The latest edition of Forward, CYM's magazine, can be viewed online at www.cym.ie, can be picked up from Connolly Books or can be emailed by request from connollyyouth@hotmail.com
CYM
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
CPI Statement on Child Abuse Report
The exposure of class prejudice
The publication of the long awaited “The Commission to Inquire into
Child Abuse Report” into abuse suffered by children and young people at
the hands of religious orders while detained in residential institutions
has exposed as never before the deep class hatred of working people and
the rural poor that permeated the state, government and its agencies as
well as the Catholic Church itself. This whole horrible feature of Irish
society cannot be understood if its class nature is not recoginsed.
The report lays bear the horrendous sexual and physical abuse, slave
labour and starvation conditions that ten of thousands of children and
youth suffered. Whose only crime was that they came from working class
families, from the families of rural workers or small farmers, what they
all had in common was that they were poor.
The contempt that the so called caring professions of doctors, teachers,
solicitors and judges as well as the total disregard that the
institution of the state had for these young people exposed that this
state was and is deeply imbued with class prejudice in spite the best
efforts to cover it up it is at its very core; its very essence.
There is no evidence to show that those who committed these crimes will
be made to account for, nor is their any evidence to show that this
report like many other before it or the current tribunals will produce
any results. The same class prejudice and cosy class relationships are
still well entrenched; - they still show the same contempt for working
people, their families and their communities.
The Catholic church became the bedrock of the new state using it
political and cultural control to intimidate the populace. The carnival
of reaction was not just confined to the North of Ireland, catholicism
was used in the South to ensure that the new emerging Irish elites
consolidated and maintained their power.
Communist Party of Ireland
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Shell 'Security' in Rossport
The CYM strongly condemn last weeks events in which Willie Corduff, local Mayo farmer and one of the 5 men from Rossport who were imprisoned for the stand against injustice, was the victim of a savage beating by hooded men protecting the Shell compound in Erris.
The attacks were carried out in the early hours of the morning while he picketed at an entrance. His assailants wore balaclavas and dressed all in black.
Willie and 2 other men had positioned themselves under a Shell truck that was going to work on the site the previous afternoon. His 2 fellow protesters were quickly removed by Gardai policing the site, but they were unable to force Willie out. He managed to avoid being removed staging his protest throughout the rest of the day and night. A vigil was held in solidarity with his protest by locals and fellow campaigners.
At approximately 4 o' clock in the morning when others had gone for food and the numbers at the vigil were at it's lowest, 7-8 men dressed all in black and wearing balaclavas dragged Corduff out from underneath the vehicle and proceeded to beat him until he stopped moving, they had intended on killing him to send a message to Irish people that we cannot stand in the way of Shell’s corporate plans.
Once he had stopped moving he heard a security guard remark "that's it lads he's finished".
Corduffs brother who was there keeping watch tried to stop the attack as it was happening and was also beaten, having one of the security taking a bite out of his ear.
Gardai who were present at Willie's protest had previously thrown stones at him while under the truck and did nothing when he was attacked!
These security guards have been terrorizing locals by following them wearing balaclava’s and monitoring their movements. The security wear no ID and appear to be answerable to nobody. But this latest attack marks a step up in the violent campaign to build an environmentally and health-wise dangerous pipeline through the area. This cannot go on and people must not turn a blind eye to it.
Is this what centuries of struggle have brought us to? Corporate security assaulting local farmers.
Shame.
The attacks were carried out in the early hours of the morning while he picketed at an entrance. His assailants wore balaclavas and dressed all in black.
Willie and 2 other men had positioned themselves under a Shell truck that was going to work on the site the previous afternoon. His 2 fellow protesters were quickly removed by Gardai policing the site, but they were unable to force Willie out. He managed to avoid being removed staging his protest throughout the rest of the day and night. A vigil was held in solidarity with his protest by locals and fellow campaigners.
At approximately 4 o' clock in the morning when others had gone for food and the numbers at the vigil were at it's lowest, 7-8 men dressed all in black and wearing balaclavas dragged Corduff out from underneath the vehicle and proceeded to beat him until he stopped moving, they had intended on killing him to send a message to Irish people that we cannot stand in the way of Shell’s corporate plans.
Once he had stopped moving he heard a security guard remark "that's it lads he's finished".
Corduffs brother who was there keeping watch tried to stop the attack as it was happening and was also beaten, having one of the security taking a bite out of his ear.
Gardai who were present at Willie's protest had previously thrown stones at him while under the truck and did nothing when he was attacked!
These security guards have been terrorizing locals by following them wearing balaclava’s and monitoring their movements. The security wear no ID and appear to be answerable to nobody. But this latest attack marks a step up in the violent campaign to build an environmentally and health-wise dangerous pipeline through the area. This cannot go on and people must not turn a blind eye to it.
Is this what centuries of struggle have brought us to? Corporate security assaulting local farmers.
Shame.
Don't Get Angry - Get Organised
People are angry. People have been cheated. People have been lied too.
Working people are being made pay for the short sighted profiteering of the few elites in business and politics that have run this country into the ground.
Young workers in particular who have grown up on and been sold the dream of luxury living via credit are being made victims of this crisis.
The policies that drove the unsustainable growth – profiteering at workers expense – we witnessed over the last 15 years, in particular in the financial services, are now utterly discredited. Yet, the same experts are advising, the same indicators being used and the same mantra prevails.
As General Secretary of the CYM, Gareth Murphy, described:
“Working people were the basis upon which super profits were amassed by already wealthy individuals and companies. Yet, during the boom years workers wages decreased in relation to the profits accumulated. We saw this all round us in the record levels of inequality on this island.
And now, with the economy driven into the ground by the Government and friends, who is made pay? Working people.
We are seeing anger like we haven’t seen in years in this country. But anger is not good enough. Anger must be channeled at the Government and the wealthy elites. It is their fault so they must pay. Not everyone shares the blame for this crisis and so not everyone must pay for it.
So we, in the Connolly Youth Movement, say don’t just get angry, get organized!”
The CYM believe an economy should be there to serve peoples needs. It is not an abstract set of figures but a means by which wealth produced should be fairly and equitably distributed. We are not concerned about restoring market confidence, we are concerned about citizen confidence and right now, correctly, there is none!
Working people are being made pay for the short sighted profiteering of the few elites in business and politics that have run this country into the ground.
Young workers in particular who have grown up on and been sold the dream of luxury living via credit are being made victims of this crisis.
The policies that drove the unsustainable growth – profiteering at workers expense – we witnessed over the last 15 years, in particular in the financial services, are now utterly discredited. Yet, the same experts are advising, the same indicators being used and the same mantra prevails.
As General Secretary of the CYM, Gareth Murphy, described:
“Working people were the basis upon which super profits were amassed by already wealthy individuals and companies. Yet, during the boom years workers wages decreased in relation to the profits accumulated. We saw this all round us in the record levels of inequality on this island.
And now, with the economy driven into the ground by the Government and friends, who is made pay? Working people.
We are seeing anger like we haven’t seen in years in this country. But anger is not good enough. Anger must be channeled at the Government and the wealthy elites. It is their fault so they must pay. Not everyone shares the blame for this crisis and so not everyone must pay for it.
So we, in the Connolly Youth Movement, say don’t just get angry, get organized!”
The CYM believe an economy should be there to serve peoples needs. It is not an abstract set of figures but a means by which wealth produced should be fairly and equitably distributed. We are not concerned about restoring market confidence, we are concerned about citizen confidence and right now, correctly, there is none!
A&E Overcrowding has Reached Record High in Tallaght Hospital
Press Release from the Irish Nurses Organisation
A&E overcrowding has reached a record high with 73 patients on trolleys in TallaghtHospital yesterday morning, Tuesday 28th April. This is the highest number recorded for any single hospital since the INO commenced monitoring and recording A&E overcrowding though ‘trolley watch’. This morning there are 68 patients on trolleys awaiting beds in the hospital. The average number of people on trolleys per day in April has increased to 49.5 compared with 32.5 this time last year, up 52%.
INO concerns were highlighted in a letter to the CEO, two weeks ago. However hospital management have chosen to ignore the matter, allowing the problem to fester and reach deplorable levels.
According to INO Industrial Relations Officer, Lorraine Monaghan:
“The A&E Department is bursting at the seams. The physical infrastructure of the Department and the physical ability of staff to provide care, cannot possibly meet the demands and the pressures that exist at present.
Patients are suffering in undignified and inhumane conditions where they have no space, no privacy, and no choice but to put up with what is akin to ‘third world conditions’. Trolleys are crammed together, blocking fire exits and overflowing out on to the corridors, creating a health and safety risk for patients and our members. The situation has deteriorated to such a degree that many patients are now being nursed on chairs for days, as all trolleys are in use.
INO members feel demoralised and powerless as their concerns fall on deaf ears, while they attempt to provide a safe standard of care, which is proving increasingly difficult.”
The INO has requested an urgent meeting with management to address this escalating problem. The Organisation will also be raising the deteriorating situation at the National A&E Forum meeting next Tuesday.
Finally the INO will undertake a national review, of A&E overcrowding, as part of the deliberations at its Annual Delegate Conference which takes place next week in Killarney, May 6th – 8th.
A&E overcrowding has reached a record high with 73 patients on trolleys in TallaghtHospital yesterday morning, Tuesday 28th April. This is the highest number recorded for any single hospital since the INO commenced monitoring and recording A&E overcrowding though ‘trolley watch’. This morning there are 68 patients on trolleys awaiting beds in the hospital. The average number of people on trolleys per day in April has increased to 49.5 compared with 32.5 this time last year, up 52%.
INO concerns were highlighted in a letter to the CEO, two weeks ago. However hospital management have chosen to ignore the matter, allowing the problem to fester and reach deplorable levels.
According to INO Industrial Relations Officer, Lorraine Monaghan:
“The A&E Department is bursting at the seams. The physical infrastructure of the Department and the physical ability of staff to provide care, cannot possibly meet the demands and the pressures that exist at present.
Patients are suffering in undignified and inhumane conditions where they have no space, no privacy, and no choice but to put up with what is akin to ‘third world conditions’. Trolleys are crammed together, blocking fire exits and overflowing out on to the corridors, creating a health and safety risk for patients and our members. The situation has deteriorated to such a degree that many patients are now being nursed on chairs for days, as all trolleys are in use.
INO members feel demoralised and powerless as their concerns fall on deaf ears, while they attempt to provide a safe standard of care, which is proving increasingly difficult.”
The INO has requested an urgent meeting with management to address this escalating problem. The Organisation will also be raising the deteriorating situation at the National A&E Forum meeting next Tuesday.
Finally the INO will undertake a national review, of A&E overcrowding, as part of the deliberations at its Annual Delegate Conference which takes place next week in Killarney, May 6th – 8th.
Pirates or Defenders?
In the latest display of gunboat diplomacy the US government sent its warships to rescue the captain of an American cargo ship who had been taken prisoner off the Horn of Africa by what the western press describe as Somali “pirates.” While the families of those taken prisoner are naturally concerned for their safety, little if any attempt is made to explain who these so-called pirates are or where they come from.
Somalia is one of the poorest countries in Africa and has had no stable government since 1991, when its government collapsed. Since then the people have suffered under various clan and Islamic groups, with both the Saudis and western powers meddling to gain influence over the various factions while the people have been left to fend for themselves, with many starving.
As is the usual practice, western governments and corporations see other people’s difficulties as their opportunity to rid themselves of a problem or to take advantage of resources that the local people are not capable of securing or defending.
What did European governments and corporations do? For a start, they dumped toxic waste, including nuclear waste, in the ocean off the Somali coast. Somalia has an enormous coastline, stretching for more than two thousand miles. It has no navy or coastguard, and its fishing fleet was not geared to meet the challenge of European factory trawlers. Some estimates put the plunder of Somali fishing resources at more than $300 million worth of tuna, shrimp, lobster and other marine life every year by vast trawlers from EU countries, illegally fishing in Somalia’s unprotected seas.
Soon after the collapse of any form of central government, European ships began dumping barrels of toxic waste. Those Somalis living along the coast who relied on fishing for making a living and feeding their families suddenly began to become ill and to experience strange rashes and nausea and to give birth to malformed babies. The United Nations envoy to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, stated: “Somebody is dumping nuclear material here. There is also lead, and heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury—you name it.”
After the tsunami in 2005 barrels full of toxic waste began to be washed up on the coast, dislodged from their watery grave. People began to suffer from radiation sickness, with estimates of the number killed at over three hundred. A lot of the material can be traced back to European hospitals and factories. This is the cheap way to dispose of deadly waste—and sure the locals are black anyway. The old European colonial outlook is always lurking in the background.
European governments and the European Union know full well the extent of the problem but have turned a blind eye to the damage being done to the Somali people and to their environment. It is this sequence of events, with people seeing their resources being plundered by the returning colonialists in the form of giant trawlers sucking up all the fish, coupled with the dumping of toxic waste, that forced Somali fishermen to take to the sea not just to catch fish for feeding their families but to try to stop the dumping of poison that was killing their children and to prevent the total destruction of their fishing grounds.
The independent Somali news site Wardher News conducted research into what ordinary Somalis think about the actions of their coastal fellow-citizens, and it found that 70 per cent “strongly supported the piracy as a form of national defence of the country’s territorial waters.”
What are these poor communities supposed to do: lie down and either see their families starve to death or see them die a slow death from poisoning, with no medical support worth talking about?
This is why poor Somali fishermen have turned to raiding western ships and demanding a ransom for their return. It is one form of wealth redistribution—not a pleasant one for those who have to go through it, but life is not and never has been easy for the poor.
taken from Socialist Voice, monthly organ of the CPI
Somalia is one of the poorest countries in Africa and has had no stable government since 1991, when its government collapsed. Since then the people have suffered under various clan and Islamic groups, with both the Saudis and western powers meddling to gain influence over the various factions while the people have been left to fend for themselves, with many starving.
As is the usual practice, western governments and corporations see other people’s difficulties as their opportunity to rid themselves of a problem or to take advantage of resources that the local people are not capable of securing or defending.
What did European governments and corporations do? For a start, they dumped toxic waste, including nuclear waste, in the ocean off the Somali coast. Somalia has an enormous coastline, stretching for more than two thousand miles. It has no navy or coastguard, and its fishing fleet was not geared to meet the challenge of European factory trawlers. Some estimates put the plunder of Somali fishing resources at more than $300 million worth of tuna, shrimp, lobster and other marine life every year by vast trawlers from EU countries, illegally fishing in Somalia’s unprotected seas.
Soon after the collapse of any form of central government, European ships began dumping barrels of toxic waste. Those Somalis living along the coast who relied on fishing for making a living and feeding their families suddenly began to become ill and to experience strange rashes and nausea and to give birth to malformed babies. The United Nations envoy to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, stated: “Somebody is dumping nuclear material here. There is also lead, and heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury—you name it.”
After the tsunami in 2005 barrels full of toxic waste began to be washed up on the coast, dislodged from their watery grave. People began to suffer from radiation sickness, with estimates of the number killed at over three hundred. A lot of the material can be traced back to European hospitals and factories. This is the cheap way to dispose of deadly waste—and sure the locals are black anyway. The old European colonial outlook is always lurking in the background.
European governments and the European Union know full well the extent of the problem but have turned a blind eye to the damage being done to the Somali people and to their environment. It is this sequence of events, with people seeing their resources being plundered by the returning colonialists in the form of giant trawlers sucking up all the fish, coupled with the dumping of toxic waste, that forced Somali fishermen to take to the sea not just to catch fish for feeding their families but to try to stop the dumping of poison that was killing their children and to prevent the total destruction of their fishing grounds.
The independent Somali news site Wardher News conducted research into what ordinary Somalis think about the actions of their coastal fellow-citizens, and it found that 70 per cent “strongly supported the piracy as a form of national defence of the country’s territorial waters.”
What are these poor communities supposed to do: lie down and either see their families starve to death or see them die a slow death from poisoning, with no medical support worth talking about?
This is why poor Somali fishermen have turned to raiding western ships and demanding a ransom for their return. It is one form of wealth redistribution—not a pleasant one for those who have to go through it, but life is not and never has been easy for the poor.
taken from Socialist Voice, monthly organ of the CPI
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