It seems that the Irish people are about to launch their own version of the "Don't Pay" campaign that is spreading across Europe. Though in truth it is more a case of " Can't Pay Won't Pay" as it is the severity of the cuts that is forcing people to take matters into their own hands. It is important that the people protesting in one country are aware that the same thing is happening in countries all across Europe and to link up and work in unison and solidarity with each other.
This from KCUR.org:
House prices have crashed. Banks and businesses have failed. Jobs have been axed. People are struggling to make the mortgage. The Republic of Ireland's 4.6 million people have suffered considerably since the financial crisis began four years ago, forcing their government to turn to the European Union and International Monetary Fund for a $90 billion bail-out.Yet the Irish have, for the most part, endured the pain and taken the medicine — a mighty dose of tax increases and spending cuts — compliantly enough to earn plaudits for their country in Brussels as the "poster child of austerity".Is that now about to change?This weekend, Ireland's 1.65 million householders were supposed to register to pay a new tax; an annual household charge of 100 Euros. That's about $133. By the time the deadline expired at midnight Saturday, only about half had done so. Hundreds of thousands now face the prospect of penalties and, potentially, prosecution. Is a tax revolt in the making, that could disrupt the government's strategy for getting the economy back on its feet — and make it still harder to implement future austerity measures?
