Smash bosses Europe

national | politics / elections | opinion/analysis

Friday June 04, 2004 14:15

by Organise!

P.O BOX 505, BELFAST, BT12 6BQ

As usual coming up to election time we are constantly bombarded with election posters and mass media coverage highlighting the importance of exercising your 'spectator' role in society by voting for a ruler. How insulting! as the fact is if voting changed anything it would be made illegal! Politicians are merely puppets which give the illusion that ordinary people have a real say in our so-called parliamentary democracy, but the real power lies with the State bureaucracy and in the boardrooms of the very rich and privileged within our society. Let's face it ticking a box every couple of years for a power hungry politician is a waste of time and is only empowering a minority of rulers who are rarely visible in between elections, irremovable and do not have to legally abide by the mandate they were elected on.

The EU with its parliament, commission of bureaucrats and Council of Ministers at the behest of wealthy corporations are imposing an agenda of cutbacks, layoffs and 'excessive' privatisation of our public services, racist immigration policies and the strengthening of a militarised Fortress Europe with increased surveillance (ID cards) and border controls. Recent events in Dublin and elsewhere have once again highlighted the level states are prepared to go in order to protect their dominance and precious Bosses' Europe by intimidating and trying to crush any resistance towards it.

We welcome the introduction of new member states which is not about allowing the free movement of people because further immigration barriers have been put up, but to make it easier for corporations to exploit cheaper labour in these countries and force a race-to the bottom across Europe so the wealthy get richer off working class divisions. Hence, notice the recent shift in textile production from N.Ireland to low-wage economies where workers have no rights and face daily repression and even death. This idea of the free movement of people is contrary to capitalism that doesn't acknowledge the right of equal opportunities and equal rights for anyone regardless of race, skin colour, religion or place of birth. As far as the question Euro or the Pound goes? Who really cares! Either way, Its still a handful of unaccountable, unelected people at the head of major banks who are protecting and enhancing the interests of the rich and screwing us over.

What is the alternative?- submit and remain silent in the face of massive inequality of power and wealth and all its devastating consequences, or struggle for a new world with millions of others across the planet, from the streets of Belfast to the hostile mountains of the Chiapas in Mexico. Unlike other so-called left wing parties we will not be knocking round your door asking for your vote because we believe it is load of shit, and real social change never comes from top-down means, but that does not mean we hold up our hats and give up-Far from it!

As Anarchist-Communists, we believe instead of legitimising the unjust system which perpetrates war, misery and suffering on the working class, as well as racism and environmental destruction the only way to improve our lives and fight back is by collective direct action, working class solidarity and unity such as wildcat strikes, sabotage, boycotts, civil-disobedience etc which is much more liberating and empowering than relying on empty promises and blank cheques from politicians. We stand with the working class of no country and no border who believe and fight for a world without classes, wage slavery, borders, poverty, oppression, exploitation, politicians and bosses. We seek to abolish Governments whether in Brussels, Dublin or Stormont, which create and maintain division on behalf of a few wealthy and powerful people. In favour of autonomous, self-governing communities and self-managed workplaces which co-ordinate their efforts through de-centralised federations, based on the principles of social equality, real freedom not just picking a boss/ruler every couple of years and grassroots democracy.

BOYCOTT THE ELECTION FARCE! SPOIL YOUR VOTE
ORGANISE!

save preference

Comments (2 of 2)

What you really are...

by David C.

Fri Jun 04, 2004 23:25

You, personally, are powerless. And you are angry because you are powerless.

But you are powerless for a reason. It is because you are too irresponsible to use power - including economic power. Capitalist democracies have their problems, but they are very good at keeping power out of the hands of people who are too immature or irresponsible to wield it. You are one of those people.

Capitalism works. It makes life easier, safer, more comfortable and more interesting for everyone. It provides more opportunity and more fairness to more people than any other economic model.

Democracy works. It gives every single person a real voice and it provides a way of forging agreement and compromise from the multitude of differing opinions about how our society should be organized.

Actually capitalism and democracy are the same thing. Capitalism is just economic democracy and democracy is just political capitalism. You can vote with euros or with ballots. YOU have a voice, but so does everyone else.

If you want power, here's what I suggest:

-Contribute something valuable to society - i.e. something that OTHER PEOPLE think is valuable, not just what YOU think is valuable. If you do this then you will be rewarded.

-Offer your ideas to society - i.e. provide suggestions and arguments about how we could organize society differently and give other people an opportunity to agree or disagree on a ballot. Your posting and your website are a good start, and their effect will tell you something about the value of your ideas.

Also, as a practical matter, I suggest that you look to education as a pathway to increasing the value of your contribution to society. I think that education is the key to full participation in our economy and in our democracy, and apparently there are others in our society who agree with me.

In my view democratic capitalism is ultimately about truth. You are one single individual and your views may be solid and valuable or they may be stupid, flaky, childish nonsense. Democratic capitalism provides you ( and all of us) with a way of finding out.

By the way, Ireland is already organized. You want to control it, not to organize it. You might want to check if the "www.controlIreland.org" domain name is still available...

a great idea but not workable.

by chris bond

Mon Jun 07, 2004 00:40

in a perfect world, that is the way which many people including myself would like to see society run.But its not a perfect world.

Upcoming Events

New Events

Other Press

User Preferences

Feeds

Blog Feeds

Anti-Empire

The Saker

Public Inquiry

Smash bosses Europe

Comments (2 of 2)