Just to illustrate, that being catholic does not make a difference. Eva ---Workers Solidarity Movement <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > ________________________________________________ > A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E > http://www.ainfos.ca/ > ________________________________________________ > > What a wonderful world we live in!! > > IF EVER YOU'VE felt doubts about why you are so against > the capitalist system, just read the latest United > Nations Human Development Report (or at least the media > synopsis of it - see Irish Times 9/9/98). You may have > known that there is inequality in the world, that the > rich always seem to look after themselves and the poor > just simply get poorer all the time. But are you aware > of just how unequal the distribution of wealth actually > is? Even for a battle-hardened campaigner against > inequality and injustice like myself, the figures are > quite horrifying. > > Take some of the examples: > > The richest 3 people in the world are wealthier than the > poorest 48 countries. > > The wealth of the worlds 225 richest people is equal to > the annual income of half the worlds population. > > The worlds annual military spending (£538 billion) is > almost 20 times greater than the total annual spending > on basic education (£4 billion), water and sanitation > (£6 billion), womens reproductive health (£8 billion) > and basic health and nutrition (£9 billion). > > The Celtic Tiger in all its glory is certainly playing > its part in contributing to the marginalisation and > increased poverty being visited on huge numbers of > people. Some statistics on the Tigers prowess include: > > Ireland has the second highest proportion of people > living in poverty in the industrialised world - second > to the United States, the supposed great bastion of > freedom and democracy. > > Irish women are worse off, relative to men, than in any > other Western country. > > We can boast of the highest level of functional > illiteracy of 17 industrialised states (Functional > illiteracy is defined as people having difficulty with > basic tasks such as following instructions on a medicine > bottle or reading a story to a child). > > The second highest level of long-term unemployment among > industrialised countries (7.6%) is to be found in the > Celtic Tigers lair. Only Spain has higher levels. > > I think that these figures demonstrate clearly whos > mauling who in the land of the Celtic Tiger. Not alone > that, but the next time someone tries to convince you > that we live in a free and democratic society, ask them > if the population of those 48 countries referred to > above have freedom on a par with those 3 parasites. > > Sean Farrell > > This article is from Workers Solidarity No 55 published > in October 1998 > -- > This article is from Workers Solidarity No. 55 more articles from > this issue are sent to the Ainriail list and can also be found at > http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/ws98.html > > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> > Workers Solidarity Movement > > http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/wsm.html > EMAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > If you putting any of this material on a web page or > reprinting it elsewhere _please_ include the URL above > > Ainriail - Irish Anarchist Bulletin list, send the message > subscribe ainriail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > ******** > The A-Infos News Service > ******** > COMMANDS: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > REPLIES: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > HELP: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > WWW: http://www.ainfos.ca/ > INFO: http://www.ainfos.ca/org > > _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com [EMAIL PROTECTED]
