Workers Solidarity Movement

100+ Drugs Decriminalised by Accident, Users Shrug as Prohibition Ineffective

Date: Tue, 2015-03-10 15:00

Over 100 drugs have been temporarily decriminalised by accident due to a legal loophole, including MDMA ('ecstasy'), Ketamine, Benzodiazepine, Methamphetamine, and many head shop 'legal highs'. The Dáil will pass emergency legislation tonight to re-ban these substances, which will be before the Seanad tomorrow.

Of course people who use illicit drugs will merely laugh and then shrug as drug prohibition doesn't actually stop people from consuming them.

Sinn Féin: Green, White, and Orange Capitalism

Date: Mon, 2015-03-09 11:30

There has been quite an air of arrogance about Sinn Féin lately. They are convinced that they will be in government, north and south, by 2016; that Adams will be President, that McGuinness will be the north’s First Minister and that McDonald will be the first female Taoiseach. Let’s get a few things straight here, all of these institutions are oppressive and we don’t need to be, nor do we want to be, ruled by anyone. As well as that, there is nothing revolutionary about a female Taoiseach – female participation in the same old rotten patriarchal institutions will not advance the feminist cause and will only further ensure oppression and exploitation.

It cannot be denied that Sinn Féin are a pragmatic party that wishes to be all things to all people – from the poorest in our society to the richest (not at all grasping that this is impossible and fundamentally wrong). But for now let’s focus on the three main tell-tale issues of Sinn Féin’s lack of principles and wishy-washy politics that ultimately are harmful: Abortion, Water Charges and Capitalism.

Galway University: First Students' Union in Europe to Support Legalisation of Cannabis

Date: Fri, 2015-03-06 17:00

Great news as students in Galway University have voted to support the legalisation of cannabis. NUI Galway Students' Union now supports the "legalisation & regulation of the cultivation, sale and possession of cannabis for adults age 18 and over" and is the first SU in Europe to do so. 68% of students voted in favour of the motion (1796 'yes', 838 'no').

Of course this does not mean that cannabis is legalised in Ireland, Galway, or even the university, but it does exhibit the rapidly changing attitudes toward drug prohibition and that this change is happening right here in Ireland.

Workers self management at occupied Greek Radio-Television (ERT)

Date: Wed, 2015-03-04 16:03

The capitalist crisis saw the closure of Greek Radio-Television (ERT) but workers not only resisted they took ERT into collective self management and continued broadcasting. 21 months after its closure the striking workers still ran 17 radio stations (15 regional, two national) and a single TV channel (ET3).

The translation of the texts below has been sent to us by Thanasis, a worker at the ERT and outline how the workers restructured ERT and what they want Syriza to respect if funding is returned.

Thanasis writes " Actually, and in simple words, they fired us but we never left the building and of course we never took an advance to earn money (publicity etc) respecting the fact that all these buldings and technical stuff belong to the Greek people. The new government after having recognized our struggle decided to re-open the Public Radio-television. Lets hope they will also incorporate our ideas, those we fought for over the last 2 years. What you will read is not a dream. Is what we already do everyday and we simply propose it for the future. "

Abortion: Bodily Autonomy, Capitalism, Misogyny

Date: Wed, 2015-03-04 14:00

In this society we are told that we have certain rights; the right to vote, the right to protest, the right to bodily autonomy (i.e. the right to decide what happens to our bodies). All of these rights can be taken away in a flash at the whim of those in power. But you cannot take away from a pregnant person that which they don’t have: bodily autonomy.

Abortion is extremely restrictive on this island, with the southern state not acting on the prohibitive legislation that is in place – as was highlighted with Ms. Y in August 2014 – and the northern state only allowing abortion when the pregnancy endangers the mother’s life (read: not health).

A Basic Introduction to Anarcha Feminism

Date: Wed, 2015-03-04 13:32

March 13th: Unions Strike Across North of Ireland, but One Day isn't Enough

Date: Sun, 2015-03-01 14:00

On the 13th of March, unions across the north of Ireland will be striking against another round of service cuts and job loss proposals including the introduction of prescription charges.

The Minister for Health would like to introduce prescription charges across the 6 Counties. The DUP’s Jim Wells claims that this is to be done in order to provide a “cash injection” to his department to create a specialist drug fund which would pay for drugs that are either too expensive or too specific to be licensed right now. In doing so he is proposing £3 per item and hopes to raise between £5m and £10m per year claiming that this is not “unreasonable”. But it is unreasonable; the rich should be taxed for this.

Minister Alan Kelly Says Water Protesters are False Revolutionaries Chasing Utopia up a Hill

Date: Sat, 2015-02-28 18:00

Comical Alan strikes again. Who could put it better, that Labour are a shower of 'false revolutionaries who believe in leading people up to the top of the hill and then they'll blatantly abandon them, like they have done on many issues before'? Who are more utopian than Labour, who believe that endless electoral compromises could ever bring us 'a society that is fair, prosperous, and sustainable [Labour Party, General Election 2011]'?

It's amusing to see a Labour minister echoing Thatcher's declaration that 'There Is No Alternative'. But he couldn't be more wrong. There is an alternative. It is revolutionary, and funnily enough involves things being free.

In this massive uprising against the water charges, more and more people are realising that nothing much will change without fundamentally overhauling, or revolutionising, the system we live under.

Direct Action: A Basic Introduction - Video & Text

Date: Sat, 2015-02-28 14:00

An introductory video on what direct action is and isn't, providing illustrations from the campaign against the water charges.

Direct action is at the heart of the struggle against the water charges, from preventing meters being installed, to Meter Fairies removing them, to boycotting registration and the water bills in April. But what is direct action, and what is it not?

One Month in Syriza Government - A Sobering Assessment from Greece

Date: Sat, 2015-02-28 11:20

A lot of left reporting of Greece reduces us to spectators of a West Wing like show where we are required to unthinkingly cheer the good guys in their efforts to get one over through clever negotiation methods. We don't quite understand what is going on but we are required to believe our side are doing their best because they are the 'good guys'. And we like it when they appear to land a blow on the EU establishment. But does this drama tell us much about what is actually happening in Greece.

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