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Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

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Human Rights in Ireland
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Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link News Round-Up Thu Jul 31, 2025 00:51 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Migration Adds 707,000 People to the Population of England and Wales in Just a YEAR ? The Second Lar... Wed Jul 30, 2025 19:00 | Richard Eldred
707,000 people have been added to the population of England and Wales in just one year ? 98% of them due to net migration ? making it the second-biggest rise in more than 75 years.
The post Migration Adds 707,000 People to the Population of England and Wales in Just a YEAR ? The Second Largest Jump Since 1945 appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Masking Our Schoolchildren Was Child Abuse ? A Rare Chance to Stop It Returning Wed Jul 30, 2025 17:00 | Dr Gary Sidley
Thanks to the Declaration of Dumfries, parents now have a real shot at suing councils that unlawfully forced masks on their children ? and at making sure this form of child abuse never happens again, says Gary Sidley.
The post Masking Our Schoolchildren Was Child Abuse ? A Rare Chance to Stop It Returning appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Rotherham Police Sexually Abused Us Too, Say Five Grooming Victims Wed Jul 30, 2025 15:00 | Richard Eldred
Just when you think the rape gang scandal can't get worse, five Rotherham victims say police officers abused them too ? claims currently being investigated by South Yorkshire Police itself, sparking fears of a whitewash.
The post Rotherham Police Sexually Abused Us Too, Say Five Grooming Victims appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link The Online Safety Act is a Censor?s Charter Wed Jul 30, 2025 13:00 | Andrew Doyle
We were assured by Conservative and Labour politicians that the Online Safety Act was designed to protect children. In the last few days, its real, more sinister purpose has become, writes Andrew Doyle.
The post The Online Safety Act is a Censor?s Charter appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

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Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Will intergovernmental institutions withstand the end of the "American Empire"?,... Sat Apr 05, 2025 07:15 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?127 Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:38 | en

offsite link Disintegration of Western democracy begins in France Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:00 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en

offsite link The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en

Voltaire Network >>

Noam Chomsky in Dublin: a youth perspective

category national | miscellaneous | other press author Tuesday November 24, 2009 16:35author by Kenny G Report this post to the editors

A review from young competition winner

Thanks to the SpunOut.ie team, myself and a friend found ourselves with a once in a lifetime opportunity. We had won a competition to see Noam Chomsky speak.

The night to see Chomsky came and we were not sure what to expect, having only Chomsky’s Youtube broadcasts as a rough guide. As soon as he begun speaking though, our imaginations started firing. We listened to a man who spoke about what our hearts had told us, but what the world around us had convinced us not to believe.

Professor Noam Chomsky is arguably the finest linguist in existence. He is also an outspoken writer, speaker and activist on political issues that touch people worldwide. He is highly critical of US foreign policy and is an advocate of grassroots movements. He has also spoken out about the (mis)use of power, with power held being illegitimate unless justified. As he spoke to the audience, I was struck at his lack of theatrical quality. His powerful presence was not due to a booming voice and plenty of hand gestures; he simply kept my attention by the quality of what he was actually saying, and the simplicity with which he said it.

Throughout the talk, he kept things relevant to the country in which he was speaking, illustrating an understanding of the fall of the Celtic Tiger and the problems with Northern Ireland's Good Friday Agreement. He emphasised the importance of grassroots action as a tool for change, keeping the atmosphere alive with positive examples of where grassroots action really did make a difference. I found his criticism of President Obama’s office intriguing, as he made a number of points on recent decisions that were scarcely focused on in worldwide media. He hammered home his opposition to the war in Iraq, pointing out that the Obama administration has created the biggest military budget in history.

I often find political speakers, well, actually hard to listen to, so intent are they on subscribing to and promoting a particular type of political dogma with disdain for those who “don’t get it”. I am used to political speakers having a solemn band of loyal supporters in the audience wildly cheering when they hear a point they like. Chomsky encourages none of this fervour! Different types of political thinking inspire his opinions and he prevents doom and gloom by giving lighthearted humour throughout his lectures. He finished this lecture on a positive note, by saying that we can all be agents of change.

I left the RDS reflecting on my own views of the world in which I live. Noam Chomsky confirmed my niggling thought that Ireland is in need of grassroots change. Not the kind that focuses on local communities congregating inside the Irish bastions of power: the church, the schools and the pub; but, the kind that poses a direct threat to the ‘greed is good’ mantra of the now gone Celtic Tiger.

I would someday like to see an Ireland committed to goals of inclusion, justice served to all, first class healthcare, equal opportunities, and the abolition of social problems caused by poverty that the Celtic Tiger ignored. With grassroots action, Noam Chomsky convinced me that these dreams could become a reality.

By: Annette Carter

Related Link: http://www.spunout.ie
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