The January issue of Socialist Voice had an article by me entitled “The wage system and the capitalist illusion.” A worker being told they are getting their equivalent wage relating to their work is being held captive by an illusion that in reality leads to a non-equivalent exchange, which is […]
Imperialism
The Imperial Cup Final: EU v. UK?
Let’s make no mistake about it: despite the merry-go-round of posturing in the Brexit negotiations, it is and always was two imperial powers locked in a phoney war of position; and the concerns of Irish citizens are of little interest to either Britain or the EU. The interests of the […]
Even more US bombs dropped on Afghanistan (with a lot of help from Ireland)
At the end of last year the US Air Force had dropped about three times as many bombs on Afghanistan as in 2016. New statistics show that by the end of October there had already been 3,554 “fired weapons.” Over the past year they had registered 1,337 munitions drops. The […]
Educational peace project proposed for schools
A number of peace activists and groups have come together to promote an educational project in national and secondary schools entitled “Fly Kites, Not Drones / Eitleoga Seachas Dróin.” The initiative was first launched in Britain by a number of organisations, including the Catholic Church’s Pax Christi and the Society […]
National Day of Action against US Wars at Home and Abroad
Resolution of the Conference on US Foreign Military Bases, held at Learning Commons Town Hall, University of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, 12–14 January 2018 WHEREAS the United States has been in a state of perpetual war and has been using its unrivalled military might in every corner of the world to […]
But we’re still neutral!
In its electronic newsletter in mid-December the web site German Foreign Policy (german-foreign-policy.com) reports on the launch of the European Union’s new “Military Union” strategy. The report states: “The German Government has announced that the EU Military Union will be officially launched this Monday, with the EU Council formally adopting […]
The American way of war
Lenin wrote Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism in 1916 to address an issue that had been raised by J. A. Hobson and Rudolf Hilferding in their works about the changing nature of capitalism towards the end of the nineteenth century. Lenin recognised that the war then taking place was […]
The road to Damascus
In 2007 General Wesley Clarke revealed the Pentagon’s post-9/11 plan to overthrow “seven countries in five years: Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran.” In the 7 October edition of the Tory Spectator, J. R. Bradley outlined the now failed plot against Syria: “our cynical […]
The battle for Venezuela goes on
Venezuela held regional elections on 15 October, electing governors in the twenty-three states. What was reported in the corporate media was that the opposition denounced the results as fraudulent, as did the governments of the United States, France, and Canada. The opposition has cried “fraud” every time it has lost […]
Unity is strength
Artificial barriers of religion and politics have been used down through the years to divide our people. In the North in 1932 there was a time when there was total unity of the working class. This was during the outdoor relief (social assistance) strike, when Catholic and Protestant workers united […]
No united Ireland under imperialism
Can a strategy for a united Ireland within the EU be a realistic goal while maintaining the three core tenets of socialism and republicanism, namely independence, sovereignty, and democracy? Not for the first time in Socialist Voice is it argued that, far from being the saviour and moderniser of the […]
The next crisis—when, not if
We cannot ignore the recent election result in Germany. What happens in the most powerful and influential state in Europe west of Russia must interest us all, as inevitably it will have an impact in Ireland and elsewhere. Moreover, while the electoral success of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AFD) […]
Standing in front of a mural of Oscar Romero
Táim im’ sheasamh os comhair múrphictiúr I’m standing in front of a mural d’Oscar Romero Of Oscar Romero Deirtear go bhfuil deich milliún duine neamhurchóideach They say America killed ten million innocents Maraithe ag na Meiriceánaigh ó dheireadh an Dara Cogadh Domhanda Since the end of World War II Caithfidh […]
Encouraging signs of growing unity
A recent feature in the Financial Times might cause some surprise among Ireland’s eight thousand homeless, or the many others struggling with the spiralling cost of renting even modest accommodation. The article reported that the Republic is now enjoying one of the most remarkable economic revivals the European Union has […]
Poetry
The imperialist world order Eoghan O’Neill No sound, sight nor smell do we encounter Away from the lands where they bring man’s thunder Propaganda, intervention, mercenary spies Where indiscriminate carnage falls from above Humanity despairs as the West spreads lies Wrapped in white helmets and perfect white doves All to […]
Essential to break with the EU and the euro
The recent proposals by the British government regarding a possible border between the British state and the European Union expose how marginal the interests of the Irish people are in relation to the negotiations now under way. The terms of Britain’s relations with the EU will be decided between Britain […]