A recording of the 2005 Amnesty Lecture at Trinity College Dublin which took place on Thursday January 13th, is now available for download. The lecture was entitled "American Exceptionalism & Human Rights" and was given by Professor Michael Ignatieff. Lecture MP3 Here. Q&A MP3 Here

A comprehensive biography of Michael Ignatieff is available here.

In this lecture in the Edmund Burke Theatre in Trinity College Dublin, Ignatieff deals with what he terms "American Exceptionalism" and Human Rights in todays world. He talks about the many contradictions that the current US administration operates under. Controversially, he describes the US as both a leader and an outlier of human rights, and talks about this in relation to the US "project" of democracy in the Middle East. He also brings into question the concept of our own neutrality, among many other topics and values that the liberal communties and human rights advocates tried to achieve in the run up to the war in Iraq.

"I am not a Nazi. I am not even pro-German. I am an Irishman fighting for the independence of Ireland" - Sean Russell whose memorial statue in Fairview Park was recently beheaded by an unknown and previously unheard of group of 'anti-fascists'.

Earlier this month a group of (supposed - Ed) anti-fascists beheaded a statue of the republican leader Sean Russell because of his connections with Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Russell's request for German aid to help the I.R.A has long been controversial but the historical facts, and the extent of Russell's alleged collaboration with the Nazis often escapes the sternest critics of wartime republicans. This article hopes to examine the extent of Sean Russell and Frank Ryan's involvement with Nazi Germany and asks "Was the destruction of the statue justified?" (The Original Indymedia article on this subject is here)

The idea that "my enemy's enemy is my friend" is as old as war itself. The United Irishmen and later the Fenians held that "England's difficulty was Ireland's opportunity" as the British military became increasingly involved in colonial wars and disputes. In the First World War Irish republicans sought German military aid. The small amount of aid rendered does not mean that the I.R.B. supported German imperialism or a German monarchy. Pearse stated at his courtsmartial "Germany is no more to me than England is. I asked and accepted German aid in the shape of arms and an expeditionary force, we neither asked for nor accepted German gold, nor had any traffic with Germany except what I state: My aim was to win Irish Freedom." It was in this tradition that republicans saw themselves acting, when they sought foreign military aid in later years.

Since the inception of Indymedia Ireland in late 2001 well over one hundred people have faced court actions, ranging from injunctions to imprisonment, for participation in movements reported on by this site. This has been the case with the anti-bin charges campaign, with Shannon, with Carrickmines, with Mayday2004 and with the May 2002 Reclaim the Streets.

There has been a long running controversial debate on Indymedia around allegations that Dublin Grassroots in particular has not successfully provided support for the Mayday 2004 defendants.

Meanwhile, longer articles have started to appear in left-wing journals and publications looking back at the Mayday 2004 weekend and the issues arising from the various internecine conflicts. The WSM have a feature in their "Red and Black Revolution" about the buildup, and "What Next?" has an article from a Marxist viewpoint critical on the Wombles (taking the ESF and their attitude in Dublin as discussion points).

• DGN site: http://struggle.ws/dgn/index.php
  
• Red & Black Revolution articles: http://www.struggle.ws/wsm/rbr/rbr8/media.html
  
• http://www.struggle.ws/wsm/rbr/rbr8/mediagame.html
  
• What Next? article: http://www.whatnextjournal.co.uk/Pages/Latest/Wombles.html
  
• The Wombles: http://www.wombles.org.uk/
• Previous post by R
• RTS "Robocop" press release
• RTS Legal Defence meeting post (May 25 2002)
• Indymedia accused of providing too much information (Feb 10 2003)
• Anarchist Prisoner Support (Official website)
• APS statement of activity (Nov 1 2004)
• Cases against 2 English activists thrown out of court (Nov 10 2004)
• Anarchist support for prisoners in Thessalonika
• Mayday 2004: report of conviction trial of one defendant (Jan 12 2005)
  

This is an opinion piece recently published on the Indymedia Newswire based on a recently published bogus news item relating to a fictional tale of drug trafficking on the Luas.

The basic rules of journalism seem straightforward; verify your story from at least two independent sources and always get the important 5 ‘W’s’ and a ‘H’, who, what, when, where, why & how? For a clearer example of my belief that media crime coverage sometimes purposely tries to create a moral outcry, I decided to set up an experiment. Being an avid writer of fiction, I set up a false Hotmail account under a pseudonym. I wrote the mail in the guise of a disgruntled semi-retired member of a fictional unnamed residents association. I claimed to be acting on behalf of some concerned neighbours. I posted my mail to newspaper The Star. on the 5th of January, (2005). I requested that they look into a new Luas related drugs problem, figuring that drug stories are a solid popular crime issue and the inclusion of the new Luas system, (which had not yet been linked to any crime) would prove too tempting. I did not name any names and mentioned two districts in an effort to be more vague. I also stated that I wanted to remain anonymous, as I was well known in the area concerned.

On Sunday the 9th of January 2005, The Star Sunday printed a story, which read, ‘Claims Luas is Drugs Ferry’, (Hynes, F. P.12). This was my story. When not directly quoting me, I was paraphrased. Almost the entire content of my false Hotmail was there in print. I checked the account and found a reply from the Star’s News Editor requesting I contact Ms. Hynes. This was not an over eager journalist, but an entire chain of command prematurely printing a story relating to a fictional criminal matter. . . .

On Friday 19 November and again on Friday Dec 10th and Fri 24th Dec, FEIC carried out the digging of a symbolic grave at Raytheon, Derry. During the protest, large numbers of white ribbons and flowers were tied to the railings which run along the perimeter of the Raytheon plant. A large stone marker, with the words, 'Fallujah 2004' was left to mark the grave. Flowers and candles were left in an act of solidarity with the people of Fallujah. Within two days, every single ribbon, flower and candle had been removed. The grave marker was taken away half a dozen times and was eventually broken in two. The grave continues to be removed and descrated every time it is dug. Despite this, FEIC continue the protest.

It's clear that Raytheon in Derry are unnerved by the protest and threatened by white ribbons, flowers and candles. The people who make Tomahawk Cruise missiles and boast about the lethality of their product are unable to countenance the sight of simple symbols of peace.

It is no surprise that the dead of Fallujah are not respected by arms manufacturers: that a memorial to their suffering should be desecrated like this is simply another example -- were one needed -- of the primacy of profit over humanity. Those killed by the arms trade all over the world are afforded no dignity, either in life or death. Desecration of memorials to them is an attempt to erase their memory and the memory of what happened to them from our consciousness.

Related Story: Feast of the Innocents Dublin: Confronting Irish Complicity in the Slaughter in Iraq