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Anti-Empire >>
Indymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.
Fraud and mismanagement at University College Cork Thu Aug 28, 2025 18:30 | Calli Morganite
UCC has paid huge sums to a criminal professor
This story is not for republication. I bear responsibility for the things I write. I have read the guidelines and understand that I must not write anything untrue, and I won't.
This is a public interest story about a complete failure of governance and management at UCC.
Deliberate Design Flaw In ChatGPT-5 Sun Aug 17, 2025 08:04 | Mind Agent
Socratic Dialog Between ChatGPT-5 and Mind Agent Reveals Fatal and Deliberate 'Design by Construction' Flaw
This design flaw in ChatGPT-5's default epistemic mode subverts what the much touted ChatGPT-5 can do... so long as the flaw is not tickled, any usage should be fine---The epistemological question is: how would anyone in the public, includes you reading this (since no one is all knowing), in an unfamiliar domain know whether or not the flaw has been tickled when seeking information or understanding of a domain without prior knowledge of that domain???!
This analysis is a pretty unique and significant contribution to the space of empirical evaluation of LLMs that exist in AI public world... at least thus far, as far as I am aware! For what it's worth--as if anyone in the ChatGPT universe cares as they pile up on using the "PhD level scholar in your pocket".
According to GPT-5, and according to my tests, this flaw exists in all LLMs... What is revealing is the deduction GPT-5 made: Why ?design choice? starts looking like ?deliberate flaw?.
People are paying $200 a month to not just ChatGPT, but all major LLMs have similar Pro pricing! I bet they, like the normal user of free ChatGPT, stay in LLM's default mode where the flaw manifests itself. As it did in this evaluation.
AI Reach: Gemini Reasoning Question of God Sat Aug 02, 2025 20:00 | Mind Agent
Evaluating Semantic Reasoning Capability of AI Chatbot on Ontologically Deep Abstract (bias neutral) Thought
I have been evaluating AI Chatbot agents for their epistemic limits over the past two months, and have tested all major AI Agents, ChatGPT, Grok, Claude, Perplexity, and DeepSeek, for their epistemic limits and their negative impact as information gate-keepers.... Today I decided to test for how AI could be the boon for humanity in other positive areas, such as in completely abstract realms, such as metaphysical thought. Meaning, I wanted to test the LLMs for Positives beyond what most researchers benchmark these for, or have expressed in the approx. 2500 Turing tests in Humanity?s Last Exam.. And I chose as my first candidate, Google DeepMind's Gemini as I had not evaluated it before on anything.
Israeli Human Rights Group B'Tselem finally Admits It is Genocide releasing Our Genocide report Fri Aug 01, 2025 23:54 | 1 of indy
We have all known it for over 2 years that it is a genocide in Gaza
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem has finally admitted what everyone else outside Israel has known for two years is that the Israeli state is carrying out a genocide in Gaza
Western governments like the USA are complicit in it as they have been supplying the huge bombs and missiles used by Israel and dropped on innocent civilians in Gaza. One phone call from the USA regime could have ended it at any point. However many other countries are complicity with their tacit approval and neighboring Arab countries have been pretty spinless too in their support
With the release of this report titled: Our Genocide -there is a good chance this will make it okay for more people within Israel itself to speak out and do something about it despite the fact that many there are actually in support of the Gaza
China?s CITY WIDE CASH SEIZURES Begin ? ATMs Frozen, Digital Yuan FORCED Overnight Wed Jul 30, 2025 21:40 | 1 of indy
This story is unverified but it is very instructive of what will happen when cash is removed
THIS STORY IS UNVERIFIED BUT PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO OR READ THE TRANSCRIPT AS IT GIVES AN VERY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT A CASHLESS SOCIETY WILL LOOK LIKE. And it ain't pretty
A single video report has come out of China claiming China's biggest cities are now cashless, not by choice, but by force. The report goes on to claim ATMs have gone dark, vaults are being emptied. And overnight (July 20 into 21), the digital yuan is the only currency allowed.
The Saker >>
News Round-Up Mon Sep 22, 2025 00:43 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
The BBC?s ?1 Billion Pension Bailout Sun Sep 21, 2025 19:47 | Richard Eldred
The BBC has poured over ?1 billion into its gold-plated pension scheme, gobbling up nearly ?850 million of licence fee money ? and it looks like the bill could keep climbing.
The post The BBC?s ?1 Billion Pension Bailout appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Education Secretary Launches Fresh Attack on Private Schools Sun Sep 21, 2025 17:13 | Richard Eldred
In a fresh raid that could force more closures and squeeze parents' wallets, Bridget Phillipson is hitting private schools again, this time tripling Ofsted inspection fees.
The post Education Secretary Launches Fresh Attack on Private Schools appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Keir Starmer Confirms Britain Will Ignore US and Israeli Anger and Recognise a Palestinian State Sun Sep 21, 2025 15:00 | Richard Eldred
Keir Starmer has sparked fury by pledging to recognise a Palestinian state even though critics say it rewards Hamas, angers Israel and the US and won't help hostages or feed Gaza's starving.
The post Keir Starmer Confirms Britain Will Ignore US and Israeli Anger and Recognise a Palestinian State appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
North Sea ?Has Three Times More Oil and Gas? Than Government Claims Sun Sep 21, 2025 13:00 | Richard Eldred
Britain's North Sea could have 14 billion barrels of oil and gas ? three times what the Government reckons ? but sky-high taxes and drilling bans are leaving it in the ground while jobs and cash go begging.
The post North Sea ?Has Three Times More Oil and Gas? Than Government Claims appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
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Voltaire Network >>
national |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report
Tuesday March 23, 2004 13:54
by Irish Socialist Network
irishsocialistnetwork at dublin dot ie
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Comments (26 of 26)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26- "Meeting packed by SWP members"
I was never offered any proof of this. Every SWP member I saw there was a delegate.
- The underhand manner in which two steering committee members were suspended
Those 2 members engaged in threatening behaviour to others at the meeting- I witnessed one shout at another person at the end of the meeting and pointing his finger in her face, another on front of everyone insulted a well respected activist raymond deane, which you admit
-The intolerance towards differences of opinion
I hope you are referring here to the continuous shouting down and disruptive behaviour of people by many of the people who now have dissafilliated. Including a incident where a certain member of Fairview anti war- continually interupted another delegate during the meeting and insulted him.
- The attitude towards protests at Shannon
A decision about Shannon was just put off until a later date, not ruled out.
"Every SWP member I saw there was a delegate"
They were but they were delegates of phantom groups. 'Cats and Dogs against the war', 'candlestickmakers against the war'. Or there is also the practice of breaking up groups that do have real members into several groups so 'Dun Laoghaire against war' becomes, 'Marine Road Against War', 'Ballybrack Against War', 'Bray and Cabinteely against the war' ....
Sometimes the SWP delegates even forgot who they were meant top be representing. Once I remember one particular SWPer saying he was with Dun Laoghaire against the war and then later saying he was 'Clonakilty against the war'
To the above contributor (Democrat): Which member of the SWP said they represented Clonakilty Against the War? Our group was not represented at the meeting in question. Please elaborate on this allegation of impersonation.
Non-aligned is a liar. But then again, so are most members of the SWP.
Yes Democrat please elaborate, answer the man's quetsion- I was there and nobody claimed they were representing Clonakilty. If you do have fact back up your allegations. Don't just make up shit and prove nothing as is the basis of most this farcical sectarian crap.
My points been proven again by comment below- "non-alligned is a liar." just a blnak statement with no backing.
Seems to me that 'democrat ' has set up some strawmen that the SWP can now easly knock down and so 'prove' that nothing is wrong.
It must by David Lorden who is the SWP's equivalent of Mick O'Sullivan and Laurence Vize rolled into one.
As somebody who works in the South Inner city and who lives in the North inner city I can state with a fair amount of certainty that "South City against the war", "Drumcondra against the war" and "Phibsboro against the war", all of which had delegates at the meeting, do not exist in any meaningful sense. All three were never anything more than SWP branches that briefly called themselves anti-war groups towards the start of 2003, and then resurrected themselves as anti-war groups for this 'delegate' meeting. The delegates were representing the SWP, not any anti-war group. There were no meetings to mandate the delegates (or if there were they were held in secret without posters or any other form of advertisement)
Since this is true of all three groups from my area, I assume that the chances of it being true of the other 'delegates' is also true.
The ANT-WAR PROTEST REVISITED.
We marched in 1969/1973/1978/1982/1988 and here it comes around again. Same old tune.
All We Are Saying................Give Peace A Chance.
When will They Ever Learn, when will they ever learn.
In twenty/thirty years the same old tune will be played once more. And who really gives a shit.
STOP THE WORLD.I WANNA GET OFF.
This is the same old tune, previous hippie, for a reason. I like the letters from the ISN. I don't know any of these people, but they sound like types I would like to know. The criticisms are reasonable and nuanced and deserve credit. The SWP has succeeded in radically fragmenting the movement, and now people are reclaiming it. Without meaningful debate on how to run a movement, a movement would die. Sixties platitudes really don't work in the 21st century. Keep on marching, but spare us the cliches.
I'm not surprised to read that the ISN received no response to their initial letter to the IAWM (SWP) steering committee. My resignation as PRO, and from the steering committee, was not acknowledged in any sense, except that I was immediately deleted from the IAWM SC emailing list. No letter, no email, no phone call.
The disaffiliation of the Cork Anti-War Campaign got their attention, but only insofar as they wanted to know if we were still organising a bus to the Dublin march (which we were).
At the very least, I found their behaviour to be discourteous, but there is clearly more to it than that.
I am the organiser of Finglas Against the War, a broad grouping that organised a number of activities in Finglas. I asked Richard Boyd Barrett for a list of names of anybody from finglas that joined the IAWM or attended meetings so I could contact them to get involved. I requested this information on several occasions. I asked Paul Moloney to raise this at a IAWM steering group meeting, he did so and was assured the names would be forthcoming. They never arrived. I met with Richard Boyd Barrett and Kieran Allen early 2003 (13th May) at their request to discuss their "left block proposal" during this meeting I mentioned the fact that RBB had not forwarded the list of names. RBB said it was just an oversight and implied I was being paranoid about the whole thing. He reassured me the list was on the way. Well one year later and -guess what -it never surfaced.
The only conclusion that I have made is that the SWP have decided that the IAWM is a tool of theirs. They control it in every way they decide who speaks at public meetings, who issues press statements and who has contact with the "non aligned" anti war general public.
Its a great pity that they operate in this way. RBB is a very capable communicator. I saw him on Q&A and he did the anti war movement proud but I know that the steering group, or whatever the leadership is called, didn't decide who would go on Q&A . I doubt that the invite was even discussed.
Maybe some good will come from this fiasco. Groups will be more reluctant to affiliate to "umbrellas" without first discussing its "internal dynamics", how decisions are made, who holds what responsibility, who can affialiate, what constitutes a group etc. Personally, I won't be supporting any participation by the ISN in any "umbrella groups" unless I am clear about its democratic credentials.
The musicians union just affiliated.
Deckchairs - Titanic - 'Nearer my God to thee'
The problem is that the lazy media will continue to call on RBB to coment for the Irish Anti War groups even though the IAWM is as good as dead and is little more than the SWP now.
Fintan,
As if everything else with the IAWM (Swp) was not disappointing enough as it is, their lack of response to the CAWC disaffiliation only adds to the disappointment with their behavior. I saw one response from Aoife Ni Fhearghail posted up on Indymedia from "Badman". Have you seen this?? But I'm not too sure if this was an internal response and not a direct response to the CAWC. Apart from this I am aware of no other response from the IAWM (Swp) to any of the other groups and individuals who disaffiliated from the IAWM.
It is great to see Richard Boyd Barrett coherently and professionally put forth the anti war case in the media. It is good too, to create one recognizable face and name for the public.
However, it is such a shame that the Swp have attempted to undo all their good work with their subsequent undemocratic behavior. This behavior, for the more important longer haul, must be changed.
But, as always, I encourage the Swp to be worked with for common goals, eg. the Bush visit. The government are doing their utmost to quell the rapidly growing left and anti-war movement in Ireland. They know we are becoming a threat. Their undemocratic crackdown on posters and leaflets in Dublin being the obvious current case in point example of this at the moment. Another example is McDowell, who reads this site - I once heard him comment on it on radio while I was driving down to the big Shannon protest, a year ago in March. His hugely defensive, near hysterical and critical remarks on Indymedia, I believe, betrayed his worries of "us" becoming a threat.
Whatever our internal grievances, I believe they must not allowed to become personal and the government (both here and abroad) must be challenged, opposed and defeated in a strong, coherent, professional and organized manner.
Regards & Solidarity,
"But, as always, I encourage the Swp to be worked with for common goals, eg. the Bush visit. "
I think people have to get out of the mindset of 'working with the Swp', its time we were in the position to say we've got no problem if the Swp work with us but first things first, here's a few democratic ground rules.
I don't think anybody would have a problem working with the SWP if they were genuinely open to it. Unfortunately, as is obvious by their ignoring of Fintan's resignation letter and that from the ISN, they don't view non-SWP activists with any respect. It seems that you either agree with them 100% (or keep your dissent private & quiet) or they'll piss all over you.
The SWP see the antiwar movement as a way of gettting their own organisation and leading members airtime and attention in the newspapers. But what is the objective of all this? If Brid Smith and Richard Boyd Barrett win council seats (COUNCIL seats!) how is that going to help the antiwar movement?? The answer is 'not at all' because in reality this is all about giving the SWP a leg up.
They're standing on our backs to build their organisation.
Who is left on the IAWM/SWP committee now besides SWP members? Are the SP still involved? Raymond Deane? Colin Coulter?
Yes the SP and the IPSC remain the only significant organisations affiliated. Not a peep from either of them, officially at least, about the suspensions, SWP manouverings etc. Looks like they are keeping their heads down hoping it will all blow over.
Non SWP individuals remaining on the Steering Comm. are Colin Coulter and Glenda Cimono. Its not clear whether Mary Van Leishout is still involved and the Greens seem to have ended their semi-detached involvement. It's a SWP front full stop. None of the groups or individuals mentioned have challenged the SWP over their disastrous handling of this crisis.
"But, as always, I encourage the Swp to be worked with for common goals, eg. the Bush visit. "
Bollocks faffing about on indymedia about solidarity and unity, and pleading "why can't we work together" does not mean you're encouraging unity, what pratical work are you doing to achieve this you lazy anonymous git???
"I believe, betrayed his worries of "us" becoming a threat."
Yeah he's terrified of someone who won't even sign their name on a website. Don't kid yourself that hanging around here spouting crap is making Mc Dowell lose sleep...
"Whatever our internal grievances, I believe they must not allowed to become personal and the government (both here and abroad) must be challenged, opposed and defeated in a strong, coherent, professional and organized manner."
*Sound of vigorous wanking coming from Anonymous terminal*
as he believes by spouting shite about unity on indymedia that he's actually making a difference
..... a steering committee of 4 SWP members, one SP, one IPSC and one non-aligned.
Very representative of the movement!
I haven't attended many IPSC meetings recently so perhaps I don't have the right to comment because I've clearly missed the discussions on this issue. However, I think it does our campaign a serious disservice to be associated with the IAWM. From everything I've heard and observed, it is very obviously an SWP front organisation. The issue of Palestine should not be used cynically to bolster a small ultra-left party. I don't understand why the IPSC is still affiliated. It shouldn't be.
The IPSC affiliated to the IAWM as the most effective way of contributing to the broader anti-war movement. We had also previously agreed to be a supporter (i think that was the term) of the NGO Peace Alliance, but had never paid an affiliation fee. Personally I would have felt the NGOPA was much more suitable as a home for us, in terms of the style of organisation etc, but by the time the question of how best to play our part in the anti-war movement and whether or not to affiliate to the IAWM came up the NGO Peace Alliance had in my view utterly disgraced itself in their response to non-violent action in Shannon, and I think most members of the IPSC felt the same way. This left us with the IAWM as the best way of playing our part.
I don't, and I suspect most members of the IPSC don't, want to be drawn into internal feuds in the anti-war movement. I don't see what purpose would be served by our disaffiliating from the IAWM. At the same time, I'd be supportive of our geting involved in Irish Anti-War. And I think the SWP really need to rethink their approach - but what's the chances of that? Roll up, roll up for the Stop Bush Campaign... sigh...
The point of the IPSC disaffiliating from the IAWM is very simple: to make it clear to the SWP that we will not allow them to use issues like the war on Iraq and Palestine in a cynical manner for party-political gain.
If the IPSC doesn't disaffiliate it's accepting the rigging of meetings by the SWP and the completely underhand way they have operated within the IAWM. Does the IPSC want to play the role of SWP stooges? Yourselves and the Socialist Party are the only ones left and I doubt if the SP will be staying for much longer.
Anyway, a new more open movement has emerged from amongst genuine anti-war activists. Why don't you get involved in Anti-War Ireland?
The SP have no love affair for the SWP. If the IAWM turns into simply another SWP dominated front then I am sure they will follow the ISN and others and leave, or at least become inactive in it. If another broader anti war group emerges that does get wider support then I am sure the SP will be active in that.