NEOFEUDALISM IS WHAT IT IS, AND HERE IN NORTH WEST NEW JERSEY WE HAVE OUR OWN BATTLE AGAINST THE THEFT OF OUR WATER.

WE HAVE DEFEATED THE SALE BY THE BOUROUGH OF SUSSEX THE SALE OF THEIR UTILITY BY VOTE, BUT NOW THE REPUBLICANS AND THE DEMOCRATS WANT TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM US WITH THE ORWELLIAN "WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION ACT"

SO HERE IS A REPORT FROM THE DETROIT WATER BRIGADE ON THEIR RECENT VISIT TO IRELAND WHERE THE JOINED WITH THE IRISH PEOPLE IN THEIR FIGHT.

Beating Back Austerity: Lessons from the Fighting Irish

December 17, 2014 by Captain  

By Justin Wedes, Brigade Organizer

The Detroit Water Brigade was honored to join the Irish Right2Water Campaign for International Human Rights Day in Dublin on December 10th. We traveled across the country to meet communities actively resisting the Irish government’s plan to privatize and commodify Ireland’s public water supply – a plan that would drive the country into even more bond-financed debt in order to enrich bankers and their European Union technocrat lapdogs. The anti-water charges campaign, however, is winning. Prime Minister Enda Kenny’s ruling Fine Gael party has watched its ratings sink to an 11-year low, and the minor concessions offered by the government to the overwhelmingly-popular campaign have only galvanized more people to take to the streets and awakened a once-apathetic and dormant populace. Here are ten lessons for Detroit’s water fight gleaned from our trip:

1. It’s About the Principle
   Start from the premise that water is a human right – it is society’s responsibility to ensure that everyone can access it, regardless of income. The opposition will try to make this about efficiency, affordability, conservation, infrastructure, and myriad other things. All of those considerations are secondary to the principle of the thing: everyone needs water, and if the government can’t provide it to everyone at a reasonable cost – based on people’s ability to pay – then they shouldn’t, and won’t for long, be the government. Period.
2. Build Local Alliances
   Change begins at the grassroots level when communities become organized to recognize the power they already have. Regional and national coalitions and campaigns will emerge out of these hyper-local groups, not the other way around. Feedback between the local and regional/national groups is essential to keep the campaign cohesive and ensure it doesn’t get co-opted by outside interests.
3. Direct Action Gets the Goods
   The most powerful action we saw in Ireland was in the neighborhoods, where people are self-organizing to physical blockade the water meter installations outside their homes. A sophisticated array of neighborhood watch groups using mobile technology to communicate in real-time has made it nearly impossible for Irish Water to install the meters that are essential to their plan to commodify and charge directly for water usage. These groups share strategies with each other through YouTube videos and meet regularly in their communities to build support. “Meter Fairies” quietly prance around communities taking out meters that have already been installed. “Spotters” perch on lookouts to alert the estates – aka subdivisions – when meter trucks arrive. This constantly-evolving arms race with Irish Water undermines their entire operation while also galvanizing local opposition to the water charges by interfacing directly with regular people.
4. Sing a Song!
   In true Irish style, every protest we encountered was filled to the brim with music. An unofficial movement hymn has even emerged: No Privatization, Irish Water, Irish Nation by The Rolling Tav Revue. Dozens of original songs are sung in community town halls and late-night pub gatherings. One in particular we loved and sang together in Cork (to the tune of She’ll be Coming ‘Round the Mountain…)

I will never give that company my cash / I will never give that company my cash / You can stick your water meters, for your never will defeat us / I will never give that company my cash

5. Focus on What Unites Us
   The wealthiest 1% are successful because they know how to put aside their differences to focus on the one thing that unites them: insatiable greed for profit. What unites the 99% (and the 1% if you think about it…)? Our essential human needs: water, housing, food. The #Right2Water campaign has been so successful because it unites around a simple concept: water is a human right. It’s OK to broaden the vision beyond just water, but keep the platform of demands narrow enough to ensure unity amongst all of the constituent groups. Individual groups might prefer one tactic to another – non-payment boycotts, peaceful direct actions, mass rallies, etc. – but as long as the goals are the same that diversity of tactics is just fine.
6. Take the Long View
   What if we won today? Would we be ready to govern and provide the people with a real alternative to the unjust system we have? Unless the answer is “yes”, we must take the long view towards building political power even as we oppose particular policies. The future of Detroit, or your city, can be determined by the narrow 1% or it can be guided by the truly democratic popular will of the 99%. That depends on the work we do today, tomorrow, and in the months ahead.
7. Internationalize the Cause
   Water is a human right, from Dublin to Detroit. From Hong Kong to Palestine, and everywhere in between. We learned by traveling across the Atlantic Ocean that the one thing that divides us also unites us. International solidarity is essential to winning local fights. Organizing for political power that is as global as the multinational corporations trying to privatize our public commons is the only way we can truly build viable alternatives to corporate power.
8. Engage the Youth
   Everywhere we traveled, young people greeted us with dance, song and gifts. Irish communities understand that the youth form the engine of any social movement, and their creativity and energy drive action and ultimately policy. How are we engaging youth in our movement-building? Are veteran elders of the movement creating space for youth leadership? Are youth brought up to praise the wisdom of their elders and learn from their struggles? These are the questions we must ask ourselves as we grow and build.
9. Don’t Yield to Minor Concessions
   The Irish Labour Party, which is in an unholy alliance with the right-wing Fine Gael party, tried to patronize us by suggesting that the Detroit Water Brigade would be happy with the minor concessions the government had already made to the #Right2Water movement. Of course that was far from the truth. Minor concessions will only serve to galvanize us more if we stand by our principled arguments. Celebrate them, and then demand more!
10. Have Fun!
    After every contentious community meeting or successful rally, we always hit the pub. It’s a beautiful and simple way to keep building community and practice the mantra “Work hard, play hard!” Even though the work is serious, we have to blow off steam and remember to have fun now and then. We are building the future we want even as we resist theirs.

Thanks to Radio Free Erin on WBAI for bringing this to my attention.  Thanks again to John McDonough and crew.