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news report
 Tuesday March 11, 2003 00:49 by John Meehan
 George Bush is hosting a "Patrick's Day" reception for irish politicians on March 13 - brought forward to suit the war timetable. This is a comment on the event, and a call to boycott it. George Bush will be meeting Irish politicians for St Patrick's Day celebrations this week - but the dates have been changed to suit the timetable for war against Iraq. BBC reporter Mark Devenport tells us that "Ireland's patron saint is having to fit in" with Washington's war plans "so the reception will take place four days early on 13 March." In a recent open letter Vincent Doherty makes the following useful and modest proposal : "Perhaps he (Bertie Ahern) and all other Irish political leaders should task a stand and for once forego the shamrock and the shenanigans and the shoneenism at the White House this March, as a sign of the opposition of the Irish people to the war plans of Bush and Blair. This is clear and sharp. Let's show out contempt for this crawling. Protest as far and wide as possible against these sleeveens. Encourage everybody - public representatives, anti war organisations, trade union and community groups, prominent personalities - to support the call for a Bush boycott. And, beware : don't the Irish "peace process" distort a clear vision : As Mark Devenport says : "Some newspapers have reported that the President intends to snub Gerry Adams, denying him a handshake, because of US concerns about the IRA's alleged links with the Marxist FARC guerrillas in Colombia." But, republican spinners in 44 Parnell Square can relax : Time for Sinn Féin to spin the wheel the other way - they too have a duty to boycott Bush and his imperialist warmongering. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Now that the tide has turned against the warmongers, watching the worms wriggle makes fascinating viewing. Pat Rabbite suggests that maybe if we were as intelligent as he was, we would have realized by now that his counterpart in Britain has really been against war with Iraq all along. We just couldn't see it. Good man Pat. Good man Tony. Maybe its got to do with the way that Labour Party leaders here and there, have become accustomed to speaking out of both sides of their mouth at the same time. We haven't quite caught up with what they really mean, that is if they ever really mean anything. For the tens of thousands who marched in Dublin and throughout Ireland yesterday, and the tens of millions more who marched across the globe there was no such confusion. In what was possibly the largest single co-ordinated mobilization in human history there was absolute sense of clarity about Tony "W" Blair's role in all this. Along with George Bush and the most reactionary right wing Cabinet in US history, Blair has brought the world to the edge of catastrophe. If, in the changing circumstances the worm does turn, we should not allow ourselves to fall for the line that Tony was really a nice guy all along, just trying his damnedest to keep those Texan's in check. For months now we have been told that war is inevitable, literally inevitable. Every day for weeks every Colonel Blimp half wit who could be rounded up has been paraded across the airwaves to make the case for bombing Iraq. From morning till evening, from Marion Finnucane to Pat Kenny to Joe Duffy we have been reminded of how we have to get ready to fight the good fight. We have been reminded. And reminded. Remember our "blood ties" with our American cousins. Remember that we depend on the benevolence of US investment. Remember that we must do what our masters, sorry slip of the tongue, our "allies" tell us. We must always do what our "allies" do. Our "allies" right or wrong. That's what neutrality means Fianna Fail style. Pat even had two gun slingers on his show in the form of Des O Malley and Dairmud Mc Dermott complaining that the soldiers at Shannon would not be allowed to shoot the "so-called peace protesters." Its well past time that we wised up and listened to those voices that we never hear. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the Irish Anti War Movement and the global anti war movement for not succumbing to the "inevitability" of war thesis. We own them more than we might yet be able to imagine for their guidance in combating fatalism and demonstrating that protest does work. We owe an enormous gratitude to those who have been unafraid to say that this war is about oil and greed and consolidating the interests of the multinationals. It's about imperialism, the highest from of capitalism, which is precisely what the First World War and World War 2 and the Vietnam War and countless other 20th Century wars were all about. It's about who controls the worlds resources in the 21st Century and has nothing whatever to do with the ordinary people of Iraq. Anyone who thinks that Bush or Rumsfeld or Blair or Straw gives a fig for the women and children of Baghdad or the human rights of those who live under tyranny is e ither a liar or a half wit. Its time to call it as it is. If the UN was so concerned about defiance of its international resolutions how come the bombs haven't been raining down on Tel Aviv, given that Israel continues to be in breach of no less that 64 UN resolutions. Even if the UN does manage stand up to the US for once, will Bertie still continue to sanction our participation in the US war efforts through the use of Shannon as part of the military buildup? It will be interesting to see how Bertie, the master wriggler gets of the hook on this one. Even if the US goes it alone without a UN Resolution will he make the annual pilgrimage cap in hand to Pennsylvania Avenue in March to pay homage to Pax Americana and our "special relationship." Perhaps he and all other Irish political leaders should task a stand and for once forego the shamrock and the shenanigans and the shoneenism at the White House this March, as a sign of the opposition of the Irish people to the war plans of Bush and Blair. from the website "The Blanket" |
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Comments (16 of 16)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16this idea seems to be a little weak. how exactly are we supposed to boycott bush? is he selling me coffee or something?
there's a huge number of people mobilising against the war already, requesting that people continue to do that is hardly a radical, or even meaningful, demand.
i think it would be great for bertie and the boys to visit the white house. having all the bueracrats and capitalists in the same place can only help to realise and reafirm class identity.
Ocean
To believe for a single moment that Ahern, who has criminally allowed the U.S. war machine to use Shannon, would boycott Bush...well whoever makes that suggestion is probably as brain-damaged as Bush. Ahern, and the Gombeen/shoneen/comprador class he represents is firmly subjugated to Anglo-America. Why would he object to Iraq being similarly subjugated? As for Bush not shaking Gerry Adams hand: the question is why would Adams want to shake it in the first place?
You just don't get it, do you? Try to imagine what this world would be like without American military intervention in the 20th century. Thier motives may not always be whiter than snow but it's a damn sight better than the living under fascist or soviet tyranny.
...Drive the Yanks out of Ireland?
We'd have far fewer third world nations who were second world up until the president's ratings slipped.
Personally I'd rather live under a yoke of "tyrrany" (why the alternative to capitalist democracy is always tyrrany I'll never know - and for that matter, isn't an unelected president a bit of a divergence from that ideal?) than did in a firestorm delivered from half a mile up in my "defence".
Get real USA supporter!
Quit yawning, wake up to the 21st century, take off the "rose-tinted" glasses and see things for how they really are.
The US has left behind a trail of destruction where they intervened unilaterally, or were involved in the capacity of "military advisors", or got involved via their proxies such as South Africa and Israel, which is what they are proposing to do in the case of Iraq.
To name but a few:
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
Somalia
Iran
Iraq
Afghanistan
Israel/Palestine
Bolivia
Colombia
Nicaragua
Angola
Mozambique
etc., etc.
The US and the UK are only good for meddling and then leaving the UN, ie the rest of us, to clean up the mess for them when they go off on their next military intervention.
The best thing we can do to prevent continued meddeling is that we give them no UN support or resolution and leave them to clean up their own messes ... that should leave them tied up for a few decades or so!
Dispute with facts ... if you can ever finish yawning and wake up!
Grenada - US claimed that a new airport was to be a USSR base - after bloody invasion admitted that it was to develop tourism.
Rwanda - blocked UN use of the word 'genocide' in the security council, thus preventing intervention as they knew that their side (Kagame's RPF) was going to win out in the end.
Chile - succeeded in establishing horrendous military dictatatorship on second attempt in 1973
Cuba - bay of pigs, etc, etc..
Guatemala - 1956 overthrow of elected government replaced with brutal military dictatorship
Indonesia - support for Suharto's coup including handing over a list of half million communist sympathisers to military. Death toll reached 1 million. US subsequently supported invasion of East Timor.
The list goes on and on....
Incidentally, I'd be interested to hear of a single case of US military 'intervention' since the second world war which can be said (with an ounce of plausibility) to have improved humanitarian conditions for the 'liberated'.
Leprechauns Against War will be waving their shillelaghs for peace at St. Patrick's Day parades throughout Ireland and in New York. If Leprechauns Against War isn't organised in your area, organise it!
Its about *Globalisation*, US globalisation, not even...actually the US is just a vehicle, who wants globalisation?.. Big business, the same people who backed Hitler, business' strong man in europe, the same powers that produced GATT and the WTO -removing the power from nation states and local democracies. Big business has the biggest military force in the world firmly under control with their representatives in the whitehouse and the generals on the leash, and are about to strike for the world, their virtual economic dominance is about to become a de facto empire where no-one will be free. the war in iraq is intended to mark the emergence of a primary world power with unlimited freedom, freedom to take what they want and force everyone to trade with them on THEIR terms. The *nation* of the United states of america is just a vehicle, its not the americans we must fight, its the same people we fought at Seattle and Genoa, the business hegemony of the new world order.
Begorrah, 'twill be great to see the wee folk wavin' their shillelaghs for peace here n' in Amerikay on Paddy's Day. Good on ye!
As a simple form of protest against the American Machine may I suggest a boycott of US goods?
We all know the obvious ones like N1ke, Levi$, C0ke etc
Consider also Micro$soft products.
If you are using Internet Explorer why not change to the wonderful Opera Browser (www.opera.com).
Switch from M$ Office to OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org)
Boycott films produced by US studios.
Avoid purchasing music from US studios - download, burn and distribute instead!
Avoid purchasing Disney products for your kids.
Boycott Californian Wine.
Do what you can. Do it Today.
Spread the word.
Hit them where it hurt$.
Indeed Chekov Greneda was where the present phase of US military expansionism/interventionism began. I remember being delighted and amused that a few hundred Cuban constuction workers with militia training at the time managed to keep the US war machine at bay for several days http://www.awigp.com/default.asp?numcat=Edito_suite14.
By the way the US backed coup installed a government which has kept the former government in prison for nearly 20 years without trial ... that's democracy for you http://www.grenada17.cwc.net/!
Not that I'm disagreeing, but the Contras in Nicaragua were a couple of years before, so should be classed as the real beginning. Let's not pretend that US imperialism is simply open invasion, but also arming and training "terrorists" (sorry, it's freedom fighters when the US supports them, isn't it?).
D.
...Afghanistan in 1979/80 when the U.S. supported the Muhajadeen(sp?)"freedom fighters" as the U.S. called them
to fight the Russian(Soviet Union) invasion of Aghanistan. This same group then disintegrated into the Taliban and,
yes, Al Qaida(sp?), among others after the fall of the Soviets. Now they're called "terrorists". This is always the way of U.S.
interventions/meddling around the world.
Greens Call On Taoiseach To Cancel White House Visit
by Graham Caswell - Green Party Tue, Mar 11 2003, 8:43pm
caswell@indigo.ie
Press Release
The Green Party today called on the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, T.D., to cancel his proposed visit to the White House in order to send the clearest signal yet to President George Bush that this country is opposed to a war against Iraq.
Green Party Chairman and Foreign Affairs spokesperson, John Gormley T.D., said it was time for the Taoiseach to display some level of moral courage in the face of US war-mongering. Mr Gormley said that the Greens were also concerned at recent statements from Government sources that Shannon would continue to be used even if there are no second resolution under the guise of "humanitarian flights". This would be entirely unacceptable."
"The forelock tipping at the annual St. Patrick's Day White House gathering will only serve to enhance the image of the war-mongering George Bush. Given that Ireland has not spoken out publicly against the Bush administration, it will be interpreted as Ireland giving the seal of approval to Mr. Bush's war effort. Even after President Chirac had indicated that France and Russia will use their vetoes, the Irish Government has remained silent. It's time for Mr. Ahern to stop the equivocation by issuing a clear statement that at the very least war without a second resolution is entirely unacceptable."
Mr Gormley also said that continuing so-called humanitarian flights through Shannon in the absence of a second resolution was totally unacceptable. "The PDs and others are now openly talking about humanitarian flights continuing through Shannon, even in the absence of a second UN resolution. What precisely do they mean by humanitarian flights? Either these flights are assisting the American war effort or they are not. If they are assisting the war effort in any way then they cannot be allowed to use Shannon airport."
"If war continues without a UN mandate then clearly the credibility of the organisation will have been seriously undermined. If war continues by way of a resolution, which is the result of bribery and bullying then the UN will be equally damaged. Let us lay blame where it should rest and that is clearly with this Bush administration which is out of touch with its own people and with the global community. Rather than going to the White House and Cheltenham, Mr Ahern and his Ministers would be better served staying at home and debating this issue properly in the House," he concluded.
related link: www.greenparty.ie
add your comments
COMMENTS
Bound to work
by Badman Tue, Mar 11 2003, 8:59pm
Politely asking Bertie to snub Bush and his day out in Washington with the big cheeses is bound to work. This might send the "clearest signal yet to President George Bush that this country is opposed to a war against Iraq", but there's a pretty clear signal at Shannon right now that Bertie doesn't give a rashers that this country is opposed to a war.
What is the point in issuing a press release asking the government to do something when he ignored 100,000 plus marching. What is the Green's strategy for stopping the war? If you ask often enough and politely enough they're bound to give in?
Re: Call On Taoiseach To Cancel White House Visit
by Raymond McInerney Tue, Mar 11 2003, 9:17pm
I'm sure the Green Party knows that Bertie won't boycott the White House Visit.' But its the intent from the Green Party thats important.
Gombeen/shoneen
by Shelta Tue, Mar 11 2003, 10:31pm
70 lawyers have declared that Ahern is a criminal for allowing Shannon to be used by the U.S. war machine. But have no fear he'll be there in the Big(white) House with the bowl of shamrock.
The strategy is not to STOP the war: it's to OPPOSE it
by Bluto - tannyshanks Tue, Mar 11 2003, 11:45pm
Quoth Badman: What is the Green's strategy for stopping the war? If you ask often enough and politely enough they're bound to give in?
You misunderstimate the logicalments of the Green Party and the SP/SWP/SF parliamentary canary nexus. The strategy of these bad boys is to complain about the war WHEN IT HAPPENS. They are determined not to stop it: people trying to stop it are criminals that alienate the "public".
So save your tears and exhortations for WHEN THE WAR STARTS.
Don't tire your arms pulling down fences and smashing places. Save your strength for waving black flags, posting petitions to the UN and putting that little slip of paper with (Sargeant GP) ticked on it into the ballot box.
Or you could vote for Uncle Joe and the Mass Strike of the Workers Coming Any Day Now if we Wait Until the Time is Right.
Apathy = Fianna Fail
by anon Wed, Mar 12 2003, 12:20am
Or you could just remain an angry, marginalised nutter waiting for the revolution while Fianna Fail and the big money boys screw you again and again and again.
Its your democracy and your choice.
70 lawyers?
by ollie - Katalyzer Wed, Mar 12 2003, 12:49am
Shelta: '70 lawyers have declared that Ahern is a criminal for allowing Shannon to be used by the U.S. war machine.'
Is there a reference available for that?
Apathy = letting Green Party Screw you instead of FF
by Sargeant-at-arms - SWP, no scratch that!, IAWM! Wed, Mar 12 2003, 1:03am
Let's unite to fight the real enemy: Bush, uh-no, Fianna Fail. Right kids, the tribunals are one me It's not a democracy and never has been one.
Or you could remain a happy, centralised nutter celebrating the best representative democracy that money can buy, assenting to it with your calls for ineffective protest, attacking and smearing any effective protest that threatens sugar-candy mountain and the dreams of the great big Green/SWP/SP party in the never-never.
It's not a democracy.
It's time to stop calling for protests AFTER THE WAR STARTS and time to start STOPPING THE WAR.
Even the SWP scumbags called their UK front the "stopthewar" coalition, not the "snivelduringthewar" coalition.
Can't we all at least agree to pretend that the point of all this is to stop the war?
Unity comrades! Remember Kronstadt!
It seems to me that these press releases only serve to give people the impression that the war question is being taken care of by the anti-war professionals. Such appeals are known by the applicants in advance not to work: they are hardly likely to prove more effective than the 100,000 march which failed to affect government policy. They give people who read the newspaper or listen to the news an impression that their concerns about the war are being imposed on the government and that the anti-war movement is applying pressure to the government. The net effect of this combination, anti-war professionals with ready access to the media who make appeals that are doomed to fail, and a public who get the impression that their concerns are being heard, is to push ordinary people towards apathy and defeatism.