Workers Solidarity Movement

The Irish government’s explicit support for Shell’s proposed development in Rossport, against the demands and wishes of a large proportion of the locally affected community, exemplifies not only the highly organised and funded public relation strategy that Shell and its partners have used. It also highlights the massive democratic deficit in this country. In a broader sense corporate Public Relations, and it’s close links to government, is perhaps one of the most potent factors in curtailing meaningful democracy.

Marwa is a ten year old refugee from the village of Marwaheen in the south of Lebanon. Following an Israeli ultimatum Marwa’s family decided to flee. While driving away from the village the Israeli military fired on the pick up truck they were travelling in. Marwa recalls “The wind carried me far away, I woke up on the nearby rocks. Next to me, Mama and Mirna were sleeping. I went to them to wake them up but the plane saw me and came towards me so I ran away. My brother Wissam was hit in his leg and he could not reach me, he was hiding behind a rock and when the ambulance came he was waving to them to stop. Mirna was sleeping the whole time”. Marwa was sent to hospital for treatment for her burns and wounds. Her sister Mirna, 12, her brother Hadi, 5, and her mother Zahra, 51, were all killed (1)

Today a social revolution that took place seventy years ago is remembered by libertarian socialists as an example of how our ideas can work. The Spanish revolution came closer to realising the possibilities of a free stateless society on a huge scale than any other revolution in history. (Image: Anarchist Milita woman during the revolution) 

Ireland's anarchist paper Workers Solidarity for September October 2006

The articles in this issue are below or you can download a PDF file of WS93

A New World In Our Hearts
Spinning Democracy
Review: The Gama Strike DVD
A Bigger Slice For Dominos Workers
Slaves May Not Leave Their Masters
Thats Capitalism! 
Anarchism And The WSM
Thinking About Anarchism: Anti-Imperalism
The Importance of Spain
WSM Supports Direct Action Against RAYETHON
Jury Frees Anti-War Sabateurs
The New Middle East
Tough at the top

I wonder am I alone in thinking, when presented with a collective picture of career politicians smiling on the steps of the Dail, that the elected members of that house might have difficulty finding their arse with both hands. It is little wonder that the grinning gombeens are smiling like a cats after a bowl of cream. The facts around what our politicians get paid and what they do for that money is a reason for them to grin and us to grimace.

On Wednesday August 9th anti-war protesters in Derry stormed into the local plant of US missile manufacturer Raytheon. They were protesting against the use of Raytheon technology by the Israelis and used by them for their attacks in Lebanon.

Among our activities over the summer was a day of discussions about the role of women in revolutionary politics. About 60 women and men debated the experience of women in movements as diverse as the 1916 Rising and the 1930’s Spanish anarchist ‘Free Women’ organisation.

Imperialism, in its most basic form involves wealthy and powerful governments using their military power to invade poorer parts of the world in order to impose their control upon them. There isn’t the space to go into all aspects of imperialism here, so I’m concentrating on the military form.

Slaving your life away just so you can make ends meet; having no say in the major decisions that affect your life; criminal politicians and businessmen plundering the country. Try to do something about it and they’ll lock you up. Yes, thats capitalism!

The number of soldiers absconding from the British Army has trebled since the invasion of Iraq. The high profile case of RAF officer Malcolm Kendall-Smith, who has been jailed for refusing to return to Iraq to fight what he regarded as an illegal war, is an indication of the discontent within the armed forces.