Month: January 2012
Austerity Treaty is recipe for disaster across Europe
Referendum must be held. People should decline invitation to join 'Austerity Club'
MEP demands referendum on Fiscal Treaty following poll
Government cannot ignore public’s demand for referendum
Political and legal obligation to hold referendum
Septic Tank Charge: Don’t register, don’t pay!
A major campaign of opposition to the septic tank charge and the Household Tax has developed throughout rural Ireland with meetings of 400-500 in Donegal Town and Malin in Donegal and 500 plus in Newcastle West, County Limerick. In some cases opportunist establishment politicians are helping organise these meetings but Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are largely responsible for the failure to provide an adequate modern waste water infrastructure and they will be found out in the course of the genuine campaign which is being built.
Answering common questions – Socialism FAQs
With the rise of the Occupy movement, opposition to the existing political and economic order has gone mainstream. It’s hard to imagine that the bandana-clad woman on the cover of Time magazine – representing “The Protestor,” Time's “Person of the Year” – has many nice things to say about capitalism, and the ubiquity of the Guy Fawkes mask – popularized by “V for Vendetta” – further underscores how widespread the idea of revolution has become.
Iran: New imperialist war clouds
Is US imperialism and/or Israel preparing a military attack on Iran? How would the Islamist dictatorship in Tehran respond? These questions came into focus again over the holidays following new sanctions announced by the United States and an Iranian navy exercise.
No tolerance for racist bigotry
The issue of racism has reared its ugly head as it recently made news headlines. The conviction of Stephen Lawrence’s killers gave us a sinister reminder of the worst consequences of racism. Just as with the brutal murder of Toyosi Shittabey in 2010, we must use these incidents as a wake-up call to stamp out the possibility of such horrific tragedies happening.
More cuts to education for children, yet more bailouts for bondholders
Last week thousands of parents, teachers and pupils staged a passionate demonstration at the Department of Education in Dublin. They were from schools benefiting from the programme known as ‘Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools’ or DEIS which was designed to counter the many ill effects on children living in areas of high unemployment and poverty.
Phil Hogan Confronted in Limerick
Household Tax is Highway Robbery
Minister Phil Hogan visited Limerick last Friday, and was confronted by a masked robber who exclaimed: "Stand and Deliver: Household Tax, Highway Robbery!" The protest, organised by the Limerick branch of the Campaign Against Household & Water Taxes got great media coverage locally and nationally, and ensured Hogan's didn't go unchallenged on his trip to Limerick.
Build mass non-registration by St Patrick’s Day
The Irish Independent reported over Christmas that the government are planning a mass state-wide leaflet drop in early February encouraging people to register for the household tax and threatening them with dire consequences if they fail to do so.
Northern Ireland: Pensions – the fight must continue
Across the public and private sectors the scandal of employers’ attacks on pensions has become a touchstone issue for workers and unions.