Internationalism
The Tribunals on public corruption have shown that the electorate that matters for the Irish political elite is those business interests that pay them vast amounts of money. Their external loyalty is to the international political elite that is paid by international corporations. In that sense the Irish political elite is internationalist.
PANA's internationalism is of a different nature. We are building links internationally with those groups and organisations that seek peace by achieving social justice and look to a more egalitarian world economic order that will provide real and lasting security. We seek to build an alliance not only in Ireland or Europe, but globally with all those groups that see an inclusive and transformed United Nations, that would work according to the UN Charter whose objective is:
'to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations, to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights, and to be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations.'
The choice before us is between the internationalism of the rich or the internationalism of the poor, the internationalism of privilege or the internationalism of democracy, the internationalism of the arms traders or the internationalism of the peace movements. The choice is between a transformed and renewed United Nations or a European Superstate /NATO, between an Irish National Democracy or a European Empire. The mainstream political parties have already made their decision. PANA appealed to the Irish people to make a choice when voting on the Nice Treaty. They made it and all Irish citizens should respect that choice.
- The National Forum on Europe
The Irish people voted NO to Nice. It is now legally dead. The democratic decision of the Irish people has to be accepted. Any attempt to put the same Treaty, with a meaningless Declaration attached, to the people in another referendum will be defeated by even a greater NO vote. Since the vote the Government has established a National Forum on Europe and PANA is one of the organisations asked to participate in what is called the Observer Pillar. Even if it is dominated by mainstream political parties, it provides an space for dialogue and debate on the option for a European Union as an Association of Democratic States with no military dimension as advocated by the Peace and Neutrality Alliance.
- The War on Terrorism
During the Nice Treaty referendum the issue of the erosion of Irish neutrality and the advance of EU militarisation was an abstract idea to many people. Now there is a real war, the war on "terrorism" and our Government gave over our airports and airspace to Nato for its pursuit. Ireland is no longer neutral, Ireland is at war.
Ireland is now involved in a war without end. PANA is totally opposed to the terrorism of the poor or the terrorism of the rich. But the current 'war on terrorism' is really a war of the rich on the poor. PANA is therefore closely co-operating with other groups opposed to the war, and our opposition to Nice has been more than vindicated. If the political elite seek to ask the people to vote again on the Nice Treaty even more people will vote against it, especially if it is held in the autumn in the middle of the US/UK war on Iraq which is clearly being planned, even though there is no evidence that the Iraqi Government had anything to do with the terrorist attack on New York and Washington.
Small democratic states like Ireland should not involve themselves in a war which they had no had act or part in starting, will have no say in how it is conducted, and will have no role in its settlement.
PANA seeks a new EU Treaty which will include a Protocol to exclude us from the new army of the rich, the European Rapid Reaction Force. We will accept nothing less.
