Over 30 years of anarchist writing from Ireland listed under hundreds of topics
Alexandre Skirda: Facing the Enemy: A History of Anarchist Organisation from Proudhon to May 1968 - review
Date: Tue, 2003-08-26 11:57
Facing the Enemy kicks into gear with a look at Bakunin's ideas on the necessity of anarchist organisation and thereafter studies individualist anarchism, syndicalism, the Organisational Platform of Russian exiles, a quick chapter on the Spanish movement and a somewhat bizarrely detailed account of post war French anarchism. Also, included are almost one hundred pages of original documentation mostly relating to the Organisational Platform.
Iraq war aftermath - Slaughtering democracy
Date: Sat, 2003-08-23 16:36
While most people understand the word democracy to mean that the people hold power, there is another meaning. According to the second meaning of the word, democracy means that the super-rich make all of the decisions while the people's job is to do what they're told, and to put a piece of paper in a box every few years. This 'democracy' is extremely hostile to any notions of popular involvement in politics. The US/UK war against Iraq, trumpeted as a war for 'democracy', illustrates what this 'democracy' means in practice.
What is Imperialism?
Date: Sat, 2003-08-23 16:27
Imperialism is one of those words that often seems to be little more than an effective way of making people stop listening to you. However, despite the frequency with which it is thrown around by left wing groups, with little or no explanation of the ideas behind it, it does have real meaning and is something that we can all recognise in the world around us - especially in this age of US wars against third world regimes.
Dublin bus routes to be sold off
Date: Sat, 2003-08-23 16:13
There is nothing wrong or "inefficient" in subsiding public transport. It's a lot cheaper to provide regular, dependable and affordable (or free!) buses and trains than to have even more car usage. More cars on the road means more road building, more road repairs, more traffic jams and more air pollution.
Bosses want to privatise buses and trains
Date: Sat, 2003-08-23 15:59
= more profits for the bosses
= traffic jams, pollution and crap service for travellers
= worse pay and conditions for workers
If you want to create Socialism - it must be based on Freedom
Date: Sun, 2003-06-01 22:32
Freedom without Socialism is privilege and injustice...Socialism without freedom is slavery and brutality
Anarchists also seek to create communism. But for us freedom plays a central role, not only in the future society, but in how we try to get there. That is why, when we talk of communism, we talk of libertarian communism
Industrial Collectivisation during the Spanish Revolution
Date: Sun, 2003-06-01 22:32
Within hours of the start of the Spanish revolution workers had seized control of 3000 enterprises. This included all public transportation services, shipping, electric and power companies, gas and water works, engineering and automobile assembly plants, mines, cement works, textile mills and paper factories, electrical and chemical concerns, glass bottle factories and perfumeries, food processing plants and breweries. (Image: Public transport was one of the first industries to be collectivised)
Repressing Abortion in Ireland - a doctor speaks out
Date: Sun, 2003-06-01 22:32
The Republic of Ireland has one of the most draconian abortion laws in the world. At present abortion may only be performed where continuation of pregnancy poses a 'real and substantial' risk to a pregnant woman's life - about 5 cases per year of 50,000 pregnancies. In reality a woman must be dying before a lifesaving abortion can be performed.
The trouble with Islam
Date: Sun, 2003-06-01 22:19
In Ireland we have seen the Hezbollah flag flown on demonstrations in Dublin and chants of 'God is Great' raised. On some London demonstrations it has been reported that chants of "Slay the Jews" and "Death to the socialists" have been raised. Another report on the same demonstration revealed that "ultrareactionaries of such organisations as Al Muhajiroun, ... held placards reading, 'Palestine is Muslim'. They chanted, "Skud, Skud Israel" and "Gas, gas Tel Aviv" .. In Trafalgar Square they hurled abuse (and a few missiles) at Tirza Waisel of the Israeli group, Just Peace."[1]
Has the Black Block tactic reached the end of its usefulness?
Date: Sun, 2003-06-01 22:14
As class struggle anarchists who recognize the importance of a diversity of tactics in order to attack Capital, the State, and oppression in an effective manner, we see the black bloc as an important tool of struggle. Only one tool among many, but an important one nonetheless.