The new issue of LookLeft is in shops now – including all Easons outlets in Northern Ireland and Easons in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway. Articles include – Free Education for Everyone: The student fightback – the End of Fianna Fail?:Brian Hanley – The Zapatistas 17 years of Rebellion: Andrew Flood – Northern Ireland needs an opposition: Justin O’Hagan – Interview with TEEU leader Eamon Devoy – The IMF: capitalism’s boot-boy: Ultan Gillen and much more over 32 pages
Editorial – real change
There are always choices. Currently throughout Ireland the failed elite would like you to believe there are none. Whether it is Stormont parties forcing through Tory cuts that will throw the economy back into recession or southern parties who are only too willing to serve their new IMF masters, they say it is their way or the highway.
As elections come and go it is clear that the choices for the working class are however limited. There is currently no united working class movement capable of remoulding the economy and society to benefit the many rather than the few.
Now is the time for the building of such working class and progressive solidarity. It is becoming clear to all that the policies of economic growth must replace the cutback agenda which aims merely to move the costs of corruption from the culprits to society as a whole.
The ripping down of the staid, uncaring catholic hierarchy’s reputation also offers the possibility of ending their grip on many children’s education, enabling the development of critical minds.
Workers must not be despondent when a failing capitalist system attempts to condemn them into unemployment; the youth must not accept being cast out of their own country – now is a time to build politically, culturally and intellectually a united movement which can change the balance of power on this island.
Trade unions must build bonds with the radical student movement, left forces must place the achievement of shared goals before competition, and working class communities must unite rather than allow victory to those who would destabilise them; in the media progressive forces must also come together to confront the lies of the establishment.
In our places of learning the policies of economic growth must be refined for it is only with their implementation that this current recession will be vanquished and we can move on to building a society free from greed induced crisis.
