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What you want to say – 6th of July July 6, 2016

Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.
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As always, following on Dr. X’s suggestion, it’s all yours, “announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose”, feel free.

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1. Ivorthorne - July 6, 2016

If you haven’t already, head over to YouTube to see the Mary Boyle documentary. The Cope and the establishment have serious questions to answer.

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Gewerkschaftler - July 6, 2016

Thanks for the tip Ivor, I’ll give that a watch – know Ballyshannon fairly well. Interesting that it appeared on Youtube.

Hope this embed code works…

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Gewerkschaftler - July 6, 2016

Eds – might it not be a good idea to remove any names in this case. You know what Ireland is like in this respect.

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Shelley - July 6, 2016

And I’m almost sure that the Cope is not the politician involved.

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Ivorthorne - July 6, 2016

Well the only alternative appears to be a councillor who dislikes travellers.

Assuming Lynn Boylan was accurate.

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Gewerkschaftler - July 6, 2016

‘Nuff said.

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Gewerkschaftler - July 7, 2016

Well I watched it and it’s worth your time.

From the attempt by the Gardaí to frame some in 2014 for the crime, one must presume that a currently active FF big beast is being protected.

Kenny comes out of the documentary as you would expect.

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2. Joe - July 6, 2016

I supported Corbyn all along but sadly I’d say he’s toast now that this is out. https://markfiddaman.wordpress.com/2015/08/21/6-links-jeremy-corbyn-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about/

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3. roddy - July 6, 2016

The links to George Formby will definitely sink him.When on the subject I know a man who is literally George Formby’s double.George was in the south Derry area during world war 2 “entertaining the troops” prior to the Normandy landings.(Thousands of American soldiers were based here at the time).Apparently George also “entertained” some local women at the time too but of course the fact that a Formby “double” now in his mid 70’s resides locally is merely a coincidence!

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4. Gewerkschaftler - July 6, 2016

Goodish news from the EU level – due to pressure within France and Germany, the EC now admits that CETA is a ‘mixed’ agreement and should be ratified at national and possibly regional level. A number of potential nails in it’s coffin at least.

And in an utterly despicable decision – the EU is intending to divert humanitarian aid funding to military ‘aid’ spending (training, consultants etc. – you know the bullshit) in countries from which refugees are fleeing.

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5. Seedot - July 6, 2016

The debate last night on Sinn Féins PMB on zero hours contract was a bit of craic. Alan Kelly had a strange contribution supporting the bill because it was like the great stuff that labour has done and really is just continuing their good work even if not as well as they would do it. Bríd Smith made the very good point about the growing pattern of kicking for touch – into a commission, into committee, into a forum whatever as FF suggested a 12 month delay was what workers really needed. Mickey Martins minister for reports approach seems to have served him in government, and also fits in pretend opposition.

And there was this

http://www.thejournal.ie/dail-row-video-2863773-Jul2016/

(disclosure I know and support Louise)

Is there some class politics breaking out?

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WorldbyStorm - July 6, 2016

LOR is very sound and it is class politics, she’s absolutely right.

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Jolly Red Giant - July 6, 2016

SF are good at class politics

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6. Jolly Red Giant - July 6, 2016

Teachers in Mexico City have begun an indefinite strike in support of striking teachers in other Mexican states as tens of thousands took to the streets of Mexico.

http://rstorage.filemobile.com/storage/26402170/2170

The state of Oaxaca is virtually cut-off from the rest of the country as striking teachers blockade roads and the blockades are now spreading to Chiapas and Michoacan while 300 newly qualified teachers occupied the Stock Exchange in Mexico.

The blockades have the potential to become violent and bloody as the government moves to mobilise the military to break the blockades.

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7. Jolly Red Giant - July 6, 2016

Widespread protests have broken out in Baton Rouge after two policemen shoot dead a black man named Alton Sterling.

Warning – this is a graphic video of the man being shot.

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gendjinn - July 6, 2016

The closest thing I can relate it to is that being an African American living in the USA is qualitatively similar to being a Catholic, in the North, in the 70s. Depending on where you are the police can up and murder you without ever having to worry about repercussions. And depending on where you are the locals might take matters into their own hands.

I used to vainly hope that the omnipresent video camera would solve this problem by shining a light, but then I should have learned from Rodney King.

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8. Jolly Red Giant - July 6, 2016

Thousands of trade union activists have taken to the streets of Kiev to protest against planned increases in the price of gas and electricity.

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9. gendjinn - July 6, 2016

The ritualised celebration of WWI mass slaughters turns my stomach. No critique of the officers, the military, the strategy, the leaders, the politicians, the war. Just pondering the sacrifice of so many, so young.

All in a squabble amongst cousins, all could have been avoided, all for no benefit but heralding a 20th century that continues to exceed itself in ghastly atrocities committed and defended by smiling suits.

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Jolly Red Giant - July 6, 2016

All for a land grab in the colonial world – the only way to expand an empire by 1914 was to annex it from another empire.

Look at the way the defeated empires were divvied up after the way – the victors achieved their objectives – the 20million deaths were a small price to pay for their imperial ambitions.

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gendjinn - July 7, 2016

Imperial rivalries alright. Edward VII and the rise of industrial Germany. Hence the realignment of alliances in Europe. Ferdinand was a handy spark, if it had not been him another one would have been along soon enough.

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10. sonofstan - July 7, 2016

FF 33, FG 24, SF 16, Lab 5, Ind and Others 22 poll in the IT

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11. Michael Carley - July 7, 2016

Nominations are open for the EU songbook

http://www.eu-songbook.org/

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12. sonofstan - July 7, 2016

Listening to ‘deeply religious’ Tony Blair grappling with his conscience and winning on Today programme; absolutely nauseating.

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Gewerkschaftler - July 7, 2016

I would describe it as ‘deep religiosity’.

With religiosity comes the egoism and self-regard that Blair displays in spades.

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13. Gewerkschaftler - July 7, 2016

A comparison of the constitutions of seven EU ( PDF format) country’s constitutions in relation to the following areas:

* the rule of law
* the social state principle
* the economic model embedded in the constitution
* obstacles to military intervention

may be of interest to some.

Source: European Left / DIEM25

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14. roddy - July 7, 2016

You should see how WW1 is covered up here.Local BBC are in overkill compared to their colleagues in London.Among the worst is the broadcasting for the the last 6 months of “love letters from the front” on a twice daily basis. Also this week Unionist politicians ranting ad nauseum about OUR forces in Iraq and the decisions WE made or did’nt make in the prosecution of that war. However trying to devise a mechanism to escape from this jingoism and imperialism is dismissed as “sectarianism”!

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Dr. X - July 7, 2016

Well, that’s fair enough, given that there is a substantial section of the population who do place a lot of value on that part of their history.

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sonofstan - July 7, 2016

How does it compare with coverage of 1916 commemorations, Roddy?

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15. sonofstan - July 7, 2016

“Leadsom says the UK has a great deal to offer. It gave the world the rule of law, parliamentary democracy, the right to own property and the free market”

How many lies can you get into one sentence? Inflating her CV is not even the half of it.

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16. roddy - July 7, 2016

1916 got mentioned for a couple of days and was “critically examined” while ww1 is celebrated for its “heroism”. And Dr X it is not “fair enough” ,nor is it it fair enough to say “our troops or “we” when describing the British imperialist army whe n upwards of half the population want fuck all to do with them or their “wars”.

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sonofstan - July 7, 2016

Yeah. I actually like the way we in Ireland tend to ‘critcally examine’ stuff, aware of differing hisotrical perspectives, whereas here in the UK, heritage has obliterated history.

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Dr. X - July 7, 2016

Ah, so you’re actually saying that both communities/traditions/lunacies did not get a fair shake of the stick when it came to either historical commemoration or critical examination of history (both of which have their place, IMO)?

That is of course a different story.

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17. Gewerkschaftler - July 7, 2016

Further to the Oik’s post-pre-possible-Brexit wizard wheeze of the UK becoming another tax haven outside the EU:

corporate tax cuts, particularly in the current climate, are the worst kind of stimulus. They reduce economic growth – for several reasons, including these:

a) Corporate tax cuts don’t attract useful investment! This Chancellor, George Osborne, has already cut the corporate tax rate, again and again, over this parliament and the last. As we’ve identified, his government’s own advance assessments, and those of the independent Office of Budget Responsibility, have predicted zero impact on the tax base – that is, no new investment or at least no profit from any new investment that is made. This is consistent with analysis from the US Joint Tax Committee, that profits are only really shifted in response to much more dramatic cuts: you have to get the rate down to 5% or even 1% to compete with the big boys of Luxembourg or Ireland for profits shifted in from elsewhere. Real investment, meanwhile, is driven by fundamentals like infrastructure, labour skills and (yes) market access – tax rates just aren’t a primary concern.

b) Corporations are sitting on cash piles: profits are high but they aren’t investing, because demand isn’t there. Tax away some of those useless cash piles, spend it, and increase demand, thus increasing investment – and growth. Corporate tax cuts are like pushing on a string: if they aren’t investing their cash piles, why would corporate tax cuts help?

c) The lower corporate taxes go relative to income taxes, the more rich people convert their income into corporate forms, to escape relatively higher income taxes. This is a pure, inequality-boosting redistribution – and as the IMF and many others remind us, higher inequality means lower economic growth.

d) The ‘incidence’ of corporate taxes falls largely on capital owners/shareholders: and many of those shareholders are foreigners: over 50 percent in the case of the FTSE 100 firms. The leakage from corporate tax cuts is tremendous. Not only is there this ‘external’ leakage to other countries: but there is upwards leakage too, from ordinary taxpayers to a relatively much wealthier group: corporate shareholders.

e) When they say ‘competitive’ they mean showering goodies on large players, at the expense of smaller, less mobile local players. This hurts the small and boosts the large: increasing monopoly – with the counter-intuitive result that ‘competitive’ tax policies reduce competition. With all the market-harming, inequality-boosting results.

f) Doing this provokes others to follow suit, in a continuous process of ‘tax wars.’

My italics…

Hobbyhorse? Moi?

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18. sonofstan - July 8, 2016

‘Lord’ Kinnock, who won no elections ever, says labour need to dump Corbyn because he’s ‘unelectable’

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19. Michael Carley - July 8, 2016

I’m watching this for the first time and it seems worryingly appropriate.

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20. roddy - July 8, 2016

“organs,street music and noises prohibited by order” reminds me of an incident recalled by my brother.His employers banned the use of radios under the pretext of needing a licence “to broadcast music” (something allegedly to do with performing rights or such but really another way of keeping the workers down) One employee was given the task of informing the rest and when he had completed the job ,he sent his immediate boss a “cheeky” e mail stating “zere is no music in ze building”!

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21. Jolly Red Giant - July 9, 2016

Game on – the attacks begin – new members join LP to support Corbyn and the Blairites split to form the ‘Progressive Democrats’ – how apt is the name!

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22. Tomboktu - July 9, 2016

A nerdy request.

The Kaldor-Hicks principle is used to justify cost-benefit analysis in policy making. (In particular, it ‘justifies’ not considering the distributive effects of a particular policy or spending proposal, on the basis that the winners will compensate those who will not gain.)

I recall reading somewhere years ago that either Kaldor or Hicks had said that the criteria for the theorem he had proved did not exist in the real world. I can’t find it, now and wonder of any CLRers can point me to a source on that specific point?

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23. Joe - July 11, 2016

Two things.

How does your garden grow? We had homegrown broccoli on the Sunday dinner plate. I harvested the peas yesterday too – enough for maybe two family dinners. Then I took the dog for a walk in the football field beside us at half time in the Euros final last night and found some massive mushrooms. So it was mushrooms fried in butter for brekkie this morning. WBS, will you put up a gardening thread to see what the comrades are growing?

Corybn vs Eagle. What’s gonna happen? Will there be more candidates? Does Corbyn need to get ‘nominated’? Eagle says that Corbyn isn’t ‘a leader’. Is there something in that? That while his politics are mostly sound left social democracy, that he isn’t a good media or Commons performer and thus won’t win the votes of enough people in a general election? Just asking, now.

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Ed - July 11, 2016

On the ‘leader’ question – Corbyn’s Labour opponents seem to be condemning his abilities on that front in the name of an imaginary alternative candidate who would be incredibly charismatic, media-friendly and articulate. They don’t seem to feel any need to actually produce that candidate themselves. Look at the other candidates in the leadership race last year, look at Eagle, and the other names that have been hawked around as challengers to Corbyn, and you’ve got a more accurate measure. The second generation of New Labour politicians is really drab and mediocre. The first generation (Blair, Brown, Blunkett, Straw etc.) at least had real political experience; they came up through the Labour Party when it was a lively place where you needed to be able to speak before a crowd and win people over in constituency meetings, council meetings etc. The second generation rose up through the ranks at a time when there was a different route up the ladder: Oxbridge degree, a stint in London working as a parliamentary assistance or for a think-tank, a parachute landing in a safe Labour constituency where you don’t have to do any real campaigning to get elected, then back to Westminster to ingratiate yourself with the press corps and hone your ability to come out with robotic, on-message soundbites on television. Once you take them out of that comfort zone, they all seem to be completely out of their depth.

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Ed - July 11, 2016
CMK - July 11, 2016

A Labour MP is quoted today as saying ‘if the answer is Angela Eagle, what is the question’?

There is also the hilarious fact that Tony Blair accidentally sacked her as First Secretary to the Treasury in 2002. Clearly, neither he nor his advisers knew who she was.

I think Richard Seymour’s analogy to ISIS military tactics is apt to describe what’s behind the latest moves. Eagle is a suicide bomber who will breach the enemy lines in preparation for the main heave to come in good time.

Eagle and the PLP want to sustain the idea of Corbyn as ‘a leader in crisis’ for as long as it takes to sift through the dregs of the PLP to find a more credible candidate. That will be difficult for the reasons Ed outlines above. Therefore, we could probably see someone like Hilary Benn emerge in a few months time to make the real push to get Corbyn out. Or David Miliband returning after a bye-election.

Meanwhile, Corbyn’s speech to the Durham Miners Gala on ‘pressure’ was brilliant and really showed he is in a different league to the Blairite scumbags. Could never imagine Lord Kinnock, Blair, Brown or Miliband even thinking these thoughts, never mind putting them into a speech.

The crusade to destroy Corbyn is a crusade to keep these kinds of arguments firmly outside the mainstream of political discourse in the UK.

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Michael Carley - July 11, 2016

“… the greed of successive governments, particularly Tory governments …”

Particularly, but not only?

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Michael Carley - July 11, 2016

Fuller version of the speech here:

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Joe - July 11, 2016

Thanks Ed.

Forgot to say on the veggies… nice harvest of blackcurrants too. A few in with the Bran Flakes every morning. Nice.

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Ed - July 11, 2016

BTW, I’ve no problem with people saying that Corbyn isn’t an especially charismatic leader or a great orator or anything like that; he isn’t. But I don’t think that’s the main source of his problems by any means. By all account, Pablo Iglesias of Podemos is a brilliant communicator, absolutely first-rate, whether he’s speaking at a rally or in a TV studio. But his image for most of the Spanish media is still completely toxic because of his politics. Corbyn could be as good as salesman as Tony Blair or Barack Obama but if the product he’s selling is full-blooded left-wing politics, that’s never going to play well with the British media.

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Michael Carley - July 11, 2016

Garden: fed Mrs Michael lettuce, sorrel, kohl rabi, puntarelle (chicory) from the small field. Had to use shop-bought aubergines, but nobody’s perfect.

Peas and beans have been feeble; chard has grown one inch and gone thus far and no further. Leeks show signs of hope. Carrots seem to have dodged the fly and shallots are doing well.

Brassicas slugged to hell.

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Gewerkschaftler - July 11, 2016

Tomatoes and herbs coming along nicely thanks, Joe.

I always hated lavender oil as the new-agers preferred olfactory carpet-bomb, but the plant outside is much more subtle and very satisfying for a touch of frottage on the balcony.

No sign of fungal disease on the toms yet even though it’s often been humid.

As to Corbyn – I can’t see how a split in the Little British Labour party is over the short to medium term avoidable. I just hope that the Corbynite / Momentum people can bring as much of the trades unionist movement with them as possible.

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Gewerkschaftler - July 11, 2016

Did I really just write ‘trades unionist’?

Type in haste, regret at leisure.

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Pasionario - July 13, 2016

“Trades unionist” used to be how it was said until maybe the 70s.

The Labour Party has been slit twice before, from the right — McDonald in 1931; the Gang of Four in 1981. On each occasion, deprived of the support and infrastructure of the Labour movement, the splitters soon withered. But it also took more than fifteen years for Labour to recover from the damage to win an election both times.

I don’t believe in a purist Labour Party without a left and right wing. Ultimately, you need some of the latter to win a majority. The two Labour governments we can be proud of — Attlee’s and Wilson’s — succeeded because they managed to create a balance between left and right, keeping both on board and in cabinet.

But, whereas Corbyn has been conciliatory, the right now seemed determined to simply destroy the left. They won’t succeed but no-one’s going to win either. Bleak times ahead.

But I’m starting to think Theresa May mightn’t be as bad as Cameron and Osborne — Major to their Thatcher perhaps. Perhaps that’s wishful thinking.

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WorldbyStorm - July 13, 2016

Entirely agree re Corbyn and the LP.

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sonofstan - July 13, 2016
Michael Carley - July 11, 2016

It is shaping up to be a split between the PLP and the membership. As long as the membership hold on to the assets, including the name, it might be a good thing even in the short term, as long as there is time to prepare for an election.

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24. sonofstan - July 11, 2016

Modern things I detest part 96: the idea that ‘leadership’ is a skill or a quality one can have entirely divorced from the values and skills associated with whatever it is you’re meant to be leading. Business school astrology.

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sonofstan - July 11, 2016

Meanwhile it appears we can only have one Angela at a time – as Eagle announces her bid for the Labour leadership, it looks as if Loathsome is withdrawing.

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sonofstan - July 11, 2016

And she’s gone….

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Joe - July 11, 2016

So there’ll be a new PM, like, tomorrow?

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sonofstan - July 11, 2016

Looks it, although someone – from Labour as it happens 🙂 – has pointed out that the rules state there has to be a contest.

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Gewerkschaftler - July 11, 2016

That was quicker than expected. The question is if, when and how she triggers article 50.

Or how she tries to delay and obfusticate.

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Michael Carley - July 11, 2016

Now there are demands for an immediate general election: do the PLP plotters want that? Right now?

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Gewerkschaftler - July 11, 2016

Probably yes.

So long as they get (some) of ‘their’ party back, they don’t care if the Tories win big-time.

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25. Gewerkschaftler - July 11, 2016
Gewerkschaftler - July 11, 2016

Bother.

The link above leads to a rather amusing HTTP Server error.

Here’s The right link for Werner’s article in Jacobin Mag.

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26. sonofstan - July 11, 2016

George Osborne seems to be suggesting that the UK has been on a different planet for a while. Which is fair enough:

So I think now, in the next few days, we should move to put her in the position of prime minister so she can lead the country, provide unity, and provide that direction, so that Britain is open to business, open to the world, free trading, out there taking our rightful place in the planet.

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27. Starkadder - July 11, 2016

The current issue of “History Ireland” has two articles, “Roger Casement and the History Question” by Angus Mitchell, and
“Casement Tried and Tested-the Giles Report” by a Paul Hyde. Both articles argue that the Black Diaries are forgeries.

Hyde argues because there are numerous accounts of the discovery of the Black Diaries, this “reveals dangerous instability in the foundations of the authenticity edifice”.

Don’t the records show that a Mr. Germain handed the diaries in to
UK Police on 25 April 1916?

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Starkadder - July 11, 2016

Jeffery Dudgeon has a list of Casement-related documents on
his website, which states (MEPO 2/10672) that Germain
brought the documents to the British police on that date.

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0ahUKEwjjp6GC7-vNAhUqDMAKHQz3CMYQFggeMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjeffdudgeon.com%2Fdownload%2FCasement%2520controversies%2FNational%2520Archives%2520at%2520Kew%2520Casement%2520manuscripts%2520list%2520-%2520selected%2520to%2520see%2520and%2520annotated.doc&usg=AFQjCNFS4QteWAJAic6J1UZFsDY_kP6A_A&cad=rja

I’m a bit surprised at HI only letting “Forgery theorists” write
about the Diaries- usually when the magazine handles a controversial subject they give space to different views on the
subject.

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28. ar scáth a chéile - July 12, 2016

DOB loses his Supreme Court appeal re questioning of witness at Moriarty Tribunal

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0712/801853-supreme-court-ruling/

The Moriarty report continues to be available to the citizens of Ireland, and others, at

http://www.moriarty-tribunal.ie/asp/index.asp?ObjectID=636&Mode=0&RecordID=399

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29. CMK - July 12, 2016

Economic growth 26% in 2015.

26%????

Must be a first in economic history!

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2016/0712/801870-cso-on-economy/

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Joe - July 12, 2016

I saw that. A bit mad isn’t it?

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sonofstan - July 12, 2016

Boombastic!

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CMK - July 12, 2016

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Joe - July 12, 2016

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Gewerkschaftler - July 12, 2016

Smoke and mirrors creative accounting.

much of the rise is as a result of aircraft purchases, corporate restructuring and companies re-locating assets to Ireland.

These changes have not resulted in a significant increase in employment.

But “Mr Noonan said the CSO figures show that peoples’ lives are improving”. Well that’s all right then.

Perish the thought that we might want to tax the “relocation” of some of these assets.

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Joe - July 12, 2016

I’m carefully crafting a motion for my union conference, demanding a 26% rise to give us our share of the boom.

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30. Ivorthorne - July 12, 2016

Bit of a car crash interview with on Drivetime with Eoghan Murphy.

Can’t say if the 6 companies that have led to 26% economic growth paid any tax.

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31. Jolly Red Giant - July 12, 2016

Corbyn is on the leadership ballot – 18-14 vote on NEC.

Next step – deselection of Blairite MPs – starting with Angela Eagle.

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