Socialist Party (Ireland) Struggle, Democracy, Socialism

Creation of Reserve Army of Very Cheap Labour the Aim

The paper Activation Policies in Ireland presented by the OECD to today 's ESRI Conference in Dublin strongly implies that benefits should be cut for the unemployed. The thrust of the paper tends to put the blame for high unemployment on the unemployed rather than on the economic crisis that generates joblessness.

Protest at 6pm at Central Bank, Friday, May 1st.

Laura Fitzgerald - 0876418519

PUBLIC MEETING APRIL 30th 8pmBoys National School, Brookstone Road. DERELICTION: DUMPING : DRUGS ABANDONED COUNCIL DEPOTA SERIOUS PROBLEM over the past 10 months the abandoned council depot at Seagrange Park has become more derelict, has experience increasing fly tipping and has now been raided by Gardaí with dogs looking for drugs. The perimeter wall has been broken and security compromised. ...

At 5pm on the 22nd of April, shouting 'Not a rupee, not a bullet, to the Rajapaska government', protesters gathered in front of the Indian Embassy at a picket called by the 'Stop the Slaughter of Tamils' campaign.

AGAINST THE background of the developing crisis in the Irish economy, the Labour Party continues to posture as a party that fights in the interests of working people. At its recent national Conference, Party Leader Eamon Gilmore  several times referred to "crony capitalism" which had brought the country to the "edge of disaster". He demanded an economy "where economic activity is primarily to serve the needs of people and where people are no longer slaves of the market".

The Labour Party now feels comfortable in naming capitalism and the market as responsible for the crisis because this is commonly referred to in the Irish and international media. However just as in that same media establishment, there is no question of the Labour Party identifying socialism as the solution to this crisis. In fact the Labour Party supports the same capitalist market but merely wants it a bit more regulated.

By Gary Mulcahy

THE AFTERMATH of the recent killings of two soldiers at Massereene barracks in Antrim and of a PSNI officer in Lurgan in March has demonstrated the fragility of the peace process.

In recent years, the various dissident republican groups have made many attempts at killing a PSNI officer. Even with high levels of State infiltration, it was only a matter of time before one of the dissident groups succeeded. The original aim of killing a PSNI officer was to undermine attempts by Sinn Fein to encourage Catholics to join the PSNI. Hence, most of the early attacks were on Catholics who had joined the police. But the strategy of the dissidents has broadened further than just attempting to intimidate Catholics and stop them from supporting the police.

By Paul Murphy

THE HERALDED “change” from Bush’s foreign policy which Obama supposedly represents, is increasingly looking like a simple shift in geographical focus. The tactics used in Iraq – bribing past opponents and using a surge of military force – are to be employed in the coming months in Afghanistan. The justification is also largely similar to the rhetoric of Bush – a war against “terrorism” that knows no borders.

By Kevin McLoughlin

THE G20 Summit in London was said to be the start of the “fight back against the global recession”; and the creation of a “New Economic Order”. Some of the leaders even said it was “historic”. Does the G20 agreement mean that a global recovery is likely soon?

While hailing the summit and “green shoots” of recovery, the G20 was mainly an orchestrated public show of unity, a papering over of huge economic difficulties. Like relatives at a wedding, on the surface the “leaders” were nice to each other but under the surface they are increasingly agitated.

THE EUROPEAN Election on 5 June is a brilliant opportunity for working people in Dublin to deliver a massive blow against the Fianna Fail/ Green Party government which is saddling them with savage burdens to pay for the crimes of the swindling speculators and big bankers.

Tax hikes and cuts while government gives away €540 billion for free!

By Paul Murphy

WHILE THE government puts the boot into ordinary people in another vicious budget, the giveaway of billions of euro of gas continues.

Figures from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural resources suggest that around €540 billion of our natural resources will be given away to multinational companies over the coming years. This is because deals worked out in the 1980s and ‘90s between multinational oil companies and ministers in Haughey’s government are now being implemented by Fianna Fail and the Greens.