The Socialist June 2016 by Socialist Party

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June 2016

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Weak government can be beaten

Defeating racism & the right

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Luas workers lead the way!

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June 2016

THE SOCIALIST

news

The system in snapshots

By manus lEnihan

Record profits

paid that many are living in motels.

The entire political establishment, from Fine Gael to the social Democrats, refuse to consider raising the minimum wage to a living wage of €11.50 an hour. yet the top 1,000 businesses in ireland have seen their profits hit a record high of €36 billion. While economic stats for ireland are notoriously dodgy because we’re a tax haven, it’s very clear that the superrich have never had it so good.

Shameful exploitation

Google’s tax evasion The French government recently raided Google’s hQ in France in a tax investigation. This is a reminder that in large parts of the world outside ireland, tax evasion by corporations is viewed as a crime, not a noble achievement or a clever trick. Even the French government, which is probig business and anti-worker, is not having it.

Ireland’s Enda and top 1000 businesses hit “the boss” Enda Kenny record profits of rocking out to “Dancing in the Dark” last month €36 billion illustrated a sharp

The Indo’s class hatred Gardaí are giving security advice to a south Dublin private school attended by relatives of the hutch family. The Independent proclaimed this to be an “alarming development” in the gang feud – and not out of concern for the safety of schoolchildren. in lines dripping with class hatred and contempt, the journalists described the feud

Beyoncé’s clothing line uses workers paid just 44p Fortress an hour

French government chases Goog le’s tax hidden in Dublin

spreading to “the heart of civil society”, a posh private school, and not just “the confines of gangland” – ie, working-class communities.

contrast between Bruce springsteen, who has often stood up for workers and the oppressed, and our Taoiseach. When Brucie sings about “main street’s whitewashed windows and vacant stores” and “Families sleepin’ in their cars… no home, no job, no peace, no rest,” he could be talking about ireland under Enda’s neo-liberal regime. Enda probably enjoys a catchy tune, but doesn’t listen to the lyrics.

The Tory inspired “Fit to work”

if you thought that was bad, imagine being one of the sri lankan garment workers making Beyoncé’s new line of clothing for Topshop. They earn 44p an hour, many work 60 hours a week and they live on-site in company-owned barracks.

and a half nanoseconds to learn” how to drive a tram. The idea that workers deserve decent pay and good conditions, regardless of how much training is required, is “mad” in his eyes. O’leary even had the neck to call the luas drivers “head-bangers”, when in the same interview he called for the entire transport system to be privatised.

The winner of the Cannes film festival this year was “i, Daniel Blake”, a movie that exposed the uK government forcing people to work in spite of their disabilities, leading to thousands of deaths. naturally, leo Varadkar and the government think this is a wonderful idea and are implementing similar policies in ireland.

Union buster goes on the attack Ryanair boss michael O’leary has joined in the attacks on the brave luas drivers, arguing that they should all be sacked because “it takes two

Europe – real face of EU

700 refugees drowned in the mediterranean over the course of just three days at the end of may. such death tolls are becoming so regular that they barely get a headline anymore. The racist and anti-refugee policies of Fortress Europe are directly responsible for these deaths on the doorstep of the supposedly “progressive” European union.

“Where dreams come true” – in a motel Disney is making record-breaking profits ($3 billion last quarter) and its CEO made $46.5 million last year. it’s no surprise that they’re raking it in from marvel, star Wars and a thousand other major assets. The other side of this is that their workers in anaheim, California are so low-

Beyoncé clothing line Ivy Park is made by workers paid just 44p an hour

From bad to worse: Housing crisis deepens By Lea Valance

he Dublin inquirer website published a study in February showing how much people would need to earn as an hourly wage for their rents to be affordable (no more than 30% of pre-tax income) in different parts of the city. Using official Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) figures, the study showed that Dublin 11 is the cheapest area to live in the capital as one would need to earn €20.47 an hour for affordable accommodation there. If a person were to earn the minimum wage of €9.15, they would need to work up to 80 hours a week for their rent to be affordable in that same area! This is a striking example of how difficult renting has become in Ireland.

Rents keep rising With next to no regulation on rent increases, and combined with the normalisation of part-time, lowpaid precarious work, people are

forced into poverty in order to put roof over their heads. A recent report from the PRTB shows that rents are up 9.8% nationally with rents in Dublin now higher than at the peak of the boom in 2007. Despite new legislation implemented in December last year whereby private landlords can only increase the rent every two years, there has been no provision for much needed rent controls or improved tenants’ rights. The housing crisis is worsening around the country, this has seen a sharp increase in the number of people on social housing waiting lists. The problem is particularly acute in Dublin where there are 43,500 people waiting for affordable housing in the City Council area alone. Despite this crisis nothing has been done to invest in public social housing. Instead, the Social Housing Strategy plans to have 70% of their units sourced from the private sector. Here again, it shows the over-reliance in investment from the private sector who are making huge profits from the crisis.

Tyrrelstown residents in Dublin West organise to resist vulture funds taking their homes

The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS and the system of rent supplements serves to further line the pockets of private landlords whose shameful rent increases are subsidised by the state at the expense of taxpayers. While discrimination from private landlords against those in receipt of rent supplement has recently been made unlawful, the same discrimination

continues as people are simply being priced out of renting.

End reliance on private sector In order to deal with the massive housing crisis we need to implement serious rent controls straight away and reverse the cuts made to rent supplement. We also need to

see the release of NAMA properties to the councils for the benefit of those in need of accommodation and massive state investment in the construction of publicly owned social housing on a huge scale to clear housing waiting lists. To achieve this we need to have a banking and construction that is publically owned and democratically run in the interests of working people.

June 2016

THE SOCIALIST

Worker exploitation, soaring profits...

da, is a blow to all bosses and the political establishment, and is a fillip to all workers in their own quest for decency at work.

By Laura Fitzgerald

reDicTions oF a “summer of discontent” abound with industrial action looming in a number of sectors, both public and private. The state faces industrial disputes and possible strikes in the public sector with teachers, nurses, psychiatric nurses, midwives, Gardaí, as well as bus and rail workers with irish rail, bus Éireann, and Dublin bus. in the private sphere, the Tesco dispute is significant – with over 15,000 workers employed by Tesco ireland, other low paid retail and service workers will be watching closely, as will the bosses.”

luas workers show the way

neo-liberal attacks This increased class conflict, is an outgrowth of years of a neoliberal drive by the establishment. Neoliberalism means the removal of all barriers to making a profit – an assault on the public sector, the privatisation agenda, little or no tax on profits, the neutering of any effective working class organisation in terms of fighting trade unions in order to intensify an attack on workers’ wages and conditions and a growth in finance capital, deregulation etc. Essentially these are the conditions that led to the economic crash, as well as the “solution” imposed in the form of the austeri-

workplace news

A summer of discontent?

Dunnes Stores workers took strike action for better pay and conditions in 2015

ty agenda in an example of what Naomi Klein has deemed “shock doctrine” politics. This neoliberal austerity agenda has meant that “profits at Ireland’s top 1,000 companies roared to a record high of some €36bn in 2016” (Irish Times). In essence, successive Governments have launched an all

out assault on the public sector – and public sector workers – in order to assist the agenda of the whole establishment, increasing productivity along with worsening wages and conditions across the board, i.e. to squeeze the working class to the limit as a means to increase profits.

Profit margins in Tesco in the south of Ireland are the highest of any of the company’s operations anywhere, for example. In this way, “an injury to one, is an injury to all” has to be a continued guiding maxim for all workers. A successful pay claim by any section of workers is a blow to the neoliberal agen-

How will workers’ pay increases and better working conditions be paid for? Quite simply, they will be eating into the enormous profit margins at the top – that’s where workers’ improved living standards will come from. The Luas workers, acting independently of the SIPTU bureaucratic officialdom, have illustrated what can be achieved when workers rely on their own power. They took on a ruthless multinational in the form of Transdev determined to bring about a race to the bottom in their wages and conditions. If workers are to see any meaningful recovery in their living standards they must be prepared to take such militant action and the trade union movement must be prepared to back them up. Ultimately the industrial action that is needed to fight the generalised offensive of capitalist neoliberalism must be linked to the reclaiming of the trade unions from the bureaucracy that dominates the movement currently and the building of a new party for workers that can politically challenge the rule of the big business in our society.

industrial round-up conditions. Companies are now seeking to pit the lower paid against the higher paid workers. This constitutes nothing more than a race to the bottom in pay and conditions that must be resisted by the trade union movement.

Teachers vote to defy austerity By Terry Kelleher The ASTI, the largest teachers union in Ireland to vote against the Lansdowne Road agreement, have now voted to cease working extra hours. The vote of over 70% in favour of the action, with a 76% turnout, reflects a rising anger at the continued attacks on teachers. The extra hours were brought in under the Haddington road agreement and affect all public sector workers. The Lansdowne road deal agreed the continuation of the extra hours. The extra hours (half an hour a day) were presented as a temporary policy by trade union leaders as they tried hard to sell these austerity deals to their members. The government threatened teachers with penalties, including more pay cuts, compulsory redundancy and reduced rights for temporary teachers, if they voted not to work the extra hours. Teachers ignored these threats and they are now set on a collision course with the government in the autumn. The ASTI leadership must reach out to other public sector trade unions and seek alliances around the hated extra hours and pay.

Tesco workers oppose two tier contracts By Terry Kelleher After MANDATE Tesco workers voted in favour of industrial action, the company was forced to back down on their plans to attack the terms and conditions of long-term staff. These attacks aimed to reduce the wages and rights of 1,000 workers. The company defended these attacks by stating they wanted more equality in the workplace, so they decided to reduce

The courageous battle of Luas Drivers By Councillor Michael O’Brien

ASTI continue to oppose Lansdowne Road agreement

the wages of the higher paid workers. The scenario of a workplace having two or more sets of contracts with differing wages and conditions for workers doing the same job is now quite common. It arises when the company unilaterally introduces lower conditions for newer staff, leaving the present staff untouched. This is an attempt to get around trade union opposition to reducing pay and

As we go to press news has come out that the Luas dispute has been settled with the drivers accepting the Labour Court recommendation of a phased 18.3% pay rise with no demand for additional hours to be worked and a speedier equalisation of pay between future entrants and existing staff. The offer was accepted by 108 votes to 56. In the context of the clear desire by management to crush the workers, as well as the vilification that was poured upon the strikers by the media which had an impact on attitudes of a lot of working class people, the drivers and all the staff can hold their heads up high. Management have also been forced to reverse the various provocative measures they introduced during the strike including the cutting of the sick pay scheme and the 10% pay cut. The determination displayed in this dispute lies in huge measure to the fact that it was directed by the workers themselves and not the SIPTU official who had recommended an earlier offer that included a longer working day and enshrining a two tier workforce which was correctly rejected. While the workers did not achieve all their objectives they come out of this strike with better conditions and their struggle should serve to encourage all workers that fighting even against seemingly big odds can bring its rewards.

June 2016

THE SOCIALIST

analysis

This weak government can be beaten “T

By Paul Murphy TD

he realiTy is that a small clique of hardleft, Trotskyite politicians, who are quite upfront about seeking to overthrow the current system, are now arguably setting the political agenda.” (shane coleman, irish independent 17 May 2016) Although he exaggerates, Coleman captures an important part of the political reality facing the new government and the ruling class in this state. Their political position is the weakest it has been in decades. This has its roots outside the Dáil – in the undermining of all the establishment parties as a result of their implementation of austerity, and the emergence of a movement of working class people around water charges and a corresponding increase in politicisation and radicalisation. These developments found a partial expression in the general election, with the result now seen inside the Dail.

Prone to crisis This minority Fine Gael government is reliant upon Independents for ongoing support and on Fianna Fail to allow it to continue in office. On the one hand, it has an extremely right-wing programme for government, inspired by the British Tories. On the other, it has an extremely weak position in the Dail and in society.

The consequence is very clearly a government that can be forced back and that is inherently unstable and prone to crisis. Within the first few weeks of the new government, they were forced into numerous climb downs. The first and most significant was the water charges, where they were forced to suspend the charges and pass the issue to a commission, with the hope of reviving the project in the future. That then opened the door to further climbdowns – abandoning plans for compulsory weight charges on green bins, dropping plans to link child benefit to school attendance and announcing that JobBridge will be ended. Of course, none of these changes reflect a genuine change of mind on the government’s part. For example, they will undoubtedly come back with a plan for an altered JobBridge, with a different name. The fact that they are aggressively pushing ahead with plans for “Fit for Work” for those on disability payments illustrates that a model of “labour activation”, victimising people who are unemployed remains their strategy.

Pressure from below However, they do illustrate a very important lesson that should be drawn by working class people. This government is weak and it can be beaten by mobilisations and pressure from below. The conclusion will inevitably be drawn –

organise and mobilise now to fight for your rights. Workers should follow the example of the Luas workers and organise to demand that they experience the “recovery” they hear so much about, with significant pay increases and improved working conditions. A major movement needs to be built to demand an immediate referendum to repeal the 8th amendment and legislate for the right of women to choose to access an abortion, as part of the struggle to separate church and state. The bubbling anger on housing should coalesce in a major national movement of protest and action to force the state to act to resolve the crisis.

Fine Gael & Fianna Fail: Two sides of the same coin

socialist alternative needed Through building movements such as these, concessions can be won which make a real difference to people’s lives. In addition, working class people will grow in confidence and awareness through the experience of campaigning and, with an active role of socialists in advocating for socialist ideas within these movements, a socialist outlook can be developed as well. These are the conditions whereby a powerful socialist movement and a real left party to replace the weakened and rotten Labour Party can be built. This can lay the basis for this

Water charges movement shows the way

government to be brought down in the future and to fight for a left government with socialist policies that challenge the rule of big busi-

ness and the super-rich, which is essential if the fundamental problems facing the 99% are to be resolved.

after’s labour’s sellout & demise…

Build a REAL Left party for workers ties of capitalism and accepted the limited fiscal parameters set by the Troika in collusion with the political establishment in this country. This meant putting forward in its programme a minimal reversal of the austerity measures implemented over the last number of years and refusal to invest in the services and housing that is needed.

By Adam Dudley

he labour Party’s repackaging requires the suspension of disbelief and a dose of collective amnesia. since he took over as the party’s new leader, brendan howlin has busied himself on the airwaves and in the Dáil chamber, trying to convince us all that labour had our backs all along and even from the opposition benches, they’ll continue to “deliver” for working class people. This is the party of the property tax, the water charges, lone parents allowance cuts and Jobbridge exploitation. The party that refused to repeal the 8th amendment and stood over legislation that criminalises women who procure an abortion. As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in the last government, Howlin played the principle role of the miserly gatekeeper of austerity budgets – squeezing already under funded public services to breaking point and pushing through pay cuts on public sector workers.

hypocrisy without limits

The ideas of Connolly & larkin

Labour after the election: Their betrayal has left them decimated

Labour rightly received a drubbing at the general election. In providing Fine Gael with the cover from which to rain down attacks on working class people and communities, Labour embraced the absolute betrayal of the hundreds of thousands of working class people who voted for them. Now, the new Labour leader Brendan Howlin waxing lyrical – from the opposition benches – about low pay, casualised work and

the cost of living, will stick in the throat of the millions who’ve suffered at the hands of Fine Gael / Labour austerity, or who left the country to find work and a life elsewhere. Equally, the hypocrisy won’t be lost on many with Labour now seeking to position itself as the champion of social progress on issues such as a woman’s right to choose. Howlin and Labour wrap their betrayal in the language of being

“realistic”. This is “effective politics” as he now puts it from the “party that can deliver”. Labour’s words ring hollow. The logic of Labour’s “pragmatism” has meant an acceptance of the logic of austerity, neo-liberalism and the obscene inequality of capitalism today. Sinn Féin seem to be set on following Labour’s path. Throughout the general election they refused to rule out coalition with the par-

The ideas of James Connolly and Jim Larkin bear no resemblance to the sellouts huddled around Howlin in the Labour Party. The former fought for a political party to act solely in the interests of working class people. Today, just as a hundred years ago, the rich have many parties willing to defend their interests, including the Labour party. The Socialist Party and the Anti Austerity Alliance are committed to carrying on the fight Connolly and Larkin began by building a new fighting workers’ movement and a real left party based on the real ideas of socialism to represent the working class, women and young people.

June 2016

THE SOCIALIST

Rotten role of Gardaí exposed By Dave Murphy

he o’hiGGins report into the allegations of Garda whistleblower Maurice Mccabe has caused fresh controversy for the new Fine Gael government. The allegations, the attempted cover-up and how Maurice Mccabe was treated has already resulted in the sacking of a Justice Minister, alan shatter, and the ‘resignation’ of a Garda commissioner, Martin callinan.

Violence against women ignored The Commission found that the majority of McCabe’s allegations were correct, it also exposed an internal Garda attempt to discredit him and a culture of silencing dissent. In investigating McCabe’s evidence, it showed that Gardaí in the Bailieboro area had been incompetent and had a culture of not taking seriously crimes against women. The result being the murder of a woman by a man who had committed a serious assault on another woman and tried to abduct a child. In other instances, cases of sexual assault on three women on a bus

were not properly pursued. The female bus driver was offered a €150 meal voucher as compensation, while Gardaí claimed that they couldn’t investigate the two other assaults because the victims had not made a report - one had ran off the bus screaming - despite there being a whole host of witnesses. Shamefully this person was free to walk the streets!

Closing ranks & cover-up After McCabe made his claims, the ranks of the Gardaí closed in against him, from the top down, and attempted to initiate a coverup. He was bullied and an initial investigation actually tried to pin blame for mistakes which he had highlighted on him! More seriously, evidence of a meeting between McCabe and two other Gardaí who were investigating his claims was to be presented to the Commission. This evidence would supposedly show that he had claimed he was driven by ‘malice’. However, McCabe had recorded the meeting and was able to prove that the two other Gardaí had fabricated these claims – they were trying to frame him in a cover-up.

Replacing like with like The re-emergence of this issue has put a fresh spotlight on the role of the Gardaí and beyond that the state. The appointment of the new Commissioner, Noirín O’Sullivan, was presented as a fresh start. On the surface, O’Sullivan had made all the right noises – praising the whistleblowers and their courage in coming forward, but leaked documents showed her legal team had been instructed to attack McCabe’s credibility. There have been calls for O’Sullivan to be sacked over her comments – but that poses a question – what is the point in sacking

The “Endapendents”: Propping up the new right-wing government

her if she is just going to be replaced by another figure from the establishment? If she has done anything wrong, yes she should be sacked, but it won’t fundamentally change anything – we have seen this with the replacing of Callinan with O’Sullivan.

Role of Gardaí The Gardaí are an arm of the state ultimately used to defend the interests of the capitalist classthe bankers, the developers and big business generally. The protests against the building of Shell’s refinery and pipeline in Mayo, the dawn raids on those who protested against Joan

Burton in Jobstown and the protests against the installation of water metres are examples of where their role has been laid bare of defending the status quo in favour of the super-rich. We need a police force that is under the democratic control of working class communities they work in. Elected community policing policy committees which are democratic bodies made up of people from the communities should be formed. Such committees could link up on a state wide basis and democratically decide how the resources of the Gardaí are used, by doing so we can have policing that is not directed in the interests of the super-rich elite.

Muhammad Ali

The greatest athlete & champion of the oppressed

By Diana O’Dwyer

recorD 23 independent TDs were elected to the current Dáil. nine have joined the Fine Gael-“endapendent” minority government. a further three followed Fianna Fáil in abstaining on the vote for Kenny for Taoiseach and seem likely to join Fianna Fáil’s de facto coalition with Fine Gael, by abstaining on the most important votes, like the budget and no confidence motions in the government. Almost all the remaining 11 Independents toyed with coalescing with Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil, the two main parties of Irish capitalism who have ensured the state serves the interests of big business, bankers, landlords and developers right since its foundation. Several, like Mattie McGrath and the HealyRaes, are Fianna Fáil ‘gene pool’ Independents and would have followed Micheál Martin into government at the drop of their peaked caps had the numbers stacked up.

“Gene pool” of establishment parties Likewise, three of the nine ‘Endapendents’ are ex-Fine Gael. It’s no coincidence that two of them, Denis Naughten and Shane Ross, are among the three

analysis

O’Higgins report:

‘Independents’ to be made full ministers. The third minister, Katherine Zappone, is ex-Labour and will be a star witness for the prosecution in the Jobstown trial next year. That so many ‘Independents’ were spawned in the ‘gene pools’ of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour makes a mockery of ‘Independence’. Yet they exploited the ‘Independent’ label to the full during the election campaign to portray themselves as anti-establishment. All the main parties had disgraced themselves in the eyes of workers by repeatedly lying and shafting us so ‘Independents’ took advantage of this ‘anti-party’ mood. Many people sincerely believed that by voting ‘Independent’ they were choosing something different but sadly have ended up with more of the same. For example, Zappone, John Halligan and Finian McGrath cam-

paigned on repealing the 8th Amendment but are now promoting a “Citizen’s Assembly” to “look into” it over “an extended period”. Challenged on this by the AAA’s Ruth Coppinger, Kenny refused to commit even to it reporting within the next five years – never mind holding a referendum.

Build new working class party As the government stands to last two or three years at most, it’s clear Zappone, Halligan and McGrath have traded women’s rights for office. Meanwhile, women and workers must fight for our interests on the streets, in the communities and in the workplaces and build a genuine party of the 99%. Only this will provide a real alternative to socalled “Independents” who are fundamentally no different to the establishment parties.

As we go to press we are saddened to learn of the passing of Muhammad Ali. An outstanding boxer and athlete, he courageously opposed racism and refused to be drafted into Us imperialism’s war against the Vietnamese people. A decision that saw him stripped of his title as heavyweight champion in 1967 and sentenced to five years in prison. At the time he eloquently explained his decision: “no i’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. i have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But i have said it once and i will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. i will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. if i thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, i’d join tomorrow. i have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. so i’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.”

June 2016

THE SO

special feature

Defeating racism & the right:

Economic crisis, growing inequality and neo-liberalism have resulted in the growth of a political polarisation globally. This has resulted in the rise of right and far right-wing political forces. These three articles analyse the development of the right in the United states, Brazil and Austria and explains how they can stopped. Soon to be Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, spreads a message of hate and division

Dump Trump & his vile ideas

Only mass Left movement can stop him in his tracks By James McCabe

illions in the us and around the world have watched in trepidation as Donald Trump secured the republican Party Presidential nomination, opening up the real prospect of him sitting in the oval office of the White house within a little more than six months. Trump has said women who have abortions should face “some kind of punishment” and that Muslims should be banned from entering the US. The sight of this racist, sexist demagogue – who is self-funding his campaign with his obscene wealth – attacking the most vulnerable sections of US society is a galling one. Many will wonder why then his campaign is gaining such an echo.

a cynical populist message While his most bigoted statements have appealed to a certain minority, his promise to “make America great again” by punishing companies who take jobs out of the US has gained traction with a wider section of society who are anxious about their future. The transfer of industry and jobs overseas by US capitalism along with the growth of low-paid, precarious work has crushed the hopes that some held in the “American Dream”. Federal data released in April shows that there has been a unique spike in the mortality rates of white, middle aged Americans over the past twenty years. The increase in deaths of particularly, poorer white

Americans is due primarily to drug overdoses and suicides. The social crisis affecting the working and middle classes is reflected in countless polls which show a historic lack of confidence in all the major institutions in the US. A Pew Report found that only 19% of Americans today say they trust the government to do what is right “just about always”, whereas in 1964, 77% of the public trusted the government to do what is right. Donald Trump’s rhetoric – however false – about being self-financed, being opposed to the invasion of Iraq from the start and his opposition to the NAFTA and TPP free trade agreements puts him in a good position to take on Hillary Clinton who is part and parcel of the establishment. Clinton voted for the invasion of Iraq, and the bombing of Libya and Syria. She sat on the board of directors of Walmart, and supported NAFTA and the destruction of the welfare system which plunged millions into poverty during her husband’s reign as President.

American capitalism and in terms of police shootings, mass imprisonment and income disparity between whites and people of colour has gotten worse; racist attitudes amongst the white population overall are at historically low levels. On the other hand, Trump’s overt bigotry gives confidence to racists and poses a particular threat to immigrants. His rallies have taken on a particularly nasty and authoritarian character as he has encouraged his supporters to violently attack

protesters. This sort of campaign creates a more fruitful environment for the far-right to grow. But as his campaign grows, so will the counterprotests. In this context the bulk of the establishment, including Republicans will row in behind Clinton.

a party for the 99% Many media pundits have made superficial comparisons between Trump and self-described socialist,

Establishment fear of Trump Presidency The US ruling class want a safe pair of hands and Hillary Clinton is a candidate that they can trust to protect their interests at home and abroad. Trump’s brazen racism and sexism on the other hand could “damage the brand,” and the 1% are keenly aware that there will be serious, organised resistance by women, people of colour and young people to his presidency. Although institutional racism remains entrenched in the fabric of

Movement behind Bernie Sanders shows the potential for a Left alternative

Bernie Sanders. As both are antiestablishment candidates, the commentators argue that Bernie’s white working class support base will make a smooth transition to supporting Trump. Despite the media’s insistence, Trump’s supporters aren’t all poor whites. In actual fact, the average median income of Trump supporters is $73,000 a year, well above the national median of $51,000. 84% of Trump’s support base is over the age of 45, and most are white men. Sanders supporters are overwhelmingly under the age of thirty-five and he has a disproportionate level of support from younger women in relation to Clinton as well. Despite limited media coverage, Sanders has galvanised millions of Americans by targeting the wealth of the 1%, while Trump is Mr 1%! Significantly a number of polls have shown than Sanders would fare better than Clinton in a run off in November against Trump. Unfortunately, the (un)Democratic Party will stand Clinton over Sanders. But far from switching to Trump, Sanders’ young, multi-racial, working class supporters will be in the forefront of the battle against this demagogue. This development of political activism and radicalisation of many as witnessed in the Occupy movement, Black Lives Matter and in the Sanders campaign shows the potential to build a mass party of the 99%. This coupled with the growth in support for the ideas of socialism among young people constitutes a potential antidote for the racist and right-wing populism of Trump. Something that the Clinton campaign is incapable of providing.

June 2016

OCIALIST

Coup in Brazil: resistance grows to right-wing power grab

Austria: Far-right narrowly miss out on presidency By Fiona O’Loughlin

oTers in austria held their breath on sunday 22 May as votes were counted for the second round of the Presidential elections. The result was too close to call between the two candidates, norbert hofer of the far right Freedom Party (FPo) and alexander Van der bellen of the Green Party. It wasn’t until the following days when the 900,000 postal votes were counted that Van der Bellen finally emerged the winner by a tiny majority of 31,026 votes giving him just 50.35% of the total vote, the closest result in a Presidential election in the history of Austria. While Hofer and the FPO didn’t succeed, the scale of his vote and how close he came to victory has sent political shock waves throughout Austria and further afield.

Supporters of Dilma rally against new government of the right

By André Ferrari BrAzil is experiencing its deepest economic and social crisis. Alongside this, a massive political crisis has arisen. This crisis flows from the undemocratic manoeuvres of the right-wing establishment and the total failure of the conciliatory model of 'class collaboration' adopted by the workers' Party (PT) during its 13 years in government. President Dilma Rousseff of the PT was removed from her post on 12 May by the Federal Senate. In her place, the former vice president, Michel Temer of the PMDB (the right-wing Brazilian Democratic Movement Party), has taken over.

Economic crisis grows The fall of Dilma Rousseff was the result of a change in the political position of some of the traditional right-wing parties, supported and egged on by the most important sections of big business. For years many of these parties gave the PT government its majority in the National Congress. However, the weakness of Dilma's government proved to be too much given the severity of the situation. The worsening economic crisis, with mass unemployment, together with the adoption of recessionary fiscal adjustment policies and attacks on workers' rights, made Dilma one the most unpopular presidents in the history of Brazil. The passive dissatisfaction in society allowed the right wing to step in and mobilise big sections of the middle class - the first mass demonstrations the right has been able to organise in decades. From the beginning of this year, the core of big business decided to take the road of impeachment. Every conceivable type of undemocratic manoeuvre was used, including totally spurious practices by the corrupt Chamber of Deputies president, to guarantee the right result. The formal charge made against Dilma Rousseff was her involvement in corrupt government schemes, presiding over excessive public costs and hiding these in the accounts.

a parliamentary coup Up until the last moment, Rousseff tried to convince the big capitalists that her government would be capable of implementing the neoliberal policies they demanded. These included opening up the economy to foreign companies for oil exploration and renegotiations of the state debts, which meant brutal cuts, privatisations, etc. Despite this, big demonstrations against impeachment took place, mainly driven by the view that a state coup was underway - an attack on democracy. The PT used this and exaggerated its rhetoric to try and compensate for the fact that it was virtually

Playing on fears

special feature

: socialist alternative neeDeD

The sell-out of the SPO, the Austrian former social democratic party which has embraced the logic of the profit driven capitalist market – and the austerity and inequality that goes with it – coupled with the silence of the trade unions have allowed the FPO to connect with sections of workers who feel angry and left behind economically. They have a disgust for the government and anything viewed as part of the establishment. The lack of a fighting alternative for the working class has allowed Hofer and the FPO to use this vacuum to their advantage with their social rhetoric and racism which is in reality a smokescreen to disguise their neo-liberal agenda of cuts and privatisation. The rise of the FPO cannot be seen in isolation. In the last year we have seen the rise of the far right electorally with the coming to

impossible to defend the Rousseff government's record in office. At the same time, the undemocratic manoeuvres utilised to remove the government creates a serious precedent which can open the road to harsher, antidemocratic attacks on the rights of the working class and oppressed peoples.The main obstacle to fight against the right-wing is the character of Dilma's government and the PT leadership. Sections of the working class that historically backed PT now see them as incapable of leading a struggle against the right wing. These workers want an end of the policy of class conciliation that has led to a defeat for the working class. Michel Temer has no social base. The conditions for him to head a stable government are minimal. His name is linked to corruption and he is under investigation.

new attacks on working class At the moment, the Brazilian ruling class, along with US imperialism, has put all its cards on Temer's government, hoping it will be able to carry out the deep attacks that it wants. The first days of the Temer government were marked by an avalanche of policy announcements. The Ministry of Health announced that universal access to the public health system as a state obligation will be reviewed, as it was in Greece. There will be a revision of policies to tackle working conditions that are analogous to slavery, which is something that still exists in parts of Brazil. There will be the opening of a new cycle of privatisations. The government also announced the cancellation of projects to build 10,000 social houses.The people's reaction is already explosive.

socialist left front Such is the seriousness of the situation, it cannot be excluded that the CUT trade union federation and other union federations, after years of doing nothing, will be compelled to call a general strike against Temer's policies. The broad left PSOL (Party of Socialism and Liberty) increased its authority greatly during this crisis. It attacked the policies of Dilma but its members of Congress correctly voted against her impeachment in the chamber of Deputies and Senate. The building of a socialist left front uniting the parties and social movements that did not participate in the PT governments, is crucial in the struggle for a socialist left alternative. A new stage of class struggle has opened up. These conflicts will create the opportunities for the building of a new socialist left. The LSR is fighting for the building of such an alternative.

Hofer: Far-right candidate loses race by just 0.35%

hofer’s fascist roots Hofer’s FPO is a far right party which grew significantly in the 1980’s, following splits it started to again make gains and by 2013 it was achieving more than 20% in the polls. Hofer himself is a member of German National fraternity which is exclusively male, advocates a ban on abortion and uses the cornflower a symbol of the Nazis in Austria in the 1930’s. He made it clear during the campaign that if elected President he would dismiss any government that brought in measures he disagreed with, he believes the borders should be closed to refugees and said he would not swear in any female minister from a Muslim background who wore a headscarf. What is behind the growth of support for the FPO as expressed in the recent elections? Hofer achieved the highest vote of any FPO candidate. This is on the back of a major social and economic crisis. Hofer used the refugee crisis to whip up racism and division. Many workers who voted for him were expressing their anger at the economic and social crisis.

power of the Law and Justice Party in Poland and with the Front National (FN) in France consistently gaining 25% - 30% in polls for the Presidential elections due to take place next year. This threat must be taken seriously.

socialist alternative A radical left-wing party of the working class – that opposes the racist scapegoating of refugees and migrants, neo-liberalism and argues for public investment to provide for all – needs to be built. A potentially important step forward was made in this regard with the formation of "Aufbruch" ("Departure"), a new left wing project, with over 800 in attendance at its founding conference at the beginning of June. The Socialist Left Party, the sister party of the Socialist Party in Austria, participated in this conference, recognising its potential to cut across the far right. We will seek to inspire workers and young people in the vision of a democratic socialist society based on solidarity and organised for the needs of the majority. This is critical if the far right and racism is to be cut across.

June 2016

THE SOCIALIST

Blockades, strikes & protests

international

French workers resist anti-labour law T

The “Nuit Debout” movement and the continued militancy of workers has exposed once again the rotten and repressive nature of the French state. Francois Hollande exploited the constitution’s powers to bypass the National Assembly, showing his contempt for democracy. The police force has been used to try and viciously break up demonstrations and strikes. All the parties of the establishment have proven themselves to be on the side of this rotten law. This includes the far-right and racist Front National, led by the millionaire Le Pen family who are showing themselves to be on the side of business and capitalism despite their anti-establishment posturing.

By Robert Cosgrave

he el KhoMri law, an anti-worker law proposed by the French Minister for labour of the “socialist” Party (Ps) government has resulted in hundreds of thousands of workers and young people taking to the streets in protest. In the face of strikes, huge protests, mass opposition from the people and heading for a very likely defeat in the National Assembly, the PS invoked Article 49-3 of the constitution to bypass parliament and enact this legislation. This illustrates the undemocratic nature of the French Fifth Republic.

“nuit Debout” Emerging from the protest against the law is the “Nuit Debout” ( meaning rise up at night) movement, reminiscent of movements such as Occupy in the United States and the Indignados of Spain, with hundreds of thousands on the streets across France. The movement started in Paris but spread into the Banlieues (the poor housing estates along the outskirts of French cities mainly home to France’s African and Arab population ) to show their opposition to this reactionary law and

Thousands of workers and students mobilise against the Hollande regime in France

their disgust at the present state of things. The movement has proven to show the hatred of French workers at this law and at the government itself, with Hollande now enjoying an approval rating of 12%, the lowest of any President in the history of the French state. The most important part of the movement against the El Khomri law however, has been the mobilisation of large sections of workers in militant opposition to the law.

Incarcerated by Egyptian military

Release Ibrahim Halawa

Workers, showing themselves to be where the real power in society lies, through strike action, are close to crippling the power of the French state, threatening even the grand spectacle that is the European Championship, due to begin this month.

Power of the working class Air traffic controller strikes have

led to over 100 flights being cancelled on 2 June alone, half of all train services were halted on 1 June due to strike action and the majority of oil refineries and many ports being blocked, it is possible France could approach paralysis in coming weeks. All this while the government pathetically proclaims there to be no crisis. The ground must be prepared for a general strike to bring together the French working class in common struggle

For a workers’ government The movement must not end at the defeat of the El Khomri Law, the struggle must continue for a workers government based on a programme that will break with the logic of austerity and capitalism. From this new inspiring movement a new party of the working class has the potential to emerge based on an anti-capitalist and socialist programme to challenge this rotten system.

Brazilian women fight rape culture

By Councillor Fiona Ryan

rish ciTizen ibrahim halawa is now facing into his third year of imprisonment without trial by the egyptian authorities after his arrest when he was 17 years old for his participation in the august 2013 “Day of rage” in cairo. This was a demonstration called against the demolition of protest camps in response to the coup against Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim brotherhood, then President of egypt. During the demolition, reports showed that the heavy handed tactics of the military left at least 817 people dead. In March of this year, Ibrahim's trial was postponed once more for the 13th time until June, while reports of his mistreatment continue to be met by largely token attempts by the Irish establishment to pressurise the Egyptian authorities into his release for fear of damaging diplomatic relations between the two states.

Demand his release Halawa has faced imprisonment in some of Egypt's most dangerous and overcrowded prisons, has reported serious abuse and outright torture during his incarceration and has been a victim of rampant mistreatment. The nature of the Egyptian state, still under a military dictatorship where religious and political oppo-

Photo by Claudia Vieira Irish government is not acting

sition are met with violent repression, it cannot be expected that Ibrahim can face a fair trial in any circumstance. The Irish government has displayed a pronounced indifference to the fate of Ibrahim. We need to step pressure on them to intervene on his behalf including threatening to expel the Egyptian Ambassador as well demanding his unconditional and immediate release. This pressures needs to be mounted with immediate effect.

"I've been living in Ireland for the past 8 years, but it doesn't mean I forgot about Brazil. When I heard about the 16 year old girl I felt the same pain and anger as all my fellow Brazilians. I have a 16 year old niece living in Brazil. It could have been her. I want to fight against Rape Culture. I want my niece to be free. I want her to be able to do whatever she wants without the fear of being abused or raped. Did you know one woman is raped in Brazil every 11 minutes? But only 10% of the cases are registered. Imagine what the real numbers are. It scares the life out of me. I know the fight is long, but together we are stronger." – Waneska Valois, 33, from Recife

lAsT MonTh, the horrendous gang-rape of a 16 year old girl from a poor suburb in rio provoked mass protests across Brazil under the slogan #estupronuncaMais (rape never again). A group of Brazilian women in ireland organised a solidarity action with the assistance of rosA. here are some words from some of the women present: "Whenever a woman is raped, sexually assaulted or oppressed, every woman share the pain. It was no different when a 16 years old girl was raped, blamed and oppressed not only by the 33 men who assaulted her, but by a society nourished by misogyny that humiliates and kills us daily. We, Brazilian girls, outraged by what happened, contacted ROSA and, as expected, we received a lot of support and empathy. Finally, after the protest, we just confirmed: we fight the same fight, the rape culture is a universal problem, our indignation speaks the same language and we will stand against sexism!" – Laura Fleming, Au Pair in Dublin, 20, from Sao Paulo

June 2016

THE SOCIALIST

On FRIDAy 23 June a referendum will take place on Britain and the north’s membership of the European Union. Kevin Henry answers the questions many working class people have about the consequences of breaking from the EU.

unelected European Commission. Those running them are contemptuous of democracy. Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström’s attitude to anti-TTIP campaigners sums this up: “I do not take my mandate from the European people.” The elected European Parliament is little more than a rubber stamp without the ability to initiate legislation. The majority of MEPs are at the beck and call of an army of 20,000 corporate lobbyists.

Will leaving the Eu undermine the peace process?

Won’t the far right and right wing generally gain from a “Brexit”? Many working class and young people will vote “Remain” because of an understandable fear that a “Leave” vote would mainly benefit UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) and lead to a strengthening of racism and anti-immigrant sentiment and policies. But right wing forces like UKIP have gained ground and has been expressing its racist politics while the UK is in the EU. The status quo is clearly not working to combat this. In fact, the racist policies of the EU – which continues to deport thousands of refugees from Greece to Turkey –

The EU is a fundamentally undemocratic and neo-liberal institution

are contributing to gains for the far-right across Europe. The ground for UKIP to grow is provided not by Brexit but by vicious austerity, repulsion towards the political establishment and a deep desire for working class people to take control of their own lives and have the chance of a different type of society. They can be defeated by building a strong, united movement against austerity which could cut across racial division and bring about real change in

Assembly elections show...

Growing rejection of sectarian parties By Daniel Waldron The norThern ireland Assembly election saw the DUP and sinn Féin emerge again as the largest parties. The forces of Unionism and nationalism continue to dominate. Yet all five main parties which made up the Assembly executive in the last term saw their share of the vote shrink, reflecting a growing rejection of austerity, sectarian division and backward social policies. In contrast, the Greens – seen as a non-sectarian and austeritycritical alternative – tripled their vote and doubled their representation at Stormont to two. Perhaps the biggest story of the election was the breakthrough made by People Before Profit (PBP), with Gerry Carroll topping the poll in West Belfast and veteran activist Eamonn McCann elected in Foyle. This reflects a developing anger against Sinn Féin in their heartlands due to their implementation of austerity, their integration into the establishment and the perception that they have ‘sold out’ on traditional republican values.

Overcoming divisions While the election of left forces

to the Assembly is a positive step forward, potential pitfalls lie ahead. PBP are based overwhelmingly in Catholic communities and have historically taken one-sided positions which would alienate Protestant workers on the difficult questions which divide communities. If this is not corrected, their actions can serve to deepen rather than overcome divisions. In contrast, the Socialist Party worked with others to launch Labour Alternative as a crosscommunity, left force to contest the election. Our three young candidates – aged between 18 and 24 and drawn from across the sectarian divide – won the largest left or labour movement votes in their constituencies in a generation. This represents an important step forward in building the kind of genuinely antisectarian, fighting left needed. The new DUP/SF Assembly Executive intends to push forward with huge austerity measures, mass redundancies and a cut to corporation tax. Labour Alternative will be at the forefront of resisting these measures, actively campaigning on both sides of the sectarian divide, and aims to challenge for council seats in the 2019 local elections.

the lives of working class people. Why would such a movement opt to give a vote of confidence to an institution that is fundamentally opposed to these aims?

Could we not stay in and reform the Eu? The EU has almost no mechanisms of democratic accountability, with central decision making in the hands of the European Council – the heads of government of the 28 member states – and an increasingly powerful,

Like in the recent Scottish Independence referendum, the approach of the establishment has been to unleash “Project Fear.” This is reflected in claims that leaving the EU would undermine the ‘peace process’ in Northern Ireland’. This has been the argued by Peter Mandelson, Enda Kenny and Martin McGuiness, but it is simply not credible. A ‘Brexit’ will not mean a “hard border” between the North and the South, nor does leaving the EU mean the scrapping of the Human Rights Act, which is not connected to EU membership. The truth is that the “peace

north

Brexit: Reject this club of bosses & bankers

process” is based on institutionalising and maintaining sectarian division, rather than breaking down the barriers between our communities. While Orange and Green politicians routinely intervene to sectarianise issues, including this referendum, working class people have historically mobilised to prevent a return to conflict. That is the only power we can rely upon, not the EU or any other outside force.

aren’t socialists internationalists? Yes, but there is nothing genuinely internationalist about the EU. What was internationalist about the EU’s role in Greece? Where is its internationalism when refugees are left to drown in the Mediterranean? The solidarity and internationalism we need is constrained by the EU. Socialists stand for building a different type of Europe – a socialist Europe run by and for the millions, not the millionaires. A Europe of this kind will not be achieved from within the bosses’ EU but by building united movements of workers and young people across the continent in opposition to austerity policies – whether from Brussels or national governments – and attacks from the bosses.

Woodburn Forest: Mobilise to defeat fracking By Daniel Waldron

xPloraTory DrillinG for oil and gas has begun in Woodburn Forest near carrickfergus, co. antrim, a stone’s throw from a major reservoir. Disgracefully, the land was leased to drilling company infrastrata by ni [northern ireland] Water. The development has been allowed to proceed by the Department of environment and the local council despite several breaches of planning, environmental and safety regulations. Infrastrata insist that they are preparing the way for conventional extraction. Yet the depth of their drill suggests that this is a ploy – they will likely discover hydrocarbons, but only accessible by using the controversial and dangerous hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technique. Fracking threatens to pollute water supplies with toxic chemicals and is banned in many European countries.

mass campaign needed Public meetings of over 200 people have been held in the area to discuss how to resist the development. The campaign has played an excellent role in exposing Infrastrata’s breaches of protocol. Yet the police have shown no interest in this, acting instead as

Protests are ongoing at the Woodburn drilling site

enforcers to facilitate corporate destruction of the environment by harassing peaceful protesters alongside private security. A Judicial Review of the development is underway but campaigners cannot rely solely on a court system which is biased towards big business. Instead, the focus should be on galvanising and mobilising the local community to block drilling efforts. In Belcoo, Co. Fermanagh, a mass

mobilisation of the surrounding community made exploratory drilling unworkable by physically blocking the site. The overwhelming and visible opposition put the political establishment under huge pressure, leading to drilling multinational Tamboran’s licence being revoked. This is the model which should be emulated at Woodburn and everywhere else where environmentally destructive development is threatened

June 2016

THE SOCIALIST

feature

LGBTQ liberation: Fight for equality is not over By Conor Payne

ne year ago, people in ireland voted by an overwhelming 62% for a yes vote in the marriage equality referendum. This vote represented a huge affirmation of the rights of lGbTQ people. it was the product of year of campaigning by lGbTQ activists who put it on the political agenda, and crucially a social movement of young people, women and working class people which developed and delivered such a big victory during the referendum itself. Thousands came out to canvasses, returned “home to vote” and 66,000 mainly young people registered to vote for the first time. There were record high Yes votes in working class communities.

a battle not won The referendum showed up the myth of an Ireland with a fundamentally conservative “silent majority” – a lesson for upcoming battles, including on the 8th amendment. In fact, it was the establishment who were nervous about taking on the bigots of the No side, for example when RTE

paid out huge sums of money to the Iona Institute after they were called out as homophobes. The victory on marriage equality led directly to progress on other issues; for example the significant improvement that were brought in to the Gender Recognition Bill, allowing trans people to have their gender recognised by the state. However, the battle for equality has not yet been won. Homophobia is still a daily reality in Irish society. A study commissioned by the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) and BelongTo this year found that 56 per cent of 14 to 18 year-old LGBT teens in the study said they had self-harmed while 70 per cent had considered suicide. The continued control of the vast majority of schools in Ireland by the Catholic Church is a barrier to really tackling homophobic bullying in schools and providing affirmative sex education for LGBTQ young people.

lGBTQ rights under attack Internationally, there is a renewed offensive by the right wing. In the US, “bathroom bills” like the one passed in North Carolina, are vin-

Campaigning by LGBTQ activists and solidarity brought about "Yes" victory in marriage equality referendum

dictively targeting trans people. In large parts of Europe, the far right is on the rise and homophobia and transphobia will be an inevitable aspect of this. In Austria, the candidate of the Freedom Party, came within an inch of victory on an anti-immigrant, right wing populist platform. The policies of the Freedom Party include opposition to marriage equality and rolling back existing adoption rights for same sex couples.

The referendum showed what was needed to defeat the right. The campaign was won through a social movement from below, not from the political establishment. Solidarity was also critical. We need a united movement of LGBTQ people , refugees, women and all working class people to take on homophobia, sexism and racism and all inequality in society. This will require taking on Ireland’s deeply conservative, capi-

talist establishment. Capitalism is a system that is wedded to division and inequality. LGBTQ people are especially hit by capitalist austerity policies, as shown by the recent cuts to mental health services for example. We need to fight for a democratic socialist society where wealth and power is in the hands of the majority. Such a change would lay the basis for a society based on equality and human solidarity, not bigotry and division.

comrade colm halpin (1950-2016)

Fearless, independent & much loved fighter for socialism his own ideas on issues, make suggestions and if necessary argue his corner. He lived independently in East Wall with his cancer until very near the end and only entered the hospice (St Francis' in Raheny where he received excellent care) in the last few days of his life. Colm Halpin was a warrior for socialist ideas. We will never forget him. We carry on the fight that he

By Mick Barry TD

hirTy years a member of the Trotskyist movement, colm halpin died on 27 May last having fought a battle with cancer. Colm, a working-class Dublin man, was without doubt one of the best-loved members of our movement down through those years. He joined the Militant Tendency (forerunner of the Socialist Party) in 1986 in his mid-30s and stayed true to his socialist ideas and principles in unwavering fashion over the following three decades. Colm was the grandson of William Halpin, a trade union activist and a member of the Irish Citizen Army who fought in the City Hall building on Dame St during the 1916 Rising. Colm was one of ten brothers and sisters. His youth was difficult and he had harsh experiences of those penal institutions now so totally discredited. There was a period when he was in difficulties with the law, but with remarkable determination he turned his life around, dedicating his time to fighting to change the system that still causes so much trauma for hard hit working class communities. His decision to join the fight for socialist change marked a key moment in his life – and he threw himself into his new commitments. He made a particular commitment to solidarity work with workers in struggle and was a familiar face on many Dublin picket lines

was part of for so many years and his memory will inspire us for years and years to come. We extend our solidarity and sympathy with Colm’s former partner Marie who was in regular contact with him during his illness, to his children and grandchildren all of whom live in England and to his mother, brothers and sisters.

Socialist Party member Susan Fitzgerald remembers Colm:

down through the years. He was fearless when defending the rights of progressive campaigns from physical threat or assault. With the rise of Youth Defence, an anti-choice group, in the early 1990s and an increase in physical threats to the Left, Colm was often to the fore in physically defending activists in their campaigning work. But Colm wasn't just an activist. He took a great interest in socialist

ideology and became well acquainted with the writings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Connolly and others. At social events, Colm would take a turn at singing a song, his favourites were “Dublin City 1913” and “Jarama Valley”. He liked to dance and would often be one of the first up on the dance floor, too Colm Halpin was a fiercely independent man. He would develop

“Colm halpin was the first socialist i ever met. in 1993 he was in stoneybatter in Dublin, supporting the ‘locked out’ Pat the Baker strikers. i took a leaflet and bought a copy of the ‘Militant’ off him that day and left , secretly delighted that he took me seriously enough at 16 to ask if i was interested in politics. After reading the paper cover to cover and thinking all day and night about what Colm had said I decided I was interested in this type of politics and two days later I went to a party branch meeting. Colm was there and after the meeting we walked back up to Cabra together, as we did every week after that for many years. I looked forward to our ‘post branch’ talks on the way home, I would ask the questions I didn’t want to raise at the branch in case I looked stupid and Colm would patiently answer. Other times we would talk about key events in history, like the Russian Revolution – when Colm was talking about something like that he would get animated and do the actions! It was like street theatre and the journey home would take twice as long as he acted out how the working class took power! Years later when myself and others ended up on strike for more than ten months during a dispute at BATU, Colm was a source of huge support and inspiration. Sometimes we would get fed up and just feel like going home and not bothering to picket all day – but we never did in case Colm came and we weren’t there. There were many days when it was Colm that kept us going.”

June 2016

THE SOCIALIST

It’s crucial that struggle for reproductive rights is fought hand in hand with a battle for a secular public healthcare system, not only is the current system backward and Catholic influenced, it is massively underfunded and overcrowded. Rhona Mahoney Master of the National Maternity Hospital recently observed “The Annual Hospital Reports of the 1920s have striking similarities to my own, chronicling increasing activity and inadequate resources” By Emma Quinn

n 1922, the southern irish state was born into poverty and a backward economy. The catholic church was the perfect crutch for its limp ruling class to prop itself up and assert its power and authority over the working class. it was also the tool to provide needed services like healthcare and education in the absence of a strong welfare state. The alliance of church and state has played a particularly gruesome role in the oppression of women which continues today. This is despite the church being seriously weakened in society following child sex abuse scandals, the horrific revelations from Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby homes.

“…duties in the home” The first port of call for the newly

formed state was a determined attempt to confine women to a domestic role – article 41.2 of the constitution (which still exists today) enshrines sexism and inequality into the Irish state. “The state recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives to the state a support without which the common good cannot be achieved. The state shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home” Anti-women legislation has punctuated every decade since the formation of the state; laws which have deprived women of rights, including bans from jury duty and on contraception, prohibitions for women in work places and the 8th amendment which criminalises women who access abortion in this state. Women’s sexuality was shunned and shamed, from the founding of the state single mothers were

socially reviled and still today live in deprivation rates 230% higher than the general public. Sexism and shame over women’s bodies has seeped into the education system and is still evident in the lack of sex education today, the lack of resources for domestic and sexual violence against women and the judiciary system.

Women’s oppression Across the world if you are a woman you are more likely to live in poverty. In Ireland women are the lowest paid workers, bear the brunt of years of austerity cuts and

women

The Church, the State & the oppression of women the housing crisis, and on top of that are faced with childcare costs that are out of reach for most. The backward Irish state and the capitalist system internationally provide no solution to sexism, homophobia, racism and massive wealth inequality - which has resulted in 1% of the world’s population presiding over 99% of the wealth. An end to all oppression can only be achieved by an active and organised struggle of women, the working class and young people – which can overhaul the rotten capitalist system and put the enormous wealth that exists into democratic public ownership using it to build a socialist alternative, a society that is based on need and not greed.

Right to choose denied Despite a sea change in attitude amongst ordinary people and a growing demand for Repeal the 8th, the state and the political establishment continue to bury their head in the sand when it comes to abortion rights. The newly cobbled together government of Fine Gael and independents backed up by the dinosaurs of Fianna Fail, are determined to kick the issue of Repeal the 8th to touch and to bury it in an unelected “Citizen’s Assembly”.

The abortion ban is a relic and symptom of the State's ties to the Church

Feminising the elite will not bring equality By Méabh Hennelly

he iDea of hilary clinton becoming the first woman President of the us has been hailed by some establishment feminists as being a progressive development, a symbol of what can be achieved. The idea that more women holding senior roles and becoming wealthy will benefit women generally needs further scrutiny. Taking a closer look at Hilary Clinton, we can see that many of her policies are not in the interest of working class women. Clinton is not advocating for a $15 minimum wage despite the mass movement that has emerged around this demand, she is simply restricting her demand to the more minimal $12 an hour. As most low wage workers are women, a $15 minimum wage will improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable women. However, there is a group that would desire a lower minimum wage – those owners of business, who do not want to reduce their personal profits in order to pay workers reasonable, living wages. We know that Clinton associates with big business, firstly by looking at the list of her campaign donors and due to the fact of her having

been on the board of Walmart, a notoriously anti-union, minimum wage paying company that has a majority of female workers. This begs the question, who does Hilary stand with, working class women or her elite class? The answer has proven to be the latter.

becoming a Fine Gael TD in the early 1990s. However, they are now both part of a government that is seeking to pass the issue of the 8th Amendment on to the obscurity of a “Citizens' Assembly”. They are likely to vote against AAAPBP legislation calling for a referendum on its abolition.

“lean in” This links in with idea that women need to “Lean in” in the workplace. This idea grew out of the book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg, the CEO of Facebook. The book claims to show women the way to success in the workplace but in fact serves essentially as a handbook for corporatism and individualism that encourages women to make themselves more useful to the market. The “Lean in” concept is about creating networks of elite women supporting elite women. Bringing the issue closer to home, we have seen women TDs from the parties of the capitalist establishment repeatedly let down the majority of women in Ireland. Joan Burton, former Tánaiste, cut the Lone Parent Allowance, a cut that disproportionally hurts women. She, with the rest of the Labour party, voted against a bill calling for a referendum on the 8th

Getting organised is key

New ministers, Francis Fitzgerald & Catherine Zappone

amendment. It is clear that simply having more women in a powerful position achieves nothing for women as a whole if those women subscribe to elitist values that support the status quo and maintain inequality. Two new ministers in the new

minority government who have developed a reputation for fighting for women’s rights and progressive social issues in the past are Catherine Zappone and Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald. The latter was a leading light in the Council for the Status of Women before

Since the women of Ireland have been repeatedly let down by the government and powerful institutions, such as the Catholic Church, we must look for ways to achieve equality and freedom from oppression without relying on the “good will” of elite women. The consistent protesting, meetings and civil disobedience by prochoice activists have kept this fight going and abortion has become a major political issue. What we can learn from this is that relying on a few good-willed rich people at the top to change things for the better for the 99% is naive, and true power comes from ordinary, everyday people deciding they want to live in a truly democratic and equitable society – a socialist one where the empowerment of the majority will mean the free development of all.

PaPer of the SocialiSt Party

iSSue 100

June 2016

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