The European Security Strategy

international | eu | press release

Friday January 23, 2004 15:20

by Press Release - Socialist Party

At a press conference in Dublin today, organised by "Another Europe is Possible," Socialist Party T.D. Joe Higgins presented the following statement:

The European Security Strategy is a coded blueprint for creating an armed superpower to protect, in the international arena, the economic and political interests of the major powers in the European Union. The proposal is that, as an economic unit of 450 million people accounting for 25% of the world's Gross National Product, the EU should have sufficient military power to be able to throw around its weight on the world stage on an equal footing to the United States. In fact, the E.U. Security Strategy is a mirror image of the National Security Strategy of the U.S.A., laying the basis for military intervention around the world.

While placing the EU on a high pedestal of democracy, there is no reference to the EU Governments that supported the criminal invasion of Iraq by the United States and Britain. The fact that this invasion was mounted on foot of a monstrous lie and in defiance of the United Nations is not even commented on. Should we now trust those Governments with a massive E.U. military machine?

The Draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe proposes the establishment of a European Armaments Agency "to support defence technology research, and coordinate and plan joint research activities and the study of technical solutions meeting future operational needs". The armaments industry is about creating technology that can more effectively shred ever-greater numbers of people over greater distance. That the taxes of working people in the EU should be increasingly committed to this is reprehensible.

The Socialist Party is very clear that the European Security Strategy will no more create a world free from conflict than the national Security Strategy of the United States. Conflict will be eliminated when conditions are created to eliminate the cesspit of poverty, disease, exploitation, repression and the political and religious obscurantism, which arise from these factors.

This requires the major sources of the world's wealth being taken from the hands of unaccountable transnational corporations to be run democratically by working people. It means production for the needs of humanity, rather than the bloated profits of these corporations. And it means the creation of genuine democratic structures, which put real economic and social power in the hands of ordinary people rather than in the hands of political parties, which are in the pockets of the major capitalists. This programme of democratic socialism would mean real security for all humanity and would mean the elimination for all time of obscene wastage of massive resources and human ingenuity on armaments and war.

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Comments (3 of 3)

Vive le Joe

by RED BHOY

Fri Jan 23, 2004 16:04

Vive le Joe agus Vive la revolucion.

Re-Joe Higgins views on a utopian world order

by John McDermott - Remove Fianna Fail Party

Sat Jan 24, 2004 13:04

Ashtown,Dublin

Joe Higgins,for a small guy ,.. you dream immense dreams (Martin Luther K?) .How do you propose to change the “system”.You would have to change human nature. Socioligists recognize,I believe,that the individual is prepared to make some personal sacrifices if he recognizes it to be essential for the betterment of the tribal grouping to which he belongs.This is impossible to introduce into the complexity of modern society . For example;look at “democracy” Irish Style.An election is pending.Fianna Fail sit down and calculate with cunning exactitude,who is likely to vote for them,..and why.! The groupings you have traditionally “looked after” will certainly vote for you(even if you have been caught with your fingers in the till). A typical reliable grouping is the Farmers Lobby . If you have given goodies(benchmarking)to another very sizeable group,they too will in the main,be a safe vote. If you promise a third substantial “semi state group, jobs for life…bingo…that’s another chunk of votes in the bag. At this point you can pretty much thumb your nose at the rest and “bin”(a good analogy)their votes…!!
Most people are thinking only about themselves,their families,and their own “sub-grouping”ie,teachers,doctors,etc.They use the muscle they possess,to further their aims, particularly in a situation of feeble,and corrupt government supervision.They don’t care about the” bigger picture”.Can you imagine asking the most powerful lobby group(farmers)in the European Union to relinquish a part of their income because their subsidies absorb almost 40% of the taxation/budget.. And the money is needed elsewhere?.So the endless cycle of the utilization of collective “muscle”(lobbying)continues and the politicians get re-elected and the cycle of more taxation repeats itself …driving up the cost of living and repeating the whole process once more.It’s a circle… which feeds on itself…and there is no way it can be broken.The Socialist Party will never enlarge..appealing to visions of a world wide Utopian society. First start telling the private sector workers in Ireland(,whether they be lowly or well paid workers) why it is in their interest and their childrens childrens interest to vote for the Socialist Party. Tell them that it will try to undertake the daunting task of representing the interests of all of our citizens equally,for the common good,untarnished by corruption or nepotism, or vote buying of sectional groups..which leads to the eventual impovershment of their fellow man ,and is to the detriment of all of the Irish people.This message must be brought to the people again and again during the coming months to counter the “spin”and the propaganda circus that Fianna Fail will launch for the forthcoming elections.They have already paid the infamous “Luas”contractors a massive bonus of hundreds of millions of Euros so it will be finished to great fanfare as an example of their “achievements?”just in opportune time for the local elections.The taxpayer will have plenty of time to pay this and the rest of their election expenses …for many years afterwards!
You still have to admire them,Joe.,No Utopian visions for The Soldiers of Destiny.When Bertie says…”I have a dream…”and the crowd pause for something wonderful to follow…”Yes,I have a dream..-and its to be reelected… at any cost!! (applause from the assembled multitudes please)

Any reports on the 'Another Europe is possible' march last Friday

by Major Woody

Wed Jan 28, 2004 12:25

I've been waiting to see a report on the march 'Another Europe is possible' held last Friday to the Castle. Some sectarian told me only half a dozen people showed up for it but this can't be true, can it. Anyone who was there able to report?

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Comments (3 of 3)