I'm Not a Tourist, I Live Here

international | eu | news report

Wednesday March 10, 2004 23:01

by Fergus

Welfare tourist chic - the latest fashion craze.
A swimsuit straitjacket recently modelled on media catwalks.

You think it's funny? You try swimming when you're forced to wear it.
At street level this EU X-Large Size is set to become standard issue.

A uniform conceived by business. Co-designed, tailored and executed through government for uncompetitive citizens.

“Precaution”, “safeguard”, “ring fence” - the closed language of EU enlargement.
Specific fears are invoked to ensure the new measures get built.
New laws – internal walls - Europe safely only open for business.

“Who has a right to live and who does not?” – radical exclusion is now the order of the day. I mean this deadly seriously.
- Susan George.

March 2nd
Minister Coughlin emphasised that the latest social welfare restrictions will apply to all EU members and not just those from accession countries.
She DIDN'T emphasise that this would also include Irish citizens.
Everybody applying for
Unemployment Assistance; state pensions (non-contributory) - Old Age and Blind Pensions; Widow(er)’s and Orphans Pensions; One Parent Family Payments; Carers Allowance; Disability Allowance; Supplementary Welfare Allowance [e.g. rent allowance] or Child Benefit
will have to show they have continuously lived in Ireland for two years.
http://www.eu2004.ie/templates/news.asp?sNavlocator=66&list_id=355

Immigration is a convenient excuse.
But before you start contemplating bright ideas like burning your new neighbours out of their home, wake up to the real issues on the wider negotiation table.

The whole point of neo-liberalism is that market mechanics should be allowed to direct the fate of human beings.
Long before the rumours of dark clouds on the horizon to the East, this Agenda had already been set to implement cuts.

March 4th
Minister Coughlin and Minister Fahey chaired a European Employment and Social Affairs Ministers meeting in Brussels.
Discussing ‘targets’ swallowed three years ago at the Lisbon Summit…
“A narrow approach to labour market problems will not suffice.
Progress on all fronts of the Lisbon agenda… reform of social protection systems, including pension systems, must go hand in hand” they said.
http://www.eu2004.ie/templates/news.asp?sNavlocator=66&list_id=368

Private tuition –
Ms. Maria Cronin, director of European Affairs with the Irish Business and Employers Confederation.
“We have to start paying more than lip-service to the Lisbon agenda.
Some social measures cost, and we have to be realistic and say that we can’t afford them at this stage…”
“A reassessment of inflexible and outdated social security legislation… is now necessary.” (3)
http://www.ibec.ie/Sectors/IBB/IBBDoclib3.nsf/vLookupHTML/EU_Presidency?OpenDocument

Model pupils.
As part of a “four presidency plan”,
Ireland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Britain are co-ordinating on a regulatory reform programme for 2004-05.
Focusing on the reform of legislation that has the greatest impact on business and competitiveness – including environmental and social laws.

Social riots.
Elsewhere preparations for EU enlargement enforce a programme of “reforms” in accession states, aimed at smashing social welfare programs.
Recent violent clashes in Slovakia highlighted cutbacks to social welfare.
Beside the direct deployment of the police and army the Slovakian govt. tried to play a racist card to prevent a possible generalisation of this as a class struggle movement.
The Minister of the Interior claiming these are not social riots but “Roma riots”.
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=04/02/27/4223307

The business of "Lisbon" - reforms for the enlarged Union.
All in preparation for the big Spring European Council meeting.
The Economic Summit on March 25-26.

Critical Mass Cycle, Dublin, Friday 26th March
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=63660