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Irish Left Review
Joined up thinking for the Irish Left

offsite link New Books Worth Reading Mon Sep 19, 2016 23:25 | Seán Sheehan

offsite link 13 Billion ? Lucky for some? Mon Sep 05, 2016 13:04 | Tony Phillips

offsite link Rebuilding Ireland: Long on Promise, Short on Detail Mon Aug 29, 2016 22:20 | Eoin O'Mahony

offsite link Brexit and Other Issues: Comments on the Current Situation Mon Aug 29, 2016 21:52 | Brendan Young

offsite link Bin Charges: From Private Circus to Public Service Tue Jun 21, 2016 12:38 | Michael Taft

Irish Left Review >>

Spirit of Contradiction

offsite link Review: Do Religions Evolve? Mon Aug 14, 2017 19:54 | Dara McHugh

offsite link Fake News: The Epistemology of Media Wed Jun 07, 2017 11:52 | Gavin Mendel-Gleason

offsite link Officials and Provisionals Sat Apr 01, 2017 22:54 | James O'Brien

offsite link Interview with Cathal Goulding Mon Dec 26, 2016 17:11 | Cathal Goulding

offsite link Trump, Russia and the CIA Sat Dec 10, 2016 18:23 | Gavin Mendel-Gleason

Spirit of Contradiction >>

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link Garda corruption: the stripped down truth

offsite link Will Pat Hickey turn up for his trial? Anthony

offsite link Garda breath tests letter Anthony

offsite link Daniel McConnell: Happy to wear establishment blinkers Anthony

offsite link State failing in its duty to enforce law Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link The Saker Reviews: Putin?s Praetorians: Confessions of the Top Kremlin Trolls by Phil Butler Thu Oct 26, 2017 13:24 | amarynth
Last April I got an email from an American expat in Russia, Phil Butler, asking me whether I would be interested in contributing a short biography for an upcoming book

offsite link The Crooks, the Clowns and the Nazis ? a dynamic analysis Thu Oct 26, 2017 05:10 | The Saker
This article was written for the Unz Review The latest big news out of the Ukraine Have you heard what the latest big news out of the Ukraine is? No?

offsite link Game over: How the Kurds lost the high risk gamble Thu Oct 26, 2017 05:10 | The Saker
By Aram Mirzaei As predicted, the Kurdish referendum ended in a conflict over the disputed areas in northern Iraq, areas that have been occupied by Kurdish Peshmerga forces since the

offsite link Syria War Report ? October 25, 2017: US-backed Forces Seize More Oil Fields In Deir Ezzor Province Thu Oct 26, 2017 03:55 | Scott
https://southfront.org/syria-war-repo... If you?re able, and if you like our content and approach, please support the project. Our work wouldn?t be possible without your help: PayPal: southfront@list.ru or via: http://southfront.org/donate/ or via: https://www.patreon.com/southfront Late on October 24,

offsite link Reality finally hits the separatists Thu Oct 26, 2017 00:09 | The Saker

The Saker >>

dublin / environment Monday September 18, 2017 23:25 by Save The Hellfire & Masseys
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Aerial view of Hellfire and remains of passage tombs in front

Monday the 24th of September at 5pm is the deadline for making submissions to An Bord Pleanála on the South Dublin County Council & Coillte plans for what is known as the Dublin Mountains Project for the Hellfire Club & Masseys Wood nearby. The plan is one dreamed up by the council and will cost € 19 million of taxpayer money i.e. collected property tax etc for what is basically a bit of a white-elephant project that will damage the environment, limit public access and charge a fee for what is now free and is expected to run at a loss for at least first 3 years, but yet the private contractors running it will be "insulated" from losses. In essence the project will put an valuable amenity that is in public hands effectively into private hands and give them a license to milk the public forever on it. If this gets through, it will be replicated all over the country in that arrogant and greed driven way we are all familiar with from the Celtic Tiger days and again today.

international / crime and justice Sunday August 20, 2017 21:56 by iosaf mac diarmada
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our collective grief's symbol was fresh then

These are my initial published thoughts on the terrorist attack I and my partner survived and endured 17th August 2017.
Fadó Fadó, long time ago, when many more readers came to this corner of the internet, I published a series of articles in reaction to a terrorist attack on Madrid, the 11th of March 2004. I promoted a simple design back then, to my surprise the idea found traction and was accepted by countless people. i had thought my suggestion was easy to reproduce and helped people express collective mourning, to show publicly their fellowship with a community in shock. My design was a black ribbon, one which was easy to knock up variations upon and print out. I admit the ribbon idea was based on my much younger years when I had worn a green ribbon in support of a complex idea back then : the inclusion of political prisoners in a tentative British Irish peace process. Am I turning some off the provenance? OH talk to me about my youth why not? The idea of a black ribbon took off the weekend of March 11th, 2004, whilst the then government of Spain falsely attributed an attack by Salafists in the ambit of Al Qaeda on Madrid by blaming the Basque armed seperatist group ETA. IT was a few days before a general election. An estimated 80,000 people took to the streets of Spain and the Spanish state and camped out in front of government offices and the offices of the ruling party demanding the truth... I was one... the ribbon was a moment in my life... I never wanted to see it used again In the last hours the city of my home where I have lived almost 20 years has been victim of a long anticipated terrorist attack. Even google now puts a black ribbon. I return to indymedia ireland to indulge POV reflections.

national / crime and justice Monday April 24, 2017 10:42 by 1 of indy
national / economics and finance Thursday November 24, 2016 03:56 by 1 of Indymedia
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We are republishing this article by Stephen Donnelly TD who has been doing great work in exposing how Fine Gael have gone out of their away to facilitate vulture funds who are now preying on ordinary people by charging exorbitant rents and fueling the current property and are replacing the English absentee landlord of centuries past, with ruthless vulture funds capitalists of this era and essentially introducing a form of neo-fuedalism as increasing huge swaths of the population are either priced out of buying homes, or are signing up for debt that last close to a lifetime.

international / eu Wednesday June 22, 2016 23:18 by 1 of Indymedia
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The People's Newsletter from the People's Movement in their bi-monthly newsletter carry an article on Brexit which is topical given that the British go to the polls on it this Thurs 23rd June. The various opinion polls show it to be relatively close.

The article here from the People's Movement puts forward good Left wing arguments why Britain should leave and they are good reasons for Ireland to leave too. The impression given is that the Brexit referendum was agreed to because of political pressure from the people. It is likely though that there are considerable powerful interests within the elite want to leave as they see their chances to be better off in the long run, yet those arguments not discussed here would be more issues within national capitalist faction.

The other article in this months newsletter is

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textReligious Groups Call for Aid and Debt Relief for Puerto Rico and Dominica 23:49 Sun 22 Oct by Kate Zeller 0 comments

More than 130 faith communities across the United States are praying and acting for hurricane victims ‎during religious services this weekend.

The president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont casts his vote - turn out is exceptionally high despite Spanish state violence. imageGood Cop/Bad Cop : Spanish Guardia Civil attack Catalan president's electoral vote centre. 10:17 Sun 01 Oct by iosaf mac diarmada 3 comments

A little over a week ago the Spanish state attempted to take control of the Mossos d'Esquadra the Catalan national police force whose men and women have sworn an oath of fealty to Catalonia and answer to the Catalan government "la Generalitat". The Mossos sidestepped all such attempts.
The Spanish ministry of the Interior ordered the Mossos to cordon off with "do not cross police" tape and guards all potential 6000+ electoral centres. A civil rights movement emerged intent on protecting those centres. Friday afternoon parents and teachers as well as children stayed on.at
At 06h23 this morning I went to the school in my area, known to some as the "Forat". A neighbourhood which has a long and sometimes difficult history of confrontation policing (lives lost or ruined), and is considered by some the anarchist heart of the city. I joined the civil rights movement there.

over 9 million ballot papers have been seized by Spanish police often with scant legality. Here I hold a handful. like many I distribute imageBarcelona kids as human shields for Oct 1 referendum 14:44 Sat 30 Sep by iosaf mac diarmada 3 comments

October 1st, tomorrow at time of writing shall see the "illegal referendum on Catalan independence and conversion to a republic". On September 20th the central Spanish state launched an extraordinary campaign of intimidation and criminalisation. Ministers of the regional government were arrested. Printers were searched and ballot papers confiscated. Websites were closed down. 3 cruise liners hired by the Spanish state provide accommodation to police and paramilitary police drafted in to prevent voting, counting and disemination of information related to the referendum.
I shall later provide more information drawing on the wealth of archived articles on this node of indymedia which I hope and always hoped would explain the route from the fringe to centre of the process of Catalan self-determination. For the moment, the final opinion poll published today shows the intent of 63% of the enfranchised wish to vote & of those 83% will vote yes.

textTake Action: Israel is deporting Irish people visiting Palestine – complain to our goverment 23:01 Mon 25 Sep by ipsc 0 comments

Dear friends, in case you missed this shocking news last week, while en route to occupied Palestine four Irish people were seized by Israeli authorities in Ben Gurion airport and deported. Below is a statement issued by the four deportees which includes a call for you to write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney (minister@dfa.ie) voicing your concerns about this arbitrary expulsion of human rights activist to stop them from bearing witness to the effects of Israel’s apartheid regime

textSlave Tourism in Ireland and UK 12:06 Tue 19 Sep by Mack MThomais 0 comments

Several foreign based volunteer networks are placing unsuspecting travellers in exploitative and manipulative situations and cashing in on free labour with no rights or security.

2017dutertehumanrightsviolations_3.jpg imagePHILIPPINES: 8,000 killings proof of policy to kill 13:43 Sun 10 Sep by AKBAYAN (Citizens Action Party) 1 comments

Akbayan Partylist condemns President Rodrigo Duterte’s denial of his policy to kill under the War on Drugs.

textEnd of the Cement House Age 12:45 Fri 08 Sep by Mac MacThomais 5 comments

In the face of the worst housing crisis since rackrenting of the 19 th century why is Irish society so hung up on cement houses that resemble bunkers.There are numerous alternatives to cement and concrete and most western countries and developing world universities are exploring and investing in education for engineering and architectural studies called biotecture and geotecture knowledge transfer degrees

If they come for us tonight, you can be sure they will come for you in the morning imageIndymedia Linksunten banned by German govt 02:20 Sun 27 Aug by 1 of indy 3 comments

The German minister of the Interior announced today (Fri 25th Aug) early in the morning that Indymedia Linksunten, a local German IMC, was declared illegal.

This seems partially as a result of the media coverage the site gave to the recent G20 protests in Hamburg that embarrassed the government on the world stage and for the crime of airing the grievance of the populace that they don't like predatory capitalism.

It comes also as the government faces into an election and that the entire political system shifts further to the right and all things Left are to be discredited such as free health or education, equality etc. Instead fear is the new norm these days and at the very same time when it is plain to see that practically all European governments are now simply vassals of the USA as evident in the way their foreign policies match in lockstep the dictates of the US war machine and the financial policies imposing austerity, privatisation and the stripping away of the social gains of the last century match those of the "Washington Neo-Liberal & Banking Parasitic" class.

I honestly never ever want to see it again - i know it works - but every time i see it again - i cry imageBarcelona Attack : Black Ribbons (again) 20:25 Fri 18 Aug by iosaf mac diarmada 2 comments

Yesterday the city where I live was victim to terrorist attack which has long been anticipated and it would seem prepared for. The attack happened within 600 metres of my home. I pass on foot every day the street which yesterday became a trail of human blood dragged out by a young man turned mass murderer, to be claimed and vaunted later by so-called DAESH/ISIS and then it seems to be a trigger for another simliar attack on a tourist town. You will understand if I come to this text with attitude. I have pointed out many times the soft points in the city where I live & yesterday my wife and another our closest friend were both caught up in on ordeal which lasted hours. There are lessons to learn. These are thus my initial published thoughts on the terrorist attack I and my partner survived and endured 17th August 2017 & are party to the words I am writing and publishing now in various languages. There are lessons to learn & I feel it my duty to point out a few. Especially since a meme idea I promoted lots perhaps thought up if i can remember correctly is the go to for societal collective fetishized memorial glyph. I never wanted to see black ribbons again. But they do come back & they will.

textDodder Greenway Route Scheme Public Consulation - Tues Aug 15th 12:29 Tue 15 Aug by anon 0 comments

There will be an information event in the County Library, Tallaght from 3pm – 6pm on Tuesday 15th August 2017 where Council staff will be available to provide general guidance and answer queries relating to the proposed Dodder Greenway

This has been posted at short notice because it is happening today.

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textNATO’s Anarchist Brigades Sep 25 by 1 of indy 0 comments

This is a repost from Thierry Meyssan site and it discusses how the US military-intelligence industrial complex has co-opted the far Left, largely unrealized to themselves in the fight for US imperialism. The story of Kobane and Rojava got a surprising amount of coverage in the mainstream and that in itself is often a red flag because they don't give publicity for nothing unless there is a propaganda reason for it. While maybe a surprise to some, the US via it's pawns like Saudi Arabia and up to recently Turkey, were and are the main backers of ISIS in all it's forms, from support, logistics, weapons, oil-purchase, it is all part of a greater goal to destroy Syria, and use the Kurds to carve out their own state and in the process to give the US a bridgehead to attack Iran, break up Iraq, and permanently cripple Syria. The US will also ensure that if the Kurds manage to form their own state, they will setup it up to Balkanize it and leave it in a permanent state of war so they can play the old divide and conquer game. Over the previous decades the US has previously backed and then dropped the support for the Kurds many time and betrayed them. So while the Kurds may well deserve their own state, these things do not occur in a vaccum.

When the Russians were invited by Syria to support it in crushing ISIS in 2014 and so far they have gone along way and block the US's plan A for Syria, they came up with plan B to use the Kurds to achieve the goal. There is no doubt that there was and is a pre-existing left leaning movement within the Kurds and even with Anarchist tendencies or elements to it but it just seemed all too good to be true and the immense resources and budgets of US imperalism and it's NATO allies, has the means to control the show as outlined in Meyssan's article

imageGovt. tries to introduce Identify cards on the Backdoor Aug 27 by anon 0 comments

The recent furore over Public Service Card (PSC) has highlighted the sly and underhand way the government has tried to introduce identity cards through the backdoor. In a typical fashion for the political system in Ireland, they have without any public discussion, legislation or clear thought tried to push this through to the unsuspecting public or at least most of them. Even the police state next door, the UK, rejected identity cards when the UK House of Lords rejected identity cards in early 2006.

textThe Stone Portals and mounds of Ireland Aug 19 by Sergey Smelyakov 0 comments

My dear Irish friends,
Let me introduce the English version of my e-book The Stone Portals devoted to the study of prehistoric Stone artefacts, the first two Chapters (http://www.astrotheos.com/EPage_Portal_HOME.htm) of which I have just posted at my site www.astrotheos.com.
I appeal to you in connection with the fact that much of the material presented in Chapter 2 is devoted to the reconstruction of the prehistoric solar calendar of the Celts, the key days of which are reflected in the festivals (Samhain et al.), and in correlation with the astronomical alignments of the Passage Mounds, and before all – of the Mound of the Hostages, which I analyzed numerically for all the data that I had.
I would not be distracting your attention if the results obtained in relation to precise determining the exact days of these festivals on the alignments of the mounds would not coincide with the same values determined by the astronomical alignment of the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, and a number of other stone artefacts as well.
From my point of view, the results obtained could contribute not only to a more complete disclosure of the properties of these passage mounds and the ancient culture of the Celts in general, but also to that that in scientific, administrative, and esoteric circles, much more attention was paid to preserving and study of these remarkable objects.

Good luck,
Prof. Sergey Smelyakov, Doctor of math, PhD
Kharkov
astrotheos@yahoo.com

textA new homeless Initiative by FNB. Jun 22 by Bernie Wright 1 comments

Food Not Bombs recovers and shares free vegan food with the public without restriction in over 1,000 cities around the world to protest war, poverty and the destruction of the environment.
Each group is independent and invites everyone to participate in making decisions for their local chapter using the consensus process.

Food Not Bombs is dedicated to taking nonviolent direct action to change society so no one is forced to stand in line to eat at a soup kitchen expressing a commitment to the fact that food is a right and not a privilege. With over a billion people going hungry each day how can we spend money on weapons or war.

A new initiative has been started in Dublin. we appeal for volunteers.

textFruitarianism: Healthy or Hazardous? Jun 21 by Paula 0 comments

We all know that fruit is good for us. Recent studies suggest we should be eating up to ten portions of fruit and veg each day. But how much is too much?

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imagevideoCharity calls on people to spend ‘Extra’ hour gained with older people this weekend Oct 25 Making Connections 0 comments

When the clocks go back this weekend (29th), the Dublin based charity, Making Connections are challenging everyone to give their extra hour to the older people in their lives. The Charity sees this as a chance for the whole country to help tackle isolation and loneliness – and inspire others to connect the generations, all with just one hour of your time.

textTracker Mortgage Scandal- Banks Should Be Publically Run Oct 24 People Before Profit 0 comments

The Irish banks are repeat criminal offenders. Back in the 1980’s, the banks helped thousands of wealthy customers to avoid their taxes in what became known as the DIRT scandal. Brian O'Boyle writes.

The DIRT scandal involved bank managers telling staff to pretend their customers were living overseas. AIB were particularly guilty of this offence eventually paying €90 million back to the Revenue Commissioners. Even when they were caught the banks illegally moved tens of millions of pounds to the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

textGalway Writer Wins Award Oct 20 0 comments

Maureen Gallagher wins Hanna Greally Award.

textHigh Court challenge to Dublin Airport extension to conclude Oct 17 Friends of Irish Environment 0 comments

High Court challenge to Dublin Airport extension to conclude. First case to test new climate legalisation

Today is scheduled to be the last day of the challenge to the new runway proposed for Dublin airport.

The new runway, if built, will significantly increase the capacity of Dublin Airport and lead to increases in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions.

textCensus 2016 – Hard Evidence of the Inequalities Faced by Irish Travellers Oct 16 0 comments

Pavee Point welcomes the hard evidence in Census 2016 figures released Thurs 12th Oct of the continuing inequalities faced by Irish Travellers.

“These inequalities cannot continue to be ignored,” said Ronnie Fay, Co Director Pavee Point.

“These figures show the huge gaps that continue to exist in Traveller health, education, employment and accommodation.”

“Travellers are dying 6 times younger and are poorer educated than the general population. With low education achievement it’s no surprise we’re living with an 80% unemployment figure,”? said Martin Collins Co Director, Pavee Point.

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