Tomás Ó Flatharta

Looking at Things from the Left

Posts Tagged ‘news

Polls: Trump’s approval rates at 100 days slump – Everywhere, including Ukraine and the USA

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Opinion poll numbers are very bad for the rapist-gangster US President Donald Trump. Details below come from Ukraine and Trump’s homeland, the USA.


Nearly 90% of Ukrainians do not trust Donald Trump, who is now marking his first 100 days as President of the United States.

Source :
100 Days of Trump and 90% of Ukrainians

Each year, the New Europe Center commissions an opinion poll. As part of the tradition, we ask Ukrainians how much they trust various foreign leaders.

Although Trump had not yet been inaugurated at the time of the last opinion poll, the New Europe Center still asked respondents for their opinion about him. The result was fairly optimistic — last year, nearly half (44.6%) of Ukrainians expressed trust in the new American leader.

Some might have considered this level of trust too low. However, compared to other European countries, the Ukrainian assessment was actually quite high. A few months before our opinion poll, the Pew Research Center found that only 16% of people in France trusted Trump, 30% in the UK, and the highest support came from Hungary, at 37%.

This relatively high score in Ukraine was seen as a reflection of general disappointment with the hesitant policy of Joe Biden’s administration toward supporting Ukraine, as well as hopes for peace based on the promises made by the newly elected president.

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Fascism in Ireland 1922 – 2025

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Compared with most wealthy capitalist countries (for example Russia, the United States of America, Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands) far-right racist politics have been late taking off in the two bits of Ireland in the early part of the 21st century. The article below – Irish Politics Affected by Fascism Since Partition in 1922 – provides useful context.

In my opinion it overlooks a critical reason for the relative weakness of racist poison in the 26 county bit of Ireland : the rise of a mass women’s liberation movement in Ireland since the 1960’s; collapse of the Catholic Church’s prestige and moral authority – especially since the early 1990’s – because of its criminal opposition to abortion, divorce, contraception, equal pay – and the institution’s role in systematic torture of women and babies in “homes”.

The 6 county bit of Ireland was not, strictly speaking, fascist – but this Orange State was “A Protestant State for a Protestant People” – and extreme right unionist parties have always shared racist and imperialist politics promoted by the British far-right.

Before the November 2025 Irish General Election far-right racist candidates hoped to build on a relatively significant breakthrough in the June 2025 European and Local Elections. However, a hero of Irish women, Nikita Hand, took a legal case, alleging violent rape, against the prominent kick-boxer racist Conor McGregor in October and November 2025.

More details here :

During the election campaign a woman called Nikita Hand took a legal civil action, alleging rape, against an international celebrity, the kick-boxing superstar Conor McGregor. McGregor is closely associated with a number of mini-Hitler racists, some of whom were elected to Dublin council seats in June 2024. These included Philip Sutcliffe (Dublin South-Central) and Paddy Holohan (Dublin South-West). Most rape trials in Ireland are held behind closed doors, and the details are not widely broadcast.

Link :

Irish General Election November 29 2024 – Return of a Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael Coalition – Setback for the Left

John Meehan April 28 2025


Irish Politics Affected by Fascism Since Partition in 1922

The Dublin riots, which caused an estimated €20 million worth of damage in November 2023, the violence that surrounded some of the protests in July last year and the week-long rioting in Belfast following the Southport stabbings shocked the political establishment in Ireland and the wider world. For decades there has been a political myth that Ireland is one of the few countries to have escaped the influence of fascist and far-right politics. The reality is that Ireland and Irish politics have been affected by fascism since the ideology first emerged a century ago.

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‘Do you like being shackled?’ Data shows ‘Trump slump’ of foreign tourists avoiding the US – Alternet.org

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P:olitical Poison is spreading – across the globe police state practices are mushrooming. The articles below paint a frightening picture of Donald Trump’s USA.

‘Do you like being shackled?’ Data shows ‘Trump slump’ of foreign tourists avoiding the US

Link :


Do You Like Being Shackled? Data shows ‘Trump slump’ of foreign tourists avoiding the US

A tourist takes a group selfie on the ?Big Bus? at Times Square in New York City, U.S., August 27, 2024. REUTERS/Kent J Edwards

According to preliminary government data released on Tuesday, visits to the United States from abroad declined by 11.6 percent in March compared to the same month last year, with international arrivals from China seeing a decrease of nearly 1 percent.

Wolfgang Georg Arlt, the CEO of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, told ABC that the number of leisure trips taken by Chinese citizens to destinations such as Disneyland, Hawaii and New York is significantly declining and is unlikely to rebound until after President Donald Trump has left office. He referred to this trend as the “Trump Slump.”

The U.S. tourism sector anticipated a strong year in 2025 for foreign visitors. After a significant increase in international arrivals in 2024, some predictions suggested that this year’s numbers could match those seen before the COVID pandemic.

However, just three months into the year, there has been a sharp decline in international arrivals. Amid reports of tourists being detained at the border, many travelers from other countries are opting to avoid the U.S. in favor of other destinations. Reacting to the administration’s harsh immigration policies, several nations have updated their travel recommendations regarding the U.S. Recently, Germany amended its advisory to stress that having a visa or entry waiver does not ensure admission into the country. The UK Foreign Office also updated its guidance to highlight the importance of adhering to all regulations, noting that U.S. authorities strictly enforce entry rules and violations may lead to arrest or detention.

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Welcome Galway News : Oughterard Community Calls on Government Minister Norma Foley TD to Stop the Eviction of Ukrainian Families

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Oughterard Welcomes All Link :


Oughterard, Galway Welcomes All – Stop Eviction of Ukrainian Families

PRESS RELEASE:

Oughterard Community Calls on Norma Foley – TD to Stop the Eviction of Ukrainian Families

A number of Ukrainian residents from Oughterard Manor, local TDs, and a group of residents known as Oughterard Welcomes All are urging Norma Foley to intervene and prevent the pending eviction of their neighbours.

A representative of the Oughterard Manor residents said:

“We have thirteen children under 18 years old. Six attend Scoil Chuimín agus Caitríona in Oughterard, three go to St. Paul’s Secondary School, one attends Muire Doireglinne, and three are in a community college in Galway.

We were sure we would stay in Oughterard as long as possible. The kids have friends, they love their schools and teachers. We already feel like part of the community. We’re attending GRETB classes, joining local interest groups, taking part in events, and working. Many local people support us and stay in touch — they are our friends. We feel safe and comfortable here. It has been our home for more than two years.”

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US base commander removed for refusing to lower Greenland and Danish flags at Pituffik Space Base – Small countries can humiliate imperialist bullies

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The latest news from the Greenland capital Nuuk tells us Yankee bullies have lost the plot.

Very few people live in Greenland; the population is only 56,000. The large island has attracted the attention of the United States of America (USA) super-power, which is blundering around in the Arctic wilderness.

The U.S. military announced Thursday it had removed Col. Susannah Meyers, commander of its Pituffik base in Greenland, stating it would not tolerate any pushback against President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Meyers sent an email to base personnel on March 31 distancing herself from U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s visit three days prior, according to the independent news organization Military.com.

President Trump’s threats are disintegrating in many parts of the globe; we should remember that small countries are not powerless. They can stand up to imperial mad dogs and inspire others. Danish Red-Green Alliance member of parliament Søren Søndergaard observes :

Finally, as you may know, Trump has announced that he is going to annex Greenland to the United States! Perhaps to gain free access to all of Greenland’s minerals. Perhaps to prevent other countries from using the new shipping routes that are appearing after the polar ice caps melt. Or maybe simply because if you add the territory of Canada and Greenland to that of the United States, the American territory will be larger than that of Russia and will constitute the largest country in the world. This gives a new meaning to the slogan ‘Make America Great Again’: ‘Make America “Great” Again’.
But the small and proud Greenlandic people have a saying: ‘Nothing about Greenland without Greenland’.

On Easter 1916 “the world did gaze with deep amaze” after small Ireland struck a deadly blow against the world’s then biggest imperial monster, the British Empire. This defiant message of resistance is immortalized here by Sinéad O’Connor and the Chieftains :

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On the Warpath Against Immigrants – Sinn Féin’s Wicklow-Wexford Teachta Dála Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin

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Here is pictorial evidence justifying a stark headline :

We republish one comment which sums up the appalling news :

You should be ashamed of yourself. Bet you’re going to mass on Sunday praising a white washed Middle Eastern man who told you of all things you should help a stranger. Is that Sinn Féins new policy? No wonder the younger members leave in droves.Mary Lou McDonald – Sinn Féin that’s the reason right here

We have a policy on this site of refusing to publish links with sites full of racist poison. The facebook site of Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin TD (Sinn Féin, Wicklow-Wexford) easily qualifies for this prohibition.

Is the racist policy of Fionntán Ó Súilleabhán TD an isolated Sinn Sinn Féin example?

The answer to this question is a resounding No.

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USA : “Ten National Unions Call for Anti-Trump Resistance” – Labor Notes, Natascha Elena Uhlmann, April 8, 2025

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Mass resistance to the far-right USA Donald Trump régime is growing. This Labor Notes article highlights a number of disturbing cases : people are being illegally detained by racist state forces and deported. Similar authoritarian anti-democratic developments are occurring in other countries, including Ireland.

The situation is far more grim in Putin’s Russia – that is where we are headed unless resistance grows.


Members of various unions rallied in protest March 27 outside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, where farmworker organizer Lelo Juarez and SEIU member Lewelyn Davis are being held. Credit: The Stand

Link :
USA : Ten National Unions Call Anti-Trump Resistance

Ten national unions and dozens of locals representing more than 3 million members have issued a joint statement demanding the release of immigrant workers recently snatched by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The statement names farmworker union leader Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez, who was picked up in what appears to be blatant retaliation for his organizing; SEIU Local 925 member Lewelyn Dixon, a University of Washington lab technician detained on her way home from visiting family; SEIU Local 509 member Rumeysa Ozturk, a graduate student whose detention by federal agents was captured in chilling footage; sheet metal worker Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a SMART Local 100 apprentice who was sent to El Salvador’s notorious prison complex; and United Auto Workers Local 2710 member Mahmoud Khalil, abducted by federal agents in front of his eight-months-pregnant wife.

The unions are also calling on employers, university administrators, and local governments to refuse to cooperate—and demanding that elected officials “find their spines.”

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French Far-Right Leader Marine Le Pen Sentenced to 5 Years jail (2 suspended) – banned from running for president for 4 years – a familiar story with many parallels

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Currently a right wing Irish coalition government has a parliamentary majority because of a pact with a proven corrupt racist politician from Tipperary Michael Lowry (a former Fine Gael government minister). A number of high-profile Irish politicians have corruption black marks against their names besides Mr Lowry : Former Fianna Fáil heads of government (taoisigh) Charles Haughey and Bertie Ahern; former deputy leader of the right-wing Progressive Democrats Michael Keating; and so on.

The USA White House is run by a convicted rapist, Donald Trump, who promotes the political ambitions of a convicted Irish rapist, the kick-boxer Conor McGregor.

Readers may have noticed that wealthy powerful criminals like Lowry, Trump, McGregor and Marine Le Pen from France do not give up trying to get convictions overturned :

Here is an extract from a routine Irish Times report, May 8 2023 :

This is the factual position :

“Mr Lowry, a former Fine Gael minister, was previously found by a tribunal to have behaved in a manner that was “profoundly corrupt”. (Irish Examiner, April 2).

Donald Trump is actively trying to get his rapist conviction overturned on very dodgy grounds :

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How to Handle Dilemmas – Chris Zeller responds to Hanna Perekhoda – European States must guarantee Ukraine can defend itself – but the call for general re-armament is wrong

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This is an important discussion because a Trump-Putin alliance threatens Ukraine.

What are the implications in Ireland?

A very simple policy should be supported by the left in Ireland :

We do not have a policy of “Neutrality” in the conflict between Israel and Palestine – we are for Palestine. We must not have a policy of “Neutrality” in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine – we must be for Ukraine. Trump-Putin are promoting genocide in Palestine and Ukraine.

Concretely, the Irish state helps Ukraine to clear mines planted by the Russian genocidal invaders.

The Irish left must support this measure.

Moving things forward :

Expand mine clearing and related non lethal military support.

That has to be the policy of the Irish left – no ifs and buts.

Alongside that, we must oppose any Irish state attempt to to join imperialist military alliances such as NATO – a firm policy of Non-Alignment is required.

John Meehan March 22 2025


Chris Zeller’s note, published on facebook, is addressed to Hanna Perekhoda, whose article is included in this blog post :
How to Finance European Defence and how not to – and how the Irish Left can assist Ukraine by all means necessary (TÓF)

How to handle dilemmas?

I understand your arguments. I share your argument that we need a perspective of solidarity for the whole continent of Europe. This perspective includes massive support for the Ukrainian resistance. However, the fact that the countries of Europe and the USA have so far given too little support to Ukraine is not due to military inferiority vis-à-vis Russia but has political and economic reasons. At least some important sectors of capital have always focused on resuming “reasonable economic relations” with Russia.

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“Horror and Disgust” over Donald Trump (convicted rapist) bullying Ukraine President Zelensky in White House – former Polish President Lech Wałesa speaks out – Paul LeBlanc responds

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Former Polish President and Labour Leader Lech Wałesa has denounced a thuggish attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Washington DC White House on Friday February 28. The perpetrators were a convicted rapist – the US President Donald Trump – and the rapist’s sidekick, the US Vice President JD Vance. TV viewers all over the world were shocked by these scenes. One day afterwards, Vance was forced to abandon a skiing holiday by many pro-Ukraine protesters in the New England state of Vermont.

This makes me so happy. Thank you Vermont. This is so deserving to the POS human being vance is. He was beyond rude to a world leader and showed that he had no breadth of the ongoing war in Ukraine. http://www.politicususa.com/p/jd-vance-f…

SlavaUkraini033 (@slavaukraini033.bsky.social) 2025-03-02T03:23:30.548Z

We thank Joan McKiernan for bringing us the Wałesa story, contained in a New York Times article (see below).

First, the historian Paul LeBlanc assesses the Wałesa statement.

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