‘The next six years could set us back a century.’ So says Eoghan Harris, in his column in the right wing Sunday newspaper a few weeks ago. He was not referring to Brexit but to the threat from republicans. Harris is the man from West Cork who thinks he is the greatest republican since Michael Collins. Every week in the Sunday Propagandent, Harris claims to be the great patriot defending democracy and decency in Ireland. He is the most arrogant contributor to any newspaper in Ireland. He certainly has a few rivals – Kevin Myers, Brendan O’Connor, Cusack, Dudley-Edwards and O’Hanlon. This collection of bitter people who call themselves ‘journalists’ write for the Sunday papers and of course they have no problem getting their anti-Sinn Fein propaganda published every week. These people are not journalists. They are not even interesting columnists. They are propagandists for the political establishment. They are never fair or balanced. They repeat the same anti-Sinn Fein rhetoric week after week. Harris dresses his hatred of Sinn Fein around folksy stories about what he is doing and who he is meeting in west Cork. He deliberately associates himself with West Cork and reminds us about his family’s republican credentials.
These anti-republican propagandists are working for big business and will defend the state’s economic and political status quo which they believe is threatened by the advance of Sinn Fein. They will use any tactics to do so. They do not care about libel or even fairness.
They never write about the issues that concern the poor and the people of no property. They are so preoccupied with Sinn Fein and Gerry Adams. The fail to recognise the key role played by Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein in bringing peace to this troubled land. That took immense courage but that is never acknowledged.
They are encouraged to write this rubbish by their owners and editors. It plays well with a section of the people who support Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and what’s left of the Labour party. Some day it will come back to haunt them just as the comments made about the 1916 Rising at the time both in the Irish Times and the Irish Independent are now seen as totally ridiculous. Long runs the fox!
So Father Joe believes opposing the violent ‘republican’ tradition means that one is arrogant and bitter and is promoting British propaganda.
Does he not realise the vast majority of Irish people oppose violent republicanism? It is the violent republicans who are out of line.
If we had one Unionist leader with the capacity to appreciate the height, depth and width of what is needed to bring real progress here. But we don’t. And that is a tragedy.
With Eoghan Harris I think it is just simple insanity, but as regards the others, they are what James Connolly referred to as ‘Prostitute Pressmen’.
It would not be surprising if in a hundred years time it emerged that people associated with the Independent were in the pay of MI5 and the British state. And not just the scribblers.
Unfortunately neither we nor they will be around to see it.
West Cork Harris is his title,a complete shyster,that fools nobody.
More power to Myers and company – every time I read any of them one realise how right one has been all these years.
Pity about Harris, when he writes about his West Cork background he’s very good, almost poetic.
This is just a rant full of man (and woman) playing insults against anyone who has the temerity to criticise Sinn Fein.
Ironically most of the insults could be levelled at Joe himself for he is often “arrogant” and “bitter” and could easily be called a “propagandist for the political establishment”,as SF are in fact the political establishment here.
He repeats the same pro Sinn Fein rhetoric week after week without any effort at balance…
And so on.
Gio
I think it would be optimistic to expect balance in many of the contributions from Fr Joe on this blogspot.It seems that his ideal newspaper would be a version of Pravda with articles faithfully spouting the Sinn Fein version of the world!As I continually mention,the nearest publication to that-Daily Ireland-died a slow death due to the faithful not purchasing it in sufficient numbers.The Sindo is certainly not without its faults,but in a supposedly free society,surely the population should be allowed freedom of choice!
Argie
I don’t really have any problem with Joe’s lack of balance.
The man believes what he believes,that is his right.
I just find it a bit rich for him to then complain about, and insult, others for expressing their views as is their right.
The question has been asked here more than once as to what organ of the media could be considered in any way acceptable,
As far as I can see we have the following all indulging in some form of anti SF propaganda:
BBC NI
BBC Radio Ulster
UTV
RTE (television)
RTE (radio)
The Newsletter
The Belfast Telegraph
The Irish News
The Independent
The Irish Times
The British Media in general too (when they can be bothered).
Er…I think that is everybody.
Only the doughty Andersonstown News can be relied on to give a clear and unbiased picture of what is going on.
Or just maybe they have some reason to be critical of SF.
It reminds me of the Simpsons episode when Sideshow Bob was greatly affronted to be led away in handcuffs, before it dawned on him;
“What? Oh yes,all that stuff I did”
Comprehensive list indeed, gio. Which of those listed would you say takes a republican perspective? Surely there must be at least one, on the law of averages if nothing else…
Jude
Are you assuming republican to mean pro Sinn Fein.? They don’t own the label ‘Republican’
Most of the outlets I listed present Sinn Fein or other republican views on a regular basis.
But if you are talking about one that is unequivocally pro Sinn Fein I suppose that must be Daily Ireland(circulation 10,000 in its heyday).Now what happened to it?
There is also An Phoblacht . What is its circulation?