Luke Flanagan hosted a talk on PESCO in NUI Galway on 08/11/2018. Speakers at the event, titled "Are we heading towards an EU Army”, included Luke Flanagan, Clare Daly, Mick Wallace, Thomas Pringle, Catherine Connolly, Karen Devine, Roger Cole, & Claudia Haydt.

Luke introduces the discussion by quoting Commissioner Frederica Mogherini selling PESCO as “Using weapons in the European Way”

“No need to worry”, Luke quips, “Cuddly bullets and the like”.

In his own words Luke describes PESCO with an analogy, “People say this is not an army, but that’s a bit like me saying I’m not married to my wife, I’m in a permanent structured co-operation agreement with her”.

Luke puts it in plain terms when he suggests that “We need to use the right language, to describe PESCO as anything other than a European army is denying reality.”

Of course most of the time we’re not that interested about what goes on in Europe, it seems arduous to spend time on European politics when we’re such a small fish in a big pond, but I think credit is due to Luke Flanagan for giving us a voice in Europe and reintroducing European politics to the people of Ireland, and letting us know that we can make a difference.

What might have been considered a low key event, as it didn’t get a lot of attention in the media, but I guarantee you this talk is worth a watch, as it’s more worthwhile than listening to Claire Byrne Live, The Tonight Show, or The Cutting Edge, or whatever else passes for public information/debate these days.

The knowledge of the various speakers, and the opportunity to hear them speak on this topic is unrivaled, meaning this is the one video you should watch if you want to educate yourself on PESCO and Ireland’s involvement in a European army.
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Enjoy :)

Dave Murphy is the press officer for the Solidarity party, principal writer for the party’s newsletter, and described by Phoenix Magazine as the most dangerous man in Ireland. He’s recently written about the Pope’s visit to Ireland, growing inequality, abortion legislation, and mass evictions by Landlords.

Even if you’re not a fan of the party or its politics the newsletter is a good place to view real issues facing real people in your community. A recent entry called “Rainy Day Fund? More Like A New Bank Bailout Fund!” is one of the only articles you’ll find criticising the government’s budget in plain language. Whenever I hear someone propose the government spends more money on social services someone always goes; “Where are we going to get the money for that, who’s going to pay for it?”  I wonder how closely people actually look at the budget or if people know what our country's finances are like. 

The fact is we’re a very wealthy country, we’ve sold off and leased some of our best assets, and on top of this rainy day fund there have been massive budget cuts two years in a row by a government desperate to maintain support. Murphy’s article takes a jab at the Rainy Day Fund and questions its real purpose.

Solidarity TD Paul Murphy responded to reports that Minister Paschal Donohoe intends to take €1.5 Billion from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund to establish the fund, alongside a portion of corporation tax income, to establish the 'rainy day fund'.

Paul Murphy TD, member of the Finance Committee, said:
“The establishment of a so-called ‘rainy day fund’ by Fine Gael and agreed by Fianna Fail is another example of how out of touch they are with reality. For the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the many crises in society – be it housing or health – every day is a rainy day, it's monsoon season.

“People will remember what happened the National Pension Reserve Fund, which was raided to pay for the bank bailouts. That is in reality what this fund is being established for again – it will be a new bank bailout fund. The 'expenditure benchmark' fiscal rule will effectively prevent it being used for necessary public investment. It will only be allowed to be spent in cases of ‘external shocks’, which in reality means when banks inevitably fail again.

“Solidarity has called for the funds in the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund and NAMA to be brought together and used to tackle the housing crisis. Instead, the government plans to siphon off cash to create a safety net for bankers.

“A radically different approach is needed – one which breaks with the neo-liberal orthodoxy and treats the budget as an opportunity to address the housing and public services crises. That means an end to the reliance on the free market to resolve these crises and the implementation of socialist policies based on public investment and democratic public ownership of the key sectors of the economy, including banking, instead. In that way, the wealth in society could deliver a decent life for all and economically and environmentally sustainable growth could be planned for.”
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(Picture from McGoughart)

​RTÉ  shocked audiences with a recent report that gay and transgender people in Tanzania have gone into hiding after Paul Makonda (a senior government official) called on the public to report suspected homosexuals so that they could be arrested from early next week.
 
Makonda was anticipating backlash from people who lived outside Tanzania, but said that he would “prefer to anger those countries than to anger God.”
 
Makonda said the goal is to eradicate prostitution and homosexuality. He said in a press conference Wednesday that the public sent police the names of more than 200 people and he announced the names of some who were frequently named. He said some people had been accused of being homosexual because their walking style was deemed "gay."
 
Tanzania has had a reputation for being more tolerant than its neighbour Uganda but since President John Magufuli came to power three years ago campaigners say the little protection, representation and freedom LGBT people have is being slowly eroded. In June last year Magufuli said that "even cows" disapprove of homosexuality.

A government taskforce will now begin hunting down and arresting people who are, or are perceived to be lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and inter-sex (LGBTI), detainee’s face a prison sentence of 30 years. Under British colonial-era laws homosexuality is illegal in Tanzania, with same-sex acts between men punishable by a maximum life sentence. Tanzania is one of 37 previously colonized Commonwealth nations that still uphold colonial sodomy laws.
 
Tanzania has a poor record of respecting and protecting the rights of LGBTI people. The government has in the past raided organizations working on health issues for men who have sex with men, threatening to close them down.
 
In October 2016, a Ministry of Health directive suspended provision of HIV/AIDS services and ordered the closure of AIDS clinics for providing services to LGBTI people. In that clamp-down, the authorities arrested and prosecuted people for same-sex relations, subjecting them to forced anal examinations, a form of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment that can amount to torture.
 
In October 2017, 13 health and human rights activists, including two South Africans and one Ugandan, were arrested and detained by Tanzanian authorities for ‘promoting homosexuality’ in Tanzania.
 
The news highlights the prevalence of anti-gay laws in Africa, where 34 countries ban gay sexual relations.

So I went to a feminist rally last night called "Find Your Power" but it wasn't the Soros funded coven you'd imagine, there were no goat sacrifices, no candle light homages to their godesss Taylor Swift, and only one minor plot to overthrow Ben Affleck as the current godfather of the patriarchy. 

Instead the feminists sat down drinking wine and beer like normal people, talked about politics, shared a few jokes, listened to some poetry readings, occasionally sang some songs, and then they even invented an impromptu dating game called "The Three Michaels". 

In what has to be the highlight of the podcast festival Deborah Frances White, the most famous Deborah in the world, brought her sold out show "The Guilty Feminist" to Dublin for one night only. Co-hosted by comedian Alison Spittle the audience were brought to their knees with laughter and to their feet by poet Sarah Cahill performing “Ar An Imeall”.

Later in the night Tara Flynn and Senator Lynn Ruane joined the hosts to share stories with the audience on how they found their power. In what was a thoroughly enjoyable and inspirational event that not only lived up to expectations but created fond memories and hope for the future, I would encourage everyone to check out their live and unfiltered show. Hopefully they make their way back to Dublin (or Limerick) soon. 

Luckily for anyone not present to witness the event, or the interval feminist occupation of the male bathrooms, the podcast is available online at:
www.guiltyfeminist.com/episodes/ The Dublin show is episode 119. 

 "Ar An Imeall" is available to hear and view on Sarah Cahill's website:
https://ragairetheatre.wixsite.com/sarahcahill

Sarah is an Irish playwright, spoken word artist, actor & activist with the London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign. She founded Ragaire Theatre Company in 2016. Her most recent play Welcome Home ran at the Old Red Lion Theatre to a four star review by London Pub Theatres who called it "... consistently funny, with a sharp wit that is as smart as it is cruel." ​

Radical political action is required to force the Government to roll out a major, public building programme to deal with the urgent need for social and affordable housing, according to SIPTU General Secretary Joe O’Flynn.
 
He has called on SIPTU members, their families and friends to join the ‘Raise the Roof’ rally to be held outside Leinster House on Wednesday, 3rd October. The rally organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the National Homeless and Housing Coalition, the National Womens’ Council and the Union of Students in Ireland is timed to coincide with a Dáil motion on the housing crisis.
 
The motion calls for the immediate construction of quality, affordable public housing, an end to evictions and the inclusion of the right to housing in the Irish Constitution. It is supported by opposition parties including Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, People Before Profit/Solidarity, the Social Democrats, the Green Party and Independents4Change.
 
Trade union members and other campaigners have been lobbying Fianna Fáil deputies and senators over recent months to support the call for a massive, publicly led, social and affordable housing programme. They will seek to have the party support the motion to be tabled by the other opposition parties.
 
“It is no exaggeration to say that the housing crisis is damaging the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and their families. As with any crisis it is working people, those on low and average incomes, who suffer the most,” Joe O’Flynn said.
 
“Buying your own home is now beyond reach for a generation of young people. The shortage of public, social and affordable housing means that tens of thousands are forced into the rental sector”
 
“Rents are increasing, as landlords take advantage of the shortfall in supply. Young workers and students find it almost impossible to find decent accommodation at affordable prices, particularly when they work in low paid, precarious employment,” the SIPTU General Secretary told Liberty.
 
“More and more families are forced into homelessness because rents are too high or because they cannot meet their mortgage repayments due to financial difficulty. They are then forced into unsuitable accommodation in hotels or emergency hubs. A generation of children will grow up without knowing what a normal home is like.”
 
“It is important that we come out in large numbers to support this call for immediate action that puts the public interest ahead of those who are profiting from the lack of social and affordable housing which makes life a misery for so many families across the country,” he said.
 
The SIPTU Dublin District Council is co-ordinating the union’s participation in the
rally. It is calling on all members to stand together on the 3rd of October.
 
This article is from the front cover of SIPTU’s free online paper “Liberty”, also available in print, written by SIPTU Head of Communications Frank Connolly. 

Born in 1982, Ed Atkins lives and works in London. The artist is well known for his immersive environments and association of high definition digital images and syncopated sound montages. A literature connoisseur, he writes his own scenarios, creating a world of digital illusions and fantasy sometimes verging on the grotesque.

Atkins subverts and exploits the conventions of high-definition moving image and text. Referred to as “part musical, part horror, and part melodrama,”. For Atkins, virtual space is liberating; “you can treat it as a surrogate world – a fantasy, or a hell, or more likely a purgatory”.​

The protagonist in his film Ribbons is a white male avatar called Dave, who moans, monologues, sings, smokes and drinks profusely. Dave is often referred to as an avatar, Atkins calls him a surrogate. In contradiction with his hyperreal resemblance, he sits there in place of a human body. His digital self reflects how with online communication we can be present remotely; the body is no longer the bastion of authenticity, our identities now constructed from information.

Both compelling and repulsive, with all the compulsion of a sweet love song, Dave does not so much tell us how he feels but rather goes through the motions, hopelessly performing the act of emotional outpouring on repeat.

Even Pricks (2013) comprises a series of hyperpolished digitally rendered vignettes that relate the idea of depression—both physical and psychological—to the immaterial surfaces of images.

“Ed combines a good, dexterous grasp of new technology and an ability to infuse it with profound feeling, and that’s rare,” Polly Staples, director of the Chisenhale Gallery

Anzac day, another reminder of the horrors of war, a day to respect the fallen, or blind pride for state and glorification of bloody conquest.

Anzac Day is observed on 25 April every year and honours members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) who lost their lives in foreign conflicts. Originally inaugurated to mark the anniversary of Anzac troops entering the fray against the Ottomon Empire at Gallipoli in the First World War, the scope of this national day of remembrance has since been broadened out of respect for those killed during the Second World War and on subsequent peacekeeping missions around the globe.  @JoeSommerlad

“I wept because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”

Recently Anzac Day has rebranded itself to commemorate all soldiers in all wars which has caused a bit of controversy in Australia as there has been a growing movement to recognise Aboriginal people who died in the so-called ‘frontier wars’ of colonisation, but Australia doesn’t like to talk about that.

So for this Anzac Day make sure you share a story about the indigenous people of Australia and their fight against colonisation.

More than 200 years after the First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove, white Australians are still struggling to come to terms with their colonial past. Long erased from official accounts, the clashes and massacres that took place on the frontier remain a contested area of history, often replaced by more palatable stories of rugged pioneers conquering an inhospitable land. @kathymarksoz

Certainly the stories of massacres of Indigenous Australians are everywhere in the archives of the major cultural institutions of Australia and Great Britain. The diaries, letters, journals and memoirs of colonial and postcolonial officials, troops, police, farmers, frontiersmen and women are replete with accounts of fights against – and massacres of – the “marauding blacks”. Early newspapers also offer remarkably detailed concurrent and retrospective accounts of frontier violence. Such stories are so often defined by a chilling, deeply disturbing candour, so detached are the killers from the humanity of their victims. Paul Daley The Guardian
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A group of settlers on the Hawkesbury river, reportedly in reprisal for an attack on a settler and his servant and the theft of their clothes some days prior, armed themselves and killed seven or eight members of the Bediagal clan. The massacre occurred on a bend in the river at Cornwallis, about 4km from what is now Richmond. According to a 2011 book by the historian Peter Turbet, one of the sources cited by the University of Newcastle researchers, it was the largest massacre committed by settlers to date.  Another seven or eight Bediagal were killed nine months later, just over 6km away on what is now a thoroughbred stud. Their murderers were two officers and 66 soldiers of the New South Wales Corps, dispatched by Captain William Paterson, who would later be promoted to colonel, serve as the lieutenant governor of NSW, be celebrated by history as an explorer, and have a river in the Hunter Valley named after him. According to a temporary account, Paterson ordered his men to “drive the natives to a distance; and, in the hope of striking terror, to erect gibbets in different places, whereon the bodies of all they might kill were to be hung”. @callapilla 

It’s often the case that when Sinn Fein come on TV no matter what they say they get dragged into some debate by ivory tower politicians trying to win some moral high ground in the perpetual battle on whether screwing the country financially was better than being involved in an armed conflict with a known oppressor.

So you might not get to hear from bright young people like Eoin O’Broin (@EOBroin ‏) unless you go to a Mary Lou tea party or listen to his outstanding presentation on the Echo Chamber Podcast
As it turns out not only is Eoin O’Broin well versed in the Housing Crisis but he has some very sensible solutions that can work. The following was taken from a post on the SF party site and well worth digesting:

Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD has described Minister Eoghan Murphy’s affordable housing package as “deeply disappointing”.

The Dublin Mid-West TD was responding to the announcement by Minister Murphy of a revised Council loan scheme, an affordable home scheme and an affordable rental scheme.

Deputy Ó Broin said: “The affordable housing measures announced by Minister Murphy today are deeply disappointing. They will have little impact on the affordability crisis and have the potential to cause real problems in the future."

“The revised council loan scheme for first time buyers is a rehash of the existing scheme. While the 2% fixed interest rate will be of benefit to some people, the scheme itself is badly designed. The scheme allows first time buyers to breach the central bank lending rules in order to buy overpriced homes. The existing council loan scheme has had a very poor take-up and a large level of significant mortgage arrears. I am genuinely concerned that the revised scheme will lead to the same results."

“The new affordable housing scheme is very unclear. Granting the Local Authority an equity stake in the home is cumbersome. The basis of the stake and the reasons for it have not been explained. It is also not clear what the relationship to the Local Infrastructure Fund and the €25m affordable housing fund is. Again, the concern is that public funds will be used to facilitate the purchase of overpriced homes."

“Most disappointing of all is the absence of any real affordable rental scheme. There has been a government commitment since 2014 to introduce such a scheme, yet all the Minister has said today is that there will be a pilot at some undefined point in the future. Struggling renters will be asking themselves why it is taking so long to get this off the ground."

“The Governments focus should be on providing a stream of genuinely affordable homes ranging from €170,000 to €260,000 for those earning between €45,000 and €75,000. This would be best achieved by Councils developing affordable homes on public land accessing finance from the Housing Finance Agency or the Strategic Investment Fund."
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“While a small number of families may benefit from today’s announcement, it will do little to address the growing affordability crisis for tens of thousands of struggling working people desperate to buy or rent at genuinely affordable prices.”