Opportunities for the working class

national | worker & community struggles and protests | feature

Thursday July 30, 2009 13:21

by Paddy Hackett

Mass rallies of workers

Cowen, Lenihan, and Coughlan
Axis of Eejits

The Fianna Fail government, by frantically rushing criminal legislation through the Oireachtas, is hoping to exploit "the law and order" issue ...

... as a desperate means of stemming any further loss in popular support while using this strategy as a platform to rebuild and expand popular support. It seeks to take over the Fine Gael mantle as "the law and order party". It hopes that by introducing such measures it can succeed in crushing crime. It hopes too that "law and order" will form part of the grand diversion from the economic disaster besetting Ireland. By wiping out crime and "making the trains run on time" Fianna Fáil hope that the resulting increasing authoritarianism of the state will transform it into a keener weapon for constricting the working class.

On the other hand the great weakness and inherent instability of the current government renders it, in many ways, a more dangerous regime. Like a bear with a sore head, it randomly hits out in all directions. But this unstable government may provide the working class with opportunities to strengthen itself by developing its political consciousness and action. The more the government randomly attack the working class the greater the chances of the latter's class consciousness and politics growing. This may lead to the tranformation of the Irish working class into a more politically advanced and class conscious class. Fianna Fail may be creating capitalism's grave by its current attacks on the Republic's workers.

The working class must take to the streets of the cities of Ireland as one united force. Even if it does not feel strong enough to engage in sustained and general strike action under the present debilitating conditions, there is nothing to stop it organising monster rallies outside of (so to speak) working hours. With the right slogans and demands such mass rallies can only but increase the strength and class confidence of workers while correspondingly weakening the self-confidence of the government. Workers are increasingly seeing through SIPTU's Jack O Connor's empty huffing and puffing on the air waves. The trade union leadership, let me say, has been appalling even in terms of its own narrow politics. Trade Unionist apparatchiks, like Manus O Riordan, should be on the air waves and elsewhere presenting the union position. Instead much of the union apparatii prefer to hide. They have not even the confidence to defend their own politics of capitulation.

Ahern and Cowan recklessly and irresponsibly wasted state resources, albeit capitalist, in order to venally maintain themselves in power. The relatively large increases in children's allowances and other benefits were meted out by them to buy votes and thereby win the last general election. These two politicos and their supporting nomenklatura were prepared to even put the interests of the capitalist system at stake in order to maintain themselves in power. It is surprising that there have been little, if any, calls to have Ahern and Cowan arrested and charged with the squandering of the state's resources. Ruairi Quinn T.D. has come, as I understand it, nearest to such a call.

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Comments (5 of 5)

John 'Six Figures' O'Donoghue should step aside

by Fred Johnston

Thu Jul 30, 2009 16:37

It would do no harm if Fianna Fáil took a measure of the anger abroad in the land and started by firing Ceann Comhairle, John 'Six-figures' O'Donoghue, who has spent the kind of money on trips abroad, en famille, as would purchase a fair-sized house. Novelist Martina Devlin, in her Irish Independent column today, fearlessly says what's what, and shows O'Donoghue as a symbol of what a self-serving mess Irish politics really is. I would expect that other writers would show the same political fervour and call for O'Donoghue's resignation. You won't get it, of course, because to resign takes moral courage, which is not the same as brass neck. Politicians of this ilk MUST go. They have done no good for the time they have spent slurping up our money, to paraphrase Ollie Cromwell. It's the shamelessness of 'Six Figures' that defies all justice, all sense of fair play, and gives the finger yet again to his constituents and the rest of the citizens of Ireland who are being asked to make sacrifices and 'share the pain.' Share the pain and dump Six Figures as an example. To your pens, people! He's in charge of anything artistic, grants and such, any more, so you're safe.

Crooks making laws

by old codger - pensioner

Thu Jul 30, 2009 15:45

Fianna Fail controlls every facet of this country,the Gardai , judiciary, media, and all state bodies . their cronies are planted in every nook and cranny over the years of their governance. It is common knowledge that many of their friends in the party have been involved in a variety of criminal activity. All party members claim that they are ignorant of these crimes and plead (due process for their pals that are found to be corrupt. The current minister for injustice is the man that climbed every tree in the country looking for Ray Burke, on behalf of his dear friend Berti Aherne, he pleaded for due process for his friend Burke when the dogs in the street knew that Ray was a criminal. The people of Rossport are still waiting for this due process for Ray and Berty but berties monkey the tree climber will do his best to see that it never comes about.
WHEN CRIMINALS ARE IN POWER THEY WILL NEVER ORDER THE POLICE TO INVESTIGATE THE CRIMES COMMITED BY THEIR FRIENDS. THE FACT THAT THEY CAN MAKE AND PASS NEW LAWS IS AN INDICATION OF JUST HOW SCREWED UP THIS COUNTRY IS.
Most of the party members have some knowledge of little miscrepencies comitted by their fellow members but choose to keep quiet about it. Does this not make them accesories to the crimes?
The ordinary people need to rise up and force these scum out of office.
VOTE NO TO LISBON.

class of 2009

by cable - Shell to Sea Cambridge

Thu Jul 30, 2009 14:47

'Class' is entirely irrelevant to this issue - all concerned citizens should take action against the oppression & corruption that have brought us to a point where the lowest-earners are expected to subsidise the highest, hospital wards are scheduled for closure, & honest people are jailed for legitimate protest.

So Near and Yet So Far

by Ken Lee

Thu Jul 30, 2009 14:05

Protesting at dust gathering buildings like Liberty Hall and the like at the incompetence and hypocrisy of many of the tenants wouldn't be a bad start.......

law order

by Con Carroll

Thu Jul 30, 2009 13:37

this bill which was signed by the president is akin to the policys of the aparthied facist state of south Africa of the 1980s. or the Chilean state under pinochet. isnt this what they did to people who opposded their facist government and murder machines.

one has to ask why a bill in the Dail was not passed to freeze the financial assests of the catholic church. to handcuff arch- bishops cardinals religious superiors after the ryan report.

one could name Mansfield, of City West Hotel. with his connections to FF bribing city councillors/politicians about property and land.

Monday 27. RTE religious correspondent .Joe Little. was under covert survellance by the cops in his place of employmet. Little was exposing the Irish political establishment, catholic church denying justice to people who are survivors of child sex abuse.

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Opportunities for the working class

Comments (5 of 5)