Old but interesting: a post June 25th Forum discussion on the ULA and its constituents
This old thread from ‘Red Writers’ is interesting, not least for a view from inside the SWP of that party’s approach to the ULA.
http://redwriters1.blogspot.com/2011/06/reform-or-revolution-reflections-on-ula.html
DD
ULA conference 4th February: independent thinking
Some exchange of thoughts between independents on the forthcoming ULA conference on 4th February has begun over at:
http://www.politicalworld.org/showthread.php?t=10659
and
http://www.politicalworld.org/forumdisplay.php?f=288
As an aid to discussion among independents in the lead up the ULA conference on 4th February here are some articles on the ULA from independent activists associated with CIL (the – perhaps finally defunct? – Campaign for an Independent Left):
http://www.irishleftreview.org/2011/…posals-future/
http://www.irishleftreview.org/2011/05/20/hope-ireland/
https://tomasoflatharta.com/2011/06/24/build-the-ula/
https://tomasoflatharta.com/2011/11/2…-eddie-conlon/
Proposal for a Left Unity (ie ULA-related) Blogging Network.
A very loose pooling together, or unionising, of United Left Alliance related blogposts.
Every time a ULA-related post is published, it can be republished on a central distributing facebook page and/twitter. This way, nation-wide, regular members can part-take in policy development on a horizontal level.
We would encourage anyone and everyone to start a blog on whichever aspect of the United Left Alliance that interests you most. Be that the general development, or more specifically on policy development. ie “United Left Alliance – Ecology Policy Blog”.
Twitter – http://twitter.com/LeftU_BlogNtwrk
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Left-…30558593642145
Directory of ULA relevant blogs(in alphabetical order)
http://ranksavagespit.wordpress.com
http://redwriters1.blogspot.com
http://revolutionaryprogramme.wordpress.com
http://uncorruptablesocialism.blogspot.com
http://weareragbags.wordpress.com
http://weonlywanttheearth.blogspot.com/
Happy Blogging!
Was Liam Cosgrave’s 1973-77 Fine Gael-Labour Coalition the worst-ever Dublin Government?
On many occasions Gene Kerrigan has argued that the Bertie Ahern coalition elected in 2002 was the worst-ever Dublin Government.
Back in January 2006, this column argued in some detail that the then government, headed by Bertie Ahern, was the worst in the history of the State
Surely the Liam Cosgrave-led 1973-77 Coalition deserves this honour –
The record speaks for itself : Read the rest of this entry »
Boston College Betrays Interviewees
The legal dispute between Boston College and the British State over the “Belfast Project”, a series of confidential interviews with participants in Northern Ireland’s “Troubles”, has taken a dramatic turn in a foul direction :
Some background: Boston College sponsored the Belfast Project, an effort to secure interviews with former members of paramilitary organizations on both sides of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Because such a project would require people to speak frankly about their participation in acts of unlawful violence, the project’s researchers promised participants that their interviews would be embargoed until their deaths. Each tape and transcript of an interview with a former member of the Provisional IRA, for example, or the Ulster Volunteer Force, would be closely held in BC’s Burns Library, securely locked away from historians and journalists until the contents of the material could no longer cause legal harm or political retribution to the interviewee.
http://chrisbrayblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/boston-college-time-for-resignations.html
More news will follow.
Internment of Marian Price, Attempted Extradition of Seán Garland
Very Good News – it seems Seán Garland, long-time leader of the Workers’ Party and a veteran of the Irish Republican movement since the 1950’s, has won his battle against the United States government, which wishes to charge him about accusations of currency forgery.
http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/sean-garland-extradition-refused/#comment-111337
Many people put their political differences with Garland and his party to one side, and supported the anti-extradition campaign.
One example is the United States socialist Gerry Foley: Read the rest of this entry »
Occupy and the Tasks of Socialists by Pham Binh
The Occupy movement is not as marginal as its Dublin manifestation might suggest. Here an American socialist participant, Pham Binh, long an advocate of the broad new left approach, reflects on how socialists are relating to Occupy in the US:
http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/occupy-and-the-tasks-of-socialists/
Tomás Ó Flatharta 