540,000,000,000 - Why Crisis Ireland should learn from Bolivia. Time for the West to awake again
By Dunk
Sun Apr 19, 2009 21:37
Firstly Tipp dude,
Re - "It seems like Dwer WAS a typical tip dude, into guns and a bit of adventure ", sorry but you read that wrong, I was not, or never would as have plenty of tip friends myself, trying to make the point that all tip dudes, and dudettes, are into guns, they are not. I was refering to him as similar to the many tip mates I have, BUT, that he, also, was into guns and all that craic.
In terms of typical Tip, id like to throw in this gem:
Vintage Eddie Moroney Commentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POHuXU01bOs
I am sorry for him and his family, it is a very sad thing, when anyone dies. sympathies to them and his mates, I remember how odd and sad it was when my own mates died young. But, with all the gun culture, tough guy films culture that we live in today, i think we have to always quesion what type of world are we living in, what that has led to and continues to lead to.
My own opinion is that which Ireland turned into over the last 15 years or so, is, in many regards, a heap of shit. When last home my own mother said to me "The Celtic Tiger drove you out of Ireland", that is partly true, i was so saddened to see things turn so much. Yes it was better in some regards, ie having more of an option as to what type of life you want, as opposed to 3 of a family of 5 having to emigrate from West Clare, as was my own mothers family story. BUT, the changes that saddened me was the shift from quite a caring, tuned in, smart, funny, generous people to a group more concerned with money, money, money. Less craic, less awareness of how the real world works, and less participation in universal thinking and action for a just, sustainable and peaceful world for all. Dont get me wrong, as a nipper we all played war games "beat the english" on the farm, practicing pitch fork throwing at bales of hay etc, but later in life moved to developing an awarness of how the world works.
I think there are quiet a few people into the adventure side of things, for others they have political ideologies which i dont support, and they use violence in promoting their shite. My own friends who are not white and who live in Dublin, have experienced a huge increase in physical rascist violence against them in only the last few months. Like much of the rest of Europe, fascism is growing "They are all here taking our jobs, screwing the welfare" (which was the exact type of shite the Irish emigrants had to put up with in England only 1 generation ago) and with that things are getting nasty. Unfortunately I have seen this swing to the right in republican circles, now that could become very very fucking nasty! More young people are starting to get into that stuff, perhaps some of it includes the type of fantasies of adventurers who fancy being a bond, or jason bourne, playing the hitman for big CIA dudes etc.... perhaps Dwer fell into this adventure catagory. Im not sure about if he really was a nazi sympathiser, from "friends" reports he seemed like a much liked fella, but a lot can change in a short time, Bolivia is many many worlds (most of my mates here in Barcelona are from Latin America) and perhaps his thinking changed, maybe he had a bit of a manic streak and just got into a bad adventure which unfortunately turned out bad. Or maybe he actually got into the full nazi thing and did indeed get that tatoo with the somewhat hidden SS in it and from that did actually conspire with the complex characrter of Flores (again, check out his politics: http://national-anarchism.blogspot.com/ + http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National-Anarchism) to assisinate Morales? im sure in time that will become known.
Now in response to Josie, who stated "Our everyday economic lives in Ireland are worrying enough without having to fantasize about Bolivian political intrigue." As stated above, I dont like the "new" Ireland, my view is that Ireland and much of the world is in the shite, because The corportate sysytem has dumbed us down to such an extent by mindless films and culture (what are posh and becks up to no?) that we have switched of our understanding of the workings of the world, not participated in the process of organising our own lives etc. And as a result have got what we deserve; to be taken for a ride by a crowd of thieves. Now with the "crisis" and "recession" people have learned the hard way; the system is shite, and in the end fucks you. BUT, now that people have waken up, they are asking "how the fuck", "what the fuck, "why the fuck" and thats a healthy thing.
As to a healthier system, of which is probably the best example on the planet, for many like me it is about ordinary people organising themselves, their families, their communities, their countries. That, in theory, is how proper democracy is supposed to work. For many, HOPE is an important thing, and Bolivia, along with much of Latin America is providing that in bundles. Now, if Morales was assisinated, that would suit a lot of corporate vested interests. But he wasnt and Bolivia still continues to inspire. In support of these points id direct you to the first 2 embedded films, Pilgers "the war against democracy" and the John Perkins interview about CIA using "jackels" to enter countries to take out "bad guys".
If and when you start to learn more about participative democracy, learn more about how Bolivia works, then maybe, Josie and others, ye might start to really work for a saner Ireland (Christ it needs it). For example, Bolivan people, the Quechua speaking indigineos simply stood up and said "fuck off" to the multi nationals who bought out the water system and started increasing the cost of water (perfect exampe of how and why neo liberal capitalist model does not work, unless your in the top 3% who has all the cash...). Now if Ireland was to take a leaf out of the Bolivian book, they would see how our resources in Rossport were sold off to thieves by thieves, they would get angry and they would support Shell to Sea and demand our resources for us (crisis, what crisis, the gas would inject 540 BILLION into irelands pocket; http://www.indymedia.ie/article/91833 ) But that is not the case, YET.
On a side note, at the second rossport solidarity camp, there were people from Bolivia there. There to make the link that "our struggle, is your struggle", unfortunately only a handfull of people were there to speak with them from our tiny little island.
But to offer HOPE, Ireland is changing, as I stated on other post under "Global Crisis and the Re-Session" from afar the DOOM AND GLOOM OF RECESSION is all you hear, but at home the one thing that i heard time and time again was "the best thing to happen Ireland is that this recession has come, peopel have woken up again".
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/91915&comment_limit=0&c...49982
Summary is we live in a totally interconnected world, so thinking global acting local is about the healthiest thing you can do. With that, keeping Latin America growing healthier and healthier is very important, learning from them and doing it in your local makes sense, so with that if your not already doing it, please start.
A friend made an important point:
What we really should be talking about is why this assassination story is different.
After all there have been 6 reported plots to kill Morales.
& the last 5 were "foiled" by the combination of Venezuelan and Cuban intelligence work, as you all remember both Chavez and Castro undertook to guarantee Morales' life after the first plot.
Another thing that makes it different is the reaction of the Irish media.
