It has been said that we live in a business run society which is characterised by business parties masquerading as political parties and a 'political class' that implements policies which more often than not puts the interests of 'big business' ahead of the well being of the general populace. The unprecedented nature of bank bailouts in this country along with continued and debatable payments to bondholders with an apparent absence of serious public consultation let alone a referendum on matters with such wide-ranging and generational consequences seems to lend some credence to this characterisation of modern society.

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Morgan Kelly tells it like it is AGAIN. Essential reading. | Show me the money | Tahrir comes to Spain | Reflections on President Obama's Visit to Ireland. | Come celebrate a decade of resistance to Shell | willing slaves |
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The empathic civilisation (RSA)
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George Carlin: "It's called the american dream...Because you have to be ASLEEP to believe it"

Is the Irish social welfare system for the birds??

Below is the first in a series of articles relating to social welfare within the twenty six counties. Amongst the specific issues dealt with will be cutbacks, 'fraud' and the broken promises and hypocrisy of the Fine Gael/Labour coalition less than 100 days after taking office

Related Links:
Jobs not dole! - Donaghmede Public Meeting | Jobs not dole! - Phibsboro Public Meeting | Respect the Human rights of all people living in Sub Standard Local Authority housing | Show me the money | Why going Dutch is going for broke | Kenny and Gilmore merely Puppets On A String | New Cabinet faces, same tired politics |
Eirigi Links:
Main Eirigi website
EirigiSligeach website

Minister Joan Burton 0.01 Mb Donegal News June 2 0.34 Mb socialwelfarecartoon1.jpg 0.07 Mb

Jim Cusack does it again

Sunday Independent journalist Jim Cusack has a consistent track record of writing highly dubious stories, based solely on anonymous Garda sources. In the June 19th edition of the newspaper, he makes a lame but insidious attempt to mitigate the behaviour of the Gardaí in Co Mayo who recorded themselves talking about raping women in their custody last March. He claims to have been shown new video footage, supposedly of the incident on March 31st, and this forms the basis of his article. Unfortunately for him, this footage, if it exists at all, is clearly not a recording of the incident in question.

Related Links: ‘Give me your name and address or I’ll rape you’: the reality of Corrib policing | Report on Dail protest against rape comments by gardai | Business as usual for Gardaí – trying to smear women in ‘rape tape’ controversy | NewsTalk 106 Transcript: Sunday Indo v. Indymedia.ie on Dublin Riots

The evidence Quinn failed to acknowledge
on the front page of report handed to him on 24 May 2011)

In letters to Joe Costello TD and Bethany Home Survivors Chairperson, Derek Leinster (attached), Ruairi Quinn TD, Minister for Education, turned down the survivors' request to have the Home included in the Schedule to the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme.

They met the Minister on 24 May last, accompanied by other survivors from the home, and by Niall Meehan from Griffith College Dublin. Inclusion is necessary in order for survivors to apply for compensation for the neglect they suffered in the home that the state was aware of but ignored.

Related Links:
Further Information (Indymedia):
New Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin speaks on Bethany Home Bethany Home Children’s Graves discovered Former residents call for memorial - Wednesday 26th May, 12 noon, at MOUNT JEROME Cemetery From Wicklow to Wakefield - a victim of Protestant prejudice and state neglect. Derek Leinster survived to become a trade union convener, a father and a grandfather
Quinn rejects Bethany survivors' redress call Death every 3 weeks at Bethany Home - research Bethany survivors demand redress inclusion
Further information (RTE):
Quinn rejects Bethany survivors' redress call | Death every 3 weeks at Bethany Home - research | Bethany survivors demand redress inclusion

Child deaths soared after Bethany Home was supposed to be 'inspected' by the Department of Local Government and Public Health 0.69 Mb Deputy Chief Medical Adviser, a state official, reveals state prejudice, ignores neglect and death 0.1 Mb Deputy Chief Medical Adviser stops Bethany admitting Roman Catholics - hopes that will make the negative publicity problem about sickness and death go away 0.58 Mb Department inspector wants Bethany nurse mother prosecuted - Deputy Chief Medical Adviser exonerates her, says child was 'delicate' and needed 'country air' 0.26 Mb

It is quite unbelievable that the bona-fides of those involved, and the methodologies being utilized by the initiative to select a representative group of people for their 'citizen's assembly', have been subject to no public scrutiny whatsoever to date. This is especially so when you consider the fact that so much money is being poured into it.

Hugh Green, in a timely article which is excerpted below, subjects what he refers to as 'Weed the Citizens' to a searching critique. His piece, which looks coldly at the track record of some of the elite team behind the initiative, includes a translation of a report on recent events in Spain which feels (from an Irish standpoint) like a broadcast from an alternative universe. In that universe citizens organize themselves within structures created from the ground up and without help from billionaires and politically connected elite insiders.

The brief and extremely vague overview of the methodology used by 'We the Citizens' for selecting participants makes it apparent that those with the benefit of a good education and the attendant confidence to participate would be favoured by this approach. These are not the kinds of people most likely to be hit hard by the actions of the ECB/IMF financial dictatorship presently running the country.

Related Links
Real Democracy Now! Ireland (Facebook Page)
We the Citizens