Are Libertas right wing extremists ? Dick Roche and Lucinda Creighton think so

Ok so who exactly are Libertas?
We know who our political parties on the yes side are but little (in my opinion) is known about Libertas,the main no campaigners.

Dick Roche this morning in his attack on them ranged from describing their fondness for the War in Iraq to their disdain for our farmers.

dlofnep

Don't know much about them. I attended a LT public speak here a few days ago and they were labeled as right-wing, but I haven't researched their policies or background enough to comment. I also wouldn't consider them the main NO campaigners. I haven't got one leaflet from Libertas about the LT. I don't see their people on the streets, day in and day out informing the people about the Lisbon Treaty.

Well that could be said of Sinn Féin either as I haven't seen them out on the streets or door to door or seen one leaflet through my door.Thats not to say they haven't been just as I haven't seen Libertas going door to door.Both may well be.
I've heard a lot of Libertas on radio and TV though and every bit of it was no campaigning-some of it spurious from what I could see eg on Tax.

The gist of what Creighton said about them (after they had that poster campaign in her constituency) was that they were in the pay of the U.S state department or rather one of their main proponents was.
That was on the last word where she also said that part of this could be because the U.S don't want the E.U super state area (who already combined have a bigger economy) competing as a unit with them for world influence any more than it already does.

I found that bizare.

dlofnep

Deleted User wrote: »

Well that could be said of Sinn Féin either as I haven't seen them out on the streets or door to door or seen one leaflet through my door.

I assure you, SF are distributing leaflets as we speak. I've personally covered numerous housing estates in my city. You will get one in the door, rest assured.

seamus

Their leaflets are deliberately misleading, they state the "truth" but clearly omit crucial points. For a party set up seemingly from nothing, they're well organised and very slick. Their head of PR is very good at what he does.

I haven't been able to work out what their real agenda is yet, but I don't trust them at all.

PHB

From the people I know who are involved with them, yes, yes they are.

They are a bunch of extreme libretarians, who view the EU as a regulatory state and hence inherently evil. Little do they realise that even if we didn't have the EU, we'd still regulate the **** out of the economy.

Their no campaign is just that, a campaign. It doesn't represent their real beliefs. They know that theres no way that this harmonises corporate tax rates, but they know its a great lie. They are also willing to jump into bed with people like youth defence, because mobilising the anti-globalisation vote is always good too. They are extreme right wing, but are cleverish about it.

rowlandbrowner

wealth of information here http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87311?comment_order=asc

nacho libre

seamus wrote: »

Their leaflets are deliberately misleading, they state the "truth" but clearly omit crucial points. For a party set up seemingly from nothing, they're well organised and very slick. Their head of PR is very good at what he does.

I haven't been able to work out what their real agenda is yet, but I don't trust them at all.

I think it's obvious what their real agenda is. Ganley simply doesn't want the EU to have more of a say in world affairs that is why he is pushing a no vote as he feels it would be bad for his American friends and their interests. It's also why Ireland's resident neo-con, who writes for the Daily Mail, is advocating a no vote too.

mike65

Both sides are pretty awful and both sides will be full of disingenuous information.

Suddenly I'm glad I don't have the vote so don't have to sort wheat from chaff.

Mike.

humanji

Wow, I never thought of poor Indymedia being pro-lisbon. They're really stuck between a rock and a hard place on this treaty. It must really make them hate themselves.

Scofflaw

humanji wrote: »

Wow, I never thought of poor Indymedia being pro-lisbon. They're really stuck between a rock and a hard place on this treaty. It must really make them hate themselves.

It doesn't look like they're being pro-Lisbon - they just hate right-wingers.

Mind you, it's an unusually good article for Indymedia! "Ordered list of references" is not something you expect from the rabble-rousers.

cordially,
Scofflaw

rowlandbrowner

The author notes at the end of the article that he is anti-lisbon. I linked it as it’s the largest about of information I could find compiled on Libertas, it also has some healthy discussion going on underneath. There is such a large amount of disinformation going on in regard to Lisbon it’s the perfect atmosphere for unsavoury groups to slip in and further their own agendas.

This whole Lisbon treaty has been a complete mess, we are the one member state whose population is allowed (reluctantly) to have a voice and it’s been handled appallingly, its been a mockery of the democratic system.

seamus

rowlandbrowner wrote: »

This whole Lisbon treaty has been a complete mess, we are the one member state whose population is allowed (reluctantly) to have a voice and it’s been handled appallingly, its been a mockery of the democratic system.

Agreed completely. The main problem is that all people have seen so far is one group who've been vehemently opposed to the treaty. Few other groups (even the parties themselves) have mounted any kind of "yes" campaign, so naturally people are going to be swayed into thinking that it must be bad if all they're hearing is "No".

The text is of course, far too long for most people to go through. Refcom was set up way too late (they should have been on the ball from January), I've yet to receive any literature from the Government, despite the thing being a month away.

Of course there's a whole, "People need to check it out themselves" thing, but if you barely inform people that the thing is even taking place (it was two weeks after Bertie set the date before I even heard of this), then you can hardly expect them to be eager to find out what's going on.

PHB

Lies always hold more sway at the start. As the campaign goes on, lies get de bunked.

Scofflaw

seamus wrote: »

Agreed completely. The main problem is that all people have seen so far is one group who've been vehemently opposed to the treaty. Few other groups (even the parties themselves) have mounted any kind of "yes" campaign, so naturally people are going to be swayed into thinking that it must be bad if all they're hearing is "No".

The text is of course, far too long for most people to go through. Refcom was set up way too late (they should have been on the ball from January), I've yet to receive any literature from the Government, despite the thing being a month away.

Of course there's a whole, "People need to check it out themselves" thing, but if you barely inform people that the thing is even taking place (it was two weeks after Bertie set the date before I even heard of this), then you can hardly expect them to be eager to find out what's going on.

I think the Referendum Commission press release actually says something along the lines of "we know most people won't be interested until the last minute" - which is pretty accurate, I'm afraid.

cordially,
Scofflaw

partholon

isnt the real question here : why the hell dick roache is leading this campaign?

i mean come on ! some people will vote no because he's fronting it

Jim_Are_Great

Their billboard ads are really silly. Like the one with a picture of Lucinda Creighton beside a quote from her saying "We need a European Army". Then it says "She's voting Yes to Lisbon. Are you?"

That's so glib it's untrue. First, it doesn't establish that she said that about the treaty, and it also doesn't connect the treaty to a European army. It just seemed to be a tactic to get people to think "Army bad, therefore Lisbon bad".

It annoyed me a lot more than it should have.

partholon

i dont really care about libertas but i will give them one thing. at least they HAVE a campaign. ive see their posters and got their leaflet in the post.

ive got sod all off the governemt besides a leaflet covering what to do if we're nuked and a look at a god awfull poster by Young Fianna Gael. and a fecking hypocritical one to boot ! wheres my busty blonde !!:D

you'd almost believe the governmetn dont WANT to win this one

Scofflaw

partholon wrote: »

isnt the real question here : why the hell dick roache is leading this campaign?

i mean come on ! some people will vote no because he's fronting it

Very true. They shuffled him out of the limelight quickly enough during the election, too, so it's not like they don't know he's a liability outside Wicklow.

mystified,
Scofflaw

joseph brand

Whats the link between libertas and US military contracts?

Who are Libertas??

seamus

joseph brand wrote: »

Whats the link between libertas and US military contracts?

Who are Libertas??

The businessman who set them up and one of the first other businessmen to come out and support them, both run US military contractor companies.

Scofflaw

seamus wrote: »

The businessman who set them up and one of the first other businessmen to come out and support them, both run US military contractor companies.

Article on the subject at Indymedia.

cordially,
Scofflaw