Giddyup! SIPTU Vice President election.
national |
politics / elections |
news report 
Tuesday November 25, 2003 17:52
by Des Derwin
dderwin at gofree dot indigo dot ie
It’s a two horse race, Brendan Hayes, Regional Secretary, Dublin Region, and me, Des Derwin, President, Electronics and Engineering Branch.
If it were a cavalry charge I’d be run down. Perhaps electorally I will be anyway: Brendan has about 70 Branches nominating him and I have about two! But that’s usually the way for the official favourite. Nominations are not, as you know, votes.
I want to reiterate (there’s a great trade union word!) the respect I have mentioned for Derek Delaney, and the respect I have not mentioned here for Dermot O’Loughlin, the two candidates that have not come this far into the race. Some day all the people like these will get into a room and determine to really change SIPTU together.
Thanks to all my supporters. I’ll be in touch on those offers of support. Any more offers can be forwarded to the above address.
All I ask now is more of this weather, a good quote from the printer (I've just got it, stop), a level playing field (equal treatment and resources to each candidate), no stuffing of the ballot boxes -one person one vote – and independent assessment of queries.
Voting begins mid January and lasts until mid February.
Leaflets in production.
Comments (9 of 9)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9.
Its too late, we're on. Sorry about that. I will point out site in any other way I can.
I read Des Derwin's leaflet over the weekend. I think that it's generally good. Personally I would have liked to see more about the Bin Tax. When you have info on how to get the leaflets etc put the info up here on Indymedia so that we can all get them to distribute around our workplace.
Why shoud Des put the indymedia adress on his leaflets? He want to seem a credible alternative to workers, this site hardly fosters that image!
I read his leaflet as well over the weekend, I think it is quite good. I think he could be a bit more harsh on the bureacracy in it and could go into more detail about what kind of union he want to see. Also more on bin tax. But again I reiterate, it a very good leaflet and will look forward to campaigning for him. I am not a SIPTU member but in my workplace there are quite a few SIPTU members so I'll do what I can.
It's called spreading the word cheaply and effectively.
He could publish all his election materials as PDFs here so people who want to help could get started straight away without waiting for leaflets in the post. His supporters could report news on the campaign - Des Derwin could expand on his literature -
Howard Dean is not using the internet for no fucking reason in the US presidential election He is using it to get around the machinations of a top down party Bureaucracy who wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire. I know this is an exaggerated point but Des is in a similar position in relation to SIPTU .
And why shouldn't supporters of Des see him as credible if he points them in the direction of a useful resource and place where they can communicate and exchange opinions - about stuff like this - http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=62972
Type Des Derwin into the search engine for the crack. He's used the site before.
I know it's a bit off-topic but I have to ask "ec" a few questions. Do you support Howard Dean for President of the United States?
From your comments you seem to think that Dean is some sort of anti-establishment candidate. Yes, he may have some enemies in the Democratic party. That does not mean he is anti-establishment. I'm sure George W. has got plenty of enemies in the Republican Party, doesn't make him a good alternative for ordinary people.
Dean and any of the Democratic Party candidates should not be supported. They offer no alternative whatsoever for the people of the United States. They are a capitalist party that will continue occupying Iraq, they will continue Bush's 'homeland security' attacks on minorities, and are funded and supported by big business.
Nor Wesley C. Though I would prefer Dean to Bush. He is not an extremist. Bush is using military Keynesianism (sic) to keep the US afloat and create a false boom in the economy. Adolf did the same to deal with unemployment in Germany after the Weimar years - look where that ended up. I am mainly interested in the way the web is allowing for an explosion of grassroots self organisation in the Dean campaign. Dean will be a shitty Clinton type rightist president but maybe the grassroots self organised heads will be disappointed in Dean as an alternative, pocket the lessons of the grassroots campaign and move on to do something better. If the left in Ireland (left of Labour) is ever ever going to do anything it will involve using the internet as a way of getting around the filters of Independent Newspapers, Times, RTE shmuks and the paid for with HP arms trade money Last Word.
"...Though I would prefer Dean to Bush. He is not an extremist..."
It seems that you still do have illusions in Dean. "ec" can you answer this honestly. If it was a 2 horse race between Dean and Bush would you vote for Dean? And do you think that Nader should run even if that "splits" Democrat's vote?
The history of the USA is littered with presidents that were 'better than the other guy'. That's what they thought of Nixon, and he didn't stop for a minute bombing Vietnam. I'm not advocating abstaining, personally I think Nader should run as he could play a possitive role in building an alternative to the 2 rotten large capitalist parties that dominate.
Nixon during his initial election campaign was heralded as the man who would bring peace in Vietnam. He was genuinly seen as a progressive force and was supported by many on the 'left' just like Dean is now. Of course Nixon wen in power turned out to be one of the centuries biggest mass murderers, could that happen to Dean?
We have to remember at the end of the day Dean will represent the interests of the US capitalist class regardless of who elects him. If it is in the interests of the majority of the US capitalists to stay in Iraq or even invade another state then Dean will do that.
Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.