Sunday's referendum defeat may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Venezuelan Left

An analysis of the recent Venezuelan referendum including coverage of the issues by both alternative and mainstream media. This article includes some factual data about the reality of Venezuela’s economy which effectively counters the “conventional wisdom” arising from propaganda spread by much of the mainstream media. The article also draws some interesting contrasts between the political situation in Venezuela and its next door neighbour, Colombia.

Related Links:
Venezuela after the Referendum: Socialist Unity — Tariq Ali on CounterPunch
Recent Indymedia Coverage: Global Women’s Strike in Venezuela call for a Yes vote

Energy & Environment Conference, Dublin 1st December. Senator Al Gore & Bono save the world (again).

A well written and entertaining report of a conference on Energy and the Environment organised by Merrion Capital at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin on the 1st December. The reporter describes the speeches on the environment from luminaries such as David Begg of ICTU talking about the consequences of using land for bio-fuel, Tadhg O'Donoghue of the ESB focusing on nuclear power, and Willie Walsh of Aer Lingus fame speaking about the effects of low-cost aviation before the key-note speech from Al Gore, producer of the popular presentation "An Inconvenient Truth".

This exclusive comes in a tradition of Indymedia exclusives that brought you the British Ambassador’s letter in 1969, when the then Managing Director of the Irish Times, called his Editor and fellow Protestant, Douglas Gageby, “a renegade or white nigger” for his coverage of Northern Ireland.

RTE broadcast a 'Hidden History' programme on 23 October 2007, about the IRA shooting of Richard and Abraham Pearson of Coolacrease, near Cadamstown, Co. Offaly, in June 1921, during the War of Independence. It was made by Niamh Sammon and featured (unelected) Senator Eoghan Harris of the Sunday Independent.

The programme was accused of editing interviews to encourage a view that the IRA in Offaly were sectarian, land grabbing and Catholic peasants. Back in early October Indymedia users played with the title of the documentary strand and began to ask was history being bent to the will of a hidden agenda?

Now a researcher, PhD student Philip McConway, has accused the programme of distorting his views. Local historian, Paddy Heaney, related to an IRA volunteer who died from stomach wounds inflicted by the Pearsons, said the programme left the guts of his interview on the cutting room floor. Another interview, with Pat Muldowney, never made it at all, not one second. His interview with Niamh Sammon of Reel Story Productions, has never been heard by the public. Until now that is...

Today, tonight (to coin a phrase), Indymedia brings you audio of the Muldowney-Sammon interview. Not all of it, we are not miracle workers, and the quality is, we admit, not the best. But it is good enough.

Related Links: Indymedia asks Hidden History or Hidden Agenda? | The Story Starts Here | The Hidden History documentary strand returns to RTÉ | Review of I Met Murder On The Way | War Of Independence Debate On Sectarianism Descends On Unassuming Offaly | Cedar Lounge Revolution Bloggers on Coolacrease |

With only three shopping weeks left in the Christmas shopping season, the Pavilions shopping centre in Swords, Co. Dublin experienced its first bout of ‘Workers Action’ today with Argos employees, who are members of the Trade Union Mandate, abandoning their tills and making for the picket line.

Talks, which lasted until late last night, were held between Mandate and Argos management at the National Implementation Body, ended without agreement being reached resulting in today’s action.

The Retail giant which has 680 stores dotted around the UK and Ireland, last year announced profits which exceeded €8.1 billion, profits are also up 50% for the first half of this year. Yet they are unwilling to increase their workers wages by 10%. With most workers earning €9.00 an hour a 10% increase would raise their hourly rates to €9.90.

• Start of Interview with Mandate Shop Steward 0.99 Mb
• Interview with Mandate Shop Steward 4.22 Mb

Related Links: Mandate Trade Union | Support the workers against the bullying bosses at Dublin Bus | Attack on Trade Unionists on the rise world wide | Cultural Workers Take on Galway Property Tycoon | Strike At Dunnes Stores Cork |Postman Pat says ‘stuff your pay cut”| Our Workers' Issue Archive

A meeting with representatives of the Rossiter family, the Wheelock family, the maloney family and the families of Rossport Co. Mayo who ask an audience of more than 200 people why the Garda Síochána are above the law.

Tonight at the Royal Dublin Hotel more than 200 people turned up to support the Wheelock family, the Maloney Family, the Rossiter family, the besieged people of Rossport and to voice their fears and feelings regarding the fact that An Garda Síochana are a law unto themselves and that they act without fear of punishment or condemnation.

The Panel 8.57 Mb The Audience 15.14 Mb

Related Links: Recent UK Doc Featuring Police Brutality Down West | Political Policing Continues | Motion for Wheelock Inquiry Passed by Dublin City Council | Community and Family March on the First Anniversary of Terence Wheelock's Death. | The Wheelock Family move out of Summerhill after continuing Garda intimidation | Campaign of intimidation against family of Terence Wheelock continues | June 2006: Justice For Terence Wheelock Protest at Store Street Garda Station | Fighting for Justice; Fighting for the truth: an interview with the Wheelocks May 2006: Wheelock Family Attacked by Gardai | Another death caused by Garda Hospitality? - The parents of John Moloney demand an independent inquiry