Check out the new facebook page for CPI TV!!
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/CPI-TV/179778298717210
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Joint CPB and CPI Statement on EU
REJECT EU AUSTERITY LAW AND THE ANTI-DEMOCRATIC EUROPEAN UNION
The Communist Party of Ireland and the Communist Party of Britain condemn the decision of the December 17 EU summit to seek to amend the European Union Constitutional Treaty without holding national referendums. This represents a blatant disregard of any form of democracy and confirms what those who opposed to the Lisbon Treaty said would happen. It is a further erosion of democracy.
The amendment, which requires ‘strict conditionality’ for any form of bailout, will still further strengthen the pro-monopoly, anti-democratic character of the EU. It empowers the EU Commission to take direct control of a member state’s economic and social policy and to use that power to drive down wages and pensions, take control of tax policy and to privatise public assets.
In the case of Ireland strict time frames have been imposed, locking the Irish people into a very specific neo-liberal economic model dominated by policies which impose suffering on the less well off in Irish society. The imposed conditions are driven by deficit level targets, as evidenced by the strong emphasis on deadlines for policy and legislative changes. They are coercive, as cash disbursements will depend on the implementation of the agreement, and there is virtually no political flexibility to allow for changes to the content of the agreement imposed upon the Irish people by both the EU and IMF. Vast arbitrary powers have been given to the lenders and savage obligations have been placed upon the people. Capital has rights and labour has obligations.
The proposed amendment will now embed in Treaty law the practice of forcing working people to pay for deficits caused by the very rich and finance capital, worsening the underlying problems of inequality and poverty. Across the EU it will strengthen the position of the giant monopolies, enable them to buy up privatised assets and smaller firms and increase still further the problems of uneven development. It will intensify the EU Treaty’s deflationary character and deepen recession.
We call for the broadest possible campaign to demand that referendums be held and for this Treaty change to be rejected. The action of the December 2010 EU Summit underlines the inherently anti-democratic of the EU and the need for working people to consider alternative forms of international economic cooperation that can protect our democratic rights and open the way to popular sovereignty.
The Communist Party of Ireland and the Communist Party of Britain condemn the decision of the December 17 EU summit to seek to amend the European Union Constitutional Treaty without holding national referendums. This represents a blatant disregard of any form of democracy and confirms what those who opposed to the Lisbon Treaty said would happen. It is a further erosion of democracy.
The amendment, which requires ‘strict conditionality’ for any form of bailout, will still further strengthen the pro-monopoly, anti-democratic character of the EU. It empowers the EU Commission to take direct control of a member state’s economic and social policy and to use that power to drive down wages and pensions, take control of tax policy and to privatise public assets.
In the case of Ireland strict time frames have been imposed, locking the Irish people into a very specific neo-liberal economic model dominated by policies which impose suffering on the less well off in Irish society. The imposed conditions are driven by deficit level targets, as evidenced by the strong emphasis on deadlines for policy and legislative changes. They are coercive, as cash disbursements will depend on the implementation of the agreement, and there is virtually no political flexibility to allow for changes to the content of the agreement imposed upon the Irish people by both the EU and IMF. Vast arbitrary powers have been given to the lenders and savage obligations have been placed upon the people. Capital has rights and labour has obligations.
The proposed amendment will now embed in Treaty law the practice of forcing working people to pay for deficits caused by the very rich and finance capital, worsening the underlying problems of inequality and poverty. Across the EU it will strengthen the position of the giant monopolies, enable them to buy up privatised assets and smaller firms and increase still further the problems of uneven development. It will intensify the EU Treaty’s deflationary character and deepen recession.
We call for the broadest possible campaign to demand that referendums be held and for this Treaty change to be rejected. The action of the December 2010 EU Summit underlines the inherently anti-democratic of the EU and the need for working people to consider alternative forms of international economic cooperation that can protect our democratic rights and open the way to popular sovereignty.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Check out CPI TV
New CP videos of recent public meeting up on CPITV
check them out if you missed out on the meeting
check them out if you missed out on the meeting
Sunday, December 12, 2010
CPI Public Meeting
Tuesday 14 December, 8 p.m.
Public meeting
After the budget—What to do now?
Speakers: John Douglas (general secretary, Mandate), Éamon Devoy (general secretary, TEEU), Michael Taft (research officer, Unite), Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD (Sinn Féin), Eugene McCarten (general secretary, CPI)
▶Liberty Hall (Beresford Place)
Public meeting
After the budget—What to do now?
Speakers: John Douglas (general secretary, Mandate), Éamon Devoy (general secretary, TEEU), Michael Taft (research officer, Unite), Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD (Sinn Féin), Eugene McCarten (general secretary, CPI)
▶Liberty Hall (Beresford Place)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The budget delivered as ordered
COMMUNIST PARTY OF IRELAND
James Connolly House, 43 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
7th December 2010
Press release:
The budget delivered as ordered
The much-hyped budget has finally been delivered, much of it leaked over the last number of weeks in a sordid orgy by “informed sources” and the serried ranks of commentators and tame academics, vying with each other to present their interpretation of what each and every leak meant—all contributing to the general strategy of manufacturing the people’s passive consent to the draconian measures finally presented to them.
This budget was designed and manufactured in Brussels, gift-wrapped for the Irish people by this discredited Government, and quietly consented to by Fine Gael and the Labour Party.
The savage cuts in public spending, the cuts in social welfare, childrens allowance, and public sector workers pensions and all the other measures are designed to make working people and the poor pay. The increases in indirect taxes will take more money out of the pockets of working people, small businesses, and the self-employed.
The imposition of new service charges, in the form of water charges, is nothing but a further additional tax on working people. While the the politicians have thrown a bone in the form of cuts in the salaries and pensions of TDs and ministers to placate the growing anger of the people, the homeless and the hungry will remain homeless and hungry. The massed ranks of the unemployed will grow, diminishing only by mass emigration, not by job creation at home.
The central thrust of this budget will not be reversed by whatever combination of parties makes up any future government. The case for a prolonged campaign of civil disobedience and opposition to the new charges has to be the central focus for the trade union movement and all those committed to a socially just Ireland.
James Connolly House, 43 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
7th December 2010
Press release:
The budget delivered as ordered
The much-hyped budget has finally been delivered, much of it leaked over the last number of weeks in a sordid orgy by “informed sources” and the serried ranks of commentators and tame academics, vying with each other to present their interpretation of what each and every leak meant—all contributing to the general strategy of manufacturing the people’s passive consent to the draconian measures finally presented to them.
This budget was designed and manufactured in Brussels, gift-wrapped for the Irish people by this discredited Government, and quietly consented to by Fine Gael and the Labour Party.
The savage cuts in public spending, the cuts in social welfare, childrens allowance, and public sector workers pensions and all the other measures are designed to make working people and the poor pay. The increases in indirect taxes will take more money out of the pockets of working people, small businesses, and the self-employed.
The imposition of new service charges, in the form of water charges, is nothing but a further additional tax on working people. While the the politicians have thrown a bone in the form of cuts in the salaries and pensions of TDs and ministers to placate the growing anger of the people, the homeless and the hungry will remain homeless and hungry. The massed ranks of the unemployed will grow, diminishing only by mass emigration, not by job creation at home.
The central thrust of this budget will not be reversed by whatever combination of parties makes up any future government. The case for a prolonged campaign of civil disobedience and opposition to the new charges has to be the central focus for the trade union movement and all those committed to a socially just Ireland.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
People's Movement Protest
Dear Colleagues,
We are about to suffer the most draconian budget in the history of the Irish state; a budget largely dictated from Brussels, the objective of which is supported by the three main political parties in the state, the only difference being the possible nature of the cuts.
The People’s Movement pre - budget protest will be on December 6th – the day before the budget. Opposition to the current developments is growing by the day and now influential commentators are beginning to write about the responsibility of the EU/Euro for the Irish crisis. Our demonstration – which will be proceeded by a press conference, will seek to highlight this role and the fact that we have completely lost our independence to a troika of EU/ECB/IMF accountants.
The punitive interest rate of 5.8 per cent will inflict enormous hardship on the Irish people but particularly on the old, the sick and the vulnerable. There is only one solution and that is to default on this enormous debt which is not of our making. The outcome is a clear indication that the Irish political elite put up little if any resistance to the demands imposed by our so called “partners” in the European Union.
Our protest will commence at the EU Commission Offices in Molesworth St at 1:00 on Monday December 6th and proceed to the Dail. It is hoped that those participating will wear black for the occasion. The plan is for Merkel and Sarkozy accompanied by their minions to carry the ‘Irish Budget’ from the EU Commission Offices to the Dail.
We are now asking you to make every effort to be there at lunchtime on the 6th. Drop a line to post@people.ie if you are sure that you can make it. If you have any ideas that might add more interest to the protest, please include them – nothing incendiary!!!!
The demonstration will last around 40 minutes. Please alert anybody you think might be interested in joining us.
We are about to suffer the most draconian budget in the history of the Irish state; a budget largely dictated from Brussels, the objective of which is supported by the three main political parties in the state, the only difference being the possible nature of the cuts.
The People’s Movement pre - budget protest will be on December 6th – the day before the budget. Opposition to the current developments is growing by the day and now influential commentators are beginning to write about the responsibility of the EU/Euro for the Irish crisis. Our demonstration – which will be proceeded by a press conference, will seek to highlight this role and the fact that we have completely lost our independence to a troika of EU/ECB/IMF accountants.
The punitive interest rate of 5.8 per cent will inflict enormous hardship on the Irish people but particularly on the old, the sick and the vulnerable. There is only one solution and that is to default on this enormous debt which is not of our making. The outcome is a clear indication that the Irish political elite put up little if any resistance to the demands imposed by our so called “partners” in the European Union.
Our protest will commence at the EU Commission Offices in Molesworth St at 1:00 on Monday December 6th and proceed to the Dail. It is hoped that those participating will wear black for the occasion. The plan is for Merkel and Sarkozy accompanied by their minions to carry the ‘Irish Budget’ from the EU Commission Offices to the Dail.
We are now asking you to make every effort to be there at lunchtime on the 6th. Drop a line to post@people.ie if you are sure that you can make it. If you have any ideas that might add more interest to the protest, please include them – nothing incendiary!!!!
The demonstration will last around 40 minutes. Please alert anybody you think might be interested in joining us.
Cartoon on Irish Economic Crisis
cartoon robots explain the irish economic crisis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLniOkpl1QY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLniOkpl1QY
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
