Month: February 2012
Labour’s shame at privatisation of bin service
Since the privatisation of the household bin collection system within the functional area of Dublin City Council kicked in last month, it has been one shambolic controversy after another. The threat this week by Greyhound Waste, which was handed the service by Dublin City Council, that it would not collect the bins of up to 18,000 householders who had not paid a fee in full and upfront is but the latest issue to emerge.
League of Ireland crisis – what way forward?
The 2011 League of Ireland season saw unprecedented success but yet more financial woe and hardship.
Greece: Up to half a million people protest at Syntagma Square
socialistparty.net spoke to Andros Payiatsos, from Xekinima (The Socialist Party's sister organisation in Greece) a participant in last weekend’s huge protests in Athens.
Finance bill – ordinary people continue to pay for crisis
The government’s newest job creation gimmick revealed in the Finance Bill just published, really does point up its policy bankruptcy in dealing with the crisis of mass unemployment in the State. The huge tax break offered to senior executives earning up to half a million Euro per annum, who work for transnational corporations and would be prepared to move here for one year, is supposed to attract some of the ‘brightest and best’ to come and do something to create jobs in this economy.
Olympics 2012: London – a tale of two cities
The Olympics will be staged in London this summer. The Con-Dems and their big business friends expect that the Games and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in June will bring tourists, consumer spending and profits. But perhaps most importantly, they hope they will deflect the attention of London’s working and middle class from the severe austerity and economic meltdown that will actually be the main features of London in 2012. They are hoping to emulate the policy of the Ancient Roman emperors to keep the masses in check.
Market rule or party rule?
Richard McGregor previously worked as the China correspondent for the Australian. His book, "The Party: The secret world of China’s Communist rulers", is a summary of his observations of how the role of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has evolved over the last decade.
Europe: No to the debt! No to the austerity! No to the blackmail!
In 2012, the markets and capitalist governments which serve them, have more misery in store. This will mean a deepening both of the economic crisis, and of the war being fought against the lives and futures of working people. On top of this, will be the attempted imposition of the new austerity “Fiscal compact” treaty, recently agreed by EU leaders. The new 48-hour general strike in Greece on 10 and 11 February also points to the massive class battles and confrontations which this war will meet with. .
Household Tax – name a date for protests
Campaign Against Household and Water Tax public meetings held this week in Waterford (700), Carlow (400) and elsewhere clearly show a growing mood of angry opposition to the Government's household tax.
Syria: No trust in Arab League and imperialist powers
The Syrian regime has dramatically stepped up its savage military onslaught on civilians in Homs and other areas. Recent days have seen the worst upsurge in bloody repression since the start of the uprising last March. Reports indicate that local communities in towns and city suburbs have been shelled indiscriminately, with hundreds of people massacred in Homs. A number of areas have been under military siege, with accompanying cuts in power, water and other supplies.
EU summit – no capitalist solutions to the spiralling eurozone crisis
As the capitalist politicians arrived in Brussels for the 30 January EU summit they were met with a clear and determined message from the Belgian working class - a magnificent 24 hour general strike - the first in the country for nearly 20 years - in defiance of the summit's austerity agenda.