The most deadly animal of all: The raging elephant of corruption

Two recent events serve to demonstrate just how far this country is away from facing reality.

Labour Senator Denis Landy publicly announced that someone had attempted to bribe him within the confines of our parliament.

The media response to this sensational event was moderate at best. There was no state response whatsoever.

A mother and child were attacked by a Tapir in Dublin zoo.

The media response was wall to wall and even now, days after the event, it is still being reported.

Take RTE for example: The incident was reported and analysed at length on Morning Ireland, Today with Myles Dungan, News at One, Liveline and Drivetime.

It made headline news for several days in all the newspapers and some even felt the need to make editorial comment.

On Liveline we heard Joe Duffy asking a caller such penetrating questions as:

Would a sheep make such an attack?

Oh yes, replied the caller, but sheep are weak so wouldn’t do as much damage.

Another caller went into forensic detail about how she was savagely attacked by a cat fourteen weeks ago.

Was it painful, asked Joe?

I never felt pain like it said the savaged woman.

Describe the cat, prompted Joe.

After a detailed description of the deadly cat the woman pleaded with the nation to be on the lookout for the monster.

She finished by warning the nation of just how deadly cats can be.

Cats are more dangerous than dogs because they constantly clean themselves. It’s the salvia, you know, all the germs are collected in the salvia and if they bite you, well, you’re doomed.

Notwithstanding the horror and pain suffered by the victims in Dublin zoo, this event is a non-story. The mother tapir, like all mothers, acted to defend her offspring – end of story.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party, elected to power principally to deal with the rampant political and financial corruption that effectively destroyed the lives of a majority of Irish citizens, announced that the bribery allegations made by Senator Landy had nothing to do with them. It was a private matter for the Senator and they were going to do nothing.

As a country we have not moved ahead by one inch in tackling the disease of political/financial corruption since the days when the criminal politician Haughey made such activity an integral part of our national heritage.

Instead, we grasp at any excuse, no matter how ridiculous, to avoid talking about the most deadly animal of all – the raging elephant of corruption that’s dancing all over our lives.