Photos from the ISF 2004

by liz - isf working group Wed Oct 13, 2004 18:21 keykiet at yahoo dot com

A taster before all the feedback:

“In the 60’s I never went to meet a minister but if I had I would have gone with thousands of people. Now you get loads of chocolate biscuits and coffee and your photo taken with Bertie. Now we do not work out a programme and give it to the government. They work out a way of involving us in their programme”.
“I believe in an independent trade union movement, based on the interests of its members, completely separate from the government.”

On first joining a union:” They used to say the Rosary in factories back then. The union rep said to me: “Kid they’re praying for overtime. Join the Union and we’ll get you time and a half.”
“Organise, Educate, Agitate was what trade unions did.”

As John Wesley said:” Why should the devil have all the best tunes?
It’s not a sin to be popular. It’s not a sin to have the wind behind you and it’s not a sin to win!” - Mick O’Reilly SIPTU

“If think that there will be a world-wide revolution in my lifetime and it will come from the farmers.” - Irish Farmer’s Association Deputy President Ruaidhri Deasy.

”The question what is the alternative to neo-liberalism is a paralyzing question. The alternative will come from us. It’s the next step in history. We have to live according to alternative values. We live alternatives.”

“If we want what most people want we’re actually right in the centre.”

On the bin tax: “If I’m going to be lynched from the nearest pole at least I’ll go an honest man……I’d better say something else….” - Peadar Kirby DCU Lecturer in the School of Law and Government.

“Ideas have been used as weapons in an ideological debate rather than as a blueprint for change.”
“The smothering embrace of social partnership -They killed us with kindness. They pulled us so close that we couldn’t get away. It’s time to take the slippers off.” - Mary Murphy former National Policy Officer for Vincent de Paul & Labour Councillor.

“The language of corporations has entered public services. In libraries the signs say “Customer Service Area” instead of “Citizens Information”. Paul Dillon former UCD Student Union President:

On government: “If voting made any changes they’d abolish it”. - Andrew Flood , Workers Solidarity Movement . ( quoting someone -Bikunin?)

On alternatives:

“What we need is a broad Left Alliance….the devil is in the detail”- Kieran Allen- Socialist Worker’s Party

“Too many rooms and meetings. Can’t get into that. Has to be creative”- Dunk

What we need is a laboratory of alternatives” World Social Forum leaflet , Mumbai 2003

by sheridans ghost Thu Oct 14, 2004 02:50

Given that we were in the AT hall this mistake shouldn't have been made ;-).

If you think people get upset about acronyms on the activist left, it's nothing compared to TU's.

My favourite quote: ""we know who the problem are. Now its time for industrial terrorism" - by the most radical pensioner in ireland.

by Curious Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:55

"On the bin tax: “If I’m going to be lynched from the nearest pole at least I’ll go an honest man……I’d better say something else….” - Peadar Kirby DCU Lecturer in the School of Law and Government."

What did Peader Kirby go on to say?

by dunk Thu Oct 21, 2004 14:49

ciaran allen, SWP IAWM, stated that there were 200 or 300 people mobilising for the ESF the question i dident get to ask him in public was "where are these hundreds when it comes to their own local gathering"
esp after the "revolution" talk between SWP and WSM when all agreed that working locally was the most important thing