The beach at Maria La Gorda

Some thoughts on Cuba.

So it seems as if Cuba could be in for a rough ride over the next few months, if some of the speculation about Fidel Castro being already dead is to be believed. Even if the surprisingly robust leader is genuinely only in hospital for minor surgery - if any surgery for someone at the age of 80 can be described as 'minor' - the world has got a glimpse of what is going to happen (most notably in Miami) when nature eventually takes its course and Castro passes on.

Review of a documentary on the struggle of the Turkish GAMA workers in 2005 which premiered to a packed house in Wynn's Hotel on Middle Abbey Street on Thursday 27th July.

Clr Mick Murphy With Original GAMA Leaflett.

Admittedly I've always been sceptical/suspicious of political parties and their motives, regardless of their place on the political spectrum, from one extreme to another. Its always in the back of my mind that any statement or action is being done simply for the goal of obtaining more seats at the next local/general/european election. Far left parties arent excluded from this either. The vista of a Leninist party sweeping into power isnt particularly attractive to me; having visited Castro's socialist "paradise" there were many aspects of that society which were deeply troubling and repulsive, most notably the censorship of all opposition as "counter-revolutionary", and the suppression of ideas and literature that didnt slot into the mono-view of one party Marxism. The bookshops were permitted to stock tomes praising Chavez, but you'd never realise that the Zapatista insurrection had taken place across the water. But that's another day's article...

Nonetheless I tried to approach last night's film screening of "The GAMA strike: A victory for all workers" with an open mind. This film is a co-production between the Socialist Party and Frameworks Films, and documents the GAMA strike of 2005. For those primitivists living in a cave for the past two years (of course if you're a real primitivist you wont be reading this on the internet...), GAMA is a Turkish building company that was awarded contracts by the Irish State for large infrastructure projects, including public housing, roads, and power stations. They won numerous tenders on their ability to finish these projects at half the cost of native Irish companies, and in some cases in half the time usually expected. This of course raised eyebrows in the construction industry, as well as in some political circles. Allegations and rumours began to spread about worker exploitation, but this was dismissed by Fianna Fáil lackeys, and nothing could be proven.

More Indy coverage: Downturn in Irish Construction Industry | Top Dublin Hotels displacing Irish staff | Aer Lingus privatisation exposes folly of partnership | GAMA: Company Forced To Pay ALL Workers Proper Union Rates | National Day of Protest Against Irish Ferries | Joe Higgins' Challenge to Irish Trade Unions: Protect Migrant Workers | Exploitation of Workers | Picket outside Dunnes in support of Joanne Delaney | Gama Workers' Strike Wins Back Stolen Cash

IPSC Protest on Tuesday

The Israeli Embassy in Dublin was confronted on Tuesday with the death and destruction that it has wrought in Gaza and Lebanon in recent weeks.

During its all-day vigil at the Israeli embassy, the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) held a symbolic “die-in”, in which Irish, Lebanese and Palestinian volunteers donned “blood”-stained clothes and lay down on the street in front of the embassy. All Irish local and national media were present and gave the protest prominent coverage across the day and in Wednesday’s newspapers. The demonstration was a prelude to a major march taking place in Dublin this coming Saturday 29th.

The conflict has entered its third week, and the scale of Israel's attacks has meant that almost 10 Lebanese have died for every Israeli, as at this stage over 400 Lebanese and 42 Israelis have been killed. Many of the dead on both sides are civilians, and under international law, any targeting of civilians is a war crime. On the day of the protest, four UN observers were killed by an Israeli bomb in south Lebanon.

Other indymedia.ie coverage of the conflict: Irish activist Caoimhe Butterly travels to Lebanon | Did Hezbollah really breach the border? | Lebanese media targeted | Israel uses White Phosphorus and cluster bombs against civilians | Lebanon and Shannon airport | Belfast protest | Other coverage: Global IMC Feature | Robert Fisk in Beirut via Demoracy Now | Chomsky on current conflict | Audio: 1 2 3

The verdict was given at aproximately 11.50 a.m. this morning at this significant trial in The Four Courts. Since their action on the 3rd February 2003 the five defendants have waited three years for todays verdict, under onerous bail conditions, with two other trials collapsing (Trial 1,Trial 2). In a statement released immediately after the verdict the Pitstop Ploughshares said:

"The jury is the conscience of the community chosen randomly from Irish society. The conscience of the community has spoken. The government has no popular mandate in providing the civilian Shannon airport to service the US war machine in it's illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.
"In 1996 in Liverpool the Jury acquittal of the four 'ploughshares' women contributed to the end of arms exports to the Suharto dictatorship in Indonesia and the independence of East Timor.
"The decision of this jury should be a message to London, Washington DC and the Dail that Ireland wants no part in waging war on the people of Iraq. Refuelling of US warplanes at Shannon Airport should cease immediately. "
- Ciaron, Damien, Karen, Deirdre and Nuin.

Indymedia has seen sterling work reporting this trial which has been ignored by the rest of the Irish media with daily court reports: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, last days and reflections from many participants as well as a photo essay of the verdict day along with a revolt video contribution.

Here Kathy Kelly reflects , on Closing Speeches in Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial, this post also includes the closing statements from the prosecution and defence. The trial has also seen public meetings featuring *Former U.S. Marine Sgt. Jimmy Massey & Kathy Kelly, while within spitting distance of the war-mongers lair (UK Houses Parliament), Brian Haw bore witness to the Ploughshares and there have been solidarity marches too. Indymedia.ie has a pre-Trial discussion with Ciaron about the Ploughshares' action, the upcoming trial and the meaning of resistance in the Era of the 'War on Terror': Faith of Our Fathers: (transcript / .mp3)

But, it has to be remembered, that this victory can only be an encouragement which should revitalise the anti-war movement here. As reported by the Shannon Planespotters - CIA Rendition and covert aircraft are still using Shannon airport

You can visit the Peace On Trial website for more information on the CW5 by clicking here.

How different are men and women? Very, according to some. John Gray’s book “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” is based on the idea that there are fundamental differences between the genders. It may be just another self-help book on relationships, but it has also sold over 30 million copies and been translated into 40 languages.

Deborah Tannen’s book “You Just Don’t Understand: Men and Women in Conversation” was on the New York Times bestseller list for nearly four years and has been translated into 24 languages. Pope Benedict, when still a cardinal (and an obvious expert on gender) in a statement on the role of women wrote that women’s characteristics were “listening, welcoming, humility, faithfulness, praise and waiting” in the first statement published by the Catholic church on the role of women in a decade. In January 2005, the president of Harvard argued that women were underrepresented in science because biologically they weren’t as capable at scientific thinking as men. During his time as President the number of tenured jobs offered to women at Harvard fell from the low 36% to the even lower 13%.