Well, let nobody say that the Irish media don’t put on their kicking boots when they think they see republicans on the ground. I’ve just checked that valuable site www.nuzhound.com, and to run your eye down it is to educate yourself in an array of well-polished boots:
‘Give Me a Crash Course In…the 2015 Irish Republican Army’ (Gerry Moriarty, Irish Times)
‘Provos could easily switch back to a military footing’ (Jim Cusack, Independent)
‘Adams’ historic utterances create hostage to fortune’ (Harry McGee, Connaught Tribune)
‘Sinn Fein denials have made fools of the Irish people’ (Mairia Cahill, Independent)
‘Fallout (sic) from murders will continue long after Southern elections’ (Allison Morris, Irish News)
‘Still obediently following Fenian instruction booklet’ (Ruth Dudley Edwards, Independent)
‘Why Provos’ Army Council Must Disband’ (Jody Corcoran, Independent)
And there’s more, if you’re wearing your wellies and are prepared to push on. I haven’t, I’m afraid, got round to reading any of these pieces. After the headlines, I sort of felt a need to go out and get some fresh air. Never can so many keyboards have echoed to the same tune. From, of course, a unique, independent view-point in each case.
It’s hardly John Pilger standard journalism. Something quite frightening about the scale of let’s get stuck into the Shinners – not a mention at all about the long list of UVF murders from 1998 – 29 I believe. Ah well, sure it’s Norn Iron!
“not a mention at all about the long list of UVF murders from 1998 – 29 I believe”
Nor the DUP/UUP sharing platforms with UVF/UDA. Can you imagine the uproar if Sinn Fein was sharing platforms with active dissidents? But no, when Unionists do it, its hush, hush. It doesn’t suit the media agenda.
“The men of 1916, themselves inspired by Tone, Emmet and all the other patriot poster boys, have inspired IRA hardliners for a century to kill and injure and torture their political opponents. And the Good Friday Agreement did not put a stop to that terrible tradition. Endorsed by politicians, the martyrdom cult goes on, and so the young are still inspired to seek immortality through jihad.”
Other privileged, well-educated countries don’t do this…”
According to Ruth Dudley Edwards, Tone, Emmet et al were “poster boys.” Well she is entitled to her opinion. I for one hold the view that men who made the ultimate sacrifice did so because they hated oppression and exploitation. I am not sure what she means by a well-educated country but Pearse and others were well-educated just like Osma bin Laden.
Terence O’Neill might have been described as a product of a well-educated country but that did not stop him making patronising comments about the provision of washing machines for one section of the community. Ruth et al are strangely silent about loyalist violence and the use of a samurai sword in recent weeks. A man was nailed to a table and one other individual had a petrol bomb thrown into his home. Threats were made to the effect that “Taigs will be crucified”, yet there was a deafening silence from many well-educated sources on this particular barbaric manifestation 2015 AD.
Tomás Breathnach, O.P. described Cathal Brugha thus,
“…saighdiúir cróga; comrádaí carthanach i bhfocal agus i ngíomh; fear gur riachtanach leis an fhírinne i gcúrsaí gnó agus polaitíochta.”
I wonder what Cathal Brugha would make of the activities of some politicians over the past 40 years, given his comments about the need for honesty in business and politics? While some people were being murdered others were being interned, yet as Belfast burned, some politicians were more concerned with “dig outs”, “brown envelopes stuffed with cash”, “off shore accounts”, “expensive wine and shirts.”
The sky may not be red over Belfast at present, however, there are more pressing issues that demand attention from the incumbents in the corridors of impotence in Stormont.
What can we expect from a Penn full of pigs but an exorbitant amount of grunts.
Please don’t insult Pigs Joe. Pigs are very kind, affectionate and intelligent animals. Ruth Dudley Edwards and others like her are nothing of the sort.
The ghost of William Martin Murphy lives on in today’s Irish Independent. In 1916 it called for the executions of Michael Connolly and Sean MacDiarmada. Today, it values short term Fine Gael advantage over longterm peace in Ireland. The largely irrelevant Irish Times follows suit. I didn’t read the Irish News editorialising from Mike Nesbitt since I know exactly what he will think and say.
I just wonder why the IN gave him space to express, once again, how much he cannot “trust” Sinn Fein any more, as if he ever did. Whichever label the NI minority have worn, Nationalist, SDLP or Sinn Fein, Unionists never have trusted us. Mistrust of the natives is part of the old imperial/sectarian/racist baggage they cling to.
Mike Nesbitt might not trust Sinn Fein, I wonder if Sinn Fein trusts him and other Unionists?….
Celeb and Flow
Back in ye days of olde when newspapers sold
With hacks whose names they chose t’withhold
No more now the penny a line
Lenny and Jenny has a byline
And every Media Malachy wears a collar of gold.
Is a collar of gold the same thing as a choker? And in South Africa, didn’t….No, must have got mixed up there…
I don’t think anyone really needs to read any of these pieces and could easily guess the content of each, its essentially: “Sinn Fein is the cause of all the Worlds woes”. I wont be reading anything Ruth Dudley Edwards writes, her obsession with the shinners is well known and I’d rather not lose anymore IQ points in reading her articles. Why is Mairia Cahill writing anti-SF articles? Is the fear of Sinn Fein’s rise in the South so bad that they even have her on board to help throw the mud in the desperate attempt to stem the tide of voters going in Sinn Fein’s direction?
As the General Election in the south approaches we’re all going to see a lot more kitchen sinks flying in Sinn Fein’s direction. Maybe that tactic will succeed this time, whereas in the past it failed every time. What was it Albert Einstein said?: “The Definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”…..
I wonder why, when the Indo is so anti-Sinn Fein and IRA, they actually give a daily platform to a dissident like Mairia?
What are laughingly called journalists in today’s world, are nothing more than people mimicking their master’s words.
I doubt the people you mentioned Jude have ever had an original though in their heads.
They will never be accused of critical thinking, that’s for sure.
Thre are no Walter Cronkites, or Edward R. Morrows anymore.
The Fifth Estate as it was once called has been corrupted.
However bloggers like yoursef have now taken up the mantle, and to a certain degree, are now considered the Fifth Estate.
Please keep up the good work.
You are appreicated.
Go raibh maith agat, Jim – thank you heaps…
So are all the articles in today’s papers totally inaccurate ?If so,no doubt lawyers on behalf of Sinn Fein will will be seeking redress in the Courts!!
How can so much of the anti-IRA/Sinn Fein have missed the biggest and most important factor affecting the whole world today?
We have, over the past few weeks, seen the Chinese financial markets collapsing, triggering world-wide panic with billions and trillions being wiped of the major stock exchanges.
And it has all been caused by the IRA who, according to today’s Sunday Times, have built up a £400mn treasure chest with which they allegedly intend to bring even more financial chaos worldwide.
But their main target will be the Footsie, so that they bring fear and terror to Cameron and his millionaire cabinet, which will have more effect than the Ashley Madison disclosures.
At least that might be their next big story!
I just wonder how much I could have made submitting rubbish like this to the Indo, IT or BelTel.
Everybody has got it wrong.
The media has got it wrong (all of them!), the Irish government has got it wrong, the British government has got it wrong, the Ulster Unionists have got it wrong, the PSNI have got it wrong, Uncle Tom Cobbley has got it wrong.
I hope I haven’t left anyone out.
You forgot yourself, gio…Not like you.
We accepted illusions to get to this point sadly illusions are not real and now because these illusions have been removed we are now in a political crisis if we had been honest we wouldn’t have been in this situation!
There is in fact a simple explanation why so many established and powerful sources in Ireland north and south are emphatically and implacably opposed to SF: they fear that this party could change the comfortable set-up that has existed for so long and open up a new and appalling vista. That’s it. It’s the fear of losing power and that is a very powerful fear.
Jude
There is a simpler explanation which for some baffling reason seems to have escaped you.
Sinn Fein are in a muddle because their old comrades did not like giving up their power and like to flex their muscles every now and then.
That may or may not be so, gio – I have no evidence either way. Do you? But if unionist politicians are appalled by this muscle-flexing, how do they feel about the various unionist paramilitaries and their actions over the last 15-20 years? Not to mention the annual Summer hate-fest?
Jude
You said it yourself. The fear of losing power is a very powerful fear. Or does that apply to everybody else but the PIRA?
The recent killings are clear evidence of ex IRA men in power struggles would you not say.
I agree the whole picture of what links remain with Sinn Fein is very murky,but it would be naive to think there are none.
How otherwise are Sinn Fein spokesmen able to speak with authority on whether republicans have been involved in such incidents?
I think the power I was referring to was political power, not military power. The latter wouldn’t have made sense since the IRA decommissioned. The recent killings – I don’t know but I would guess they were personal grudges rather than power struggles. I’d agree that Sinn Féin people know the situation on the ground re the IRA and they all are adamant that the IRA is gone. You may call them liars – if you do so it might be an idea to produce evidence. The final point I’d make is that a blind man on a galloping horse could see that republicans have poured their energies into politics, not military action, over the past two decades. Anyone who can’t see that, I’m afraid it’s too late for Specsavers…
We all know that Jude but over the last week or so many people are wondering what this new set up would look like and SF will have to be at their best to answer them. The problem they have is that many people have a kernel of doubt about SF what has happened last week wont help change that at all
I agree with you (again – damn!) Neill; but I’d argue that the doubt you speak of is planted by the unrelenting barrage from the people and organs I’ve listed and a few more besides. If you keep casting SF as the villains, it’s understandable if some in search of simple solutions figure they must be.
The so called free press in Ireland and Britain is dominated by a small coterie of right wing media barons,
The owners of these papers see any left leaning party as a threat to their interests and therefore they expect their papers to defend those interests. The Irish Independent, the Irish Times and the Sunday Times have to produce the goods from their paid hacks to attack Sinn Fein at every opportunity. One only has to look across the water to see similar hysteria unleased against Jeremy Corbin.
Unfortunately TV and radio are just as biased. It is up to people to educate themselves and treat anything they read and hear from the mainstream press with a great deal of scepticism.
Nesbit’s Article, Newton Emerson’s embroidered rant and Patrick Murphy’s Hot Air Balloon, where all conspicuous by their vacuous idiocy and political irresponsibility on Saturday, and would any rational person living in Ireland Gag. I found myself raging that that this destructive repetition of the mainstream propaganda line, has now become de facto the standard Political line.
Insanity reigns, and a dangerous Political Vacuum looms and is afforded the diversionary status if Righteous indignation as trust has been Shattered ec ect….I’ve never read such a load if tripe, from such imbecilic sheep playing follow the leader, indeed tryin to outdo themselves in their Zeal to endorse a political line that could foment real discord in looming Power vacuum should Nesbitt, Chiswick and Billy the Kid et al get their way in collapsing Stormont. Depressing that such idiots are given such prominence at such a dangerous time, but then again, the Iriah News editorial talked about whether direct rule would be better for the Health Service, coming down in the side of the Argument that it would. Unionism from every quarter is being given what it wants which is possible Direct Rule by the Tories from Britain. So few views in the counter narrative like Jude’s calling for reason and sanity while this madness is allowed to take hold and soar. Nesbitt, Chiswick and the Tory aligned UVF, are doing Cartwheels of delight within their ethically corrupted circles, while a dangerous situation is allowed to develop……An Agenda that is as wrong headed and Politically bankrupt as the bovine idiots who are trying to outflank each other in ever greater Zeal to bring such lunacy into effect. A time to worry that lunatics are fighting at the wheel to steer the Boat ever closer to the Rocks.
Francis – I am not at all sure that Direct Rule like before the GFA is possible but am open to correction on this point.
I read somewhere it would need a special act of the UK parliament because the GFA replaced the 1920 Govt of Ireland Act which had allowed the direct rule we knew in the past.
Furthermore trying to re-enact Direct Rule would mean the UK government would be saying the GFA and power-sharing had been a waste of time and money.
Dublin (the co-guarantor ) and the USA (the broker) might not be best pleased!
I do really hope that is indeed the case Ben Madigan. Some, indeed many wish it so, and the good old Irish News proclaimed it’s belief that direct rule would “Better run the Health Service (in the north. Patrick Murphy and that other cheesy dolt with an “Eye of Newt” played Sentinel around this Unionist leaning, as those two semi-loquacious fools, Waxed lyrical about the RA, Panacea of all problems…their Arses, they are. Patience is wearing thin on the Pied Piper leading the charge to collapse…meanwhile the Coffin Ships are bringing refugees by the hundreds of thousands from the Wars the Brits and Yanks have not faltered from.
You cant blame the other parties for having a go at SF they have been sanctimonious and careless and have granted a real opportunity to their political enemies to have a real go at them it will be interesting to see how SF react to this.
I think I can blame the other parties if they’re levelling accusations that are not supported by evidence. How SF will react I can’t say. But I have a feeling there may be a similar response at the ballot box as happened after GA was arrested…
I think I can blame the other parties if they’re levelling accusations that are not supported by evidence
You do study politics don’t you?
Nah – I’m afraid not, neill – stopped studying years ago. I’m also beginning to think I’ll have to stop trying to study you, neill – I don’t get your point.
If you keep casting SF as the villains, it’s understandable if some in search of simple solutions figure they must be.
That’s an interesting point however for sake of argument you are middle class person in a nice leafy suburb of Dublin and you were about to cast a vote at least you know exactly what a FF and FG government will entail cronyism and backhanders but crucially for SF the person might think the new establishment might consist of gangsterism and criminality on a far grander and nastier scale that is the perception SF have to take on and beat and sadly for them they have a lot of history to defeat.
Does the past 15 + years count as history, neill? You know and I know that the establishment media don’t want radical change because they like things as they are. AFter a century of partition, they feel pretty cosy and the hell with justice or unity or anything else that might threaten that cosiness.
Unionism,The Media etc ,can do cartwheels into the sunset for all I and any reasonable person cares any more. What exactly are they attempting to prove ?…….that the Dissidents have been right all along ,that it’s impossible to placate Unionism , that it’s completely unsustainable to try and and make peace with recalcitrant buffoons ,that this place ,these sad sick counties ,is an irremediable ,corrupt , failed political entity…. well they have certainly convinced me ,especially on the last point but I can assure them now that their joy will be short lived….Nationalism/Republicianism in in the ascendancy, we will outvote you and we will have our re-united Ireland regardless of all your manufactured outrage and foot stamping……”Our revenge shall be the laughter of our children” !
Seamus don’t be lashing out at the media unionism or the Southern Irish parties. It was your party and associates that caused the problem now they have to deal with the consequences.
Should have been more honest at the start!
Neill ,the “problem” initially began in 1169 when Strongbow entered Ireland and coveted this land ! The Irish were not easily subdued so wave after wave of genocide ensued……Cromwell slaughtered 1/4 of the population. The plantation of Ulster stole the land from the native population…..we were not allowed our language,our religion,to own land, to own livestock etc etc,we were exiled and sold into slavery Then came ” An Gorta Mór ….the final attempt at complete annihilation ,a genocide etched in the soul of every Irish person. Even after all that we fruitlessly tried to accommodate you and make peace with you….Neill ,the “United Kingdom ” is fracturing ,soon it will be no more…where will Unionism’s pig-headed obstinance take them then…..Nobody wants you ,a petulant liability ,you have made lepers of yourselves……without the help of that dreaded Sinn Féin.