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The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb

offsite link The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.? We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).?

offsite link What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are

offsite link Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of

offsite link The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by

The Saker >>

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Promoting Human Rights in Ireland

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link Solar Farms Failure Behind Spain Blackouts, Grid Operator Confirms ? as Tony Blair Turns on Net Zero Tue Apr 29, 2025 19:00 | Sallust
Solar farm failures were likely behind the blackouts in Spain and Portugal, Spain's national grid operator has said ? as Tony Blair comes out against Starmer's Net Zero plans and the phasing out of fossil fuels.
The post Solar Farms Failure Behind Spain Blackouts, Grid Operator Confirms ? as Tony Blair Turns on Net Zero appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Spain and Portugal?s Blackout Reveals the Achilles? Heel of Electricity Grids Dominated by Wind and ... Tue Apr 29, 2025 17:00 | Anonymous Engineer
The power outage in Spain and Portugal wasn't caused by extreme weather, but by an over-reliance on wind and solar. If the UK continues on its headlong path to Net Zero, we can expect similar failures.
The post Spain and Portugal?s Blackout Reveals the Achilles? Heel of Electricity Grids Dominated by Wind and Solar appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link An Excess of Pity: Why We Fail to Deport Those Whom We Should Deport Tue Apr 29, 2025 15:00 | Dr David McGrogan
Why do we fail to deport those whom we should deport? It's due in the end, says Dr David McGrogan, to an excess of pity. We are pitying ourselves into disorder and social decay. We need to be willing not to be nice.
The post An Excess of Pity: Why We Fail to Deport Those Whom We Should Deport appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Reeves Set to Bring in Milkshake Tax Despite Failure of Sugar Tax and Pledge Not to Raise Taxes Tue Apr 29, 2025 13:00 | Will Jones
Rachel Reeves is set to bring in a milkshake tax to cut obesity levels despite the failure of the 2018 sugar tax that has seen obesity levels accelerate rather than fall. What happened to no tax rises for working people?
The post Reeves Set to Bring in Milkshake Tax Despite Failure of Sugar Tax and Pledge Not to Raise Taxes appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Carney Wins Canadian Election as Poilievre Projected to Lose Seat Despite Highest Conservative Vote ... Tue Apr 29, 2025 11:13 | Will Jones
Mark Carney's Liberals have won the Canadian election and a fourth term in Government as Pierre Poilievre is projected to lose his seat despite scoring the highest Conservative vote since 1988 in a result blamed on Trump.
The post Carney Wins Canadian Election as Poilievre Projected to Lose Seat Despite Highest Conservative Vote Since 1988 in Result Blamed on Trump appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Dublin protest to force the government to back down and scrap water charges sees 1000s on streets

category national | bin tax / household tax / water tax | news report author Thursday September 22, 2016 23:45author by wsm Report this post to the editors

The Irish government's attempt to introduce domestic water charges in Ireland is not going well. In fact, for them it's been a disaster because it's sparked off a huge upsurge in working class self organisation and direct action. Last Saturday 17th Sept, saw thousands of anti-water charges campaigners flooding the streets of Dublin o to again voice their opposition to Irish Water & water charges and as a show of strength for the movement.
watercharge17srpt2016crowd.jpg

It has been fully understood since the very beginning of this campaign that Irish Water was simply a vehicle to be used for the privatisation of water services and infrastructure in Ireland. The right wing, neo-liberal political establishment wished to gift the most vital of all resources to capitalist interests who would squeeze as much profit out of commodified water as possible, while cutting off the water supply to anyone who couldn't pay their extortionate charges. However, due to a huge effort on the part of working class organisers, the water charges appear on course to be abolished. The significance of this campaign in laying down a milestone for working class self organisation will be felt for years.

WSM had initated an anachist meet up for the march at 70 Sir John Rogerson Quay where Apple (evading €13Bn tax) is registered in a filing cabinet along with about 700 other companies. As it set off we reported
"We are matching toward Capel St. bridge, where we'll meet contingents from Stephen's Green, Heuston Station, & Connolly Station. Massive, consistent direct action & mobilisation has left Irish Water clinging on by the tips of its fingers, suspended, waiting to fall. But 'suspension' of water charges is just a dirty trick designed to make us go home and forget, stop organising, only to find our water privatised and double charged in the near future. But we're not falling for this sleight of hand, and are pushing to deliver the finishing blow to the Irish Water heist. We haven't gone home and are still working to defend our very basic right to clean publicly funded water."

From the stage at the end point of the rally at St. Stephen's green, assembled campaigners heard from a number of speakers and it was notable that most were not the usual faces from political parties that normally bore people quite quickly by telling them what they already know. Instead, the end of the march proved to be quite interesting with input from mental health and tax justice campaigners, along with some great music.

A man described the difficulty he and his family face as hidden homeless, having to move back in with his mother, with his wife and 3 kids (she having to bear the brunt of the situation while he's at work), but noting that 'this is a movement of hope'.

A letter was read out on behalf of one of the young people who are in court today relating to charges of 'false imprisonment' relating to the Jobstown protest earlier in the campaign, the speaker encouraged attendance at the court today to show solidarity and support.

From the large screen beside the platform a video was played giving a brief account of the Standing Rock pipeline protests that are ongoing in North Dakota in the US.

Apple's thirteen billion euro tax evasion was of course to the forefront of the discussion, as was the fact that Ireland has paid 42% of the cost of the banking crisis even through we are less than 1% of the EU population.

Vicki Donnelly, a speaker touching on these topics, ended her speech by echoing the North Dakota indigenous anti-pipeline campaigners in saying that "We are not water protesters, we are water defenders".

There are now active and highly experienced local anti-water charge campaign groups all over the country who have built a 73% boycott of the water charges and are on course to defeat the government on this issue.

While most of these groups row in behind the national Right2Water campaign (which is composed of left wing political parties and trade unions) when they announce a national demonstration, the week-to-week organisation of the campaign is handled autonomously at a local level.

The Right2Water umbrella group does not direct local organising, though it can support it by providing large scale leaflet production for national demonstrations. The most recent Right2Water organised demonstration in Dublin gave an indication of the vitality and confidence of the national campaign as it presses forward, determined to force the government to back down and scrap water charges.

Related Link: http://www.wsm.ie/c/dublin-water-charge-protest-17sept2016
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