Coup plotters’ fear isn’t losing power to Zelaya or Chavez, it’s losing power to Hondurans

-Neo liberal opposition chief doesn’t want minimum wage cut (that’s Enda Kenny to you and me)

-Joe Higgins talks about his first week in the EU parliament

-Majority of Irish people think economy will get worse. They’re not wrong!

The inclusion of loans granted by non-Irish banks would reduce some of the complexity in Nama’s work, as many of the developers who have loans moving to the new agency also have loans outside Ireland. With plans well-advanced for the publication next week of draft legislation to establish Nama, this may also reduce potential for disruption to the scheme from foreign banks taking court action against Irish developers.

So, are we cleaning up the banks or helping the developers continue to clean up in the market? We need functioning banks, not profit driven developers.

Source

Newspapers, in their current existence, aim to sell newspapers, that is their stated goal. They are, by and large, profit making entities. This, in my opinion, is a hindrance to the effective reporting of news. The profit motive in this sector leaves newspapers and journalists open far too much to the possibility of undue influence to write stories that sell newspapers or do not effect the entities which provide them with so much of their stories (The government for example).

There is an inherent contradiction in terms of journalistic freedom and independence in a market system that is very difficult to heal.

In recent years we have seen newspaper sales dropping off hugely, with many large print publications going out of business as a result in the loss of advertising revenues and competition from free to read online sources.

Perhaps a media system whereby newspapers are run as a non-profit would ensure a resolution to this problem. In such a system newspapers would still be bought by the reader, though likely at a significantly lower price. Removing the need to make a profit lowers costs for the entity and would remove barriers to effective journalism, thus removing some populist tabloid elements from broadsheets. This would undoubtedly raise the standard of journalism.

Revenue would comprise of newspaper sales and press funding donated by the state to an independent body which would then allocate funds to existing and new media foundations.

The states funding should not give it carte blanch to exert any kind of control over the media. An independent body would ensure that funding does not kick back influence.

State media in a socialist society would be a grave mistake. The state can make press releases and make its case, but propaganda of any sort should not be allowed. A democracy is only as healthy as its independent press.

-David ’120k’ Begg calls for a general election.

-Electricians will go back on strike after contractors reject Labour court’s decision. Joe Higgins writes about the electricians strike here

That’s enough for now I suppose.
-

If the trickle down theory was accurate, then taxes would be increased for the rich, especially in a time like this. Alas, capitalism is not a logical system, so faith in it will not allow better services and increased taxes to materialise.

I do enjoy the real news analysis, and I appreciate that they can not espouse any particular political views as that would disrupt any unbiased journalist ethics, but analysing these events from a capitalist perspective only gets us so far. The problem is not that the rich are not paying their fair share of taxes, but that they are allowed to earn these sums in the first place.

This may be an unfair perspective. The real news gives us the facts and a different perspective, allowing us to make of the story what we will.

Michael Martin today made an impassioned plea to the Irish worker. If you don’t vote yes, then the big boys in the big board rooms won’t want to come here and make millions from your labour while feeding you the scraps and leaving it to the real producers of wealth to bare the brunt of the tax burden.

While speaking at the MacGill summer school Martin said,  “A resounding Yes vote would send a strong political message to foreign investors that we are fully committed to the EU. This is the clear, positive message that I hope the people will decide to send on 2nd October,”.

He didn’t say that ratification would directly benefit the average worker, that living standards would go up, that there would be increased democraticisation in the workplace, or that economic and social gaps within society would be lessened. No, Michael’s vision for the future is one of a return to the normality of foreign interests shipping wealth from Ireland in return for a few short term, non sustainable jobs.

This is not growth minister, this is the kind of mindset that keeps in the lower half of developed nations in terms of equality among earners in society. With this inequality comes decreased standards in health, a rise in crime, a rise in mental illness, the breakdown of communities, the increase of greed and the general breakdown of a society based on trust. Equality source

Another unbiased statement from a member of the political class, our social and intellectual betters.

I held back from writing about John Bruton’s tirade on how passing Lisbon will greater allow the EU, and by extension, Ireland, to ‘influence’ the rest of the world. I do wonder what right the EU or anyone has to ‘influence’ the rest of the world considering it was direct nationalist imperialism, the old form of the current economic imperialism, that made the world what it is today (I don’t mean that in flattering terms).

Thank god I have assurances from these venerable gentlemen to assure me that Ireland and not corporate or capitalist interests will be served in the European parliament and on the European commission.

As a socialist, I support the coming together of citizens in a democratic setting on terms of equality, social justice and human rights. That does not mean that I can support institutions that portray themselves as following this model. I’ll gladly work with brothers and sisters from Germany, Luxembourg, Austria and Britain. I’ll work with and for their citizens, not corporate interests motivates by profit and income inequality as a tenet of their ideology.

Get ready for months of these op-ed pieces over the next few months. Oh dear.

Source

It’s an hour long and a good watch. If you’re looking for something inspiring and Irish, then this is it.

Edit: I can’t get it to embed, so here is the link

This always gets thrown up. How can anyone be ‘anti-Europe’, how can someone be capable of hating a whole continent? Yes, I’m opposed to the Lisbon treaty because it further perpetuates a neo liberal economic structure and for that reason alone, as a socialist, I can pick more holes in the treaty than your average non-socialist liberal or right wing freak.

It’s the nature of the EU that I disagree with. Of course I don’t agree with a Europe built around solidarity, peace and mutual cooperation. That’s what our brand of socialism is built upon.

Here are a few articles that detail quite well with the Lisbon Treaty. God knows we need better ammo and thicker hides this time around.

The peoples movement on the fisheries policy

Steve McGiffen, Assistant Professor of International Relations at the American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy in Paris. Article from indymedia

Campaign against the Lisbon Treaty articel on the arms industry in the Lisbon Treaty. Source

I will be starting to go through the Lisbon Treaty quite soon and getting my facts straight and my information in order for the shoutfest that waits ahead.

I usually prefer the articles that state where in the treaty they are getting this information. Footnoting is critical in articles of these kind. Article 28.3 will be one that I definitely remember. (“Member States shall undertake progressively to improve their military capabilities”)

It says a lot about our prospects for continued neutrality when it was Bertie Ahern who helped draft this document.

An insightful view into events in Iran and the capitalist press response.