No Leader in Neo Nazi Link

by Wake Up Wed Oct 23, 2002 13:38

After spending the last month and a half campaigning around Leinster for a Yes vote I can reassure you all that Justin is very representative of the average No voter - although I do accept, not the no voters on this web site. I have been overwhelmed by the level of racism (i knew it was there - but not to that degree) and small-minded parochialism. The average No voter i encountered was not a socialist, although I did meet some, but someone who cared neiter for socialism or anyone outside there own small circle (particularly not Eastern Europe). The view expressed by the no to nice Barret crowd we the ones that were fed back to me by punters, the fact is that barrets view carry much more weight around the country than those of Joe Higgins or the Green Party. Of course I think that both sides of the no argument are equally misguided.

by pat c Mon Oct 14, 2002 11:14

rte are biased & reply abrasively to any complaints. you can go further & complain to the broadcasting complaints commission but the vote will be well over before you get a response.

rte seem determined to put the worst possible image on the no campaign.

the greens had to threaten rte with legal action to get proper coverage.

the important thing to do is to keep compaining if your group isn't getting coverage. Complain to:

[email protected]
Peter Feeney
Secretary
Referendum Steering Group
RTÉ

i attach a reply i got from rte, when i comlained onbehalf of Libertarians Against Nice.

Pat

________________________________________

14 October
Dear Mr.

I wish to acknowledge receipt of your email. RTÉ in its coverage of the Nice Treaty referendum campaign attempts to be fair to all groups canvassing. This means that we attempt to make available to our audience all the arguments on both sides. Our editors and producers attempt to reflect in their choices of participants the range of positions arguing on both sides of the debate. But no campaigning group has any automatic entitlement to airtime. All groups have to engage in the lobbying process, the generation of attention and interest, the canvassing, etc. which are the norm of political activity. If your group does this efficiently they will receive attention in the media. But the media will not come looking for your group. There is a clamour of voices at referendum time. The loudest voices get the attention. This is how it works in politics. If you sit back and wait for the journalists to come knocking you are not engaging in effectively political activity.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Feeney
Secretary
Referendum Steering Group
RTÉ

by Brian Cahill Mon Oct 14, 2002 01:44

Barrett is the spokesperson for a very small group calling themselves the "No to Nice Campaign". The core of his small outfit is made up of the anti-abortion group Youth Defense.

The overwhelming bulk of No campaigners are affiliated to the Alliance Against Nice - 15 TDs, dozens of councillors, the Green Party, Sinn Fein, the Socialist Party, the Workers Party and many more. Barrett has nothing to do with these mainstream No campaigners.

As for why Barret gets so much media attention, the reason is quite straightforward. The media has a heavy pro-Yes slant and prefers to portray the argument as being between forward thinking pro-Europeans on the Yes side and bigoted backwoodsmen like Barrett on the No side.

I hope that clears things up.

by Darren Sun Oct 13, 2002 23:28

If Barret isn't the face of the NO campaign why is he on the Late Late show on for the NO campaign

by death to fascists Sat Oct 12, 2002 08:59

I find it ironic that Fianna Fáil made this revalation to the media. (Of course most on the left already knew of Barretts fascist sympathies). Fianna Fáil are affiliated to a former Italian fascist party in the European Parliament, this party still admire Mussolini.

by jack Sat Oct 12, 2002 01:02

Oh and some of us have been aware of his extreme right views for years. Does youth defence ring a bell? or mother and child campaign. He has a red and black (corporate colours) fortified office on the corner of Parnell St/Capel St.

by jack Sat Oct 12, 2002 00:57

None of you are asked to present your objections to Nice in the mainstream media. Barrett is. He is the face and voice of the no campaign. And the red and black posters are all his. He is a catholic fundamentalist. Who does he represent? Where does his funding come from?

by Stephen Fri Oct 11, 2002 20:15

Incredible not only do the media spew propaganda for the right but that they're about 2 weeks behind everyone else in discovering that Barrett has links to neo-nazi organisations.
Unfortunately, everyone who opposes Nice will now be stuck in Barrett's shadow and according to the Times, all No voters are racists.

by Phuq Hedd Fri Oct 11, 2002 18:27

The NO campaign being run by people associated with indymedia.ie consists of libertarian socialists, anarchists, socialists and social democrats that complete repudiate racism and fascism. It is because of this that they understand that it is vital the that Nice Treaty is rejected. The Nice Treaty would cement the foundations of a Europe in which racism is used to divide the working class while the capitalists steal our basic resources under privatisation.

Although Barret may also call for a NO vote based upon unpleasant ideological assumptions he doesn't represent all the reasons for voting NO!

In order to avoid the creation of a Europe in which bigots like Barrett are allowed to control our lives it is essential to vote NO!

A Nice Treaty which removes any semblance of democratic control of the European Commission from the people creates a power-structure which can be turned to ends of whatever Euro-Barretts are strutting aroung.

Vote NO!