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Wreath laying ceremony Sunday 24th January for TA Power & John O Reilly Friendly street , Assemble 2.00pm ALL WELCOME Posted in: Events | Comments Off Organised by the Belfast Republican Socialist Youth Movement
Posted in: Events | Comments Off The Republican Socialist Youth Movement would like to put on record our total opposition to what is a savage budget agreed by the Fianna Fail and Green coalition government for 2010. Once again the average Irish citizen is being asked to foot the bill for the risk-taking and profiteering of others. The fact that low paid public sector workers and those on social welfare payments are being attacked by the government is nothing short of a disgrace. Surely instead of attacking the most vulnerable in society, who had nothing to do with the economic crisis we now face, the government should be looking at curbing its tax breaks around the property market, which of course played an integral part in the inflation of the property bubble and ultimately economic turmoil? This government would rather take money from young people, blind people, the unemployed and the disabled as exemplified in this budget and to throw money at the banks than to take a stand and start putting the needs of people before the desire for private profit. The recapitalisation and nationalisation of banks in Ireland has up until now cost us €11 billion, with estimates being placed as high as €15 billion for the amount that will be used to bolster the banking sector in 2010. If we take into account the €54 billion being handed over for NAMA also, this represents 20 times the public spending cuts being imposed in this budget. This gives a clear indication as to where the loyalties of the government lie, they are certainly not with the average working family but with speculators and bankers. The truth is that these savage cuts are easily preventable. For instance, if the government was to look at applying the standard rate of relief to private pensions instead of the current level of subsidisation which directly benefits the most wealthy in society, then the amount of money that would be saved would be more than the entire amount brought in by the cuts in social welfare payments. When you also take into account the amount of money being handed over to a private corporation like Shell in the form of our natural resources, these consistent attacks on the living standards of the most vulnerable are exposed as totally unnecessary and utterly vindictive. What kind of government pumps billions into a bank in the form of Anglo-Irish that no-one can guarantee will even lend again, and then goes and takes money from the pensions of the blind? Certainly not one that is representative of the Irish people. But all is not doom and gloom. It seems the Revenue Commissioners have granted Bertie Ahern tax-free status for earnings from his autobiography under the artists‘ exemption scheme. Nice to see some people are being looked after for 2010, some things never change. Republican Socialist Youth Movement Posted in: Statements | Comments Off The Irish Republican Socialist Party today welcomes the news that US arms manufacturer Raytheon has finally decided to leave Derry after a long campaign by local political activists. Since the very beginning our party activists have been involved with the other groups and individuals in all aspects of the campaign to close Raytheon down. We would like to say that we have won a major victory but we honestly cannot claim that. It is though a symbolic victory and a minor battle has been won but one that can and should give encouragement to all others throughout the world that these companies can be faced down and eventually defeated. Raytheon represents the very worst of global capitalism in that the company has no regard for the victims of it’s apparatus once it is sold to governments and private security firms, their only motivation is profit. Their materials have been responsible for the deaths of countless innocent civilians throughout the world and it is in solidarity with these innocent victims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Palestine that the IRSP took part in the many actions against the Raytheon facility in Derry. We would now call upon Derry City Council to re-visit their own criteria and policies in relation to so called “inward investment” in light of the disaster of the Raytheon project. Posted in: Statements | Comments Off The leadership of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement sends fraternal and comradely greetings to all our members, comrades, friends and supporters as we enter 2010. Particularly we want to pay tribute to all republican political prisoners, particularly those prisoners aligned to the Republican Socialist Movement. They have borne the brunt of state repression over the past number of years and we salute their integrity and their courage. We take this opportunity to pay tribute to them and to their families during their imprisonment in what is a very difficult period for them. We send them our sincerest solidarity. We wish also to send revolutionary greetings to our socialist brothers and sisters around the world who continue to fight for socialism, freedom and justice in their own countries. 2009 saw a massive onslaught by Israel against the Palestinians and it also saw the continued occupation by the US and Britain of Afghanistan and Iraq. In many other countries unjust and illegal occupations continue. Workers continue to be exploited by corrupt regimes and multinational corporations under the capitalist system. The very same system that was solely responsible for the collapse of the world economy in 2009. We send messages of solidarity to the oppressed peoples throughout the world who continue to suffer occupation, exploitation and injustice but we also salute all victories for the working class, no matter how small because their victory is our victory just as their fight is our fight. We are extremely encouraged by the response from our members and supporters to the announcement on 11th October 2009 that the INLA intend to pursue changed tactics in the struggle for national liberation and socialism. As revolutionaries it is not only right but it is our duty to analyse and to adapt to changed circumstances. As Mao Zedong once pointed out, “politics is war without bloodshed,” and it is within this context that the Republican Socialist Movement carries forward the struggle. The setting aside the tactic of armed struggle based on a sound analysis of current conditions in no way means that the war for national and class liberation is over. It merely will take a different form, with the IRSP intending to carry the struggle forward through organising, agitating, and educating the working class in every arena available to us but also encouraging the volunteer soldiers of the Irish National Liberation Army to do likewise. With this new direction we urge all of our membership to involve themselves in every aspect of working class struggle and to immerse themselves in that day to day fight. During 2009 IRSP activists have taken part in many campaigns across Ireland and in many of these the IRSP has been to the forefront. We have been consistent in opposing the joint crimes of the occupation and partition of Ireland and that will continue because we see these issues as fundamental denials of Irish working class self determination. We also intend to step up our opposition to capitalism and the problems that it brings to the working class in terms of exploitation and economic hardships. For 2010 the Irish Republican Socialist Movement intends to build on the gains of the previous twelve months and to convince more and more working class people of the benefits revolutionary socialism can bring to their lives and to society as a whole. We intend to carry on forging links and alliances between all those who share our revolutionary outlook and who want to build a new socialist Ireland. The IRSP will continue to build links within and between working class communities. Only a united and vibrant working class can achieve our shared goals and we will continue to argue for the republic and against partition and in this we will continue to be guided by the teachings of great Irish socialist leaders such as James Connolly and Seamus Costello whilst remaining mindful that their principles must be adapted to the present and to suit the prevailing conditions of the day. 2010 will also present our movement with many more opportunities and challenges and we intend to meet these opportunities and challenges head on and with the very same vigour and determination that our brave comrades in the INLA fought against British imperialism. Our primary focus will be in reinvigorating the Irish Republican Socialist Party. The IRSP are a party of the working class for the working class. No war but the class war, onwards to a new era for Republican Socialism in Ireland, onwards to victory for the Irish Working class. ENDS Posted in: Statements | Comments Off |
