Dublin Comrades investigate the political system in the 26 counties and find the "four c's" - CAPITALISM, CORRUPTION, CONTRADICTION and CHAOS

There exist many reasons why the ordinary Irish citizen should voice opposition to the single European currency project. However, the argument opposing the development from a republican socialist perspective needs to be more concrete in an ideological respect than the nationalistic argument often voiced by many European opposition groups in Ireland today.

The republican socialist argument against European monetary union must incorporate both the valid, if narrow nationalist, argument espoused by other groups in Ireland with an ideologically-sound socialist reasoning based on a local and internationalist socio-economic perspective. The launch of the Euro has proved a godsend for the currency speculators, investment managers, multi-national companies and central bankers of the world - provided economies in Europe can retain stable growth.

The venture is far from risk-free even for the capitalist elite. The successful working of the Euro, though, will enable this elite to limit foreign exchange risk in a single trading region as opposed to eleven individual currencies. These elements have never been held accountable to either national parliaments or international forums since the development of corporate politics in the 1920's. They care nothing for the social consequence of their actions to individual nations and regions. Today more than ever leading politicians in the world are employed to disguise this fact.

For Ireland, participation in the Euro project will lead to political moves to sanction the increased selling of state assets, further erosions in social welfare and essential funding in health care along with increased calls for lower wage agreements. The impact in Ireland will prove the same in France, Germany, Spain and all other countries who have signed up to the new agreement.

Regardless of the negative impact on jobs, living standards and welfare services, the new European Central Bank will ensure that all eleven national "governments" toe the line to ensure the bank's ability to guarantee the value of the Euro and keep inflation to the minimum.

The Euro in effect reduces the concept of national government and democracy to the substance of a party-political spin doctor while equally exposing the myth of a democratically accountable European parliament as high-wire deception. The negative impacts of the development will be felt not only in Ireland and Europe but in the slave wage economies of the Third World. The ordinary worker in each of these areas will be forced to compete with each other for jobs and rights according to the rules of a casino. However, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael's politicians will prefer to refer to that aspect of things as the "wonder" of the global economy.

Indeed, along with the European equals of the Irish Labour Party and Democratic Left (now one), the Fianna Fails and Fine Gaels of Europe will join supporters of the Euro project to make the excuses when things go wrong. They will be on hand to spin the yarns when jobs are lost in Cork, Dublin or Antwerp. They will be there also to attend the Prime Time TV shows when medical services are no longer free or when workers are awarded insulting pay deals.

The real issue is learning what the future response of the ordinary people or genuine socialists will be to these developments when they materialise. The Euro is not about the good of society or cheaper holidays for the middle classes. The Euro is about making money for those who control the system. It is as simple as that.

When the jobs are lost or when the local GP demands money in advance, what will the response of the ordinary person be next time Prionsias de Rossa or Ruairi Quinn are knocking on the doors of Dublin calling for votes, claiming to be socialists and the Party of the ordinary citizen?

Genuine socialists in Ireland have to realise now that unless they combine with their counterparts elsewhere to take the message of their socialism to the streets, ordinary people will continue to be fooled by the patronising rhetoric of the very hypocrites who have structured society to tolerate the excess of the free market.

The message from the IRSP therefore is for socialists and progressive elements in Ireland to unite here with counterparts in Europe to explain to the ordinary person why capitalism remains the enemy of the ordinary person. This issue is beyond party politics or careerism for the message against the Euro is too important. The struggle against the entire project needs to be waged not only in Ireland, but across Europe as a whole.

If socialists fail to make the effort in Ireland to educate the public, how can they expect to radicalise them, or justify complaining when the public continue to vote for the mainstream pro-European union political parties election after election?

Dublin Castle or the Four Courts?

What is the public to make of the "have and have-not society" which prevails in the south these days? A young woman receives a 6-year prison sentence for stealing the handbag of a tourist whil politicians swindling millions are afforded the luxury of attending expensive tribunals up in Dublin Castle as a prelude to escaping any form of sanction.

The time has surely come for the public to act in supporting those calling for the scrapping of the latest series of tribunals investigating high-level corruption. Politicians such as Charlie Haughey, Ray Burke, and Michael Lowry stand indicted as thieves pure and simple. The proper place to investigate allegations of political swindling therefore is before the Four Courts as opposed to the comfortable surrounds of Dublin Castle.