PSNI sources as saying that
there was no “paramilitary” involvement in Friday night’s rioting in
Belfast’s Castlereagh Street and Albertbridge Road, but it’s
clear also that events a couple of weeks ago in the Short Strand have
contributed to what looks like an explosive situation moving into the
marching season, no matter whether the loyalists were there or not.
Yesterday
the Greek parliament approved the austerity measures required to get
further lending from the European Union. The PASOK government is
determined to force through its austerity measures, even though 75% of
the population is totally opposed to any further austerity being imposed
on them.
Today (Tuesday) the
Greek trade unions embarked on a 48-hour general strike against the
austerity measures which are being debated today and are to be voted on
tomorrow. Papandreou says the cuts and privatisations are the only way
of rebalancing Greece’s finances, but the workers and youth on the
streets have other ideas.
Greece stands on the threshold of a revolutionary situation. In the last
period two million workers and youth have repeatedly taken to the
streets to say that enough is enough. Capitalism, which has become a
world-wide and interdependent system, today manifests itself in a global
crisis which is in turn generating an international movement. For this
reason the developments in Greece cannot be viewed in isolation, but as
the latest flashpoint in what is an interlinked chain of events.
Ireland: There have been a number of reports in today’s media that the
Irish economy has grown by 1.3%. Although this is no bad thing, as it
will help to rebuild the confidence of working people, the real picture
is somewhat more complicated than the headlines might indicate on the
first examination. Certainly any economic perspective that doesn’t make a
sober assessment taking into account everything that is happening in
Europe and particularly Greece just now will not stand up to much
challenge.
The UVF
attacks on the Short Strand area of Belfast over the last days and the
clashes between Catholic and Protestant youth demonstrate that despite
the claims of the various ministers at Stormont, the underlying tensions
and conflicts in the North have neither been resolved nor overcom
GREECE: Yesterday, hundreds of thousands of workers and youth participated in a
24-hour general strike called by the GSEE and ADEDY (private and public
sector trade union confederations), marching in demonstrations to the
main squares in seventy cities and towns across Greece. From early
morning the participation in a mass gathering to encircle the Houses
of Parliament was enormous.
IRELAND: The scenes broadcast from
Athens will have sent a shiver down the spine of An Taoiseach, An
Tánaiste and their counterparts throughout Europe. The reaction of the
Greek workers to the meltdown in the Greek economy will be of particular
concern in Leinster House. Ireland is not so far behind Greece and
sooner or later Ireland will become the tail ender in the bond markets
again, that is unless the Greek Government defaults and then all bets
are off.
Greece: From early
this morning (Wednesday), hundreds of thousands of workers and youth participated in
the mass rallies during today’s 24-hour general strike, encircling the
Houses of Parliament. There is no doubt that had it not been for the
outbreak of rioting, with such a huge level of participation the numbers
concentrating on Syntagma Square would have exceeded one million.
IRELAND: It’s now almost 100 days
since Enda Kenny took office at the head on the FG/Labour Coalition. The
election result was heralded as an historic defeat for Fianna Fáil, a
victory for Fine Gael and a major breakthrough for Labour. But despite the Independent description of Enda’s “ageing
matinee idol looks and good manners”, the election was no beauty
contest. The Irish economy and the Irish working class have been put
through the wringer over the last 3 or more years and it was the serious
impasse in the economy and within society also that defeated Brian
Cowen and the late Brian Lenihan.
Yesterday a
milestone was passed in the social and political situation in Greece and
throughout Europe. Impressive mobilizations rolled across the country:
half a million in Athens and rallies of thousands of people gathered in
Thessaloniki, Patras, Larissa, Volos, Heraklion, etc. This places
Greece on the threshold of a revolutionary situation. It means that, for
the first time in decades the developed capitalist countries of Europe
are faced with the prospect of a revolution with continental dimensions.
Within the last couple of weeks there has
been yet another outbreak of youth protest internationally with the huge
movement in Spain which encompasses some 80 cities and now a new
movement in Greece has erupted. Meanwhile in North Africa and the Middle
East new waves of struggle are being prepared. However, if the Irish
press are to believed the waves of struggle that are affecting
everywhere else will barely cause a ripple in good ould Ireland. After
all, with the royal and presidential distractions of the last few weeks,
the only revolting youth to get any coverage in Ireland were Jedward.