Richard Boyd Barrett (The scum also rises)

Wednesday April 02, 2003 19:07

by King Mob

Richard Boyd Barrett, swp lackey, and darling of the Irish Anti War Movement was this week profiled in the Dubliner Magazine. Hardly the behaviour of a card carrying socialist, but typical behaviour for Richard.

These kinds of articles are usually greeted with sneers and allegations of "trying to split the movement" and suggestions of "pig infiltrators". I'm sorry I'm not in the mood to march in line and chant "one solution revoltion", Barrett and his ilk are the bloated greasy fat on the side of the anti war movement, a parasite needing to be burnt off, before the drag us down an alley to abuse us, to suit their needs and goals.

Barrett's slack jawed grin recently featured in a full page spread in "the Dubliner" magazine. "The Dubliner", for those on this site, is a rotten magazine with pseudo intellectual delusionals of taste and style, a pouncy magazines for yuppies and people aspiring to one day live in Dalkey. In short not exactly the socialist worker now is it. The article "thirty people fighting to change your world" also featured Indymedia saying and I quote "If you want to check out just how non senscial and intolerant the left can be check out indymedia.ie" Hardly surprising from a rag that has Brendan O'Connor on the payroll, however you can rest assured that indymedia wasn't invited to the luncheon the Dubliner threw, Barrett was and he went, and posed for photos for the magazine!

What kind of socialist does this! Well to exam Barrett's credentials he's hardly a socialist at all. His father was named and shamed in the Ansbacher report, a weathly architect with offices close the the Burlington.

A venue which would ring bells with readers of this site, being the location of the PPP course in November 01. Remember that kittens? The SWPs ludricous attempt at DA trying to storm the conference an idiotic attempt at DA that makes the laughable GRAWN effort in Shannon on March 1st, look, well less laughable.

But thats the SWP's attitude they'll use any excuse to drum up support and garner members. Consider Boyd's appearance on the Late Late Show after last Mays Reclaim the Streets, had Boyd been there? No but you can bet damn sure he made every effort to promote GR ( remember them?)(including pretty much demanding on IMC Member attend the GR press conference after may 6th) to raise their profile. The fact that people had been injured or personal freedom assaulted was a handy spring board for Barrett, but everything is to him and his ilk.

Or how about that leeked internal SWP memo, which praised GR for "raising their profile" after May 6th, a direct contradiction to GRs offical stance of wanting to see justice above all else.

How about Richard's moral outrage at not being allowed to bring his thousands up Grafton St on Decmember 8th, how this was "a direct assault on civil freedom" and his comparission to the RTS. The fact that trying to march (what turned out to be 500/750 people) up a pedestrian street on the traditional busiest shopping day of the year, would have been a public order nightmare and could have leaded to a huge crush and possible injuries, didn't stop Richard from ripping off his shirt and screaming "Are we not wronged" metaphorically of course. Any exuse eh richard?

Again his presence on the late late show in the new year was utterly contemptable. TWO members of the SWP on the stand while members of refueling for peace in the audience. Barrett had been down to shannon twice at this point (memoriably he forced Grace Layly of the SWP off the road during the solidarity sit in, after people had been arrested) yet people who had spent months in shannon at night in the cold where left languishing in the audience as Barrett took credit for their work, and effort.

Any attack, make no mistake this is an attack, on Barrett would not be complete without the fiasco of March 1st, when Barrett roundly attacked the GRAWM on Morning Ireland condemning their attempted DA outside shannon, the fact that the IAWM had at first been in favour of DA, but backed down after SIPTU pressure lets us know how strong their resolve is, and how easy they will fold. He damaged a protest that asked not for his or his SWP lackeys help, to gain favour, and now he cries out for DA. He's a hypocrite, and his masters weathervain, spinning whichever way he's told.

Yes this is an attack, and no fuck you if you tell me to to shut up and demand unity. What kind of anti war movement can we have if one of our leaders is a socialist who will play ball with "The Dubliner", and will cry out for DA if only it is ineffective and non confrontantly. As I write this it's six pm, and over an hour and half till the Dail Blocade. Are they idiots! No, they know full well that come half seven all the TDs will have left and this will be a symbolic piece of garbage, non confrontatly safe, and not at all dangerous, or even effective, just the way they like it.

A senior member of the SWP recently bragged to a source of mine about how many recruits had been garnered over the last few weeks. And how many for the muslim community. Are these new recruits aware of the cyncial opportuntists whos rule the part they are now a part of? Will they run away from all left wing groups the moment the sour taste of the SWP hits their mouths? Probably they will when the realise how they've been used, how this war is just a way of getting more papers sold to the SWP, they'll grow disgusted with "the left" and walk away.

If there was any justice is the world the true opposition to this war would grab Barrett (and those Sinn Fein opportunist, opposing the war yet posing for photos with Bush come Paddys day) strip them naked and run them out of town with electric cattle prods. They are albatross' around the neck of those who truly want to end the war.

We need people commited, not to the their party, their image, and themselves, but commited to ending the war in charge, and leading us forward, we're wasting time here. People are dying, and frankly I doubt the Gavin Lambert Symth of the left really gives a fuck.

The scum rises.