New edition of the 'Voice' now online

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday February 21, 2003 15:01 by Brian Cahill - Socialist Party

The February edition of the "Voice", the newspaper of the Socialist Party, is now available online. Short article summaries and a link below.

Special Feature: No Blood For Oil!

"OPERATION SHOCK and Awe", the US military campaign against Iraq, is expected to begin with an aerial assault on Baghdad. Some 300-400 Cruise missiles would target Baghdad daily for at least a week. This is an average of one missile attack every five minutes. In the first 48 hours of war the US plans to blitz Iraq with firepower equivalent to that used in 40 days of the 1991 Gulf War. The Gulf War was fought mainly in the desert. This blitz will include Baghdad, a city of 4 million people.

Build a Mass Democratic Anti-War Movement

THE 15 February demonstration in Dublin is a clear indication that the movement against war in Ireland has now reached mass proportions. It is now time to seriously build a mass opposition to this war.

Youth Against War - Organise For Action

YOUTH AGAINST War has continued to grow in Ireland. It has established itself as a real campaigning force for young people opposed to this war for oil and profits. Here is a round-up of activities that have taken place and those to come.

North: Money for Services, Not War

GORDON BROWN tells us we have to be prudent. We can only afford to spend money on essential things. What he means is that we cannot pay for schools, we cannot pay for hospitals, we cannot pay for roads, we cannot pay for the firefighters, we cannot pay for water services, but...

The Korean Crisis

US IMPERIALISM'S own estimates state that a war against North Korea which involved the use of nuclear weapons would result in one million dead including up to 100,000 Americans, at an immediate cost to the US of $100 billion, while the cost of destruction and economic dislocation would be over $1 trillion.

Joe Higgins Column: A Government of Cynicism

RECENTLY, DURING the Order of Business in the Dáil, I asked Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, "Could you tell us when the Bill which proposes to give the Managers of local authorities power to set up incinerators anywhere they will, charge any amount they want in bin taxes to householders and which provides for the bullying of householders who boycott this tax come before this Dail for debate?"

Fingal Council Rent Rip-Off

IMAGINE RECEIVING a letter at Christmas informing you that your rent was to increase by 100 to 400%. That was the experience of hundreds of tenants of Fingal County Council, Dublin. The County Manager - without any reference to the elected councilors - lifted the traditional ceiling on the maximum rent, which had never been more than €50 per week, demanding new rents of anything up to €230 per week.

Bin Tax: Mass Non-Payment can Defy Cullen's Attack

FORTHCOMING PROPOSALS for dramatic changes to the Waste Management Act by environment minister Martin Cullen are an attack on local democracy. These changes give dictatorial powers to unelected city and county managers who are only accountable to a government minister.

North: Assembly Elections - Time For a Working Class Voice

IT IS now probable that there will be an election for the Northern Ireland Assembly in May, though it may yet be postponed by a government fearful of its outcome. This election will be a sectarian head count. The Agreement has copper fastened sectarian division and acts to strengthen the more stridently sectarian parties.

North: Living in Different Worlds

SPARE A thought for the Lord Chancellor, Derry Irvine. He has had to postpone his full pay rise of 12.6% or £22,000. The timing of the announcement that his salary would go from £180,736 to £202,736, coinciding with the government's declaration that teachers and other public sector workers would only get a 2.9% rise was just a bit much. So instead, he is going to take just 2.25% for now.

North: Scrooge Bain Strikes Again

THE EVIDENCE continues to grow that George Bain richly deserved the "Scrooge of the Year" award bestowed on him by the Socialist Party at Christmas. Not only is Sir George attempting to screw the FBU through his Review of the Fire Service, but he is also denying basic rights to the former tenants of the Malone Housing Association bought by QUB in March 2000.

World Social Forum 2003

THE THIRD World Social Forum, which took place in Port Alegro, Brazil, on the last week in January, was the largest gathering in the event's history so far.

US Anti-War Movement Grows

THE ANGER against the Bush administrations relentless drive towards war against Iraq is growing. Increasing numbers of people clearly see the war preparations as having little or nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction and everything to do with control of the oil supplies of the Middle East.

Firefighters Dispute: No Retreat - Maintain the Action

FIREFIGHTERS ACROSS Britain and Northern Ireland reacted with justified anger at John Prescott's threat to reintroduce the Fire Services Act of 1947 to impose his measly 4% pay offer.

North: Carmel Gates Elected NIPSA President

NIPSA's NEW President is Socialist Party member, Carmel Gates. Carmel has been elected by the union's General Council. She will take up office on 1 March and hold the position at least until the NIPSA Conference in June.

Vote No to the National Pay Deal

SUSTAINING PROGRESS, the new social partnership deal, is a combination of wage cuts, a pay freeze in the public sector, restrictions on the right to strike, and binding arbitration.

Building Workers: Lives Before Profits

A LONE piper followed by the carrying of a sombre black coffin led a demonstration of over 3,000 construction workers through Dublin on 5 February in commemoration of their 22 colleagues killed on unsafe sites in 2002.

Full articles at:
www.socialistparty.net/pub/pages/avoiceindex.htm