Civil liberties were suspended for "security operation"

by John Mon May 10, 2004 15:36

Hah! So, you think privatisation is massively unpopular? I suggest an immediate referendum at which the following questions are asked: (a) do you want the Telecoms industry re-nationalised and run by the Dept of Posts and Telegraphs as it was up to the 1980s? (b) do you want Ryanair to be nationalised and absorbed into state-owned Aer Lingus? If the yes vote for either of these is more than 1%, I'll join the DGN myself. The
only reason all these left-wing anti-globalisation protestors can afford to go galavanting all over the world to one demo after another is because of the privatisation of the airline industry. Be honest! When you go abroad to join some protest against privatisation, do you travel by Ryanair or Aer Lingus? If the former, you are hypocrites. If the latter, you are probably well-heeled members of the middle class. What Ireland needs is far more privatisation. In the UK the electricity supply and postal service industries are both privatised and charge their customers far less than in Ireland.

by StickToTheTopic Mon May 10, 2004 17:05

Hey 'John' Mr. Special Branch or whoever you are:

- After years of state investment, ownership, and improvement by 1997 Ireland had the 3rd best telecommunications infrastructure in the OECD. Now, after years of privatisation, we have the 29th, i.e. the worst telecommunications infrastructure in the OECD.

This is because (among other things) the Tony O'Reilly and George Soros private investment club which bought Eircom asset-stripped €400 million out of the company last year, repair-time is getting worse, lines are getting crackly and we have lost out on thousands of jobs because the private company will not invest in the future by laying-on broadband for everyone in the country.

- To be ideologically in favour of all privatisation under every circumstance detracts from the argument that perhaps certain industries should operate in the private sector. But quite obviously telecommunications, transport, health, waste, education and the military should not.

- Furthermore unlike so called 'John's' heroes such as Milton Friedman (US economist who reckoned that there should be no government regulations for airline safety), or vonHayek (US economist who believed in suspending democratic elections until an economy had achieved ‘efficiency’) I believe in democracy. Unlike the Draft EU Constitution which will not allow future democratically elected governments to adopt any economic system other than 'progressive liberalisation' i.e. the Constitutionally demanded ongoing withdrawal of the state from the economy and the privatisation of everything.

- Now bugger-off ‘John’ and catch someone committing planning irregularities or illegal dumping instead of wasting tax-payers money harassing the people on this Newswire.

by Joe Public Mon May 10, 2004 17:21

Don't forget to bring a teabag for the poor cabin crew, who have just had their canteen facilites taken away.
All in the name of progress!!

by John Mon May 10, 2004 18:12

Well 'Stick to the Topic', privatisation IS the topic. It was the DGN who introduced it in their statement opening this thread. Why don't you read it?

Good news for Irish workers, bad news for
your argument - its just been announced on the Irish Times web site today:

"Up to 800 jobs will be created in west Dublin
by online auctioneer Ebay and its subsidiary
electronic payment company PayPal. "

Doesn't look as if Ebay share your opinion of the Irish Telecoms network - neither does the IDA, this is what they say on their website:

"Ireland has one of the most advanced and
competitive telecommunications
infrastructures in Europe"

They also give prices for internet links to the USA from Europe. Ireland is the second cheapest, 20% less than in the UK. They also give prices for electricity in Europe. Ireland is the second dearest, 40% more than in UK. The price of leaving the ESB in public ownership. In the UK electricity hasn't been increased in price for 12 years. Irish consumers are being screwed by the state monopoly that is the ESB. Let's have some competition as in telecoms and the airline industry. Privatise it now!

Its paranoia to think that anyone who disagrees with you must be in the Special Branch. If a simple statement of opinion on a subject allready introduced is what you mean by 'harassment', then you are very easily harassed.

As for Ryanair, its consumer's choice, Ryanair started from nothing and now fly 25million annually against 5million for Aer Lingus. And they've never had to be bailed out by Irish taxpayers once, unlike Aer Lingus who come begging for handouts every 5 minutes.

by Aidan McKeown Mon May 10, 2004 18:24

Have we got competition in the telecoms sector? Depends on your definition. Eircom still has a monopoly on line rental...

by Joe Public Mon May 10, 2004 18:29

His art tax break. I wonder how many people visit his house to see his paintings.
The money the OPW pay him for using his premises. Most interesting that one.

Didn't have Harney at his wedding for nothing.

by anarcho Mon May 10, 2004 20:02

Anarchists are against privatisation. We are also against nationalisation as well.
We want socialisation -- genuine common ownership with workers' self-management
of industry.

if you are going to attack our ideas, at least get them right first!

I would suggest reading "An Anarchist FAQ" at:

http://www.anarchistfaq.org

by John Mon May 10, 2004 20:32

No problem with workers' self-management at all. If a group of workers wish to set up an airline and run it under the principle of workers' self-management and in competition with Ryanair, good luck to them.
I'll even fly on it. Just so long as they don't ask the taxpayer to subsidise them and so long as they allow Mr. O' Leary to run HIS airline the way HE wants. Its called competition, and I think you'll find that under the present economic system its perfectly legal, indeed encouraged.