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Recent articles by Dara MacAoidh
I prossimi attacchi ai lavoratori irlandesi 0 comments Recent Articles about Ireland / Britain The LeftSinn Féin: From Full Confidence Of Victory To Arrogance And Entitlemen... Jun 13 19 An inevitable division: the politics and consequences of the Labour sp... Feb 27 19 Absolute boy - The Youth Revolt that led Corbyn to a victory of sorts Jun 15 17 The Coming Attacks on Irish workers
ireland / britain |
the left |
opinion / analysis
Thursday July 07, 2011 22:02 by Dara MacAoidh - WSM
an analysis of the current tasks for rebuilding class power in Ireland After the hyperbole of the election campaign, we have started to realise that rumours of a new day in Irish politics were greatly exaggerated. Somewhat deflated, we now sink back into the same old crisis. While the limited exposures of the Moriarty tribunal [ed: a public inquiry into political corruption in Ireland] have shown us how politics works for the rich, we are about to learn exactly how it works for the rest of us. [Italiano] The Coming Attacks on Irish workersAfter the hyperbole of the election campaign, we have started to realise that rumours of a new day in Irish politics were greatly exaggerated. Somewhat deflated, we now sink back into the same old crisis. While the limited exposures of the Moriarty tribunal [ed: a public inquiry into political corruption in Ireland] have shown us how politics works for the rich, we are about to learn exactly how it works for the rest of us. The new Government is as burdened by debt as the old, equally bound by the bailout and its conditions. There will be more taxes and more cuts to services; less and less money for the bulk of the population. Labour and union leaders collude, looking for ‘efficiencies’ in the public sector. A cut by any other name still wounds as deep. If the union leadership won’t fight the cuts and taxes, and they have shown no signs that they will, then there’s no existing organisations that can take on the Government and force them to change course. Although the ideal option would be for a radical wing of the union movement to gain enough influence to bring their organisations into a confrontational position and mobilise the membership into active resistance, the current state of play makes this seem unlikely. There are Left activists working in the unions and there is some coordination in places, but there is nothing that is capable of overturning the obstacles within them of undemocratic structures and an entrenched leadership. Where there is democracy there is hope, but the unions cannot be relied upon to lead resistance to austerity. In the absence of any positions of significant strength, the Left should seek a place to start building from. The coming imposition of local taxes, either as water charges or property taxes, gives ample opportunity for this, as there are no entrenched organisational structures to control and misdirect opposition. Instead, Left activists have the opportunity to build afresh, using the experiences of the previous Bin and Water Tax campaigns to plan an effective short and medium term strategy. Looking at these community struggles, there is a common lesson; the base of a strong campaign is in participatory local groups. It is ongoing mass involvement that gives people the confidence and the willingness to take the actions needed to win. The same was true in the British Poll Tax struggle in the early 1990’s, which was successful due to the combination of strong, democratic local groups and a clear strategy of non-payment. The specific form of resistance that should be favoured will depend on how the tax is to be imposed, but mass action should be the priority for both effectiveness and future prospects. The other element is of moral legitimacy. Fine Gael and Labour will justify their attacks through the handy excuse of the Fianna Fail ‘heritage’ and claim that water taxes are an ‘environmental measure’. This is a thin excuse for a nasty and unfair tax, but it’s not going to be challenged strongly in the mainstream press. The Left does have the advantage here of 5 United Left Alliance TDs to kick up a fuss and command coverage, but the major outlets will do their best to mock, discredit and outnumber them. Therefore, anti-tax campaigns should also focus on building up involvement in local media projects as part of a broader policy of developing an alternative media sphere to undermine the dominance of state and corporate outlets. Ultimately, the natural home for a progressive movement is in unions. As the Water, Bin and Poll Tax campaigns all show, serious Left involvement in community campaigning can help stave off attacks, but the dissipation of energies after their conclusion should be a warning sign. Any gains in organisation from these struggles needs to contribute to building a radical and democratic presence in the unions. The new Government, like the last, is tied to the concerns of the European Central Bank. It would be foolish to think that an effective opposition to this destructive drive can be conjured out of thin air, just because it is sorely needed. Those in search of a better alternative should focus on developing the organisations and movements that can push such an agenda. Focused campaigns against local taxes can be a part of this process, they won’t be enough, but they can start the process of building an opposition strong enough to matter. WORDS: Dara MacAoidh
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HauptseiteSupport Sudanese anarchists in exile Joint Statement of European Anarchist Organizations International anarchist call for solidarity: Earthquake in Turkey, Syria and Kurdistan Elements of Anarchist Theory and Strategy 19 de Julio: Cuando el pueblo se levanta, escribe la historia International anarchist solidarity against Turkish state repression Declaración Anarquista Internacional por el Primero de Mayo, 2022 Le vieux monde opprime les femmes et les minorités de genre. Leur force le détruira ! Against Militarism and War: For self-organised struggle and social revolution Declaração anarquista internacional sobre a pandemia da Covid-19 Anarchist Theory and History in Global Perspective Capitalism, Anti-Capitalism and Popular Organisation [Booklet] Reflexiones sobre la situación de Afganistán South Africa: Historic rupture or warring brothers again? Death or Renewal: Is the Climate Crisis the Final Crisis? Gleichheit und Freiheit stehen nicht zur Debatte! Contre la guerre au Kurdistan irakien, contre la traîtrise du PDK Meurtre de Clément Méric : l’enjeu politique du procès en appel Ireland / Britain | The Left | en Sat 20 Apr, 03:14 SP MEP to debate whether voting in the referendum is “a waste of time” at Anarchist Bookfair 16:01 Sat 26 May 0 comments Socialist Party MEP to debate whether voting in the referendum is “a waste of time” at Anarchist Bookfair this weekend Hundred thousand demonstrate against the four year plan in Ireland 04:37 Tue 30 Nov 0 comments Despite freezing temperatures, an estimated one hundred thousand people were on the streets of Dublin today to take part in the ICTU demonstration against the draconian four year plan, which is raising taxes on low paid workers, slashing wages, social services and cutting social welfare. The WSM took part in the demonstration with the 1% Network, highlighting the wealthy 1% of the population who own 34% of the wealth, and pointing out that only a general strike can force them to back down from making us pay the full costs of the crisis. Marching on the richest 1% in Dublin 00:33 Sat 16 Oct 0 comments Along with other left groups the Workers Solidarity Movement has launched the 1% Network in Dublin which held its first succesful event last Saturday, a walking tour through one of the richest bits of the city. Because Ireland was so globalised internationally and so dependant on a property boom domestically the crisis is deeper here than almost anywhere else in the world. Savage cuts have been imposed on workers and the unemployed with more to come as the cost of the bank bailout exceeds 50 billion, an immense figure for a population just over 4 million. The 1% Network aims to shift the conversation away from 'everyone's to blame to making the richest 1% who benefited the most from the boom carry the costs of the crash. Mayday marches in Ireland 18:12 Tue 04 May 0 comments Reports, images, video and audio from the 1st of May demonstrations in the Irish cities of Dublin, Derry and Cork republished from the WSM site. Social Solidarity Network : Time To Get Organised 19:28 Tue 10 Nov 0 comments The Social Solidarity Network "is a grouping of people who have come together to provide a forum for workers and communities to unite to resist the attacks and to build links across the many struggles which will break out over the coming months" that Workers Solidarity Movement members are involved in. Some 7000 copies of this SSN text were distributed on the Nov 6th ICTU demonstration against cuts in Dublin. Sinn Féin: From Full Confidence Of Victory To Arrogance And Entitlement Jun 13 0 comments Eimhéar Ní Fhearóir responds to the election analysis offered by Sinn Fein's Natalie Treacy. Eimhéar Ní Fhearóir is an anarchist who was previously involved with republican activism. Absolute boy - The Youth Revolt that led Corbyn to a victory of sorts Jun 15 0 comments Corbyn’s strong showing in the June 2017 UK elections has given a big morale boost to the left. A considerable youth vote, self-mobilising in larger part as a reaction to the ‘me and mine’ selfish society revealed by the Brexit vote seriously set back Tory plans for a fresh wave of Brexit required austerity. Activists used social networking to overcome what had previously been seen as an all powerful smear machine of the billionaire print press. Very few outside the radical left expected this outcome, what drove it and more importantly where can it lead? Anarchist Lens: The Clare Daly Affair Jan 31 2 comments Clare Daly’s was elected to the Dáil in 2011. A founder member of the Socialist Party, Daly was initially hailed as a bright new voice for Ireland’s parliamentary Left. But in strange and controversial circumstances, Daly left the Socialist Party in 2012 on foot of her defence of fellow TD and tax fraud, Mick Wallace. In this first post from the Anarchist Lens, Daly’s about turn is examined from an anarchist point of view. Beyond the Slogan of a General Strike - Mc Glone wasn't all wrong Nov 27 0 comments The numbers at Saturday’s anti-austerity march were impressive given the relatively low key build up, but what was more impressive was the militant mood of the protesters. This was exemplified by the booing and heckling of ICTU president Eugene Mc Glone with chants calling for a General Strike. Mc Glone, in the style of a seasoned professional union official managed to pick himself up and give a speech which though cynical in delivery, bore more than a grain of truth that the radical left should not dismiss out of hand. In Ireland Majority refuse to choose flavour of austerity in referendum - Jun 01 0 comments With votes still being counted in the referendum in Ireland it has become clear that the largest block of potential voters refused to take part in the fiscal compact referendum, rejecting the arguments that they could either vote for 'stability' or against 'austerity'. Quite possibly more people chose to boycott the referendum then the combined Yes and No voters. On top of this some 17% of the population who live and pay tax in Ireland were excluded from voting at all in the referendum. This means as many as 2/3 of the adult population did not vote in the referendum. [Italiano] more >>SP MEP to debate whether voting in the referendum is “a waste of time” at Anarchist Bookfair May 26 Workers Solidarity Movement 0 comments Socialist Party MEP to debate whether voting in the referendum is “a waste of time” at Anarchist Bookfair this weekend Social Solidarity Network : Time To Get Organised Nov 10 Social Solidarity Network 0 comments The Social Solidarity Network "is a grouping of people who have come together to provide a forum for workers and communities to unite to resist the attacks and to build links across the many struggles which will break out over the coming months" that Workers Solidarity Movement members are involved in. Some 7000 copies of this SSN text were distributed on the Nov 6th ICTU demonstration against cuts in Dublin. |