The Plough
Volume 2, Number 35
6 May 2005

E-Mail Newsletter of the Irish Republican Socialist Party  

1) Don Quixote 
2) Wolfgang 
3) Security at Dublin Airport 
4) Fifty Campaign Groups Protest World Bank Failures on Controversial 
BP Oil Pipeline 
5) What's On 

*******

DON QUIXOTE
By Tomás Gorman, from Venezuela

The queue snaked for several blocks around Congress and the Plaza 
Bolivar, which honours Venezuela's 19th-century independence hero 
Simon Bolivar. Perplexed, I asked my companero Oscar why so many 
people were waiting in the hot afternoon sun. "Ah the government is 
giving away one million copies of Don Quixote." 

Chavez is a keen reader and must have been inspired by the classic 
tale of the poor knight setting off to put the world to right. 

"Don't be left without your Quixote!" Chavez said this week. "We are 
all going to read Quixote to feed our spirit with this fighter who 
came out to get rid of injustice and fix the world." 

"To some degree we are followers of Quixote," he added. 

It is one of the many examples of Chavez trying to use his position 
to both benefit and inspire the Venezuelan People. Incredibly, his 
critics accuse him of squandering extraordinary oil revenues on what 
they perceive as "stunts" like the book offer and "inefficient" 
social programs, and they accuse him of steering the poverty-stricken 
country toward what they call a Cuba-style "dictatorship". 

Josefina, another companera vehemently denied that Chavez's 
objectives were irrational or implausible. "I believe in his vision, 
and many of us share the same vision," the 46-year-old community 
worker said. To pay what Chavez calls "a social debt" left by past 
governments; he has spent millions on social programs that include a 
nationwide literacy program, scholarships to help people finish high 
school and Cuban doctors to improve health care in slums. 

To prove her point, Josefina took me to the Lidice district, situated 
next to hers in the vast working class Barrio of Western Caracas, to 
see one of the many initiatives that she volunteers in. Getting of 
the bus at Lidice, I noticed a small group of women wearing red 
Chavista t-shirts all chatting boisterously. Josefina shepherded me 
towards the group of women and I was introduced by her as "Tomas, the 
Irish comrade here to borrow some revolution". I was greeted warmly 
with kisses on the cheek and a slap on the arse. 

This was the Lidice women's collective, a close group of fiercely pro 
Chavista who were engaged in various initiatives in their community. 
Most notable was the "Community Kitchen". Twice a day, every day, the 
women got together and cooked lunch and dinner for over 150 of the 
districts poorest. The food for the project is provided by the 
National Nutrition Ministry and one of the women with a larger house 
donated two small rooms to the collective that are used as a 
kitchen/larder and a serving hatch. It was moving to see the pride 
the women had in their efforts. 

Thankfully, Yollimar, a tall attractive woman, spoke some English and 
was able to explain to me the work that the women do and what 
motivates them. "Before Chavez and the MVR (Movement for the Fifth 
Republic) came to power we did not have the ability to do things like 
these. We seen the problems we had her in the community but did not 
have the means to do anything. Now we have the support of the 
government and are confident that we can make good changes." 

At the Juan Alberdi School where I volunteer, tangible benefits of 
the Revolution are also apparent. The school staff organised a 
canteen along with the Nutrition ministry to provide a free and 
healthily balanced meal to every pupil and member of staff every 
school day. I take advantage of the meals when I can and can vouch 
for their quality. Fresh vegetables, rice, beans and a little meat 
with fresh fruit for desert is quite a meal juxtaposed with the 
veritable crap fed to our children back home. 

My English classes have proved quite popular with the children and I 
have been asked to volunteer my services to the adult English classes 
at night. The school doubles as a primary school during the day and 
an adult learning centre at night where adults take advantage of the 
Mision Ribas programme. The Mision Ribas Programme is for adults who 
wish to continue their education at secondary school level after the 
basic literacy and numeracy Mision Robinson programme. 

The hunger for knowledge that the people, who deprived of a decent 
education for so long, show is staggering. Alberto, an elderly pupil 
is short sighted and had the misfortune of breaking his glasses. 
Instead of staying at home until he gets a new pair, he decided to 
make use of a pair of toy binoculars to read the writing on the 
blackboard and TV. An amusing but stirring sight. 

The education programmes seem to be the driving force behind the 
awakened political and social consciousness of the Venezuelan people, 
which has reached levels I have rarely, if ever, encountered before. 
I was taken aback by some of the encounters I have had with ordinary 
working class people here in Caracas. 

One typically hot night, Oscar and me were walking back up the steep 
hill of the Mannicomio area and were finding it tough going. We 
happened upon one of the typical open fronted off licenses here in 
Caracas that serve as an Al Fresco bar for the people who can't 
afford a social night out. Instead they enjoy a bottle or two of beer 
with their friends on the pavement outside of the off license. I 
invited Oscar for a cold beer and a few middle aged men noticed the 
white fella struggling with his Spanish and one of them asked me 
in perfect English where I was from. When I replied he suddenly took 
a greater interest. "Ah Belfast, future not so certain after Macarni 
killing". I was dumbfounded whilst the five of us sat and discussed 
the recent events in political scene in Ireland for over an hour. I 
asked them how they spoke English and knew about Ireland. They told 
me that they had taken the Mision Robinson and Ribas programmes and 
used the Internet to look at International politics as if it were a 
most common and normal thing for any man to do. 

I explained this to James, the English gent kind enough to put me up 
for my stay, and he said this was quite common. I was greatly 
encouraged. In the political dust bowl of Ireland it had been quite 
trying for a lefty like me for quite some time and this Oasis of 
political activity and working grass roots socialism has boosted my 
belief in a better system. I have already begun to borrow some 
revolution. 

******* 

WOLFGANG
By Tomás Gorman, from Venezuela

Wolfgang was an extraordinary name for someone in Caracas I thought 
but he was one of the most extraordinary people I have met here. 

Wolfgang is homeless and wanders through the dangerous streets at 
night looking for things that he may be able to sell or eat in the 
rubbish that many of the wealthy throw out. My host James introduced 
me to him one evening on the way home one evening as his mate. 
Wolfgang it turned out was a member of the Venezuelan Communist Party 
in his younger days and was commissioned by his party to go to 
engineering school in Holland in the eighties. A familiar tale of a 
beautiful young woman anchoring his heart in Caracas was told to me 
as well as tales of harder times that neither his sweetheart nor home 
survived. 

Wolfgang never asked for any money but my conscience felt compelled 
to offer him some cash to buy himself some food or a beer that 
evening. He accepted in a dignified manner and thanked me sincerely 
for it. He shook my hand and thanked me not only for the money, but 
also for making the leap. I enquired what he meant. 

"You made a leap forward" he replied. "Brother, you¹re a socialist 
like me and you know that all the people of this world belong to a 
common brotherhood. We are all the same and should all stand together 
and look after on another. Some of the people who live around here 
wont even look at me, and when they do its to tell me to leave their 
rubbish alone. They wont make a step forward let alone the leap that 
you have made in stopping here and talking to me for a little while. 
But you and James are good people and you've been taking little leaps 
forward all of your life. Keep taking those little leaps forward and 
when others see you do it they'll get the confidence to make the 
leaps too." 

Wolfgang's street philosophy made a big impact on me. So much so that 
I gave him my little notebook and pen so that he could write some of 
his philosophies down and begin his book and spread his word. 

His word should not have to travel far to make an impact. During his 
short time in power President Hugo Chavez has allowed the poor in 
Venezuela to make huge leaps forward with his social programmes and 
redistribution of the countries vast oil revenue. Unfortunately, a 
bureaucratic layer of counter revolutionaries and parasites remain 
who are hindering the progress of the peoples revolutionary 
awakening. 

The state run television channel is in European terms incredibly 
radical, with frank analysis on international political affairs and 
documentaries on the life of Che Guevara etc. It was this channel 
that I first noticed something within the MVR that I didn't like. 
Advertisements promoting electoral politicians posing with red berets 
in the presence of Chavez made me suspicious of them. There was 
something that smacked a little too much of personality cult in all 
of this...too much wanting to be seen with Chavez and claiming to be 
the really true Chavistas. One of the Mayors of Caracas, Barretto is 
someone whom I find a little odious, despite my short stay here. 
It appears that Barretto reads the revolutionary process differently 
from those whom he claims to represent as a "really true" Chavista. 

The Juan Alberdi School was annexed by the people of the community 
when middle class teachers in this working class school walked out 
during the failed bourgeois strike. The people of Manicomio organised 
a committee to run the school with every position democratically 
elected. They worked 15-hour days in renovating and running the 
school to provide the children and adults of the area with a decent 
education. It was a marvellous community effort and perhaps one of 
the most advanced components of the Bolivarian struggle. Barretto it 
appeared took a dislike to this community self-sufficiency that 
threatened the need for the bureaucracy that sustained his employment 
and raised position in Venezuelan society. He unilaterally sacked the 
democratically elected directorship of the school and imposed his 
own people from outside of the schools area with the precondition 
that the teachers collective be allowed to remain within the school 
and teach the children. 

In the last few days he has reneged on this agreement. The teachers 
collective have received four days notice that they are to leave the 
school. I sat during their meeting and watched them discuss this 
betrayal and their response to it in their typically democratic 
fashion. It was a passionate meeting with heated debate and sometimes 
tears from the majority female teachers. However these tears were not 
tears that showed weakness, they only served to portray the deep 
anger at all of their hard work in the school and the revolution 
being stripped away from them with not as much as a thank you. I 
shared their anger. 

The move by Barretto is simply to reassert the strength of 
bureaucracy in the affairs of the people in their own communities. It 
is a step backwards in the movement for revolutionary progress. False 
leaders like Barretto exist all over the world and have done so for a 
long, long time. 

Hugo Chavez would be better advised to listen to the words from the 
people on the streets of Caracas, the working class, for they are the 
true inheritors and vehicle for revolution. He should listen to the 
wise words of Wolfgang and make the leap over this bureaucracy and 
distance himself from these artificial idols. 

The fight for the School Alberdi is not over however, the greater the 
oppression the greater the fight. As I write, the teachers collective 
are at the Mayor's office to make their case to him face to face, 
whether he likes it or not. 

Barretto would also be advised to heed the words of Wolfgang. His 
parting shot the other night made me laugh and raise my fist to this 
great man. 

"Just because you may be bigger than your neighbour, don¹t dare
try and stamp on him. You may stamp him down, and again and again.... 
but be careful. The next time you bring your foot down he may be 
holding up a spear." 

*******

SECURITY AT DUBLIN AIRPORT 
By Kevin Morley

Security at Dublin airport is being tightened to ridiculous levels, 
following the smuggling into the complex of imitation explosive 
devices and replica firearms by the European Aviation Authority. 

The stunt, was carried out by the authority, during the week ending 
17.4.2005 in a successful attempt to highlight weaknesses in security 
at the airport. Since September 11 2001 security at all the worlds 
airports has being tightened, except it would appear Dublin where, 
even with weaker security, guess what? Nothing has happened. 
September 11 2001 was when the World Trading Centre (WTC) the twin 
towers, were blown up by two aircraft crashing into them. An eternal 
cynic would point the finger of suspicion for this deed at the 
security services of the United States. The rationale behind this 
cynical theory is that the US needed an excuse to carry out its 
foreign policy of expansionism, therefore something so terrible that 
no country would question the actions of the US in the pursuit of 
this expansionist programme. The title was and is War on Terror the 
result genocide in Iraq, with a view to doing the same in other oil 
rich countries. 

The reward, domination of the Middle Eastern oil fields. It is of no 
consequence to United States capitalism how many people are 
inconvenienced, globally, so long as they continue to believe that it 
is necessary to combat terror. It is the job of world governments 
including that of the 26 counties to keep their respective 
populations convinced of this necessity. One day the penny might just 
drop.
 
On Sunday 17 April 2005 thousands of passengers were forced to queue 
up at Dublin Airport. This was due to the belated, and probably 
unnecessary, increase in security at the airport. Passengers have 
been assured that this queuing was not a once off incident and to 
expect more of the same until more staff are trained to deal with the 
US created security risk. Many passengers missed their flights and, 
as is common practice with benevolent companies like Ryan Air, there 
are no refunds. Therefore the unlucky passengers had to buy another 
ticket. At the same time as this farce is going on United States 
troops are regularly landing at Shannon airport on their way to 
committing war crimes in Iraq. These troops are fully armed and 
the only security concern at Shannon is to protect these gun totting 
soldiers and the aircraft, which are transporting them. So men from 
another country can run around Shannon airport, fully armed and 
possibly under the influence of illegal substances and this does not 
constitute a security threat. At Dublin airport people have to jump 
through hoops in order to board their flight under the guise of war 
on terror while at Shannon alien armed thugs can wander about fully 
armed with the approval, or perhaps compliance would be a better 
word, of the 26 county government. In the year 2004 158,000 of these 
armed strangers passed through Shannon but, it would appear do not 
constitute a security risk. More recently things appear, at least on 
the security front, to have calmed down with many people saying how 
necessary all the chaos was in order to keep the "terrorist threat". 
What they never seem to question is the validity of this so called 
terrorist threat which if, and it would appear more and more to be a 
big if, what is the root cause of it? Not so many years ago British 
Premier, Tony Blair, informed the population of Britain that there 
was a serious terrorist threat to the Sellafield Nuclear Power 
Plant, which should be closed but for different reasons) in Cumbria. 
This frightening announcement came at Christmas time and, many people 
were concerned to say the least. As in the case of Dublin airport the 
net result was that nothing happened. Perhaps the reason is that the 
only terrorist threat comes from the other side of the Atlantic, the 
United States. George W. Bush, US President for some strange reason, 
once reportedly said capitalism survives by keeping the people in a 
state of panic. Well George you are certainly doing that, to many 
people anyway. Were we not lied to about the evils of communism? 
Where there was nothing evil compared with what we have in the USA.  

*******

FIFTY CAMPAIGN GROUPS PROTEST WORLD BANK FAILURES ON CONTROVERSIAL BP 
OIL PIPELINE

From: "KHRP" <rharris@khrp.org> 
------------ 
Corner House 
PLATFORM 
Kurdish Human Rights Project 
Baku-Ceyhan Campaign 
Friends of the Earth 

29th April 2005-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Fifty Campaign Groups Protest World Bank Failures on Controversial BP 
Oil Pipeline 

More than 50 human rights and environmental groups from 13 countries 
today protested against the failure of the World Bank to rectify 
continuing problems with the controversial Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) 
oil pipeline. The groups outlined serious safety, environmental and 
human rights concerns with BTC in a detailed Memorandum to the Bank 
and other BTC project funders. 

The BTC pipeline, which has been controversial since its inception, 
is being built by the oil giant BP to take oil from the Caspian Sea 
through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to the Mediterranean. Most of 
its nearly £2 billion cost comes from public sources, including
the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and 
Development (EBRD). 

The World Bank and EBRD's support for BTC places on them duties of 
due diligence over the pipeline, duties which non-governmental 
organisations (NGOs) argue they have consistently failed to meet. The 
Memorandum lists an array of serious problems with the pipeline, 
including the possibility of disastrous safety failures and 
accidents; pending cases against BP at the European Court of Human 
Rights and the European Court of Justice; the withdrawal of a senior 
private backer from the project; construction failures; and deepening 
political discord in the region, including mass strikes by pipeline 
workers and the alleged torture of a local activist. 

The Memorandum will deepen pressure on the World Bank to take action 
on BTC, following a recent Sunday Times report that BP is locked in a 
multi-million pound arbitration case with its contractors over a key 
BTC safety coating on the pipeline. According to the report, problems 
with the coating "could seriously delay the £1.8 billion project 
because it suggests the pipeline will corrode, and is therefore, in 
effect, uninsurable." 

Nicholas Hildyard of The Corner House, one of the signatory groups, 
said, "It is quite simple: the World Bank and the EBRD haven't done 
the job they were entrusted to do with our public money. We have 
repeatedly raised concerns with the World Bank and EBRD - but they 
have failed to act. It is critical that the project is subject to an 
immediate independent safety audit before oil starts to flow." 

Kerim Yildiz of the Kurdish Human Rights Project, said, "We have been 
monitoring the impact of the pipeline on the ground and taking 
statements from the communities directly affected by it. It is very 
clear there are serious and well-documented concerns which the World 
Bank and EBRD have yet to address adequately." 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL: 

Nicholas Hildyard 0777 375 0534 or Anders Lustgarten 0797 316 4363 

*******

WHAT'S ON 

*

Saturday, May 21st

Premiere of the documentary film "OLGA BENARIO: A LIFE FOR THE 
REVOLUTION" by Galip Iyitanir 

At the Flax Mill, Derrylane, Dungiven, Ireland 

Saturday, May 21st, 7 pm 

Live Music after the film 
ADELE INGRAM & LAYLA NOBLET 
Special guests 
THE DOMINO EFFECT 

Session afterwards 

BOOKING ESSENTIAL 
02877742655 or flaxmill@gmx.net 

*

Sunday, May 29

From: Pegseeger@aol.com 
Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 08:18:28 EDT 
 
 
Hello - this is a mass mailout with the final lineup for my birthday 
concert. 

greetings to friends, family, workmates, acquaintances and apologies 
to those to whom this e.mail is of absolutely no interest or 
pertinence. all the best, Peggy 

Celebration of Peggy Seeger's 70th year! Queen Elizabeth Hall , 
London, England 

Sunday, May 29 - 7 p.m. 
 
Booking from inside UK: 08703-800-400 
Booking from outside UK: +44-8703-800-400 

Guest Artists: Billy Bragg, Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy, Calum 
MacColl, Kitty MacColl, Neill MacColl, Irene Pyper-Scott, Mike 
Seeger, Pete Seeger and Norma Waterson with instrumentalists James 
McNally, Roy Dodds, Graham Henderson and probably a few more! 

London, UK 0870-382-8000 
 
Email for more information 

*******

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