The election changes nothing - effective resistance needs to be built

Friday February 25, 2011 12:31

by Andrew - WSM

Today, in an even more meaningless exercise then normal, a minority of the population of Ireland will choose between two almost identical options as to who will implement the ECB / IMF austerity plans for southern Ireland. Outside of this plan the wealthiest 1% will continue to set economic policy tomorrow as they did yesterday and have throughout the last decades. The electoral circus we are now going through provides the rest of us with the illusion of control even though deep down almost everyone acknowledges the ritual as having no real impact on what policies are actually implemented.

The outgoing Fianna Fail led coalition that protected the interests of the richest 1% by attacking healthcare, education, jobs & pay is most likely to be replaced by a Fine Gael led coalition that will protect the interests of the richest 1% by attacking healthcare, education, jobs & pay. Both 'alternatives' put protecting the souths ultra low corporate tax as a major priority, way ahead of the needs of workers in the south. This is almost unchallenged by anyone even though it means in effect we are involved in a race to the bottom that robs revenue from health and eduction services for workers elsewhere in Europe. If we expect workers elsewhere in Europe to come to our aid in resisting the ECB's demand for reparations for the debts run up by the wealthy 1% during their property war then workers in Ireland would be wise to ditch the counter productive support for the low corporate tax regime we have been told is in our interests.

continues at http://www.wsm.ie/c/election-ireland-2011-resistance