New Medical Centre for the Wealthy

[elmo sez]

A new medical centre is to open in dublin soon , to cater only for the the very wealthy. No money no care , the saddest bit is that it was built on stolen public land , the land was part of the liffey valley park , a very beautiful area with sensitive ecology. The developers just came in and started building despite the fact that it was suppoed to be protected, the government did nothing despite the protests of the liffey valley park alliance ( made up of local people from many of the surrounding suburbs) . nobody wanted this , first they steal our land then build somehing on it that we cant even use. The ironic thing is that it was built just across from a suburb that at one point had almost 100% unemployment .

Time for militant action I think . Opinions?

[rouchambeau]

I think militant action should have started before the thing was built.

[elmo sez]

I know but it was kept a secret really , nobody told any body - i oly found out awhile ago when it was like 3/4 the way done

[Mujer Libre]

That's so fucked up. It reminds me of all the "redevelopments" of housing commission areas where they're just being sold off to rich developers and yuppies who want to gentrify- forcing poor people away. Is an occupation feasible?

[lithium]

That's fucking disgusting. The Irish public hospitals are already in a mess. So they plan of fixing that problem by building an elitist health centre?

There are lots of homeless people around Dublin, and people with drug problems. Would it not be a much better idea to build a shelter and/or a drug rehab clinic in the north/west of the city?

If any action is to be taken I'd suggest protests in the city centre as well as at Liffey Valley, and if we're ignored, an occupation of some sort. I might be able to take part in some action, and I may be able to gather up some friends to join in.

[Switchblade]

ALL public hospitals are a mess. What else is new. They will delay your opporation into the next 2 years. Where if you saved enough money and got medical insurance you could get a speedy and efficient surgury rather that wait and suffer while they find an oppening for you. Thats public medical coverage for you.


Who's to say people who can afford medical coverage are not supposed to get anything?
I thought you commies fought for the bennefit of all. The Rich and Poor. Theres something wrong here

[lithium]

Who's to say people who can afford medical coverage are not supposed to get anything?
I thought you commies fought for the bennefit of all. The Rich and Poor. Theres something wrong here

We are fighting for the benefit of all. Private hospitals are doing ok, but the majority of people have to use public hospitals. And as public hospitals are a mess, the majority of people are suffering. Constant MRSA outbreaks, people dying on trolleys in corridors... Yet the people with the money don't have to go through all this pain. So why is there yet another private health centre being built when its the public hospitals that need the money?

People with the money already get the benefits - now the rest of us need to get the benefits too. That's what we're fighting for.

And why should anyone have to pay to have good health? Why should anyone have to hand over significant sums of money just so they can live?

[RedDan]

If you can find alot of other people who agree with you prehaps you could hold non-violent protests outside the hospital using placards and slogans. Arson or militant action will get you nowhere and if it is a government sponsored private hospital more money will be coming out of the system to fix it, and not to the hospitals which need the money.

[lithium]

I agree, RedDan. It's important not to be violent or not to cause damage - such action will only end up in valuable activists getting locked up and/or fined and money will be wasted trying to repair the damage.

Our best bet at the moment is to contact the media, and find fellow activists in the labour and socialist organisations in Ireland. Then when we have support we can launch a proper campaign.

I'll do a little research and contact some Socialist parties and groups.