Archive for the ‘Ireland’ Category
The Virus – Apocalypse Now?
This is a very gloomy CoronaVirus Warning – and it is credible.
The Monster Is Bursting Through Our Door
Pentecostal Christians – and probably many others – believe that at ‘the end of days’, which precedes the Second Coming of Christ, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will ride out.
The Four Horsemen are generally interpreted as being pestilence, death, famine, and war. If Pentecostals are thinking logically (as if) they should be expecting to see the Lamb of God some time soon.
In the wake of wars that have killed more than 500,000 since 2001 and an accelerating environmental crisis dramatised by the Australian firestorms, the current Covid-19 outstrips dystopian science fiction stories like Outbreak. What American Marxist author Mike Davis described as ‘The Monster at Our Door’ has, in a rather different form, burst through the door. Read the rest of this entry »
Fianna Fáil’s O’Callaghan supports national govt idea – Family Squabbles on the Right Wing of the Irish Political Establishment Nearing a Conclusion.
For nearly 100 years, since the foundation of the partitioned Irish State in 1921, Governmental Power has alternated between the dominant Fianna Fáil Party and its junior sibling Fine Gael – Tweedledum Versus Tweedledee. The February 8 2020 General Election Result ended this sham – FFFG between them secured 72 seats, well short of the required 80 seat majority. Until now a FFFG plus GG (Gombeens and Greens) Coalition Government looked likely as the third Irish Civil War party, Sinn Féin, was rejected by FFFG – considered to be too left-wing, especially by FF.
Now, a leading FF TD, Jim O’Callaghan, has changed the tune – we might see a SFFFFG Coalition.
Fianna Fáil TD Jim O’Callaghan has said that Fianna Fáil may have been too definitive in ruling out a government with Sinn Féin and said he would “go along” with the idea of a national government to deal with the coronavirus.
Fine Gael TD Martin Heydon insisted a functioning government was in place and that there were daily meetings of the emergency committee dealing with coronavirus.
He said the Taoiseach would have no issue in talking to other leaders and there was already full dialogue between the Minister for Health and other health spokespeople.
— Read on www.rte.ie/news/politics/2020/0308/1120949-government-formation/
‘Do the right thing’ – Vicky Phelan joins in call for St Patrick’s Day cancellation – Covid-19 Cases in Ireland Continue to Rise
Vicky Phelan has added her voice to those calling on the Government to re-think their move not to cancel St Patrick’s Day celebrations as the number of coronavirus cases here continues to rise.
The cancer awareness advocate, and previous marshall of a St Patrick’s Day parade, believes “human lives are at risk” by not cancelling the national celebrations on March 17.
Ms Phelan, who is living with terminal cancer and who is known for lifting the lid on the cervical cancer scandal, has already cancelled many of her public appearances due to the coronavirus outbreak here.
The Kilkenny native who now lives in Limerick said: “I am supporting our doctors and epidemiologists, like Professors John Crown and Sam McConkey and others who have called on the government to to postpone the St Patrick’s Day parade now. Not in a week’s time, or two days beforehand. Do the right thing now.
— Read on www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/do-the-right-thing–vicky-phelan-joins-in-call-for-st-patricks-day-cancellation-986492.html
Coronavirus is not responsible for the fall of stock prices – International Viewpoint – online socialist magazine
When the air is replete with inflammable materials, any given spark can cause a financial explosion, at any time.
Éric Toussaint of CADTM examines a worldwide stock market collapse.
Eric Toussaint is a historian and political scientist who completed his Ph.D. at the universities of Paris VIII and Liège, is the international spokesperson of the CADTM (Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt) , and sits on the Scientific Council of ATTAC France.
He is the author of Debt System (2019), Bankocracy (2015); Glance in the Rear View Mirror. Neoliberal Ideology From its Origins to the Present, Haymarket books, Chicago; “Debt, the IMF, and the World Bank, Sixty Questions, Sixty Answers”, Monthly Review Press, New York, 2010. He has published extensively in this field. He is a member of the Fourth International leadership. Read the rest of this entry »
Open the Borders! Let Refugees Enter Europe! Shameful Scenes at Greece-Turkey Border – Huge Anti-Racist Demonstrations in Athens
Brendan Young :
Great to see this demonstration in solidarity with Syrian and other refugees seeking escape from the terrible conditions of the camps in Turkey and Northern Syria. The Irish government should publicly distance itself from the despicable and shameful stance of the president of the European Commission who has praised the current right wing government of Greece as the ‘shield’ of Europe – by physically driving refugees from the border and killing some in the process. Urusla von der Leyen may speak in the name of the ruling bureaucracy of the EU and the governing parties of EU member states and be cheered by racists and neo-nazis, but she evidently does not speak for the ordinary people of Greece and many others across Europe. Open the borders: let refugees into Europe. Provide money to move people out of the overcrowded camps on the Greek Islands – not to further militarise the borders. End the struggle between the poor and the very poor for scarce resources caused by the the austerity which the EU imposed to pay for the bank bailouts, a struggle that is fueling racism and the far right, by lifting the EU restrictions on public spending so as to fund the housing, health and social services needed by both the existing population and migrants.
Dubai ruler organised kidnapping of his children, UK court rules | World news | The Guardian
The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, is an international criminal. Perhaps he will be the next monarch visiting President Michael D Higgins of Ireland in the Phoenix Park. It is time to stop grovelling to Royal Parasites. Read the rest of this entry »
Every state is a battleground – Howie Hawkins, Green Party USA Presidential Candidate in 2020 – Standing on the Ecosocialist Left Against the Democrats and Republicans
Every state is a battleground
— Read on solidarity-us.org/every-state-is-a-battleground/
Howie Hawkins is the Green Party Candidate in the USA 2020 Presidential Election.
He eloquently presents the case against making a “lesser evil” choice between the two wings of one American Capitalist Party – the Republicans and the Democrats. 
FFFGGG Government Emerges in Ireland
A Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael/Green/Gombeen (FFFGGG) Government Emerges – a Treble F Treble G GeeGee is galloping towards the winning post – lots of dosh waiting in the trough for the greedy nags.
Sinn Féin Talking to Fine Gael – and the Social Democrats Offering Coalition With Either Leo Varadkar or Mícheál Matrtin
A useful post from the Cedar Lounge Revolution Blog :
Okay, intriguing that FG are willing to talk to SF. Perhaps the penny has dropped with some that not talking is a bad look for political parties in a democracy. Can FF hold their line in light of this?
But more interesting again is the following from the SDs:
Ms Shortall and Ms Murphy reiterated the party’s position that they would not enter government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, but would consider serving in government with one of the two parties and Sinn Féin.
https://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2020/03/04/an-interesting-distinction/
The ballroom dances are not over! Coalition with FFFG is a one-way ticket into Dante’s Inferno.
