maff circus has decided to come to town.
The first anyone here knew of the proposal to use Throckmorton for a burial site was when it was announced on the national news.

A press conference was called on friday but our local councillers were not invited they actually went and gatecrashed to try and find out what was happening.

As soon as i heard i informed as many residents as i could
but it seems we were not going to be given a chance to air our views we just have to put up with it.
My neighbour and his wife who have lived here for 40 years
came to me yesterday and said they felt they could no longer stay this mass graveyard was the last straw.
They have been good neighbours to me since i moved here 18years ago and i will miss them.

This small village also fought a proposal to put chicken houses here and lost.
They have developed a land fill site just down the road which allthough well managed gives unpleasent smells through the summer.
Our small road is stretched way beyonds its limit so badly
potholed that driving in and out is more like a test for endurence.

I am not sure i want to be here either i am fiercly opposed to mass culling and i am sickened by the sights of dead animals sacrificed in this mass slaughter policy rather than treat them for the very treatable disease they have .

My neighbours worked hard all their lives paid their taxes
and just wanted to spend a peacful retirment here .
I want animals to be treated well and kept in suitable conditions unlike the terrible mass poultry units they have built in the village but our voice is just a whisper even when we are screaming drowned out by economics and selfishness.

Please stop the slaughter any way you can.

Well, it's all a bit strange really. We are told not to use the footpaths but I fail to see why.
Foot and Mouth Diseased: a lament to ept and mindless governing.

I am not sure whether foot & mouth is a virus or bacteria. For my discussion this is not really of relevance. Biological agents such as viruses spread often irregardless of human affairs. Wind-born viruses such as might be carried by birds, dogs, humans, and on cars. Although driving cars over disinfectant mats will do no harm this is not going to be effective if the the virus is on a part of the car which is not the tyre, or is being carried within or on the human organism within that car. If a human is carrying foot & mouth this won't affect him but he might pass it onto other humans by sneezing, coughing, shaking hands etc. One of these people may be a farmer.


THIS ARTICLE CAN BE DOWNLOADED AT,

 http://www.geocities.com/angel_ov_north/disease.html

thanks for these comments and reports - there's more and better info here than in miles of newpaper columns. i for one would be glad to see the cumbrian farmers taking a stand on this - one of the key problems in the whole issue of british agriculture, and the debate surrounding it, is the relationship between MAFF and the NFU. a former agriculture miniter recently desribed MAFF as a wholy owned subsidiary of the NFU: since the war it has been a completely captured agency. it can therefore seem pretty hypocritical of farmers to complain of the government 'interfering with the ways of the country'. after all, we (the 99.3% of the population not employed in agriculuture) pay a around 14 quid a household a week in subsidies to farmers.

the NFU has used this privileged position, and the sympathy thaat farmers get from everyone, especially the media, to resist any change to its 'traditonal' chemical intensive, ineffiecient farming methods, which have poisoned the water we drink and the food we eat.

this is not to deny tht farmers are suffering - but they ought to acknowledge that the NFU are one of the main problems, and not just instinctively blame townies, badgers, or even the government. the "free" market, the Common Agricultural Policy and the MAFF/NFU alliance have clearly failed them spectacularly, as well as poisoning us and the environment, so why have farmers been the most adamant that these policies are not changed? why do they always insist on more of the same, but with ever more subsidy? why, when the interests of big grain agribusiness and small hill farmers are so opposed to each other is there just one NFU? where is the hill farmers union, pointing out the idiocy of modern farming policy and demanding a better deal for themselves and their animals?

this is why the signs of a split in the NFU are so welcome - we will never sort farming out while poor farmers allow themselves to be 'represented' by agri-bosses who dictate government and EU policy in their interests.

We have a new disease here in Throckmorton called MAFF they are is killing perfectly healthy animals and bringing them here by the 1000s to be buried or burned .
We were given no warning this was going to happen ,i heard it announced on the news .
It seems they held a press conference locally last friday but never invited local councillers or informed local people .
I received a a reply from my MP yesterday telling me they never informed him either.
We are a small rural village with small rural roads that now have a constant stream of lorries full of dead animals.
Our disused airfield as become a mass grave with the army and their machinery working day and night .
Anyone who wishes to inform themselves about Foot and Mouth
should go to WWW.sheepdrove.com. where an attempt to stop this slaughter is being co-ordinated.

Warmer eastern countrys hav this disease all the time but it only comes into affect in the winter months, becauce the warm summer climate kills off the disease allowing healthy living of the animals. I am no scientist but surely it cannot be that hard for us to figure out how this can be harnessed and used to stop the disease here. and stop killing animals just because they hav a cold, which some of them hav'nt even got.

STOP THE SLAUGHTER!

and i think country gal calling farmers thick is out of line, you have no idea what tey are going through.

Does anyone believe that the source of this infection was meat brought into the country ilegaly by a chinese restaurant? From my investigations it seems that the most recent outbreak of this strain of the disease actually occured in South Africa. Other otbreaks have included Iran which leads one to wonder whether the disease was part of a deliberate biological attack, It is also interesting to note that it is in fact possible for humans to contract foot and mouth disease from direct contact with infected animals.

Another worrying aspect of this slaughter policy is the number of rats now feeding of carcasses being left to rot (also suspetible to foot and mouth disease)and the number of flies.

I am informed that the locals in Cumbria are displaying banners with "Tony Blair fiddles while Cumbria burns" displayed on them. I completeley agree with their sentiments.

And what is to be done with the dead animals now? Space is running out and protests by locals near sites of burial and burninbg are increasing. Sureley there must be a better way to deal with this crisis.

I also note that swine fever is suspected in Essey according to a news report yesterday. If there has been no movement of animals in or out of the country now for many weeks where has this infection come from?

I remain highly suspicious of information we are being given and wonder how stupid this government think we are.

There was a meeeting in Skipton yesterday attended by approx 300 people demanding an end to the slaughter of healthy animals .
If anyone wants to help please write your MP's and demand vaccination and an end to the slaughter policy .
You can find information at www.sheepdrove.com and www.warmwell.com..