 Ukraine Buys Huge Amounts of Russian Fue... Fri Jan 20, 2023 08:34 | Antonia Kotseva
Turkey Has Sent Ukraine Cluster Munition... Thu Jan 12, 2023 00:26 | Jack Detsch
New Israeli Government Promises to Talk ... Tue Jan 10, 2023 21:13 | Al Majadeen
Russia Training Iranian Pilots Ahead of ... Tue Jan 10, 2023 15:19 | The Times of Israel
Lukashenko Abolishes Copyright Protectio... Tue Jan 10, 2023 15:05 | Nikki Main Anti-Empire >>
A bird's eye view of the vineyard
Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb
The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog. We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).
What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are
Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of
The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by The Saker >>
News Round-Up Fri Sep 29, 2023 01:33 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the virus and the vaccines, the ?climate emergency? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
The Rise of the Groupthink Podcast Thu Sep 28, 2023 19:00 | Will Jones
Rod Liddle draws attention to the growing and depressing phenomenon of the 'groupthink podcast' ? the opportunity to listen to people who basically agree on everything pretending they don't.
The post The Rise of the Groupthink Podcast appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
I Was Cancelled by Laurence Fox Just Minutes Before he Got Cancelled Thu Sep 28, 2023 17:00 | Ian Rons
Laurence Fox cancelled me just minutes before he got cancelled, says Ian Rons. Ian was due to debate him about the war in Ukraine and came up to London specially ? but Fox pulled out at the last minute.
The post I Was Cancelled by Laurence Fox Just Minutes Before he Got Cancelled appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
MHRA Finally Admits it Failed to Test the Safety of Mass Manufactured Covid Vaccine Batches Thu Sep 28, 2023 15:13 | Nick Hunt
In a new FOI release the MHRA has finally come clean that it failed to test the safety of mass manufactured Covid vaccine batches, in contravention of its own regulations and public statements.
The post MHRA Finally Admits it Failed to Test the Safety of Mass Manufactured Covid Vaccine Batches appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Jonathan Sumption: ?The ECHR has Devalued the Whole Concept of Human Rights? Thu Sep 28, 2023 13:04 | Will Jones
Former Supreme Court Justice and anti-lockdown legend Jonathan Sumption has made the case for leaving the European Convention on Human Rights ? all the more remarkable as a Remainer on Brexit.
The post Jonathan Sumption: “The ECHR has Devalued the Whole Concept of Human Rights” appeared first on The Daily Sceptic. Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Poland announces intention to have Yaroslav Hunk extradited Thu Sep 28, 2023 11:14 | en
The Zelensky lie is coming to an end, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Sep 26, 2023 07:02 | en
Canadian Parliament honors SS veteran Mon Sep 25, 2023 15:13 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N°53 Fri Sep 22, 2023 15:00 | en
Commander-in-chief of Ukrainian armed forces accused of high treason, says BBC Fri Sep 22, 2023 05:48 | en Voltaire Network >>
|
Blood on Our Hands
 national |
anti-war / imperialism |
opinion/analysis
 Sunday December 02, 2007 18:39 by Margaretta D'Arcy - Women in Media & Entertainment margaretta at iol dot ie
Our Cash Kills Kids
Government hypocrisy has allowed the National Pension Reserve Fund to invest € 500 million in companies that produce weapons of mass destruction.
PENSION FUNDS IN WEAPONS PUT MONEY BEFORE MORALS
The National Pension Reserve Fund (NPRF) has invested € 500 million in companies that produce weapons of mass destruction – notably nuclear weapons, missiles, and cluster bombs. The NRPF will finance pensions for schoolteachers, nurses, prison officers, gardaí and other public servants, after the year 2025. It will also help to fund any social welfare payments made after that date.
This despite the fact that the NRPF was a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment in 2006.
There is no ethical legislation in Ireland to prevent this kind of investment. Norway, on the other hand, has excluded any firms involved in nuclear weapons and cluster bombs from its similar fund.
Bertie Ahern promised to campaign for a complete ban on the use of cluster bombs. In the Programme for Government, the government said it would seek an immediate freeze on their use. Yet Ireland has nearly € 70 million worth of shares in seven of the world’s main cluster-bomb producing companies.
“DOSSIER OF SHAME.”
The top 10 arms-producing firms, with the value of Irish shares.
BOEING, USA. Aircraft, missiles, etc. € 18,871,586.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN, USA. Aircraft, missiles, etc. € 2,549,571.
LOCKHEED MARTIN, USA. Aircraft, missiles, cluster bombs, etc. € 17,124,321.
BAE SYSTEMS, UK. Aircraft, nuclear warheads, etc. € 14,543,571.
RAYTHEON, USA. Cluster bombs, missiles, etc. € 12,392,445.
GENERAL DYNAMICS, USA: Cluster bombs, etc. € 12,712,947.
FINMECCANA, Italy. Nuclear warheads, etc. € 9,680,018.
EADS, Netherlands. Aircraft, cluster bombs, nuclear warheads. € 19,488,139.
1-3 COMMUNICATIONS, USA. Cluster bombs, etc. € 692,916.
THALES, France. Cluster bombs, etc. € 6,636,170.
(Info from 'The Star,' 27 - 28 Nov 07)
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Get Questions asked in the Dáil, with a view to a Bill to implement the UN Principles of Responsible Investment at a national level and to exclude (on the Norwegian model) any firms involved in nuclear weapons, cluster bombs, etc., etc.
|
printable version
Digg this
del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Technorati
Facebook
Gab
Twitter
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4Of course if (like most people in Ireland) you work in the private sector and are "lucky" enough to be offered a private pension by your employer youll probably find that you have little choice but to invest in the pension fund selected by your employer. And very few of them have an "ethical" option.
Of course you could opt out and find your own pension scheme but then
1) You almost loose out on the bribe/"matching contribution" that feature in most employers schemes.
2) The very few (if any ???) "ethical " pension funds operating in the Irish market are poorly advertised and difficult to find. There are some good UK based ones but most (all ?) of them wont take on Irish-based clients (probably in breach of EU law RE: single market in goods/services)
We need legislation enabling employees to choose their own pension scheme and requiring employers to contribute to any approved pension scheme chosen by their employees.
There should also be a trade union organized academic boycott of all firms and university departments connected to the arms industry . The likes of Raytheon and BAE are reliant on Dr Mengele type scientists for research and development projects .Many of these are prominent in academia and members of trade unions . Anti-war activists should be monitoring all those engaged in the war industry and gathering evidence for future war crime tribunals.
If anyone wants to use this image for publicity material feel free. This issue has to be put to the forefront of Irish antiwar activism, we can pressure TD's and get legislation enacted to prevent unethical investment by government bodies.
"Bertie Ahern promised to campaign for a complete ban on the use of cluster bombs"
did he also promise to make it a 'top priority'?
We know by now what Aherne's word is worth.
"As Taoiseach, he now intends to sign Ireland up to Nato's so-called
'Partnership for Peace' without giving the Irish people their voice
through the referendum he once promised."
http://indigo.ie/~goodwill/icnd/neutrality/pfpduw.html