The Wholesome Photo of the Month Thu May 09, 2024 11:01 | Anti-Empire
In 3 War Years Russia Will Have Spent $3... Thu May 09, 2024 02:17 | Anti-Empire
UK Sending Missiles to Be Fired Into Rus... Tue May 07, 2024 14:17 | Marko Marjanović
US Gives Weapons to Taiwan for Free, The... Fri May 03, 2024 03:55 | Anti-Empire
Russia Has 17 Percent More Defense Jobs ... Tue Apr 30, 2024 11:56 | Marko Marjanović
Anti-Empire >>
Indymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.
Julian Assange is finally free ! Tue Jun 25, 2024 21:11 | indy
Stand With Palestine: Workplace Day of Action on Naksa Day Thu May 30, 2024 21:55 | indy
It is Chemtrails Month and Time to Visit this Topic Thu May 30, 2024 00:01 | indy
Hamburg 14.05. "Rote" Flora Reoccupied By Internationalists Wed May 15, 2024 15:49 | Internationalist left
Eddie Hobbs Breaks the Silence Exposing the Hidden Agenda Behind the WHO Treaty Sat May 11, 2024 22:41 | indy
Human Rights in Ireland >>
News Round-Up Mon Jul 29, 2024 00:40 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Labour?s VAT Plan for Private Schools Flunks Revenue Test Sun Jul 28, 2024 19:00 | Richard Eldred
New analysis suggests Labour's tax on private schools could bring in less than half the expected amount because of the extra cost of adding more students to the state system.
The post Labour?s VAT Plan for Private Schools Flunks Revenue Test appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Far-Left Group Claim Responsibility for Paris Arson Attacks Sun Jul 28, 2024 17:00 | Richard Eldred
A far-Left group has claimed responsibility for crippling Paris's rail network with arson attacks, stranding 800,000 passengers, just before the Olympic opening ceremony.
The post Far-Left Group Claim Responsibility for Paris Arson Attacks appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
DESNZ Has Net Zero Competence Sun Jul 28, 2024 15:00 | David Turver
David Turver casts a critical eye over the new crop of ministers at the Department of Energy and Net Zero, revealing a batch of public sector lifers with no commercial savvy and zero energy know-how.
The post DESNZ Has Net Zero Competence appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Hate Cleric Raises £3 Million to Create Islamic Homeland on Scottish Island Sun Jul 28, 2024 13:01 | Richard Eldred
A radical cleric has raised over £3 million to transform a remote Scottish island into a self-governing Islamic state with its own army, justice system, school and hospital.
The post Hate Cleric Raises £3 Million to Create Islamic Homeland on Scottish Island appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Netanyahu soon to appear before the US Congress? It will be decisive for the suc... Thu Jul 04, 2024 04:44 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N°93 Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:49 | en
Will Israel succeed in attacking Lebanon and pushing the United States to nuke I... Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:40 | en
Will Netanyahu launch tactical nuclear bombs (sic) against Hezbollah, with US su... Thu Jun 27, 2024 12:09 | en
Will Israel provoke a cataclysm?, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jun 25, 2024 06:59 | en
Voltaire Network >>
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (6 of 6)
Jump To Comment: 6 5 4 3 2 1Hi Cathal,
From the title of your reply I guess you think communism has its merits and should be viewed with its good and bad points.
I think countries that have never had communism may still see it through rosy coloured glasses. Now there are so many Polish people in Ireland it may be worth asking one of them what they think of communism. It is in their constitution that the system is illegal and communist organisations are illegal. They take it very seriously and are very clear on it, communism is not good for people.
I am not as clear on the situation in Cambodia, Vietnam, East Germany or other such failed reigms but I dont think history judges them too kindly. I think all of these countries including Poland are still in the shadow of communism and suffering because of it. Many of the people in power in Communism are the same people in power now in these states.
As for existing communist states such as China, North Koea and Cuba (i think), I dont think any of them are a great example to follow for communism.
So from Europe, to Asia to South America communism has brought great distruction to the people who were governmed by it. Nobody has made a successful governing model of it. There have been many many examples of how it brough devestation and destrcution to people.
Therefore I draw the conclusion it is not good for people. I strongly suggest you to have a read of http://ninecommentaries.com/ , have a read of it and please share your opinion I would be very interested to see what you think.
"Bottom line is communism is not good for people..." so says Gerald. If you want to call the economic U-turns that the China state has made since Deng Xiaoping came to power in the early 1980s "communism", then you might as well call Bertie Ahern a "socialist" - as he called himself. Words, as the Mad Hatter said to Alice, mean whatever people want them to mean.
As I said previously above, China has a lot of contradictions (good marxist word that) like low safety standards in coal mines and sweatshop factories, with terrible accidents. Migrant workers are extremely vulnerable. The village schools are underfunded and mudwalled hovels in many places. Farmers who protest spontaneously against land speculation and low prices for produce are beaten away by the cops and army.
The superpowers USA and Soviet Union played political football with the Olympic Games in the 1970s and '80s - to no avail. It was business as usual with American foreign policy (ignoring apartheid, supplying armaments to fuel the crazy Iran-Iraq war) and business as usual with regard to human rights in the USSR.
Olympic boycotts won't work. "Hitler's Olympics" in 1936 (when Afro-American long jumper Jesse Owen won a gold medal and thereby threw mud on the master race theory of nazism) were no comparison to the L.A. Olympics, the Moscow Olympics, or the coming Beijing Olympics.
I saw in the news that the flames in athens were approaching Olympus the birth place of the Olympics. The didnt quite reach there but they did competely destroy the place were the Olmpic torch is traditionally lit. (any superstitious people out there?)
For the superstitious aswell have a read of this quatraint from Nostradamus (search the web I didnt write (or interpret) it):
The year of the great seventh number accomplished,
it will appear at the time of the games of slaughter,
not far from the age of the great millennium,
when the dead will come out of their graves.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Now all that superstitiousness aside. (I dont take the above seriously its just an aside)
My thinking of the games at the moment is that it is going to put a huge spotlight on China. There are going to more and more disturbing stories coming out of China as the games approaches and as noisey reporters uncover stories. I think at the end of the day atheletes governments and other groups may be faced with a decision whether they like it or not. In 1936 German Olympics people were faced with a choice, some bouycotted, some didnt, everyone had to live with their choice afterwards.
What athlete would take out their medal in years to come and say 'I won this in Hiltlers Germany, amnt I great!'
Of course it is not the athletes fault where they are held, but because the Olympic Committee made a mistake of giving the games to China does not mean every one has to follow in their footsteps. I do believe this year for the Chinese people may be pivotal.
Bottom line Communism is not good for people and the games may just present Chinese people the rare chance to get shut of it. I optimisticly expect huge pressure from inside and outside of China as the games get closer.
yes, the olympics is actually quite an opportunity to shed light on what's going on in China. given that these activities would have continued olympics or not, the fact that so much attention has been brought on china because of the olympics could in fact be a great opportunity to turn the tide against their very obvious human rights violations. I saw one of those brick works... who knows, the people I saw working there could have been slaves, quite a scary thought.
Of course workers' rights are trampled on in China. Terrible accidents happen in the coal mines. Farmers who protest in the provinces about low prices for produce are beaten off by the army or police. USA and Soviet Russia played politics with the Olympics during the Cold War, with successive boycotts. Look, we could urge a boycott of the 2012 London Olympics on the grounds that Britain oppressed the Catholics in the North, or it turns a blind eye to Shell-BP friendly relations with the Nigerian military government. Were there boycotts against Greece during the 2004 Olympics over Greek interference in the rights of Turkish Cypriots?
People can find political fault with any country that hosts the Olympic Games. The athletes from around the world just want to wear their own nations' colours and compete for glory.
You can hold protests outside the Chinese embassy any weekend you choose - and some groups do. Tibet and Falung Gong are among the protest topics.
I have long since despaired at this choice for the olympics, and agree with what is said above. There seems to be no organised protests but I srongly feel Irish and Britsh atheletes should think long and hard before competeing in these games. Well actually don't think long and hard and then go, just don't go. The para olympics will also be held in China and I have heard Dame Tani-Grey talking them up, which is quite amazing considering the Chinese's track record on dealing with children born with disabilities.
I am a great lover of athletics and can't wait for the London 2012 event, but I feel the olympic movement have scored a terrible own goal with this ridiculous choice. I for one will not watch any of it and will do my best to ignore the whole event.