Politics - The Irish left - Groups

"Anti-war" groups Irish "Anti-War" Movement More "Anti-war" groups Attacks on allied equipment Anti-capitalism

Cuban solidarity The Irish left and Israel Left-wing Charities

The Irish left (groups)

Here are some of the organised opponents of the west in Ireland. They wouldn't see it that way, but of course they are.

• Opponents of the west in Ireland

---

"Anti-war" groups

I often write "anti-war" in inverted commas, since many of these organisations actually support wars and violence, such as the violent Palestinian resistance and even the violent Iraqi resistance.

• Peace and non-violence

• Anti-War, My Foot by Christopher Hitchens - pointing out the vast number of people at "anti-war" demos that support violence. I'm sure the majority would support the Palestinian resistance, for example. "It is really a disgrace that the liberal press refers to such enemies of liberalism as "antiwar" when in reality they are straight-out pro-war, but on the other side. Was there a single placard saying, "No to Jihad"? Of course not."

I'm "anti-war" myself! Hey, if you can't beat them, join them. Using their own definitions, I'm "anti-war" myself! I totally support the war being waged by the heroic freedom fighters of the American military, of course. But I am completely opposed to the violent illegal war being waged by the fascist warmongering Iraqi resistance. The Iraqi resistance should stop, and all foreign jihadis get out of Iraq. Their violence is the root cause of the conflict. If they stopped, there would be peace. So I'm anti-war too! Stop the war! Stop the jihad! Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia out of Iraq now!   Stop the jihad now! End the Islamist violence against infidels! Stop the jihad in Iraq and Palestine! Peace on earth now! Heroic freedom fighters.

---

Irish "Anti-War" Movement / Socialist Workers Party / People Before Profit

---

More "Anti-war" groups

• The NGO Peace Alliance
  • As there are possible early signs of victory in Iraq in mid-late 2007, Brendan Butler of the NGO Alliance seems to hope against hope that it is not true, 17 Oct 2007.
  • From his wealthy Dublin suburb (houses go for well over €1m on his street) he sneers: "Four-and-a-half years ago ... an elated George Bush, standing aboard the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln,' declared that "major combat operations have ended in Iraq". How many more years of infrastructural devastation and deaths of innocent Iraqi civilians are needed before the US administration realises that the Iraqi "war" is unwinnable?"
  • Tony Allwright gives him what he deserves: "As the millionth brave American soldier passes through Shannon, you can almost taste the despair in Brendan Butler's letter .. on having read some rare positive tidings from Iraq, namely that Al Qaeda seems to be on the retreat ... Harking back to George Bush's (in)famous visit in 2003 to an aircraft-carrier which flew a banner saying "Mission Accomplished", he writes as if he fervently hopes that the latest good news will be similarly confounded, infrastructure further destroyed, civilian deaths continue, the war remain unwinnable."

• The Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA)
  • PANA is quoted in the Irish Times, Fri 25 June 2004, as supporting the Iraqi fascist "resistance". PANA's spokesman is quoted by the Irish Times as follows: "He views Iraqi resistance to occupation as a legitimate independence struggle, similar to the Irish and, indeed, American wars of independence."
  • If this quote is accurate, then PANA are not anti-war. They are pro-the other side. You would think, though, that even if they supported the goals of the fascist resistance (an Islamist tyranny, cleansed of infidels), that they would at least complain about the fact that the resistance was violent.
  • What is the Iraqi "resistance"?
  • PANA doesn't like being called anti-American
  • Bizarrely, the "anti-war" group PANA opposes the disarming of Hezbollah, Aug 2006: "The resolution's call for the International Force to be used to prevent the resistance in Lebanon from rearming is recipe for possible future military conflict between UN forces and the resistance. ... PANA believes that an Irish Army that was formed as a consequence of a national war of resistance against an army of occupation has no role in a war against a national resistance movement."

• South Dublin City Anti War Group (or via here) claims to be "against all wars". But bizarrely, prominent among their "Friends" list on their front page is the violent, pro-war group Sinn Fein - IRA, who have killed over 1,500 people, and are still killing today.
• Only against some wars, it seems.

• "Anti-War" Ireland
• gluaiseacht.net
• The Stop Bush Campaign
• The Campaign for Irish Neutrality and Democracy
• Ireland Against The War

• Dublin Grassroots Network
• Co.Kildare anti-war
• Galway anti-war
• Human Rights for Change (Anti-America, Anti-Israel)

CND

• Irish CND (Anti-NATO)
  • Rev. Patrick Comerford, Church of Ireland cleric, President of Irish CND.
  • John de Courcy Ireland, founding member of Irish CND, was involved with the Communist Party of Ireland, the Workers Party and the SWP, all of whom openly supported violent foreign tyranny.

• UK CND is headed by Kate Hudson of the Communist Party of Britain.
  • UK CND supports Iranian nuclear weapons (and here)
  • The Iranian ambassador was guest of honour at 2005 CND annual conference.

---

Attacks on allied equipment

• The Catholic Worker Movement - Religion and socialism. Two bad ideas in one!

• Pitstop Ploughshares

• By their own admission: "five members of the pacifist Catholic Worker movement made their way into Shannon Airport and non-violently disarmed a U.S. navy war plane in the early hours of February 3rd. 2003."
• And yet they were acquitted by the jury - on the grounds that they had a lawful reason to damage property. This gives a green light, for example, to any jihadist or fellow traveller to attack US military equipment in Ireland. A shameful day for Ireland. The law must be changed, so that juries cannot make politicised decisions like this, completely outside democratic control.

• I do not see how what they did is any different from saboteurs attacking allied equipment before D-Day.
• German sabotage in WW1:
  • German agents in America and Canada carried out a number of successful sabotage missions in WW1.
  • The largest was the Black Tom explosion of American munition supplies in New Jersey in 1916.
• German sabotage in WW2:
  • German Sabotage Against the United States in World War II was almost entirely unsuccessful.
  • Operation Pastorius was the failed Nazi sabotage attack on the United States in 1942.

• Acquitted saboteur, Australian Ciaron O'Reilly, has many convictions for attacks on the military of free countries. Oddly enough, I can't find any attacks by him on the military of dictatorships. If you know of any, let me know.

• The anti-Israel Derry Anti-War Coalition destroy offices of US defence company Raytheon, Derry, NI, Aug 2006. "thousands of documents and dozens of computers were burned and thrown from windows by members of a group that entered at 8am." They were probably encouraged by the Pitstop Ploughshares verdict, which gave the green light to this kind of violence. Leading this attack on the allied military was SWP moonbat Eamonn McCann. Every argument he makes could be made against the allied military in WW2. Why he thinks he is morally different from a saboteur in WW2 I don't know.
  • The IAWM supports the sabotage, and describes Israel as "a rogue state".
  • Eoin Dubsky supports the sabotage (and here and here).
  • Labour Youth supports the sabotage.
  • The Raytheon Nine

Refueling Peace

• Refueling Peace (or try here) (Anti-America, Anti-NATO)
• Eoin Dubsky (and old page)
• Eoin Dubsky approvingly quotes John Pilger's description of the Iraqi fascist "resistance" as "nationalists defending their homeland".
  • This is the "resistance" that suicide bombs men, women and children in the street, at mosques and at religious processions. It has bombed Shiite Muslim mosques and Christian churches. It kidnaps, tortures and beheads innocent civilians - including journalists and aid workers. It kidnapped and executed the innocent Ken Bigley. It kidnapped and executed the anti-war, lifelong charity worker Margaret Hassan. It has bombed the Red Cross and the United Nations. It seeks to establish an Islamofascist state with no free speech, no freedom of religion, no human rights and no elections. It has no mandate and no popular support. Most Iraqis hate the "resistance" and want to see it destroyed.

  • Why the left would support such people is not hard to believe. The left has a long history of support for tyrants. No, the mystery is how people who describe themselves as "anti-war" and "peace" campaigners could support violent people.
  • So here is my question for Dubsky and Pilger: Even if you support the goals of the fascist resistance (an Islamist tyranny, cleansed of infidels), why don't you at least complain about the fact that the resistance is violent?

  • What is the Iraqi "resistance"?

---

"Anti-war" people are often remarkably non-judgemental about violence by others

• Eoin Dubsky, Feb 2006, says that by Ireland allowing America to use our airports and airspace, "we've surrendered any possible moral defence against countries or terrorists who may attack us to prevent further military and CIA flights through Ireland".
• Again, for someone who is meant to be "anti-war", Dubsky is remarkably non-judgemental about violence by other people. Surely the Islamofascists wishing to prevent military and CIA flights through Ireland should use protest, diplomacy and sanctions first, instead of heading straight to violent terrorism against our women and children?

• "Anti-war" people are not consistent:
  • Dubsky's non-judgemental comments about Islamist violence show a common failing of "anti-war" groups in the West. Obviously, I think they have ignorant, naive political ideas which will lead to the triumph of tyranny, fascism, genocide and (yes) war worldwide. But perhaps my main criticism of them is simply their name.
  • They're not anti-"war". If they were, they would be furious at the violent Iraqi resistance, the violent Palestinian intifada, Iran's violent threats to Israel, and violent Islamist terror in general. But such fury is usually hard to detect.
  • They're not anti-"war". They're anti-America.

• I am consistent:
  • It's easier for me. I make no claims to be anti-war. I support the military operations of America, Britain and Israel. I wish their military luck in defeating and killing Islamist fighters worldwide. I wish for victory for free countries like Israel, and defeat for tyrannies like Iran. My philosophy is consistent, even if you disagree with it. Unlike the "anti-war" people, I am not inconsistent or hypocritical.

thereligionofpeace.com makes the point: Iraqi civilians killed (all deliberately) in 2006 by the Iraqi resistance: 16,791. Iraqi civilians killed (all accidentally) in 2006 by Americans: 225. In other words, the incredibly careful and skilled Americans have hardly killed anyone innocent since 2003, and those that have died have all been killed accidentally while engaged in street warfare with jihadis. Almost all the deaths in Iraq are at the hands of the resistance, not at the hands of the Americans. As Glen Reinsford says: "Iraqis aren't dying from war. They are being murdered by Islamic terrorists."

The Irish left's support for the Iraqi fascist "resistance"

• The Iraqi fascist "resistance"

• The left's support for the Iraqi fascist "resistance"

• A Message From The Iraq Resistance, December 2004
  • "We thank all those, including those of Britain and the U.S., who took to the streets in protest against this war and against Globalism. We also thank France, Germany and other states for their position, which least to say are considered wise and balanced, til now."
  • Are the "anti-war" protesters proud? Remember these are incredibly violent people that are thanking you. Even if you agree with their goals, these are violent, pro-war people. Shouldn't that disturb you at all?
  • Interesting how the jihadi thug considers the anti-globalisation struggle as part of the same struggle for tyranny and against freedom worldwide. Which of course it is.

• The UCD "Anti-War" Group says (Feb 01, 2006): "We express our solidarity with all democratic, secular and progressive opposition forces in Iraq fighting for US-UK defeat."
  • Given that this "fighting" involves not parliamentary rhetoric or civil disobedience (why not?) but rather actual, literal fighting, that is, violence, including the suicide bombing of mosques and crowds of women and children, it seems amazing that the UCD "Anti-War" Group did not mention this.
  • Why did the UCD "Anti-War" Group not add a disclaimer, given the ongoing slaughter of 10,000 or more Iraqis by people "fighting for US-UK defeat", to the effect that:

    We only support those Iraqis who resist the US occupation through peaceful means. We condemn the disgusting acts of those who resist the US through violence.

• CHALLENGE to the UCD "Anti-War" Group:
  • Does the UCD "Anti-War" Group support the violent Iraqi resistance? If not, please issue such a disclaimer, condemning the violent Iraqi resistance, and apologising for the ambiguity. Tell me about it, and I will happily link to it.

---

Anti-capitalism, anti-globalisation, anti-free enterprise, anti-free trade

• Irish anti-globalisation

• "Anarchists" who hate capitalism. I find anti-globalisation, anti-capitalist "anarchists" baffling. How could an anarchist hate capitalism?? How could an anarchist want to take away economic freedom and set up a totalitarian collectivist government? The answer is they're not anarchists, of course. They're socialists. In fact, they say so on the page. Without any introduction at all they start talking about: "bringing socialism about". So why don't they call themselves socialists (or, more accurately, totalitarian communists)? "Anarchist" sounds cooler, I guess, to the daft young people who fall for this stuff.
  • Irish "anarchists" (i.e. totalitarian communists) (also here)

• Irish "libertarians" who, strangely, hate capitalism, America and NATO. Baffling. How could a libertarian hate capitalism and America?? The answer is, of course, they're not libertarians. I am a libertarian. They are totalitarian communists.

• Socialists and communists
  • And of course, there are plenty of open, honest enemies of the west in Ireland in the form of socialists and communists, still going and unashamed after 100 million dead.
  • Socialist and communist parties of Europe (including Ireland)
  • Socialist and communist parties of Ireland (or here)

• Trade unions
  • ICTU (Anti-War on Iraq, and generally anti-capitalism and anti-America)
  • SIPTU (Anti-War on Afghanistan, Anti-War on Iraq, and generally anti-capitalism and anti-America)

---

Other

• voteoutffpd.com exchange

Indymedia

• Indymedia
  • Or "Nazimedia", as the right calls it, for its hatred of Israel.
  • NaziMedia would have ignored the Prague Spring, too by Damian Penny

• Indymedia Ireland
  • newswire

• Indymedia Watch
• Indymedia Ireland Watch

• Indymedia Ireland glorifies the Islamist killer of Jew civilian settlers:
  • Sniper Killer of 11 Israeli Soldiers: Thaer Hamad's Father Video Interviewed, anonymous article, 23 Feb 2010. Indymedia Ireland glorifies the killer of Israeli civilian settlers near Ofra in Mar 2002.
  • Palestinian sniper Thaer Hamad killed 7 soldiers, and 3 civilians: Sergei Birmov, 33, Vadim Balagula, 32, and Didi Yitzhak, 66. Incredibly, instead of executing him, the Israelis have him in jail. The Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (who have carried out many direct attacks on Jew civilians, including direct attacks on women and children) claimed responsibility for the attack. Yet the Indymedia article idiotically claims he did not want to kill civilians.
  • They embed a video from some anonymous Irish jihad-lover who tells Hamad's family they should be proud of him.

• Indymedia Ireland, 2 July 2011, carries a press release from the terrorist group the PFLP.
  • The PFLP stabbed 3 small Jewish children to death in Mar 2011. And now here is Indymedia Ireland carrying statements from them.

---

The Irish left and Israel (separate page)

---

The Irish left's support for Cuban communist dictatorship

• Cuba Support Group - Ireland

• Galway "One World" Centre
  • One man emigrating is another man 'fleeing', Galway "One World" Centre, November 29, 2007. These pampered western leftists, who have known nothing but freedom all their lives, actually defend Castro's policy of denying freedom of movement, and laugh at those who risk their lives to escape communist rule as "emigrants". They quote some lackey of the regime who they hosted in Ireland. Why did they not host a Cuban dissident?
  • "The crumbling buildings in these barrios demonstrate the high price that years of sanctions have exacted from the people of Cuba." Not the high price that communism has exacted from the people of Cuba.

• Communism

• The unfree world

• Cuba

• Che Guevara

• The modern left's support for Cuban communist dictatorship

• Finian McGrath

• Tom McGurk

• Irishwoman Bernie Dwyer actually works for Cuban state propaganda organ Radio Havana Cuba. (This in a country where no free press is allowed.)
  • Her film The Day Diplomacy Died (2010) actually defends Castro's 2003 crackdown on dissidents, journalists, human rights activists and democracy activists. Shame on her.

• Bob Geldof's sister Lynn Geldof liked the non-democracy of Cuba so much that she lived there from 1985 to 1989.
  • Of course, unlike the Cuban people, she was free to leave at any time.
  • The Cubans: Voices of Change by Lynn Geldof (1992). Publishers Weekly review says she "takes a distinctly sympathetic stance toward the Cuban state ... Most of the 19 people interviewed in Cuba announce support for the revolution ... In the preface, Geldof likens Cuba's history and geopolitical situation to that of Ireland and says that Cuba's social achievements are impressive compared with those of its Latin American neighbors."

• Travel writer Dervla Murphy (born 1931) also supports communist Cuba.
  • Her 2008 book on Cuba is called "The Island That Dared" - as if being an oppressive, unelected dictatorship is something exciting and unusual in this world.
  • Dervla Murphy is also anti-Israel.
  • I was fascinated to discover that during WW2, when she was age 12, in 1943, her family gave refuge to Nazi collaborator Charlie Kerins for several weeks when he was on the run.

T-shirt from here sums up the real Cuban revolution.

---

Irish left support for other fascist and communist tyranny

• International Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic - Ireland (Anti-America, anti-NATO)
  • their links

---

Why are young people attracted to the left

• The mind of the left - What is wrong with us that we are attracted to leftism when we are young?

• I can remember being young and finding this kind of stuff convincing. In the 1980s I was pro-CND, in other words, pro-Soviet invasion of western Europe. Luckily, CND failed and the Soviet aggressor was stopped. I was never stupid enough to be consciously pro-Soviet, but I remember being pro-Nicaragua, pro-Libya, pro-Palestine, pro-Cuba. And of course anti-Reagan, anti-Thatcher. I look back now with embarrassment. Though I guess at least I've learnt something from it.

• Leaving the left
  • My history

• Was I That Stupid? (and copies) by Gerald Posner, March 4, 2003: "Three decades later I have no pride in the memory of those protests. Rather, I wonder how it was possible to be so mistaken about real politics and world events."

• Anti-globalisation, anti-capitalist protesters

• Victor Davis Hanson describes well why taking no action against fascists, dictators and genocides is always popular: "The truth is that one can sound moral only through the advocacy of restraint, never preemption. Appeasement wins applause for its ethical posturing and non-belligerency; and even when the corpses later pile up it rarely earns the disgust it deserves for getting thousands killed. In contrast, preemption is always equated with blood lust; and even when it saves thousands, critics sigh that in retrospect there must have been a better way."

---

Return to The Irish left.