Month: October 2013
Budget 2014 – the Socialist approach
Budget 2014 – The socialist approach
Introduction
The crisis faced by working people, the unemployed, students and pensioners in Ireland is a crisis of capitalism. While the crash in Ireland has had its own special features related to the property bubble and an historic over reliance on Foreign Direct Investment, this should not obscure the fact that capitalism, a system based on private ownership of key sections of the economy as well as economic activity being geared towards profit and not need and the absence of rational planning of resources, is a crisis prone system that has to be replaced.
Paul Murphy – campaigning to retain MEP seat for Left
..but SWP’s sectarian decision could damage chances
It has been confirmed that it is the intention that Socialist Workers Party member, Councillor Brid Smith would be a People Before Profit Alliance candidate in the European Elections next May for the Dublin constituency. When this information initially appeared a few days ago via social media, it caused bewilderment and shock.
Solidarity with hospital doctors – Support the strike!
Socialist Party Public representatives support Hospital Doctors' action for humane and safe working hour.
Seanad – No vote shows depths of anger and distrust in Government
Press Statement: Paul Murphy MEP (Socialist Party)
- No vote indicates a deep distrust of government and a desire to check pro austerity establishment
- Government’s campaign deeply cynical and lacked any shred of credibility
Scottish independence referendum – one year to go
The Scottish independence referendum is taking place on 18 September 2014. An average of this year’s opinion polls indicates that currently one third of people would vote Yes for independence and around one half would vote No. While there are differences depending on which organisation conducts the poll, the trend over the last nine months has been relatively static.
US – A graphic picture of decline
New book charts economic, social and political decay of America
“No one can say when the unwinding began – when the coil that held Americans together in its secure and sometimes stifling grip first gave way. Like any great change, the unwinding began at countless times, in countless ways – and at some moment the country, always the same country, crossed a line of history and became irretrievably different”.
So begins George Packer in this tremendous book, The Unwinding, which paints a devastating picture of US capitalism in decline. Similar to Packer, Karl Marx described the collapse of the Spanish Empire as a “slow and inglorious decay”. The difference is that Spain’s decline took place over centuries, whereas the astonishing collapse of the US – still, nevertheless, the strongest capitalist power on the planet – has been compressed into 50 or 60 years!
