Chomsky, Southside Prats, Primetime And The Irish Times.

Sometime recently, at least in my perception, it has apparently become unacceptable to criticize something without having an fully explored alternative, and even then your alternative must exist within the exact same framework as the object of criticsm, and perferably be as close to it so as to make no difference.

What am I talking about you may ask? Well two recent miniscule media related events have stuck in my mind, perhaps for no other reason than my cantankerous grumpy nature fixating upon them, but nonetheless I feel it’s a mildly important issue which while it may be nothing new, certainly bears a hearing.

The first issue to get my goat was one of the posters which formed part of the recent idiotic advertising campaign by the Irish Times. You may have seen the campaign’s scrawlings around Dublin festooning our walls with its inane message of “We look at life, you live it”, which is funny given that the last time I read the Times it seemed more apparent that they were looking up their own arses rather than at my life. Well one such poster caught my eye one morning on my way to work, It protrays activism as seen through the eyes of the media with a poster being held high saying “Replace capitalism with something nicer” followed below by the Irish Times witty reply “Any suggestions?”. Now I must admit I chuckled momentarily before getting pissed off at yet another portrayal of activists as moaners with no practical solution and therefore worthy of derision.

From the newswire: The following represents a report on a public meeting held in Dublin 13th/14th January.

The first public workshop of the People before Profit Alliance / Davitt League Alliance was held in Cassidy’s Hotel (on the evening of Friday 13th January) and the Teachers Club (Saturday 14th). Chairing the Friday night session, Dr Michael Punch of TCD announced the aim of the group — which is to provide support through collaboration for individual grassroots movements and to increase political space for the views of community activists.

• Related links compiled by IMC Ireland:
• Socialist Worker article on PBP
• Socialist Democracy "So Good they did it Twice!"
• Indymedia.ie report on St. Michaels
• Indymedia.ie report on launch of Tenants First
• Indymedia.ie report on "The Sale of the Century"
• Indymedia.ie "Another Left Alliance Call"