Joe Higgins column
A weekly column by Joe Higgins TD
The Praetorian Guards of the financial markets
When it comes to putting forward prescriptions for dragging their economic system out of its current mess, the breathtaking arrogance of members of the capitalist establishment never ceases to amaze.
“First prize in Ireland for hypocrisy goes to the government for its response to the downgrading of Ireland’s credit rating.”
Over the course of the last month, the breathtaking hypocrisy of the capitalist elites in Ireland and internationally has been glaringly exposed.
Hunger for profits fuels starvation
In about two weeks, a Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations will be held in New York to review progress in reaching the Milennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Let them eat cake, not the crumbs off the table…
Business and media circles are agog at “the most significant development in philanthropy” for many decades. Forty US based billionaires have pledged to give half of their wealth to “charity” while living or on their death.
The “Giving Pledge” was initiated by two men said to be the richest in the world, Bill Gates founder of Microsoft, whose wealth is estimated to be about $40 billion and Warren Buffet coming in at $37 billion.
Sale of the state’s “family silver” will be a nightmare for ordinary people
All citizens who value the need for publicly owned vital infrastructure would have experienced a shudder of fearful anticipation last month when the Minister for Finance established a Review Group on State Assets and Liabilities.
Will we see a clone of the mummified political corpse of the PDs with rumoured new party?
It’s a measure of the stagnation of establishment politics in this State that some media circles are reacting with frissons of excitement to rumours that former Progressive Democrat Leader Michael McDowell might form a new political party.
Fine Gael’s “New Republic” is a privatised Republic
There is no hint of modesty in Fine Gael’s claims for its future economic and political plans. This is the ‘most ambitious programme for political reform since the 1930s’ according to their leading spokespeople as they proclaim their vision of a ‘New Republic.’ Alas Fine Gael’s ‘new’ Republic would look very similar to the old one which that party had a big hand in fashioning.
Joe Higgins MEP welcomes European Parliament’s rejection of SWIFT agreement
I welcome the defeat of the SWIFT agreement in the European Parliament. This proposal is a crude attempt to use the threat of terrorism to increase surveillance of people across Europe. It represents an attack on civil liberties, giving US agencies access to billions of financial transactions and personal information.
Joe Higgin MEP Reacts to the Brutal Budget
What a damning indictment of the Budget that alcohol was the only stimulus featuring significantly in Finance Minister Lenihan’s economic landscape.
The Joe Higgins Column July 2009
IN THE course of the Dublin Euro Election Campaign our posters stated that, if elected, I would be a voice for workers and the unemployed. That is a crucial role that I will endeavour to fulfil.
