[Esmeralda]

In continuing on with my theme (now that the threat of implosion has subsided and all is calm) with regards to the undemocratic autocracy of the EU, under the Lisbon Treaty, a President will be installed – unelected by the people – with nary an input from the likes of thee, me or sweet Fannee Adams. Ditto, a Foreign Minister, who will make up foreign policy for all EU countries.
The shortsighted boasts of European amity are laughable in the face of the turmoil which surrounds the rest of Europe, with British troops in Kosovo and the killing fields of the former Yugoslavian conflict still fresh in our memories. And whilst Britain and Germany may be refraining presently from physically kicking the shyte out of each other, it hasn’t prevented Britain from sending its young men and women to face and create slaughter in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like the tigers of the Sunderabad, driven to aggression by salt water, we can’t fecking help being driven into conflict – although by oil rather than water. Wars will always be waged. Multiculturalism, Internationalism – Utopian dreams.
Now let me run this by you for consideration:

The Workers Solidarity Movement’s anti – Lisbon treaty leaflet

>> Lisbon – So What’s It All About Then?

“Over recent months, there’s been endless talk about the Lisbon Treaty. Most political parties advise us that we’ll be embarrassed and economically ruined if we don’t vote ‘Yes’. Groups advocating a ‘No’ vote tell us that we will lose our democracy and sovereignty if we do vote ‘Yes’.

We as Anarchists think they have both missed the point. People in Ireland can do a lot better than a choice between the clowns in the Dáil or those in Brussels. We oppose the EU but don’t insult people’s intelligence by saying that our current society in Ireland with its ludicrously high house prices, diabolical public services and corruption is anything better.

A ‘No’ vote will not ruin us. The treaty doesn’t commit us to any major new economic agreements. A ‘Yes’ vote will not ruin us. Let’s not forget that sovereignty as it is currently discussed is meaningless. The major lack of democracy in our lives is not between us and the EU but between the Irish government and us. The Irish elite are happy to have a debate focused on Europe because it deflects attention from the real struggle which is here in Ireland.

Anarchists believe the problem is not the treaty alone but the EU as an institution. The treaty, no matter what it contained, wouldn’t give us more control of our lives. This can only happen when we have democracy in our communities and workplaces.

>> They’re Stealing Our Public Services

Over the years, trade unions and social movements across Europe have improved our quality of life by winning increased public services. Today, we are seeing the European elite, including the Irish elite, attempting to overturn these victories. We are seeing an attack on working people through the process called “liberalisation” which means the handing over of public services to private owners so they can make profits from services that are essential to us all.

We’ve already seen this when the Irish government brought in the ‘Bin Tax’. Over the past few years this tax has risen and risen. Now the county councils are “outsourcing” waste collection. Essentially they have given our taxes to private companies to profiteer on what is an essential service.

If our leaders have their way things will get worse. We’ve already seen attempts to re-introduce a water tax in the 1990’s. This will follow the same process as the ‘Bin Tax’. Water charges, once introduced, will steadily increase before being privatised. A ‘No’ vote won’t stop this “liberalisation” by itself, but it will send a clear message that we will not allow this to happen and that the fight starts here.

>> A Treaty for Elites

This treaty also asks us to support changes in the structure of the EU. These changes will not affect our lives on a daily basis. Much is being made of the fact that we are losing our commissioner, but for us as Anarchists this question is irrelevant to the daily lives of people in Ireland – Charlie McCreevy has been a Commissioner for two years – is he really making a difference? Do you trust him or any politician to act in your interests?

We see issues like the democratic deficit in the EU as merely a symptom of the real problem. The real problem is in how we live our own lives. We work all day and have absolutely no control over our lives in our workplace; we are asked to vote every 5 years to chose who we would like to make our decisions for us. This is not democracy in any meaningful sense of the word. There are people who do have control however; the politicians and business elites. They make money off our work everyday. A quick look over the past ten years in this country has seen the fact they couldn’t care less about us. A massive amount of wealth has been created by workers in this country during the Celtic Tiger. Our bosses have hoarded this wealth while we had to take out huge mortgages to buy homes.
Now things are not looking so rosy and this has left many of us looking into an uncertain future. The elites do not face these problems. Many have become millionaires, even billionaires. Now are they willing to give a bit back to relieve our uncertain futures? Of course not. This is capitalism – they make money in the good times and then live off it while we are going through the bad times.

These problems exist for a reason. There is no democracy in our workplaces and until this happens the money will always end up in the coffers of the elite. This treaty asks us to support changes in the EU to make money transfers and trade relations between them easier. Why should we give them the thumbs up when they couldn’t care less about us? Vote ‘No’ to their restructuring. But a vote ‘No’ is worth little on its own if things are not changed at home. The EU must change but so too must Irish society.

>> So, What’s the Solution?

Through its commitment to liberalisation, this treaty is endorsing the passing of more of our public services in to private hands. This is robbery. It is maintaining, reinforcing, and expanding the undemocratic structures of Ireland today on to a European level. There are quite clear reasons for this – as we have argued above, the EU and the Irish State are designed to benefit a minority; those who control the wealth in our society.

This is nothing new. It has being going on to some degree or another for thousands of years. Is this the best we can do? For us the answer is simply no. How can Ireland, a country with vast amounts of wealth, allow 25% of the population to either live in poverty or at risk from poverty? It simply isn’t good enough. We don’t believe the problem lies in a bad government or corruption. The problem is the structure of society we live in.

We, as Anarchists, believe that only a radical change in the democratic and economic structure of our society can change things so that the majority of people benefit from the resources of this country. The wealth, held now by the minority, must be used to benefit everyone.

We believe control is the key. Firstly we must have control over our workplaces. If we cannot control our workplaces we will not have any control over where the resources of our country end up. The health service is a good example. The people who do the work – doctors, nurses, cleaners, technicians, cooks, etc. should be the people who run the health service on a daily basis. Our current system puts a politician and businessmen in the HSE in control of the system when clearly those who work in the industry know it best. The same can be said for private industries: the people who do the work never see the wealth created; it always ends up in the hands of one individual or a small minority.
We must have control over our communities – the innumerable planning disasters we live with and see around us show the disastrous effect on communities that entrusting planning to politicians has. Many of us in this country live in housing estates with few green areas, little space for kids to play and inadequate access to proper services. Politicians simply allow their developer friends to build as cheaply as possible with no regard for the communities who have to live with the effects of poor planning. This is just another symptom of a world where the lives of people are entrusted to a political system that has no interest in representing anything other than the interests of the rich and powerful. We want a world where our communities can control themselves, not act as testing grounds for feckless developers.

>> What do we mean by control?

Control is not about you controlling anyone else or anyone else controlling you; it means that you and your work mates and your neighbours should run your lives together. We don’t believe that a government, a party or a religious institution knows what is best for you – you can only decide that with those you live and work with. For you to have control over your day-to-day decisions direct democracy is essential. Direct democracy is where you have a direct say over the issues that affect your life, including in your workplace.

>> Is this Socialism?

Yes. The means of producing wealth should be in common ownership. Anarchists believe that everyone should contribute to society according to their abilities and receive according to their needs. We also see freedom as essential, we want to end the division of people into rulers and ruled. As one of anarchism’s early advocates, Michael Bakunin, said, “Freedom without Socialism is privilege and injustice…Socialism without Freedom is slavery and brutality”. How can this be achieved? We are not so naïve as to think that the likes of the property developers, the businessmen or the politicians are going to give up their power and wealth easily – we must be organised. Organisation is our strength – in your workplace this can mean joining a Trade Union or perhaps in your area joining a campaigning group. Together, as organised workers and neighbours, we can build a new society of equality, prosperity and liberty for all.”

I couldn’t have put it better meself!

[Esmeralda]

Black Cat (Gentle Giant)

There’s a cat prowling through the streets at night
And she’s black and her eyes are burning yellow
fierce and bright
The lights are darkened;
Senses sharpened;
Wide awake

As she acts out her past of Jungle days
When the night was her friend in many other
different ways
It gave protection
Of detection
By her prey

With a sway and swing she walks away
And the look in her eye it never ever seems
to say
The way she’s feeling
No revealing,
Black Cat Ways

[Esmeralda]

Definately the latter (Flawed Federal Frankenstein) Pepper! Make no mistake but that the EU has been stealthily shutting down our democracy, whilst we flounder helplessly like stranded dolphins.
Establishing itself as a state in its own right, it gives EU law superiority to national law, ending the national veto over umpteen new policy areas, including the likes of public health, with the big business credo of ‘the free market’ becoming the controlling principle of the EU.
This uniting of big business across – say – Germany, France, Italy and Britain – without national parliaments for the proletariat to insure themselves, is not only centralist and undemocratic, but is about to prove even more insidious under The Lisbon Treaty, screwing Joe and Janet Mc Bloggs on the likes of retirement ages and pension taxes for starters. Oh god, don’t get me started.
I have already?
Well I’ll stop here before exploding in an unsightly collage of snot and sinew!

[Esmeralda]

@pete wrote:

@*Dawny* wrote:

@pete wrote:

@esmeralda wrote:

I always have to watch wildlife programmes with my finger on the button ready to switch channels as soon as there’s a hint of a leopard burying its face in a zebra’s gizzards!

first remove the zebra’s gizzards and stuff the cavity with sage and onion

Sorry but that made me titter :lol:

Ingredients – Serves 4

2 tablespoons black peppercorns, cracked to a medium grind
2 tablespoons pink peppercorns, cracked to a medium grind
1 tablespoon salt
4 8oz Zebra Steaks

Red Wine-Shallot Marmalade:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cups shallot, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
2 cups red wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Method

Combine the ground peppercorns and salt and liberally coat the zebra steaks.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium-high heat melt the butter with the oil and sugar. Add the shallots and caramelize them for 10 minutes. Add the wine, turn down the heat to a simmer and reduce liquid to ¼ of its original amount. Remove from heat. Add thyme and season.

On a hot grill, cook the steaks to the desired doneness.
To serve, top each of the steaks with a spoonful of the shallot marmalade. The marmalade can be hot, warm or room temperature.

can e mail ya that if ya like Dawny :lol:

That recipe’s a cheat, Pete! You promise stuffed zebra and deliver zebra steaks instead. Equivalent to tantalising guests with a Christmas turkey bulging with chestnut stuffing and serving up some stringy turkey twizzlers to accompany the usual suspects.
Any old ar.se can slap some zebra steaks on a griddle, but stuffing, now there’s an art in itself. I speak as the owner of a stuffed chinese goose, two teal ducks, a roach, a perch, and a selection of mink. None of whose backsides have ever scraped along a hot pan, far less suffered an encounter with shallot marmalade and a selection of poncey seasonings.

A stuffed Meerkat in a zebra marmalade

[Esmeralda]

I always have to watch wildlife programmes with my finger on the button ready to switch channels as soon as there’s a hint of a leopard burying its face in a zebra’s gizzards!

[Esmeralda]

Poli, my hubby loves Meerkat Manor, but I can’t handle it, every time I look at the screen, either one of ’em has snuffed it, or there’s a great big horrible s n a k e.
It’s on at the moment and I’m sitting with earplugs in, so I can’t hear anything sinister. :shock:

[Esmeralda]

In the wake of 9/11, Iraq posed no more of a threat than Outer Mongolia to the ‘free world’ either in economic or military terms. Intelligence reports made that clear at the time.
Rather, Iraq provided a scapegoat for the American Hawk and British Poodle, keen to steer attention away from the Saudis, whilst seen to be taking action against terrorism.
Heavens forfend that Pretzel Boy should have gone upsetting any of his Saudi Royal Family buddies , and The Grinning Dolt was so far up his arsen-wenger that Pretzel Boy used him to floss his teeth and purge his sinuses!

Incidentally, and entirely tenuously, regarding Rhodesia. I used to be best friends with Sir Cecil Rhodes granddaughter. Until I pushed her over in the playground coz she didn’t want to be my friend anymore what with I’d cut a chunk of her fringe off in sewing class. Happy memories..
:roll:

[Esmeralda]

@forumhostpb wrote:

Not really Esme. Look, if other countries choose (over time) to run themselves in a particular way …. then that’s their business – not ours. Nor is it anybody elses.

The very attitude we should have adopted towards Iraq.

[Esmeralda]

@forumhostpb wrote:

To be entirely fair … there are few pensioners who are forced to make that choice these days – although it makes a good story.

Compare that with your average African country where the general populace doesn’t have a choice to make, They just starve to death or alternatively AIDS/HIV gets them. Of course it’s most important that the leaders have their fleets of limousines and bodyguards, their palaces, their state banquets every day …. oh and I nearly forgot – their hand made suits from Gieves & Hawkes.

Oh and yes Bat – Saddam Hussein really did feed people (or preside over it being done by his son Uday hHussein) into shredders whilst the next in line watched and waited their turn.

Mind you that is the Hi-Tech method. In African countries, they get a man to smash in the skull of another with a club and then a third one smashes in the skull of the second and so on until they are all dead.

Yes I know … what about the last man. He is either shot – or goes first the next day.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were making a bloody good case for military intervention by the ‘civilised world.’

[Esmeralda]

Yes, his invitation to the EU summit was a joke as I stated earlier. A bad joke.
As for living high on the hog – it was ever thus – our own politicians aren’t so different as far as that’s concerned, and before anyone mithers on about no-one being left to starve in this country, try telling that to the pensioners who have to choose between food and heating.

[Author]

Posts