The formation of a new government in Ireland is proving to be a tortuous process. Following Sinn Fein’s electoral surge to first place, even a Fine Gael/Fianna Fail coalition can not provide a new government. Their Framework for Government document was designed to act as a bait for other parties. This article from Socialist Democracy…
KEVIN KEATING – An Appreciation
It was with great sadness I learned of the death of Kevin Keating. I first met Kevin and his partner, Anne Conway, at the Socialist Democracy (Ireland) weekend schools held near Kippure, in the upper Liffey Valley in the Wicklow Mountains, from 2007-9. The political debates were of a very high standard, and the camaraderie…
TWO RESPONSES TO THE COVID19 PANDEMIC
Following from our earlier postings from Trade unionists, health workers, independence supporters and community activists and from Socialist Democracy (Ireland) (http://republicancommunist.org/blog/2020/03/26/fighting-the-covid-19-pandemic/), we are posting two further statements on the Covid19 pandemic, the first from Dumfries TUC , the second from SNP Socialists. 1. Dumfries TUC Co19 Statement
CAPITALISM AND WORKERS’ HEALTH – PLUS CA CHANGE
Karl Marx had something to say about capitalism and workers’ health in Capital, Volume 1. Chapter 15. (https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Capital-Volume-I.pdf – page 316). We are posting this below. CAPITALISM AND WORKERS’ HEALTH – PLUS CA CHANGE Nineteenth century factory Twenty first century factory What could possibly show better the character of the capitalist mode of production, than…
IDEOLOGY AND SCIENCE
In the political climate since the 2008 Financial Crisis and now with the Coronavirus pandemic, there has been a marked increase on anti-science thinking. Whilst particularly prevalent on the Far Right, such thinking has spread far wider. Thus article, first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland), examines this phenomenon in relation to the coronavirus pandemic. …
INTERNATIONALISM FROM BELOW, Volume 4, part A
Allan Armstrong is in the process of writing Volume Four of the Internationalism from Below series. This volume is entitled, Communists, nation-states and nationalism during the 1916-21/3 International Revolutionary Wave’. Due to the Coronavirus lockdown, Allan has not been able to complete the research to finish this. However, the part which deals with the situation in…
PAULINE BRADLEY SINGS ABOUT HELEN MACFARLANE ON MAY DAY
May Day Greetings Comrades and Friends. I sent this to the on line #VirtualMayDay PSI event and it was aired, Thank you. It’s from the play Rare Birds about revolutionary Scottish woman Helen MacFarlane from Barrhead, the original translator of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto. However she was published under the male pseudonym of Howard Morton.…
IRELAND’S FRAMEWORK FOR GOVERNMENT
Following their disastrous general election showing on the 8th February, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have come up with Ireland’s Framework for Government document to try to create the basis for a new Irish government. Socialist Democracy (Ireland) provides an analysis of this. IRELAND’S FRAMEWORK FOR GOVERNMENT A Framework for Capitalist Survival Michael Martin…
BIG PHARMA IN IRELAND
This article from Socialist Democracy (Ireland) outlines the impact of the US pharmaceutical industry following the Coronavirus pandemic. BIG PHARMA IN IRELAND As the numbers of casualties mount in the Coronavirus pandemic and around a third of the world is in lockdown the economic impact is becoming apparent. Capitalism is in crisis but the…