Category: Body Politic

Labour Senator Denis Landy: Not fit to be a public representative

Labour Senator Denis Landy is not a fit person to be a public representative. Not only is he a political coward but he has no respect whatsoever for the democratic institutions of our country.

It was therefore grotesquely hilarious to hear him whining (Morning Ireland, 10th item) about democracy when water protesters gave him a hard time recently during a protest outside our parliament, an institution which he holds in absolute comtempt.

Here’s why Landy is not a fit person to be a public representative.

In July 2013 Landy announced to the media that he had been effectively offered a bribe by a political person within the confines of the Oireachtas.

Despite the fact that this is one of the most serious crimes in political life, Landy refused to identify the person who offered him the bribe. He also refused to report the matter to the Gardai or Oireachtas authorities.

Incredibly, the Labour Party responded by saying the matter was a personal issue for Landy.

Just let me repeat that. The official policy of the Labour Party on bribing politicians is – it’s a personal matter for the politician involved.

Nothing to do with crime, law enforcement, the courts, prison or any stuff like that, stuff that’s the norm in functional democracies.

I made a formal complaint on the matter to the Gardai. Two years later, the investigation is still ‘ongoing’.

After a great deal of resistence I also managed to lodge a complaint against Landy with the Committee on Members’ Interests of Seanad Eireann.

The response of this Committee was just as disgraceful as Landy’s cowardly behaviour.

The Committee, chaired by Fine Gael TD Deirdre Clune, decided to discontinue the investigation principally because the coward Landy flatly refused to attend for questioning. Not only did he run away from his obligations as a public representative, he also hid behind his solicitor in all dealings with the Committee.

The final confirmation that Ireland is a banana republic came in a warning to me from the Committee that it was an offence to disclose information on the matter.

In other words, say nothing to the media – or else?

The water protesters, who rightly gave Landy a hard time in the recent protest, have more democratic principle and integrity in their little fingers than he will ever accumulate in a lifetime of pretending to be a principled public representative.

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Landy

Breaking: Pat Rabbitte launches new career

Pat Rabbitte is standing down from Irish politics but there are reports he’s attempting to launch a new career.

A spokesman for Rabbitte said that given his wide experience ranging from socialist, when he genuinely cared about ordinary people, to ruthless capitalist where he despises anybody earning less than a million, he’s a perfect candidate for any right wing organisation.

However, Rabbitte is not having much luck in his new career.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far right National Front in France has rejected his application to join the party. Le Pen is quoted as saying that Rabbitte was too far to the right, claiming his extreme views would damage the party’s image.

Kim Jong-un of North Korea said he was considering Rabbitte’s application but insisted that a positive response would depend on Rabbitte softening his attitude towards humanity and in particular to those struggling on social welfare.

Journalist Noel Whelan takes a peek into the real world

On 26 June last Irish Times establishment journalist Noel Whelan wrote an article in which he hinted that the real world was beginning to encroach on the comfortable, well insulated world of political journalism.

He wrote about the clubby relationship between politicians and journalists. He made the revolutionary suggestion that perhaps reducing the proximity of journalists to politicians might result in more critical, more objective criticism of the political system.

Ok, it’s only a tiny peek but, in fairness to Whelan, he’s the very first establishment journalist to even suggest that there’s another reality outside the comfortable, insulated world where he and his fellow journalists hog it up with mainstream politicians.

Here’s my interpretation of his article.

Irish Times correspondent Noel Whelan was enjoying his usual knees up with his political friends when, suddenly, there was an almighty bang on the door.

“Jesus, what the hell was that?”

“Relax Noel,” said Michael Noonan as he uncorked another bottle of champagne, “it’s just the peasants acting up again. They’ll calm down in a minute and if they don’t we’ll set the Guards on them; that usually does the trick.”

But Noel was worried, disturbed even. He had been attending these establishment parties for years now and while there had been rumblings from behind the reinforced doors before, he had never felt so uneasy. He decided to have a word with Frances Fitzgerald; surely the Minister for Justice would know what was going on.

“Ah Noel, is it yourself? I suppose you’re looking for a story as usual.”

“Well, no actually minister. To tell you the truth I’m a bit worried about all that noise coming from outside the fortress. Is there something happening out there that we don’t know about?”

“Now, now Noel. I knew you were looking for a story. Look, there’s my special advisor, he’s handing out the headlines today. Tell him I sent you over, he’ll give you a nice juicy story about that nasty Sinn Fein gang, it’ll make great headlines in tomorrow’s edition.”

Noel collected his story but, just as he was beginning to relax, there was a massive heave against the door and he could clearly hear some very angry shouts and curses.

Now alarmed, he ran to his friend, Taoiseach Enda.

“Enda, are you aware of what’s happening? There seems to be some very angry people outside our world, they sound very dangerous and I’m getting a bit scared.”

“There’s not a thing to be worried about Noel. It’s just the peasants getting over excited with all that supermarket drink. My minister for sticking it to drunken water protesters, Catherine Byrne, is on the case. She knows how to deal with such loutish behaviour.”

“Now toddle along Noel, I’ve a lecture to prepare for the Greeks on how to run a democracy.”

Now beginning to panic, Noel grabbed his Irish Times colleague Stephen Collins and found a clear glass window, something they had never seen before.

“Jesus,” said Collins, “what are all those things?”

“They’re ordinary people said Noel. I never met one but I remember reading about them once during my early days as a journalist.”

“Well I’ve never heard of them.” said a frightened Collins. “They look dirty, uneducated and….and…dangerous. You do what you want Noel but I’m staying in here with my political friends.”

“Yes,” said Noel, “I am too. But just to be on the safe side I’m going to write an article about these strange creatures in case they break into our world. Then I can say I knew about their existence all along.”

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Noel Whelan

Brian Lenihan documentary: A ruling elite propaganda exercise

I’ve just watched the RTE documentary on the late Brian Lenihan and it was difficult going. It was difficult because the production was little more than a propaganda broadcast on behalf of the Lenihan family and those who see themselves as the ruling elite in Ireland.

On a personal basis Brian Lenihan seems to have been a likeable and intelligent man, an intellectual. But he was also a traitor to his country.

When I say ‘traitor’ I don’t mean in the strong sense as when somebody provides information to an enemy that results in severe and immediate consequences for fellow citizens, including death.

Lenihan was a traitor in the sense that loyalty to his country was the least of his priorities. As a member of the ruling elite his priorities were as follows:

Himself and his family dynasty.
Himself and his social class.
Himself and his political party.
Himself and his country on the condition that the financial and political interests of the above were not in any way undermined.

Lenihan was a leading member of what is, in effect, an Irish aristocracy. Practically all other politicians are either members of this ruling elite, court followers or parasites endlessly kowtowing to their ‘betters’ in the hope of being thrown a few crumbs.

The churches, the legal community, big business and super-rich moguls, among others, support this ruling elite. They are also loyally supported and defended by a disturbingly large percentage of the media.

The first and most important principle of the ruling elite is – loyalty to each other. Severe consequences are imposed on anyone who betrays this principle. Former junior minister Roisin Shortall, for example, was immediately ejected from the club when she had the temerity to put personal integrity before loyalty to the ruling political class.

When a member of the elite dies, retires or resigns, all sins, crimes and betrayals are wiped from the record and, with unstinting support from a loyal mainstream media, their political careers are rewritten and manipulated to a point where any questioning of their pedigree is seen as vulgar and extreme.

Bertie Ahern, for example, was forced to resign in disgrace when he was caught lying under oath at the tribunal but the mainstream media rarely mentions this uncomfortable fact. Instead, we are subjected to a constant stream of drivel about the Peace Process and Ahern’s ‘courage’ in returning to the talks after his mother died.

The corrupt politician Haughey is another example. When the criminal died he was given a state funeral at which the liar Ahern told us that Haughey was a patriot to his fingertips. A liar politician stating that a criminal politician is a patriot is not at all seen as bizarre in the insulated bubble inhabited by the ruling elite and their media supporters.

And that’s what the Lenihan documentary was all about. It’s part of the now well-established strategy of rewriting the history of those who gave life-long loyalty to themselves and their class at the expense of Ireland and its people.

Happily, we are living through the dying days of this corrupt ruling elite.

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RTE
Fianna Fail

Journalists living in the bubble of the old regime

Sean O’Rourke, Harry McGee and Elaine Byrne are all establishment journalists who have little or no awareness of the extent or source of the ongoing and dramatic shift taking place across the Irish political landscape.

This is clearly evident from the content and tone of their analysis surrounding the emergence of the new political party involving TDs Catherine Murphy, Stephen Donnelly and Roisin Shortall.

Speaking on Today with Sean O’Rourke the journalists wondered who might join the new party, where the party might place itself on the political spectrum. Why, asked O’Rourke, would an independent want to join a political party and lose their appeal as an independent – riveting stuff.

Harry McGee spoke about the dangers of an independent losing status by joining a party. Elaine Byrne spoke about the fragmentation of Irish politics and wondered who would be the leader of the new party – scintillating analysis.

She did mention that Ireland has an unusually high number of independent representatives but she didn’t seem interested in the reason for this phenomenon – the absolute disgust and rejection by ordinary citizens of the politics of corruption that’s rampant within the mainstream parties.

O’Rourke asked his fellow journalists how they thought the independents would get on with each other on a personal basis – I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation as McGee and Byrne responded to this crucial line of analysis.

The entire discusson possessed about as much relevance to reality as three crew members of Titanic discussing the prospect of a pay rise as the ship sank beneath the icy waters of the Atlantic.

None of these establishment journalists seem to be aware that traditional Irish politics has been sinking in credibility and relevance for decades and in particular since the criminal politician Haughey began the process of infecting the body politic with the disease of corruption.

Elaine Byrne in particular, who has actually written a book on political corruption, doesn’t seem to be aware that the electorate is in the midst of a dramatic shift away from the old regime in reaction to the devastating consequences visited upon the country by political corruption.

All three journalists speak and analyse the political scene as if the rise of Sinn Fein, independents and the emergence of new political parties was simply an interesting but minor development within the old corrupt system rather than a force that has risen in response to the corruption of that regime and will almost certainly replace it.

The rise of Sinn Fein, the rise of Independents, the formation of new political parties are all directly related to the betrayal of Ireland and its people by the old, corrupt regime.

The emergence of a new politics is directly related to the fact that the old regime (Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour) has, over many decades, loyally served the corrupt political culture of clientelism, gombeenism and stroke politics rather than building a functional, properly accountable democracy.

It really is fascinating to observe journalists like O’Rourke, McGee and Byrne speak and analyse the current political scene through a mindset that evolved exclusively within the old, dying, political system.

If these journalists were aware of the reality of what’s happening on the ground in politics the conversation would have gone something like the following:

O’Rourke: Harry, what do you make of this latest fragmenation of politics which has obvious connections with political corruption?

McGee: Clearly that’s the case Sean. The global financial crisis of 2008 exposed Ireland for what it is, a backwater republic misgoverned by a mainly corrupt political regime. The proliferation of independents, the rise of Sinn Fein and now the emergence of new political parties are all indications that Irish citizens have at last rejected the old regime and are desperately searching for politicians who will serve the people and the country rather than the interests of bankers, property developers and billionaire moguls.

O’Rourke: Would you go along with that view Elaine?

Byrne: Absolutely. What we are witnessing is the culmination of a long era of corruption that began when Haughey came to power in 1979. This Fine Gael/Labour government is just the latest manifestation of that culture of corruption that has done untold damage to Ireland and its people. We are, I believe, in a transition period between the fall of the old regime and the rise of a genuine, democratic type of politics. Politicians like Roisin Shortall, Catherine Murphy, Stephen Donnelly and indeed Sinn Fein are leading the way in responding to what is, in effect, a rebellion by a large percentage of the people.

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Sean O’Rourke, Harry McGee, Elaine Byrne

Ireland is an intrinsically corrupt state

What we are witnessing as a result of the current constitutional crisis and the reactions/responses of those involved is nothing less than the final unmasking of a fact long asserted on this website – Ireland is an intrinsically corrupt state.

I believe we are now entering end game in this process. There can only be one of two outcomes.

One: The corrupt political/business powers will win out and defeat the people and democracy. If that happens Ireland will become a visible banana republic, there will be the rulers and the ruled.

The institutions of the state, which have been covertly supporting the corrupt for decades, will be openly employed to protect and promote the interests of the corrupt. The people will only be required to do what they have abeen effectively doing for decades – vote in sham elections, pay taxes and keep their mouths shut.

Or:

Two: The people will rebel against the corrupt system and take back their democracy. This has already begun with the radicalisation of a significant percentage of the people over the water tax. It is vital that this rebellion continues to grow so that it attains a degree of power sufficient to dispose of the current corrupt political sysem in its entirity.

Lucinda Creighton needs to leave the land of small minds

Lucinda Creighton formed her new party Renua, at least partly, because she realised, rightly, that there was something seriously wrong with the mainstream political system.

Forming a new party to challenge the (corrupt) political status quo takes courage but above all it requires a deep and accurate understanding of what the problem actually is and a very focused strategy to bring radical change.

Creighton cannot bring radical change becasue she has only the vaguest idea of what the actual problem is and therefore is not in a postion to make the necessary reforms.

A quick analysis of her article in last Saturday’s Irish Daily Mail in which she reponds to the Siteserv scandal proves the point.

She says:

What has emerged this week carries echoes of the insider culture that prevailed during the Brian Cowen/Bertie Ahern era.

Note her use of the past tense. The insider culture she speaks of has been abusing Ireland and its people since 1922. In 1979, when the criminal politician Haughey came to power, the culture went toxic eventually resulting in the financial catastrophe of 2008.

That culture is still there, it’s still toxic, it’s still destroying the lives, ambitions and dreams of countless citizens while clueless politicians like Creighton continue to make idiotic and completely meaningless statements like.

We need a thorough and truly independent investigation that leaves no stone unturned.

But her next idea proves beyond a shadow of doubt that this politician floats around in the same fantasy world occupied by most of her gombeen colleagues.

I suggest that perhaps this could be a matter left to the Banking Inquiry.

Policitians like Creighton need to leave the land of small minds if they want to make a real difference.

They need to listen (22nd min) to and act on the advice of commentators like Phillip Blond.

You have an enormous gap between an electorate that is desperate for something new and a political system that is just offering again and again versions of the same thing…The tragedy of Ireland is… this is a population that’s on the edge of insurgency but there are no insurgents…so the Oppositioin has be become insurgents but their too frightened to move..they’re too conventional.

Brian Hayes and the big gombeen lie

In 2006 the then Justice Minister Michael McDowell branded Fine Gael TD Richard Bruton the Dr. Goebbels of propaganda.

Shortly afterwards he unreservedly apologised and shook the hand of Bruton on the floor of the Dail. McDowell said his remarks were over-the-top, unacceptable and intemperate.

It’s unlilkely we’ll witness a similar response from Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes to his latest anti Sinn Fein rant in the Irish Independent.

Hitler, Goebbels, cult, murder machine, big lie are words and names littered all over Mr. Hayes’ article.

It’s grotesquely hilarious to witness the likes of Hayes accuse Sinn Fein of Nazi like propaganda strategies while employing those very same strategies himself.

There are two reasons why we won’t be seeing an apology from Mr. Hayes for his intemperate and unacceptable language.

Firstly, Michael McDowell and Richard Bruton are members of the ruling elite of this country, they’re insiders. Members of this elite do not refer to each other as Nazi’s. It’s unacceptable and intemperate behaviour. McDowell realised this and apologised.

Secondly, Sinn Fein are not only outsiders but are rapidly building a power base that threatens to bring down the exclusive insider’s club that’s directly responsible for leading the country over the cliff of misery and poverty.

Operating within his comfortable bubble of delusion Mr. Hayes seems to be completely unaware that ordinary citizens have woken up to the big gombeen lie that he and his fellow politicians have been peddling for decades.

Irish citizens are no longer prepared to put up with the corrupt political regime that has betrayed their interests for so long.

Copy to:
Brian Hayes

Una Mullally’s misplaced confidence in young political leadership

Nothing will change in this country if the same people run, the same people are elected, the same people make decisions on our behalf.

This is the opinion expressed by Una Mullally in today’s Irish Times. Unfortunately, the ‘our’ Ms. Mullally speaks of is the young people of Ireland.

In other words, she is writing about yet another interest group that is primarily concerned about their own particular needs.

In addition to the traditional complaints about third-level fees and accommodation Ms. Mullally suggests that young people should be given a quota for election candidates along the same lines as that already provided for woman candidates.

She writes of ‘rumblings’ from young people who have emigrated and occasional (revolutionary?) calls for votes from abroad.

She writes of ‘a simmering of sorts’ of political engagement that she hopes will start boiling.

She demands:

Our political system needs to take young politicised people seriously.

No it doesn’t. Our corrupt political system will ignore any group that fails to make a significant challenge to its activities.

And young people as a group, as a force for real change, as a stand alone, independent movement challenging the rotten status quo is, as far as I can see, non-existent.

Yes, there are plenty of young people involved in the Water Tax protests. In other words, involved in a genuine revolutionary challenge against what Mullally correctly describes as the male, white, middle-class, middle-aged, conservative demographic.

But what Ms. Mullally is really writing about is her unbounded admiration for what she believes is an emerging cadre of new, idealistic political leaders.

She quotes chairwoman of the Young Greens Lorna Bogue’s opinion of the political status quo.

I’m just kind of tired of middle-aged men pissing away my future all the time.

I couldn’t agree more but, unfortunately for any hopes of a new standard of political leadership, Ms. Bogue is in the wrong party. The Greens are led by Eamon Ryan, a middle-aged man whose party pissed all over young and old when in Government.

See here for Ryan’s cowardly/bizarre denial that his party supported Bertie Ahern when he was lying to the Tribunal.

See here for my recent open letter to Mr. Ryan regarding his party’s betrayal of Ireland and its people while in government.

So what should young people be doing?

Here’s a suggestion.

The amalgamation of every student union in the country to form a nucleus for the creation of a national young people’s revolutionary movement with the express intention of bringing down the corrupt, middle-class, conservative political system that has been pissing all over Irish citizens for decades.

Failing that I would invite Ms. Bogue to make a direct challenge to Eamon Ryan concerning the disgraceful behaviour of the Green Party while in power and demand that he apologise for the party’s betrayal of the people of Ireland.