4pm-6pm * GPO Vigil "U.S Military Out of Shannon!"

by WW3 anyone? Mon Jul 28, 2008 07:00

U.S. Bombing northern Pakistan Already -6 Killed in Latest Attack!

The potential of the U.S. war in Afghanistan to expand over the border into Pakistan is abundant.

One imagines with a popoluist President such as an Obama who could unite the entire
country around a war they could all support with ethusiasm and take it to another level
...like WW3. The U.S. attacks in Pakistan and the U.S. desire to deploy troops their is
unpopular with the Pakistani government, military and people.

If we do go into a WW3 escalation, the last roundup of what is left of the anti-war movement
and even those who marched way back when on Feb 15 03 could be on the cards (see
internment of pacifists in U.S. in WW2).......
so maybe folks should be hittnig the streets while the still can and turn this thing around.
It's unlikely to go away by itself, you know.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080728/tpl-uk-pakistan-....html

by tomeile Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:51

There is a clear danger that the present situation will escalate into a war in which nuclear weapons will be used somewhere at some point in the short to medium term. The threat posed to the future of humanity should be used to relaunch the anti war movement . Iran , Afgahnistan , Kashmir are all potential flashpoints .Last week the Russian government announced plans for nuclear stop over facilities in Cuba.
The Irish anti War Movement , Pitstop Ploughshares and Anti War Ireland have all played down these risks up until now . They appear to be operating from the perspective that there can be no repeat of the Feb 15 2003 mass mobilsation . Given Ireland's proud tradition of opposing imperialist war ,the Irish left and particularly the republican movement should start taking the lead internationally on the issue . An anti war movement built along Connollyite lines is needed.

by Ciaron - Catholic Worker/Plowshares Wed Jul 30, 2008 13:29

Vigil went well I was able to pop down in my lunch break to join Mairitn, Colm, Con, Marie, Stephen and sleeping 3 year old daughter, Con. Lots of curiosity form Spanish tourists and photo ops & chats with folks form all over the world. NEWSFLASH Mairtin & Andrea - regular GPO vigilers - just gave birth to Santiago at 12.23 pm today, their first wedding anniversary!

REALITY CHECK there is no anti-war movement. Hardly a surprise as IN '91 with the first Gulf War (building for 6 months with numbers matched only by the anti-Vietnam War movement after 10,000 U.S. fatalities) it collapsed a few weeks into the '91 U.S. bombing campaign over Iraq. When the war against Iraq morphed into the genocidal sanctions there was little response. Only the prophetic minorities such as Catholic Workers and others who gave rise to sanctions busting "Voices in the Wilderness" were visibly engaged Following the invasion, the U.S. state has chased Voices (they are still chasing Sean Penn) and sued them into nonexistence.

There is massive passive anti-war sentiment in Ireland and the west generally. There is an activist remnant (in Ireland this visibly amounts to FEIC monthly vigil in Derry at Raytheon, Catholic Worker weekly vigil at GPO and a monthly vigil at Shannon by locals, Tommy in Galway). GAAC have been successful in evicting the militarised annual air show...fair play.

The Irish "left" have long left the scene campaign surfing and chasing other ambulances, media spotlight as usual. The "left" had their mass mobilisation in Feb 03 and didn't have a clue where to go after there. And you want to go through all that again? Have a look at Route Irish - a good analysis of how it played out in Ireland.

Although as Roy Keane says "if my aunt had balls she would be my uncle"...if the nvda had gone ahead on March 1st 03 at Shannon, with a focus not on all gathering in one spot tio pull down a fence but spreading out and getting a handful on the runway and shutting it down...the U.S. (4 companies had already left the country & Irish Army deployed in response to the PItstop action) may have pulled up stumps at Shannon to fly on to their bases in England. Game over!

Instead the Irish left held a press conference to undermine that NVDA, the Greens since having departed to become the government facilitation Shannon Warport. Would other participants in that press conference have accepted the same FF deal, maybe, dunno? The left had it's chance thanks to the Peace Camp, Mary Kelly, the Pitstops and others willing to give nonviolent resistance ago on Marsh 1st 03 and the left blew it...window of opportunity closed. Movement dissipates as war escalates and expands etc etc

by Fred Johnston Fri Aug 01, 2008 09:37

No; they decidedly have not, but what passes for a parliamentary Left has, it appears, to a greater or lesser degree. Let's be sure we know what we mean by a Left; there is in Galway, for instance; a solid and grounded Left resistance to the US Military at Shannon under the banner of the GAAW and these people have also demonstrated against Guantanamo when others were silent.

by Ciaron - Catholic Worker/Plowshares Fri Aug 01, 2008 17:34

"Let's be sure we know what we mean by a Left; "

...pretty useless term to describe the seating arrangements in first French parliament. It's a redundant term.

GAAW is a handful, and like the rest of the remnant, punches above its weight. No way can you mistake irish anti war dissent as amounting to a movement. I have been part of many movements over the past 30 years, trust me this ain't a movement. ...doesn't look like one, doesn't sound like one, doesn' t act like one!

The opposition to the Gulf War largely came out (its ability to mobiise quickly to rapid U.S. deployment to the Middle East theatre) of the movement against the U.S. wars in Central America in the '80's (that what a movement looks like!). The 03 opposition came out of the anti-capitalist movement of the late '90's literally killed off at Genoa and co-opted at Gleneagles (that's what a movement looks like!).

There's is a spirit of resignation amongst the massive passive anti-war opinion in Ireland. It is some "left" organisations interest to keep it stagnant - to inflate it once or twice a year when the orders come down from London HQ. In a similar way that "Respect" was to be inflated before and after elections in England itself.

The piss poor leadership of the IAWM and the opportunism of politicians (some who are now in government) in 03 has a lot to do with the 03 movement's stagnation in 08 - 6 years in to this war.

You don't blame those of us in the remnant who are still moving and shaking with what ever limited resources and energy we can muster. The Catholic Worker and Plowshares and others will rock on in season and out (in the context of a broader movement or without one) against the war as we have for the last 70 years. We will reach out beyond our philosophical position - beyond christians, anarchists, pacifists,, civilian - to offer proactive solidarity with anyone anywhere nonviolently resisting. this war.

*Come to the gig at the Met Bar Sunday evening August 24th with U.S. IWW singer Anne Feeney organised by Ploughshares and Anti War Island and we'll see what we can do for folks before the courts and in jail for resisting this war!

*Go see the screening of "Route Irish" at the West Belfast Festival this Tuesday nightl to get the license plate of the truck that ran over us in 03!

by Ciaron - Catholic Worker/Ploughshares Sat Aug 02, 2008 07:20

Bank Holiday this coming Monday -there wiill not be a GPO Vigil.
See you the folllowing week etc