These chancers claim to represent the poor

by Dave Sat Dec 14, 2002 00:37

You said it, the "poverty industry" is just another middle class gravy train. Large salaries, expenses and junkets. I live in a "deprived" area, the local branch of the "poverty industry" are having a whale of a time, including arranging cushy numbers for their offspring. It is absolutely disgusting, I would have less contempt for the mafia.

by Paul S Sat Dec 14, 2002 03:02

"You said it, the "poverty industry" is just another middle class gravy train."

You guys really do have an incredible ability to alienate those who might be sympathetic to many of the views you hold. How do you ever hope to create a mass popular movement?

by con Sat Dec 14, 2002 05:36

A large segment of the population now exists whose sole social function is to be used so that others can build careers on their plight. Prisoners are another case.

by Phuq Hedd Sat Dec 14, 2002 08:52

You sure do know how to alienate people that you spend a lot of time hanging around. So, what would you do "Paul S"? Keep on praising the Mother Teresas http://www.lipmagazine.org/articles/featpostel_56_p.htm of this world? Or how about the young saints in Young Fine Gael that just raised $3000 for the homeless?

Go, on Paul S, what are you going to do? Criticize people that don't find that the blarney slips down any more easily when it's greased with hogwash?

by fuinseog Sat Dec 14, 2002 19:27

might contribute more to the process. Can you not distinguish between the various participants, tell us who they are and how they interact, etc. Maybe also consider whether their presence at the negotiating table (where they of course hold no real bargaining chips) means they are being used to legitimise the process or whether they are actually achieving something of value, however minimal. I don't mind you criticising people who possibly deserve it and I think it's an entirely valid topic to raise. I just expect that if people post articles to indymedia they should put in a bit more thought than if they were mouthing off down the pub.

by bug spray Sat Dec 14, 2002 21:19

fuinseog should do some research himself, the poverty pimps in the "Community Pillar" are well known full time paid representatives from the 'council for the women of status', the church, etc. Reports on their sellout of the marginalised people that they claim to represent in the previous partnership talks are available. None of them had the guts to risk their EU funding by campaigning openly against the Nice referendum.

by iosaf Sun Dec 15, 2002 20:29

The habit of placing making compound nouns with industry at the end is long with us.
culture industry
military industry
sex industry
poverty industry is a term which quitly properly refers to that section of teh economy whose main purpose is the support, anaylsis, assistance and such of the poor.
The poor are defined generally as being those below certain levels of income in their local states.
Now when we started to build our mass movement, we did so taking the piss out of all you and we shall always, but we never forgot what "poverty" means.
Every year how much money does a human need to eat enough, have a home, have children if they so wish, have basic medicines, have education?

In Ireland as in any other country of the world the answer is very very simple.
We decided long ago to put things very simple so that slowly you would "cop on".

Ya Basta.
how simple can you get.

by Dave Sun Dec 15, 2002 22:10

You have left out more than a few of the participants in the "poverty industry" racket.
For example, the "Combat Poverty Agency" racket, the "Partnership Boards" racket, the "Local Employment Service" racket, the so called "Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed" racket, incidentally the "high command" of this particular "organisation" are not at all unemployed but on the contrary enjoy a very attractive lifestyle. Believe it or not, one of them was an "advisor" on privatisation in the states. The previous "fuhrer" of the "organisation" has pissed off to become "general secretary" of the so called Labour Party, the party of the working class. No laughing please.

by fuinseog Mon Dec 16, 2002 01:32

"fuinseog should do some research himself"

or herself. I didn't post an article, but I did make the effort to read it and was commenting that it should contain facts.

"the poverty pimps in the "Community Pillar" are well known full time paid representatives from the 'council for the women of status', the church, etc."

Well if all these are well known facts maybe you could enlighten those of us who are so ignorant we can't do our own research. In addition other people could then interact with your statements. I personally would rather be represented by someone who was paid than someone who was unable to be effective because they had too little money to live on. (I don't see the need to pay any more than the average industrial wage. If you know what the Community Pillar activists are paid please enlighten us.)

"Reports on their sellout of the marginalised people that they claim to represent in the previous partnership talks are available."

You wouldn't have a website or even a report title? Or are they only available to the initiated? Or is this some kind of a treasure hunt for me to do my own research?

by blissfully ignorant Mon Dec 16, 2002 13:19

These types all sound the same, but there was a woman from the community pillar posturing on the 6 o clock news against the partnership talks. She sounded middle class (they all do) and you could plainly see she did mean it, and was going through the motions. she could very well be labour party also as they tend to behave like this in opposition. A good source for background information on the personalities involved is the daily papers as they cover all the posturing by unions and employers as well as the community pillar.
P.S. A good example of the cynicism of those mentioned above is Joe o Toole who voted for the budget in the Seanad, but is supposedly opposing it wearing his ICTU hat!

by Dave Mon Dec 16, 2002 20:35

You referred in your comments to the average industrial wage, I can assure you that the high command of the “Poverty Industry” are NOT living at that level. Incidentally, they do not “represent” anyone, they were appointed. They are in the main party hacks (F.F F.G. and the Labour Party) and they are certainly not going to question the policies of the ruling elite in this country, they know where the cash to fund large salaries, expenses and junkets comes from. Re websites, the “Combat Poverty Agency” has a very moving site; they have produced lots of reports, which the “consultants” who produce these gems really appreciate.

by fuinseog Mon Dec 16, 2002 21:03

I can assure you that at least one of the Community Pillar representatives is living on less than the average industrial wage. (Now that wouldn't necessarily justify his/her actions.) If people are serious about independent journalism they need to come up with some facts.

by Dave Mon Dec 16, 2002 21:24

The person that you have mentioned does not represent anyone, he/she was not selected by means of any process. Said person is an appointee and as already been stated by this post, is unlikely to rock the boat for obvious reasons.