On 29 June last I published a post entitled ‘The O’Rourke’s: A family of traitors’.
I have received a number of comments that require clarification.
Madeleine Cleary pointed out that my headline was incorrect. It should have read ‘The Lenihan family’ rather than ‘The O’Rourke family’.
I completely agree. My error can, I think, be attributed to the fact that the post was prompted after listening to comments by Mary O’Rourke. The headline has been corrected.
Fergus O’Rourke makes the odd claim that the post insults his family. He then goes on to accept that I was not referring to his family.
The only O’Rourke mentioned is a Lenihan by birth, and it is clearly Lenihans whom you intend to smear.
So why is Fergus insulted if he knows I was not referring to his family?
My intention was not to smear the Lenihan/O’Rourke family but rather to state a fact.
The definition of traitor, in the context of the term as I use it, is:
A person who commits treason by betraying his or her country.
I have no doubt that the vast majority of Irish citizens are of the belief that their politicians have betrayed them.
I believe that our political system is hopelessly corrupt and totally incapable of reforming itself.
I believe that politicians who openly and shamelessly support that corrupt system are traitors.
Mary O’Rourke, Brian Lenihan Snr., Brian Lenihan Jnr., Haughey, Bertie Ahern, Brian Cowen, John Gormley, Mary Harney, Michael McDowell and all the rest of the same flawed pedigree are traitors to Ireland and its people.
We only have to look around at the financial damage and personal suffering inflicted on the Irish people to see the proof of their betrayal.
Traitor is a word seems meaningless in the political context.
Control of all avenues to and of redress are absolute and that seems apparent as the consensus remains: “Ah shur”.
Politicians are the royal family of ireland. We may no longer have uk rule on most of the island yet we elect politicians that are sons, daughters, nephews etc. countless generation of td, senators and councillors. Many proven to be corrupt yet we still reelect them. We should catalogue every corruption, every allegation and point these out to the electorate the next time there is an election. Name and shame one and all. If you can find a clean politican in this country I would be shocked.