Troublemakers Inc.

More than two years have passed since these two cases began. On Thursday last, Conor was at a special sitting of Ennis District Court for the finale.

Related Links: Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs in Shannon |

Remember this?

The Remembrance season is approaching. We will be called upon yet again to show maturity, to support reconciliation, to advance peace --- by participating in ceremonies which celebrate aggression, violence and war crimes!.

Mayo "Peace" Memorial

Four years ago a participant in one of the greatest war crimes in history was honoured in Mayo by a minister of the Irish government. Sergeant Major Cornelius Coughlan (Victoria Cross) of the Gordon Highlanders was praised by Defence Minister Michael Smith for his role in putting down the so-called Indian Mutiny of 1857, which Indians call their First War of Independence. Minister Smith praised Coughlan, along with sixty other brave Irishmen, as he put it, who were awarded the Victoria Cross during the military campaign that followed the Indian Mutiny.

Related Links:Coolacrease - The Hidden Interview
Hidden History or hidden agenda

Shell Plunder

This video represents the many people not given a voice in the mainstream media. They have been denied a voice mainly because of their dissenting views about the Corrib gas project in its current form. There are interviews with many people who have suffered both personally and financially for daring to oppose the oil and gas industry. This industry has been supported by the various intimidatory and violent methods used by the Garda. The mainstream media has consistently misrepresented the facts, and has failed to report human rights abuses taking place in Mayo. It has instead tried to demonise anybody who goes against their neo-liberal view-point on how Ireland should be organized and structured.

Most of the interviews were filmed over the last month. Thanks to all of the people who generously gave up their time and energy to make this no budget documentary.

This is the first part of an ongoing documentary about the Corrib Gas Project.

Related Links:
Spinwatch - monitoring PR and Spin
Art not Oil - For creativity, climate justice, and an end to the oil industry sponsorship of the arts.
Shell to Sea
Shell Ireland - Working with our neighbours

War of Wealth (CC image from Flickr)

Kieran Allen has just written an extensive article on the current global financial crisis. Here is his opening sentences on it.

Most people are amazed to witness a new Wall St crash, when the spectacle of the 1929 crash was supposed to have vanished forever.

For the past thirty years mainstream economists claimed that the market worked perfectly provided there was no state interference or strong trade unions. ‘You cannot buck the market’ was repeated like a mantra against anyone who dared to ask for higher wages, better environmental controls or a more developed welfare state. ‘Market forces’ were seen as wise spirits who knew best about how to run an economy. No one knew who or what they were but they appeared to work anonymously behind the scenes to make everything right. In almost every country, people were told to leave matters to these ‘market forces’ and not to seek too much regulation. In reality, these ‘market forces’ were gigantic financial houses which could move money around the globe at will.

Today this mythology has been shattered.

Related Links: Why No Alternative to the $700bn? | Emergency Legislation Introduced to Underwrite Irish Banks | Low yields turn off Irish Property Investors

In the last hour Shell has announced that the Solitaire pipe laying ship is to depart from Irish territorial waters and go to a British port for repair and assessment.

The company has always claimed that it was not responding to pressure from protests against its plan to install an offshore section of production pipeline without any planning permission for the onshore section.

Maura Harrington, who is on hunger strike at the Shell compound at Glengad beach, has yet to make a statement, but it is hoped that if the company claim is true, and the ship leaves, then she will end or suspend her protest.

Update: Maura Harrington officially came off her hunger-strike and made the statement as published in the comments.