Spontaneous IMF March Cork City

by John Tue Nov 23, 2010 10:26

I was on that march and it was quietly encouraging alright.
I was a bit puzzled by the emphasis on Fianna Fail though as it seems to me they are a dead duck anyway. Also I fail to see how a general election will change anything as whoever gets in will either become addicted to power and corrupted or find themselves bound up and made powerless by the failings of the system.
We should be much more concerned about the IMF and how we deal with that monster?

Also I would like to add a note of warning. People are naturally very angry right now and that anger needs to be expressed and processed but anger is addictive and easily manipulated.
It won't get us out of this on it's own. We need to be clever as well.

We need practical, politically neutral solutions that enable us to meet the bulk of our needs from within our communities and that help us develop a level of organisation that can effectively counter the resource grab that the IMF are planning. Here are a few suggestions:

Local resource directories - what skills and resources do people have in your neighbourhood?

Alternative currency systems - a means of exchange outside the euro that keeps wealth local

Local food growing projects - take over parks and wasteland to grow food collectively thus building trust and support and providing ourselves with a vital need

Occupying empty buildings for living space, work space, community meeting areas etc

Start thinking about your long term needs for water, fuel, heating etc - how can these be met from within your area. If they can't how can you make do with less? How can vulnerable people in the community be supported?

Make no mistake this is going to go on a long time. We need to start preparing now.
Good luck everyone
Look after each other.

by Dan Tue Nov 23, 2010 10:53

I agree with the poster that we need to be calm and clever about anger; otherwise we'll stress ourselves out and other mainstream parties will reap the rewards of office. Fine-Labour are not going to manage the macro level of the economy any differently from Fianna Fail. The poor and disadvantaged are going to suffer most whatever colour of coalition is cobbled together after the election. Have you seen the "position paper" of the IMF issued as a prelude to negotiations on that standby $77 billion 'support' for the Irish fiscal system? Headings include statutory government drastic cuts in welfare benefits and education - just the sort of things that inflicted pain thirty years ago on African, Asian and South American bankrupt states.

I might not think all the poster's ideas for local self help are adequate to the national cave-in about to swallow so many of us. The poster however seems to be on the right tack with emphasis on solidarity and co-operative activity by people at community level. Keep coming up with ideas, and start working out practical details for start-up.

by Margaret O'Regan. Tue Nov 23, 2010 13:53

To follow on, we are meeting again outside City Hall Wednesday night at 6 pm - it is important to be seen on the streets because we, as ordinary working class people, do not consent to the interference by the IMF, who will, if they are allowed, sell off utility companies, bring in private corporations to provide and charge for our basic needs, especially water, among other things, in the name of 'austerity' .

Demand that we take over ownership of Ireland's natural resources, especially the gas in County Mayo, and oil and other gas all along the west coast. These resources belong to the people who live in Ireland, not to corporations such as Shell.

Our political duty is 'revolution'.

Be at the City Hall on Wednesday at 6 pm.

by John Tue Nov 23, 2010 15:55

Geez, I wouldn't think they were adequate either Dan, just a few things that I know a bit about and so feel qualified to comment on.
You're right, to get out of this mess is gonna take much much more. The world will have to change so as to be almost unimaginable.
It would be great to hear more ideas and see the best ones being enacted. I won't be going to demos so much to show the ruling class my anger as to connect with others and see what we can come up with.

by shane ocurry - LASC - the Latin America Solidarity Centre Tue Nov 23, 2010 16:23

This is just the kind of responses that are needed.

If anyone can be in Dublin on Wed 1st dec. There is to be a public meeting on a response to the IMF/ECB intervention, from a justice perspective:

The meeting will be held at the:

Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin at 6.30 PM

Chair: Nessa Ní Chasaide, Debt and Development Coalition

Speakers: Michael Taft, UNITE, on the mechanics of the crisis and the intervention.
Jose Antonio Gutierrez, LASC, on the lessons from Latin America.
Siobhan O'Donoghue, Tax Justice Campaign, what are our alternatives?

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/98269

by Hilary - Photographer Tue Nov 23, 2010 16:40

@everyone, great comments, and I agree with all of you, especially to look after each other, and think local, massively important in these times.. we can have a huge effect on our local economies, and we can also try to be as self-sufficient as possible especially if we think outside the box.. we will need to be very resourceful in the coming times ahead, so I take great comfort at the attitude expressed here.

by James McBarron Tue Nov 23, 2010 21:06

These protests are a great start in mobilising people against the government and its policies. I'll be there and will work to get others along.

But after this government there will be another one. We do need to show them our power. We need to move from demonstrations to actions that deny them the ability to govern.

The unions should call a general strike. Shut down the country and demand real democracy, where the people actually decide what is to be done not a group of politicians behind closed doors with the IMF and EU.

Lets start that debate about the sort of society we want to see and how we go about getting it, so we don't end up in this place again.

by jimbob Tue Nov 23, 2010 23:01

I thought this was organised by SINN FEIN wasn't it?? And isn't tomorrows' a SINN FEIN protest too???

by cathie Wed Nov 24, 2010 07:04

absolutely great to see indymedia used for what i believe it's original intention was - public debate rather than sectarianism and pseudointellectual posturing. I hope that indymedia will be heavily promoted amongst the populace at these demos as an alternative to the pro-corporation pro-government mouthpiece that is mainstream media. Sure they are turning their knives on Fianna Fail now but not so long ago the residents of Rossport, in fact anyone who resisted state abuse, was unabashedly vilified in rag after rag.

I have left the country (like so many others) but would encourage those going to these protests not to allow them to be hijacked by other political parties - one thing that is always lacking I feel is concrete suggestions and encouragement, invitations for debate planning meeting etc. for independent communities to club together and take action. I couldn't agree more with the above posts regarding the street protest- it is a demonstration of solidarity a call to one another, not a plea to the overlords to behave. I've been to massive protests where people afterwards come away buzzing feeling fired up and empowered by how many others there are out there who feel equally as strongly about the situation, but that energy fizzles because we stand around listening to speeches (usually telling us if we vote for somebody else they will fix it all - in an inherently corrupt system??? hmmm...) and then we all trickle off to the cafe/pub/home. Nobody comes away with a clear sense of what they have to offer and a great many people underestimate what they personally have to contribute. While anger may be high, morale is likely to be low.

Educate Organise Resist!!

by ..... Wed Nov 24, 2010 20:49

love the way sinn fein placards say fianna fail sold us out,this is the same sinn fein that is calling for the northern ireland housing executive to evict people from housing when the protest against sectarian orange marches.
if sinn fein get into power they will sell us out again too just like they sold out the whole republican movement and republican struggle.
sinn fein would make the same fuck ups given the same chance.

by Seanie Thu Nov 25, 2010 05:34

Good demos and well attended but need to be broadened out. Fair enough, Sinn Féin organised them but led people to believe they were broad-based demos. We need to involve others on the left and leave people not attached to any party know that they too are welcome. Last night's demo was good and while there were non-SF speakers (Cllr. Ted Tynan of the Workers Party and John Baker of the WSM), it should be broadened out. Cllr. Mick Barry (SP) was also there for a while but for some reason he didn't speak. The banner and handheld placards were nearly all SF and some people were carrying posters of Gerry Adams.

by Leon Thu Nov 25, 2010 10:40

The Independent Workers Union has called a protest for 5pm on December 8th on Patricks under the title "Smash the Budget". It is an effort to rally people together against the government and its austerity program. All the left are paticipati

by John Baker Thu Nov 25, 2010 11:22

Point of info there Seanie,
although I am good mates with most of the WSM and work with them a lot I am not actually a member, being one of those odd souls who prefers to occupy the gaps between organisations than be in one.
Cheers
John

by marymary Thu Nov 25, 2010 13:09

I live away and with lots of worry and sadness and bitterness i've been reading about what they're planning and will possibly succeed in doing to my country and family....I live in Spain so it'll be coming to me personally possibly further down the line...I'm getting jokes at work (in bad taste seeing as it's bad news and I'm sensitive about this issue) about what we all owe to the rest of the europeans but if it were only that it wouldn't looks as grim as the price we'll have to pay to the dirty IMF and co. is a lot higher price.

I've not very well up on world economics but I know the IMF is BAD BAD BAD news for any country and will cause high unemployment/ emigration and a rise in the cost of living and they'll buyprivatise everything and we're being kidnapped and made into slaves.

There's lots of talk about the PIGS group and but funnily enough the name they've given to us is really what they are..................DIRTY GREEDY MANUIPULATIVE PIGS (to say the very least). I'm sure that a lot of you that read this site will be familiar with Naomi Klein's book THE SHOCK DOCTRINE - how ironic that I bought this book and read it last Xmas and now we all get a present of their long lasting recussions of SHOCK THERAPY this Xmas.

It's also ironic that lost of Polish people have come to Ireland in recent years after what the ISF did to them (for anyone who hasn't read Naomi Klein's book see the chapter on Poland) because the ISF destroyed them and left them with lots of unemployment (firghteningly at 40% among the young) and now it's going to be the Irish peoples turn.

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party Thu Nov 25, 2010 15:10

You hit the nail, girl, Naomi Klein's book should be compulsory reading for any new global citizenship aspirant.

Next time one of your Spanish amigo(a)s jokes about what we owe Europe ask them to deduct the billions of Euros they continue to extract from our fishing grounds, all dumped overboard by the compliant political consensus that chases the agri-vote for CAP dole.

Oh, and I do believe Xmas has been structurally adjusted to read 'Axe-mas'. No haircut for the gamblers(today's IT editorial is true to form in admiring and welcoming 'this gamble', an indication of the corporate vested interest in the restoration of market 'stability'), just a scalping for the already skint.

by Ray - Cork WSM Thu Nov 25, 2010 17:41

John Baker is not a member of the WSM, but he does have anarchist politics, by and large. It's always good to see a diversity of speakers at these events. It's also good to see the opposition to this stitch-up keeping up momentum.

by conchubour ui cruadhlaoich - Independent MInded Person Wed Dec 01, 2010 03:09

To whomit may concern

Just as the Irish Government indemnified The Vatican against ruinous litigation that threatens it as a result of it’s officers endemic abuse and betrayal of children for over 80 years, a crime so large and so lengthy that it defies comprehension, so too they are indemnifying the Irish Banking Sector, the European Central Bank and it’s investors (who hold assets worth 20 trillion euro, which is 5000 times the Irish DGP) for what is reckless behaviour, and as we see, abusive in character.

The victims are being punished for the crimes of their abusers.



Ireland’s people, you must awaken to the facts; there is pattern here, you have been abused in one way or another for many hundreds of years. Abusers always justify their abuse, and always post facto rationalise their decisions.

They have their apologists, of course. Those whose livelihoods are entwined with the abusers will resist being made to face the reality of their relationship with power. Media, Banking, Civil Service Mandarins and others who ‘lobby’ for their own personal gain – Unions who limit their protest to the issue of wages are an example, as are the mainstream charities who refuse to confront the abuses of Government face on.

People of Ireland, You cannot avoid facing this truth. You MUST not. To do so is to place your own children in jeopardy.

You must confront the abuser and stop any further abuses from taking place.

This means that you must also inform yourselves as to the means, methods and manipulations of the abuser, you must understand in detail how you have been abused, and how you have ‘adapted’ to that abusive status quo – for they who represent Power and The Status Quo will not let go voluntarily, and will not hand themselves in for indictment. Remorse is rare in their circles. And those who simply push them aside will repeat the same patterns, for such is the nature of centralised Power.

Evidence for this is everywhere, not least in The Vatican or the HQ of AIB.

To do all this will entail effort on your part, and perhaps some discomfort, and it will be an effort that will be necessary to sustain for some time. Such is the role of any parent.

You must separate yourselves completely from the abuser, and render the abuser to the Criminal Justice System for indictment, trial and conviction where the evidence supports it.

And by doing this you will re-assert your right to DECIDE at the grass roots the future path of Ireland as a PEOPLE. You cannot leave it to merely voting for people over whom you have no Power once they are in Office as in days of old.

Participative Democracy is perhaps the best way forward, and is technically easy to achieve with a well educated and diverse population.

It means that Power resides at the grass roots, and that the National and local Government and Civil Service sectors obey the grass roots and facilitate the needs of the grass roots.

It means that lobbying ends, that the party whip, which is fundamentally anti-democratic is abolished.

It means that every adult must become personally involved in this process, and that the voices and lived experience of the most vulnerable, be they child or adult are also taken into consideration and that empathy informs all decision making.

I wish for Governance by the most vulnerable, to set the tone of a future Ireland, where children are not abused by priests, where people are not abused by deprivation, where greed is treated as the ugliness that it is, where Society and Community and Environment are truly peaceful, empathic and sustainable.

It can be done; it doesn’t have to be the way it has been.

Kindest regards

Conchubour Ui Cruadhlaoich

Caption: Video Id: cGgXFxB-_tA Type: Youtube Video
IRELAND NEEDS THE IMF LIKE THE CHILDREN NEED THE VATICAN!