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Workers Solidarity 110 now online

category ireland / britain | anarchist movement | press release author Monday July 13, 2009 22:35author by WSM - Workers Solidarityauthor email wsm_ireland at yahoo dot com Report this post to the editors

July - August 2009 Edition of the Workers Solidarity freesheet is now online for you to download or read.
Workers Solidarity 110
Workers Solidarity 110

Click on one of the links below for a PDF version of the northern or southern edition of Workers Solidarity 109.

PDF of Workers Solidarity 110 Southern Web Edition 1.6 Mb
PDF of Workers Solidarity 110 Northern Web Edition 2.7 Mb

Anarchism and the WSM

In the aftermath of the racist attacks that forced over 100 Romanians to flee their homes in South Belfast, the local Workers Solidarity Movement branch is hosting an afternoon of discussion about how we can tackle racism. This will be happening in the city centre on Saturday July 18th. Watch out for posters or check www.wsm.ie for the time and venue.

Workers Solidarity Movement members who took part in the defence of homes in Belgravia Avenue and Wellesley Avenue will give their account of what happened. With the rise of the far-right, as reflected in the nazi salutes and slogans of the attackers, do we need militant anti fascism today?

There will also be discussions about the anarchist idea - anarchists want to get rid of the state and capitalism but what will we replace them with? How will we organise transport, education and health? What about crime? And we will be debating the best form of organisation for anarchists. Everyone is welcome to drop in and take part, or just to have a look.

Meanwhile in Mayo the arrival of Shell’s pipe-laying ship was preceded by an increasingly aggressive attitude by Shell’s security and the Gardai towards protesters. This reached a new level when local fisherman and Shell To Sea activist Pat O’Donnell had his boat boarded by four masked men who held him and his mate captive before sinking the vessel.

WSM members have been stepping up their work in Shell To Sea to support the local campaigners and to highlight the billions being given away to Shell and other multinationals. The corruption we live under is undeniable in this case. A disgraced cabinet minister, Ray Burke, signed rights to literally billions in gas and oil away to big oil companies. In return the taxpayer got nothing. And this is hardly commented on in the press or on TV.

Millions of euros have been spent on what has felt like a garda occupation of Erris. Finding that money was no problem. It’s such a different story when money is needed to keep beds open in Crumlin children’s hospital or get a new school building in Tipperary. Looking after one of the wealthiest companies in the world appears to be more important than giving our children decent schools, or even saving their lives.

We know there are very real limits to what we can cover in a paper that appears only every two months, but we do hope that it gives some idea of anarchism. And we hope it shows its relevance to the very real concerns people have at present.

We are producing 10,000 copies, in northern and southern editions. We would like to make that a lot more. To interest people in anarchism we first have to let them know it exists, and that it is nothing like the absurd stereotype conjured up by much of the media.

If you want to help us let more people know about the anarchist alternative, why not take a bundle of Workers Solidarity and give them out to friends, at work, at gigs or put them through neighbours’ letterboxes. Send us your name and address, and we’ll send you 20 copies (more if you want them).

In This Issue

The Battle Against Shell in Mayo
1. The Corrib Gas field is worth over 30 billion euro. Enough to get Ireland working again. 2. Under the deal signed by the corrupt Minister, Fianna Fail’s Ray Burke, the taxpayer has no stake in the gas field and gets no royalties.

The War on Youth
On RTE news on 18/5/09, Mary Hanafin stated, in her usual Orwellian fashion, that the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA) had now provided a financial incentive to encourage those under 20 to go into training or education. This ’financial incentive’ involved cutting the dole to €100 per week for new claimants under the age of 20.

Seize Their Assets - Break Up the Criminal Gangs
PAYE taxpayers are only not being forced to bail out bankers and speculators, we are told that we also will have to meet the compensation and legal bills of a giant paedophile network. And we should be grateful that the child abusers are throwing in a few bob towards the cost!

Surprise, Surprise, More Government Lies
From the outset of the financial mess the Irish Government currently find themselves is, they have tried pinning the blame on anyone but themselves and their big business buddies. They have been quite willing to perpetuate lies and untruths in order to deflect public ire away from themselves.

Mayo and Bolivia: The Fascist Link
For the last eight years the local communities in Rossport and Glengad, County Mayo have been resisting petro-chemical giant Shell’s plans for a high-pressure gas pipeline from the offshore gas fields to an online refinery at Bellanaboy. The project is a significant health and safety risk in the medium term, as admitted by Shells own engineers at a recent local forum examining the project. It already has caused high levels of aluminum pollution of the local water supply.

Direct Action Gets the Goods: Visteon Occupation Pays Off
The occupation of the Visteon motor parts factory in Belfast ended on May 3rd when the company gave in and agreed pay extra compensation of between six month’s and nearly two year’s money to the workforce for the loss of their jobs.

Thinking About Anarchism: The Politics of Climate Change
In recent years climate change has loomed large in the public imagination. Scientifically, there is little doubt that it is a real threat to the future of human civilisation. The greenhouse effect has been known about since the early 19th century - gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour trap heat from the sun, causing the climate of the planet to heat up over time. Probably the most spectacular known example of this effect in action is on Venus.

Film Review: Looking For Eric
Born of a Catalan mother whose family fought Franco’s forces in the Spanish Civil War and a father who juggled a nursing career and a passionate interest in painting, Cantona’s humble lineage portrays a character quite different to the one we should have expected from the one on the field, with his upturned collar and puffed out chest, his air always suggested that of a French nobleman; that and his football eventually led to him to be known as King.

Snouts in the Trough
Elections have passed, faces change but the corrupt political class remains. MPs of all parties made common cause in attempting to delay and minimise the disclosure of their fraudulent behaviour and life of grandeur and wealth, subsidised by the taxpayer.

That's Capitalism
Local DUP councillor, Adrian McQuillan seemed less than outraged at the sectarian murder of Kevin McDaid in Coleraine. He wrote it off as “tit for tat” and went on to excuse the killers: “What reason can you see for there being tricolours up yesterday afternoon, a Sunday afternoon? None other than for to get a reaction from the loyalist community…”

Race Hate Attacks in Belfast
At the time of going to press, only 14 of the 115 Romanians targeted in racist attacks in Belfast earlier this month have decided to remain in the country. The rest are returning home.

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