[Download the PDF]
Why are they still running our
schools?
It's taken decades for the mask of evil to finally be fully exposed.
The report by the inquiry into child sexual abuse by pervert priests
in the Ferns diocese has at last exposed the suffering endured by
huge numbers for people.
Pushers Out! - The inside story of
Dublin's anti-drugs movement
Pushers Out tells the story of how people living in the North Inner
City and the South Inner City organised to save their communities
from heroin. Not relying on the state to solve their problems, they
started to organise themselves. One such working class organisation
is Coalition of Communities Against Drugs (COCAD) A review of the
book by by Andre Lyder
Elections in Haiti - What about
Democracy?
The 30th of September marked a new anniversary of the first coup
against Aristide in Haiti. That day, activists in 47 cities around
the world, held an international day of solidarity with Haitian
people who, once again, are suffering from the effects of a coup and
a bloody occupation under the command of the UN
Irish Ferries: Time to break the
law
The dispute at Irish Ferries is about greedy bosses, very greedy
bosses who want to replace their staff with modern day galley slaves.
Bad things happen: Tales from the
frontline in Iraq
"It was when we started killing innocent civilians. We killed over
thirty of them in a three month time period when I was there, in a
clear violation of the Geneva conventions."
Thinking about anarchism: Anarchism and
human nature
It is a very sincerely held belief by many people, that we are
"naturally" greedy, rotten feckers and, in the absence of government,
some mad form of capitalism would be inevitable
Swedish and Finnish Commuters Take
Direct Action for Free Public Transport
In Stockholm, Gothenburg and Helsinki commuters are taking the
initiative in the fight for decent, free public transportation. Here
Oisín Mac Giollamóir interviews Anna from the planka.nu
campaign.
2 Years In Jail For Criticising
Islam
Text of a letter recieved by the WSM from the Workers Communist Party
Of Iraq.
Tescos Exploits Foreign Workers
During July and August, major Polish newspapers, TV and radio
stations carried a story about two Polish workers, who were dismissed
from TESCO in Dublin, because of their fight for workers' rights..
One of sacked warehouse attendants, Radek Sawicki tells us about the
struggle against TESCO and its consequences.
Why Would Gays Want To Marry?
The issue of gay marriage has come to the fore again recently with
both Canada and Spain approving bills to make it legal. In this
interview we talk to Judy Walsh, from the Equality Studies department
in UCD about how marriage and partnership rights are currently
constructed in Ireland.
Politicians - We Don't Need
Them!
Unelected bodies 'quangos', have responsibility for a wide share of
Irish society from the health service, to tourist promotion, to
inland fisheries. And who gets appointed to these boards? The wealthy
and the powerful.
The Price of Being Reasonable
There were fewer strike days last year than in any year since the
1920s. At the same time the number of disputes referred to the Labour
Court was up 21%. Does this mean that 'going through the procedures'
and being 'reasonable' is paying dividends of workers?
Solidarity - The Working Class
Weapon
Sympathy strikes are a workers' best weapon as individually we have
little power compared to the boss. Standing together, however, we can
defend our rights. The bosses know this, hence the attack on even the
barest form of solidarity by workers
Popular Response to Shell's Pipeline
Shows Way Forward
Over the Summer in a small corner of Mayo a mass campaign of
non-violent direct action systematically, and in part spontaneously,
shut down a major development being carried out by several
multi-national corporations and the state.
Rebel Girl: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn's
Autobiography
Though born in the US, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was of Irish descent
and came from a long line of rebels and revolutionaries. She begins
her autobiography describing the exploits of some of her ancestors
who joined the French when in 1798 they landed in Killalla Bay to
help free Ireland from British rule and set up an Irish Republic.
As Capitalists Waste Earth's
Resources...... Organise for a Free Society ...For Anarchism
As another summer draws to a close, it's worth taking a snapshot of
the state of the Ireland as the dawn of the 21st century casts its
light upon us. The struggle for equality and justice continues
unabated, whilst our elected 'leaders' and their corporate paymasters
keep their head in the sand.
Thinking About Anarchism:
Organisation
There is no one right form of anarchist organisation. Rather,
different forms are used for different purposes. What all these forms
have in common is a desire to avoid the creation of any hierarchy
while at the same time making sure that whatever needs to be done
gets done.
That's Capitalism
Crazy bosses, tax cheats and starving children
[Download PDF file]
People Power Confronts Shell
The jailing of 5 Rossport men for refusing to allow Shell to install
a potentially lethal pipeline has suddenly focussed attention on the
whole project. But it has done more than highlight safety issues. It
has highlighted the cosy relationship between business and the Irish
State.
Dangerous Men Loose in Dublin
Garda Brutality : Business As Usual with the death of Donegal man
Richie Barron and other cases
Found: CAZ and Barracka Books share
premises
New radical spaces in Cork city - The Cork Autonomous Zone (CAZ) and
Barracka Books, a workers' co-op.
Gama Workers' Strike Wins Back Stolen
Cash
The striking Gama workers got back the part of their wages which had
been stolen by their employer and hidden in a Dutch bank; and at the
end of May they voted to accept terms relating to overtime. A big
bullying multinational construction firm had manners put on it.
Review: 'Anarchism & Environmental
Survival' by Graham Purchase..
The book sort of falls between the polemical and academic stools.
It's too short and under referenced to be truly academic yet lacks
the bite and poetry of good polemic. That said there are some new and
fairly fascinating ideas here.
Irish Ferries Fly The Jolly
Roger
Agencies like CF Sharp Crew (which was Salvacion's employer by the
way) have been used by shipping companies for decades as a device to
drive down sailors' pay, and to take the blame or legal
responsibility for horror stories like Salvacion's . They operate in
countries where labour laws are so unfair and so weakly applied that
they facilitate this robbery from labour by ruthless profit-seekers.
The G8, Live 8, and Africa - Taking
Hypocrisy to New Levels
There is always a temptation to welcome any well intentioned efforts
to make the world a better place and those who concentrate on
criticising others' efforts to improve the world can find themselves
being easily dismissed as cynics and knockers.
That's capitalism
Includes Money for Bertie's make-up, Money for Bankers, Money for
Management, Money for Nothing but No money for starving children
Anarchism and the WSM
Recently, members of the WSM have been agitating with the Dissent
network in Scotland against the G8.We're also involved on a more
local basis, from the "stand up for your rights campaign" aimed at
unionising unorganised workers, anti-racism, and trade union
struggles.
Thinking about Anarchism -
Social Revolution
Anarchists often talk of the 'Social Revolution' as the event which
will destroy hierarchical and exploitative institutions, thus opening
the way to living our lives according to our desires.
INTO Branch Opposes Tactics Of Deportation
Cops
The Dublin City North Branch of the INTO has passed a motion
endorsing the call by outgoing union president, Austin Corcoran, that
all schools become safe places for all children -to be given the
status of embassies. It is hoped that more branches within the union
will take up this issue and that by next year's annual congress a
campaign will be launched in the union to make this a reality
Man Deported Because Of Garda Brutality
Cover up
In the early hours of May 19th Michael Alabi was deported by the
Irish State. Michael was resident of a hostel in Lower Gardiner
street and was part of a group of Nigerian men who decided to go on
hunger strike to protest against the department of Justice's
draconian immigration policies.
[Download the PDF file]
The Murder
Machine
Thousands of US soldiers desert rather than fight or die for Bush in
Iraq
Postal Workers Under
Fire
Interview: An Post and the Threat of Privatisation I hope things will
come around and that at the end of the day we will manage to save An
Post from privatisation. You don't want to think the opposite,
because it is your job. But the truth is that all the signs,
everything is pointing the other way around.
The great Housing rip
off
Whether we pay rent or a mortgage, the cost of keeping a roof over
our heads takes up a huge proportion of our income - those of us who
are 'lucky' enough to be in a position to do so. Everywhere we look -
both in Dublin and other cities and also in small rural villages and
towns - the skyline is dotted with cranes and houses and apartments
seem to be springing up everywhere.
The Iraqi
'Resistance'
A Closer Look at the Forces Fighting the US in Iraq. It is clear that
there is no single 'resistance' in Iraq but rather a network of
organizations often with conflicting end goals once you look beyond
the question of removing the US presence.
International Women's
Day
International Women's Day (IWD) is on 8th March and is an inherently
political event that started in 1910 when Clara Zetkin proposed that
it be celebrated every year around the world at the Second
International Conference of Socialist Women.
Book Review: Peter Kropotkin's Masterpiece 'The
Conquest of Bread'
The first thing that really strikes you about the book is the
simplicity of the arguments: the author describes clearly the basis
of anarchist communism, without resorting to obscurities which,
usually, veil one's lack of arguments.
Water
Tax
They want to take more money away from us. The British government
plans to impose a water charge averaging £340 a year in Northern
Ireland. That's for 2006, and we can be sure it will rise every
year.
Red Ink
Bookshop
Review of the new Radical Bookshop in Dublin's Temple Bar
Cork City: Culture
of Capital
A group of artists in Cork, aware of the lack of affordable work
space, took over an empty building in the centre of Cork at the
beginning of February.
Liberty
It is often said that there are two types of liberty, positive
liberty and negative liberty, or, roughly, 'freedom to...' and
'freedom from...' This, I believe, is a false and meaningless
dichotomy
Internet Review: Dissent Network Against the
G8
The Dissent! Network was formed to provide a networking tool to
co-ordinate radical resistance to the upcoming G8 (the 7 richest
countries in the world plus Russia) Summit in Scotland. The network
was founded in the autumn of 2003
Getting organised for a
brighter future
We are social creatures. We cannot do many things on our own, we
flock together, and in most cases we solve our problems
together.
That's
Capitalism
Bank Robbers and Robbing Bankers - Brazen Wolves, Obedient
Sheep
Tricky Taoiseach Turn
Pink
The madness of the 'socialist' beloved leader is there for all too
see. Dear leader, socialism means more than letting the commoners
into the parks. and the Botanic Gardens.
War and
Peace
Let Them Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is
Shannon Activists
Trial
The State Persecutes the Ploughshares People
Zapatistas: An
Inspirational Decade On
The importance of their rebellion is not in the brief military
struggle that took place 11 years ago but in the society they have
built in the years since.
Working in a Music
Store
Who'd Have Thought Exploitation Could Be So Hip?
Social Space is the
Place
Seomra Spraoi Initiative Aims to Create Radical Social Space
that's
capitalism
Tax fraud and hospital beds
Devolution Ain't No
Revolution
For almost a month in late November/early December we were treated to
nightly reports from RTE journalists and others - delivered in bated
breath - on the possibility of a return to "devolved government" and
"power-sharing" in the North
Anarchism in
2004
Last year the Workers Solidarity Movement celebrated its 20th
Birthday. It was also a year of firsts.
Communist
anarchism
Anarchists have a rounded conception of freedom; it is not merely the
absence of tyranny, but the meaningful opportunity to shape one's own
life. As well as being free from, one ought to be free to do.
