Marian Finucane was very angry.
I’m sickened she said, absolutely sickened.
So what triggered this uncharacteristic bout of high emotion from this most conservative, establishment journalist?
Was it the mayhem and murder in the Middle East? Was it the horrifying spread of the Ebola virus? Was it even the latest incidence of political or business corruption here in Ireland?
No, none of these. What sickened Ms. Finucane was the political maneuvering of various UK political parties in response to the Scottish independence referendum.
This from a journalist who rarely bats an eyelid when reporting on the ever present, cynical, lying, corrupt, self-serving, traitorous behaviour of our home grown politicians.
This from a journalist who regularly interviews these gangsters while treating them with the utmost respect.
What we are witnessing here is a uniquely Irish mindset.
If ‘sickening’ events happen in Ireland there is endless analysis/talk/waffle and whatever you’re having yourself. All the ins and outs, all the angles, all the possible responses/solutions and resolutions are discussed in never ending circles.
There is just one simple but unbreakable rule – you must never, ever, ever actually face or talk about reality.
The truth must never be actually acknowledged. To do so would be truly sickening, there would be journalists/politicians/officials and commentators gagging all over the place.
On the other hand, when ‘sickening’ events occur outside Ireland our commentariat can instantly recognise/assess and analyse the matter without the slightest hint of waffle or denial.
For example, later on during the same programme Ms. Finucane was shocked to hear that a FIFA report into corruption was to be kept secret.
She could see instantly that secrecy surrounding such a powerful and rich organisation could not be healthy.
But when reporting on Irish politics/business affairs she seems to be blissfully ignorant of the fact that Ireland is the most secretively governed state in the Western world.
Just days ago, for example, we learned that the Dept. of Justice refused to give any details whatsoever about mult-million euro contracts set up by the Reception and Integration Agency last year. Millions of euro’s and we’re told to take a hike, it’s none of our business, just keep paying the taxes.
She was even more shocked (perhaps even sickened) to learn that FIFA is a registered charity. What?….A billion dollar organisation is registered as a charity.
Again, Ms. Finucane instantly realised that such an arrangement could, at the very least, be somewhat dodgy.
But, again, her surprise suggests that she’s unaware that the charity industry in Ireland is, for the most part, a well greased mechanism for massive tax evasion and fraud. She must also be unaware that the industry, which is worth over 8 billion per annum, much of it taxpayers’ money, is practically unregulated.
A perfect description of the Irish political system.