Ne Plus Ultra

where were you born? why are you poor?

For the reasons are local, the solutions are local, the strategies are made far far away, and the poor they are everywhere. Relatively writing.

Minister for Environment Martin Cullen was interviewed today for RTE's weekly news programe by Róisín Duffy who reported his plans to change regulations within the rental sector
28k - http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/0720/thisweek/thisweek5a.smil

Many of us will remember Deirdre De Burca was one of the first to lead a charge on Cullen's cutting of the housing allocation in Dec 2002.
http://www.wicklowgreens.org/press/developers.htm
she had earlier accused him of a "cop out".
http://www.wicklowgreens.org/press/cullencopout.htm

It was a phrase which resounded...
Mr Cullen has been attacked on everything from housing to environmental issues. Understandable he is the Minister of Ireland's environment. But he has a constitutional edge too... He is facing a legal action from county Mayo FG TD concerning something called "dual mandate".
http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/0603/dualmandate.html

Mr Cullen is not really the man to help either or housing or our environment. But I am drawn to him today not only because of the Róisín Duffy interview but because of the term "dual mandate".

It popped out yesterday in several places.

Italy uder the leadership of Burlosconi this week marked two years since Genoa, and the murder of Carlo Guiliani, a week that has seen Italy meet with Greek and Spanish ministers to discuss forthcoming plans for "tightening" Europe's borders.

July 16 a joint minsterial statement on immigration concerns and €U amplification from Greece and Italy.

July17 several hundred Roma travelers amongst the oldest nomadic ethnic communities of Europe were prevented in crossing the border to Greece.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/07/274506.html

July19 in the northern Sardinian town of Alghero, the ministers of Spain and Italy meet and make a joint statement "we may not long continue to be responsible for the borders of the community as the borders of the community".
The town of Alghero within sight of Corsica is proud of it's connection to Catalan culture, street names are still in Catalan and till comparatively recently residents spoke Catalan or Sardo.

This last week after being adrift at Sea 23 days a boat of west african immigrants were landed in starved condition in this province of Sardinia.
They were landed at Lampedusa. In the group were counted 34 children apparantly of age 5-10 years and 25 women.
http://www.unionesarda.it/unione/2003/19-07-03/ITALIA/ITA01/index.html

This happens every week.
Italy-España-Malta-Greece-

Burlosconi will now go to Texas.
Where tomorrow he shall hold discussions with George Bush 2º on USA/Italy relations, trade, matters relating to G8, GM food and controlling the Mafia who send 184 people and 34 children to Sea without food and water at the cost of 4000€ a body.

I REPEAT:
BUSH AND BURLOSCONI will inform us how to control the MAFIA that put these victims to Sea.

Spain and Italy must not be allowed to facilitate the creation of a unitary €uropean civil guard as appears to be their intention in 2005-2007.

This will be discussed in Dublin 2004.
The borders of €urope are also the borders of Dublin, Wicklow, they are MR Cullen's borders, this next week, as Burlosconi joins with his master in Texas, no discussion shall be made of the cause of african poverty, only how to sell them GM food.
No discussion shall be made of the nuclear waste that threatens both Spain and Italy in the mediterranean sea.

We ought discuss these things, then, so @ least they are given words. Perhaps even words that work.