Category: Body Politic

2015 will decide who wields power – the people or the corrupt ruling elite

To begin the New Year I’m going to restate the philosophy of this website.

Ireland is an intrinsically corrupt state.

By this I mean:

One: There is no independent state authority that has the power, resources, will or courage to challenge the rampant corruption that has done, and continues to do, so much damage to Ireland and its people.

This is no accident. Over the decades the corrupt body politic has ensured that all state agencies, including the police, are dependent on the favour of politicians if they want to keep their jobs and progress their careers.

Two: The proof of this fact can be observed every time corruption is brought to public attention. State agencies either ignore such corruption or, in many cases, actively take steps to protect the corrupt. The recent return of the Ansbacher files is a case in point.

Inevitably, this political/administrative corruption drove the citizens of Ireland over the cliff of catastrophe into the pits of despair in 2008. Since then the corrupt system has been desperately trying to reassert its power.

If it succeeds, Ireland will become a visible banana republic where the gap between the powerful and the powerless will become a permanent, and acceptably normal part of our culture.

To prevent this happening the people of Ireland need to rise up and destroy the system that has betrayed every principle of democracy and decency.

Talk of political reform is useless, that moment passed decades ago. Only the deluded believe that those who benefit enormously from our corrupt system will willingly push the button of their own self-destruction.

The people rebelled when the property tax was introduced. That rebellion was squashed when the corrupt system brought in the heavy artillery of Revenue.

The rebellion was re-ignited and became much stronger with the attempted introduction of water charges which politicised a significant section of the electorate.

But the rebellion is not about water charges, it’s not about any particular political party, it’s not even about this government.

It’s about the fact that the Irish people have finally woken up to the reality that they have been betrayed by a diseased and traitorous political system.

2015 will decide whether the people regain their democratic rights or are condemned forever to live under the oppression of the current ruling elite.

Journalist Michael Clifford: Getting it wrong on the bank inquiry

According to journalist Michael Clifford the lack of a paper trail concerning the major decisions taken during the 2008 financial crisis is of minor importance (Irish Examiner).

If that were all that was wrong in the department, we’d all be in clover.

In his article Clifford leads the raging elephant of political/administrative corruption into the room, sticks a long, well sharpened spear up the creatures rear end to ensure maximum pain and then proceeds to completely ignore the ensuing rampage.

Instead he focuses on what he obviously believes are more important aspects of the first days of the latest banking inquiry.

Like, for example, how finance officials had to go home to find out details of that year’s budget or how Fianna Fail is reacting to the inquiry.

This journalist could not be more wrong.

The lack of a paper trail is the single most important aspect of the entire disgraceful episode because it tells us just how corrupt our political/administrative system has become.

Allow me to analyse Clifford’s raging elephant in the room.

Rob Wright, the Canadian public servant who compiled a report on how the Department of Finance was asleep at the wheel during the boom, gave evidence.

Rob Wright is wrong in his conclusion that the Department was asleep at the wheel.

The Department of Finance was not asleep at the wheel. The Department was fully aware of what was happening throughout the boom years, the Central Bank, Revenue and all other relevant state agencies also knew exactly what was happening.

No action was taken because our corrupt political system was, and still is, more concerned with protecting the interests of those who benefitted hugely from the boom than they were/are in the interests of the Irish people.

All our state agencies, including the police, operate under the direct control of our corrupt political system.

Wright was ‘flummoxed’ by the lack of a paper trail surrounding the major decisions made during the crisis.

He was told by many public servants that it was the Freedom of Information Act that was to blame. Nobody wanted to commit to paper anything that might come back to haunt them.

There could be serious ‘hassle’, he was told, if an FOI request revealed a difference of opinion between a minister and a civil servant.

One minister, we’re told, ‘had a lot of concern’ about the Freedom of Information Act after one such revelation.

It is deeply disturbing that civil servants can casually dismiss their disgraceful actions/inactions because of a fear of ‘hassle’ from a minister.

It is deeply disturbing that a minister (and, of course, he/she is not alone in this) expresses concern at the prospect of citizens becoming properly informed by way of an FOI.

It is deeply disturbing that any meeting of ministers and their senior public servants could be conducted without any notes/record being taken never mind the major, life impacting decisions taken during the financial crisis.

To put it bluntly, only those in charge of the most perverse, corrupt, diseased banana republic would think it acceptable to make such decisions while consciously deciding to keep no record in case they were made to account for their betrayal.

As far as I am aware, and I hope to check on this further in the coming year, there is a legal requirement for civil servants to record all minutes of all government/ministerial meetings.

Journalist Clifford ends his article:

The jury is still out on whether this whole thing will amount to a hill of beans.

Wrong again:

The jury is in, every informed person knows what happened, knows that the current inquiry is a disgraceful farce, knows that it won’t even amount to a hill of beans.

The people, in recent elections, polls and protests, have given their verdict – Guilty.

They have delivered their sentence – The abolition of our corrupt political/administrative system.

All that remains is for the sentence to be carried out and, hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later.

Copy to:
Michael Clifford
Department of Finance
All political parties

Eoghan Murphy: Political reform? Yes, but only if the ruling elite hold power

Fine Gael TD (and political coward) Eoghan Murphy is continuing his crusade to reform Irish politics before the evil ones in Sinn Fein and other ‘lefties’ seize power and destroy the great civilisation so labourisly built up, brick by democratic brick, by Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour over the decades.

Speaking on the Today with Sean O’Rourke Murphy, a serious competitor to Leo Varadkar for political Messiah of the decade, repeated his call for political reform.

The Irish Water debacle represents a failure of the political system, we’ve got to hold the Government to account, we’ve got to get rid of the Economic Management Council (EMC).

And then…and then…he said something profound….wait for it…wait for it.

We have to stop making these mistakes because we have a history of making bad mistakes in our political system because the system is the way it is.

I swooned at the sheer depth, the sheer insight of this young visionary.

Why oh why, I cried, did none of our past Great Leaders, who built our magnificent democracy with their bare hands, without an expense sheet in sight, not possess the wisdom of this Messiah?

But there was more…much more.

Just yesterday, said the brave Eoghan, I was talking to the Great Leader himself; the Great Enda and I told him (again) about my blueprint for political reform that I put to paper in 2012.

Go forth young man, said the Great One, go forth and consult with your colleagues and when you have done so, come back to me and we will make history, we will save the people from the evil lefties.

(As the Great Enda turned away he was heard to mutter – Feckin’ eejit).

And then, before I could catch my breath – another flash of wisdom from Murphy.

There’s a desire, particularly among new TDs who aren’t used to the old way of doing things, to give more powers to the Dail.

My God, I screamed – more power for the people’s parliament? Is there no end to this man’s vision?

Ok, he’s not promising full power to parliament, like real democracies, but you can see where he’s going. Some day, perhaps in a few decades, full democracy may reign in the land.

At this stage I was on my knees, praying to the radio. A promise of real democracy albeit at some point in the future, deliverance from the evil lefties.

Free at last, I thought, free at last – Hallelujah.

And then…..a crushing blow when the great reformer was asked:

Do you think your fellow TD Noel Coonan was fair in comparing Left wing politicians with ISIS?

Well, ya know, Noel’s an emotional guy. I think he was trying to express the disappointment we all have when we see parliamentary colleagues like the Murph going out and showing their kind of leadership which is trying to stoke civil unrest, it seems, and to be very unfair towards fellow parliamentarians.

If that’s the Left’s definition of leadership I think it’s a very poor one, it’s not to be welcomed and Noel was trying to speak to that.

Well feck it anyway. One simple question with a simple answer and the Great Messiah couldn’t do it.

The gombeen gene is so deeply ingrained in his political brain that it instantly triggered a reversion to the old way of doing things.

A politically intelligent politician would simply have admitted that Coonan had been a bit over the top and that would have been fine, well, by Irish political standards anyway.

But no, this ‘reforming’ Fine Gael TD was not now, not ever going to criticise one from his own tribe no matter how stupid, insulting or inflammatory his views.

It’s all very well referring to the lefties as a sinister lot, all very well trying to educate the peasants about what’s best for them, all very well preaching democracy, accountability and political reform but criticise a fellow member of the long established ruling class – no way, that’s not going to happen.

Copy to:

Eoghan Murphy
Fine Gael

Fionnan Sheahan: An 'Independent' and 'enlightened' journalist

During the pro government love-in on the Marian Finucane Show last Sunday Fionnan Sheahan, political editor of ‘Independent’ Newspapers did, like so many other establishment journalists, allow that the great unwashed do have a right to protest.

But, his generous concession to the masses came with a dire warning.

It would be a shame if recent events such as we saw here would tarnish everybody who decides to take to the streets.

The pro government panel all muttered in solemn agreement. And I’m sure I could hear a distant murmur from the listening peasantry recognizing the wisdom and charity of this fine Irish ‘Independent’ journalist.

Somebody said to be recently, the great seer went on:

It takes a lot to get Paddy out on the streets but when he gets out there you can’t get him off again.

The pro government panel all dutifully laughed at the humorous wisdom of this great national philosopher.

I see outside Leinster House on a weekly basis groups of people from all parts of the country coming up taking up their protests and you have to say, more power to them and it’s only right and proper that they be allowed to do that.

This generous and unsought sentiment, I must admit, brought me to the edge of tears – ‘it’s only right and proper that they be allowed to do that.’

My God, I thought, the Irish peasantry is so lucky to have such an enlightened journalist recognise their democratic rights.

And, it must be remembered, this weekly engagement with the peasantry outside Leinster House probably occurs when the journalist is on his way to meet the Great Leader and his hard working fellow politicians as they beaver away protecting the democratic rights of the sadly, ignorant and unappreciative masses.

It’s no easy thing to mix in such exalted circles while at the same time retaining an understanding of the coarser feelings of the common citizenry.

I think our problem here is, you’re seeing fringe elements now attaching themselves to legitimate people.

The pro government panel all murmured in agreement at this warning to the ‘legitimate’ people of Ireland – whoever they are.

And, to be fair to this most unbiased of journalists, he does clearly take ownership of his views when he states ‘I think our problem is.

The ‘our’ he speaks of is, of course, those on the pro government panel, the government and wider body politic (excluding certain sinister elements, naturally) and his bosses at ‘Independent’ Newspapers.

Love/Hate fiction more rational than our corrupt body politic

I tuned into RTEs John Murray Show yesterday morning where the discussion centred on some fictional series called Love/Hate.

Murray and his guest were very excited about the horror featured in the show and wondered would there be another series.

Having never watched an episode of the show I got bored and switched over to another channel for the news but, to my amazement, the same fictional series was been seriously reported and analysed as if it was real – on news programmes for feck sake.

And so it was throughout the day, Newstalk, Today FM, RTE, Liveline, Drivetime, News at One, Six One News and many more, all reporting, analysing, debating, anguishing, speculating who will die next, will there be another series.

The producer, actors, RTE’s head of drama and whoever you’re having yourself were all interviewed at length as to their reaction to this fictional programme.

Actors spoke in shock about the horror they felt as they acted, I stress, acted, in the programme, commentators wondered would the actors/viewers need psychological help in dealing with the fiction, I stress, fiction.

In our bizarre state fiction had finally merged with what passes for reality.

I wondered why and, very quickly, the answer came as I listened to reports of the latest political scandal involving allegations of serious tax evasion by senior politicians.

The family of former Fine Gael TD, Attorney General and High Court judge, Declan Costello claimed he had ‘forgotten’ he had a Guinness and Mahon bank account and he never did anything wrong anyway so stop asking question.

Then I heard the Minister for Enterprise and Jobs, Richard Bruton, without the slightest sign of embarrassment, tell the nation that the witness statement he received from the whistle blower, which contained very serious allegations against senior politicians and state agencies like Revenue, the Gardai and the Office of Corporate Enforcement, remained hidden in his office for two full years because someone in the department had retired.

And I thought to myself – No, the nation’s media treating a fictional series as if it was real is not really all that surprising.

In fact, it’s more rational than the horrific reality we suffer every day under the jackboot of our corrupt body politic.

Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy is a political coward

Do you rate Enda Kenny?

Yes, I think he’s done an excellent job for the country.

With this short sentence Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy totally destroyed his credibility.

Murphy was all over the media today telling us how important it was to reform the political system to protect the nation from the terrible prospect of Sinn Fein getting into power.

Before exposing the rank hypocrisy of this politician let’s outline some background to the political system he suddenly sees as needing reform.

The political/administrative system that Murphy supports is 100% responsible for the destruction of our country.

It was this corrupt political/administrative system that drove the country and with it the wealth, dreams and futures of a large percentage of the population over the cliff of despair.

Sinn Fein had absolutely nothing to do with the betrayal of our country; Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour were the chief architects of the catastrophe.

Enda Kenny is the Taoiseach. He announced to the nation that a democratic revolution was in process after the last election, he promised to make the government accountable – He lied.

Deputy Murphy is a political coward because he’s afraid to utter this obvious truth.

Instead, like all of his fellow cowardly colleagues, he makes the arrogant assumption that the people will believe anything and so he tells us that Kenny is too busy to engage in political reform.

Or, to make an analogy – the captain of Titanic is too busy checking accounts to bother about the sinking ship.

On Newstalk (6 min) Murphy told us that this generation of new politicians had a responsibility to reform how politics was done.

He cited the ramming through of legislation establishing Irish Water in just three hours as an example of how undemocratic politics has become.

We should have had the courage of our convictions, to stand up and say, we’re not going to be abused this way.

The problem is that Murphy and his fellow cowards didn’t stand up, they did allow themselves and democracy and the Irish people to be abused by our corrupt political/administrative system just as generations of politicians have done over the decades.

Neither did the coward stand up when the ‘busy’ Taoiseach’ abused democracy with his interference in the bank inquiry.

The coward again failed to stand up for his convictions when the ‘busy’ Taoiseach was abusing democracy over the McNulty scandal.

Now, suddenly, with Sinn Fein becoming ever more powerful the coward has begun to grow a pair of balls or, more accurately, a pair of self-protection balls.

I trust Enda Kenny, I trust Joan Burton, I trust all (the current politicians who are in power) but if a new government came in (Sinn Fein) and the Dail could not keep that new government to account I think that would be very worrying.

We have to think about putting protections into our political system for the future.

Murphy’s mindset tells us how warped political thinking has become in our blighted country.

He fully supports Taoiseach Enda Kenny, the current leader of our corrupt political/administrative system, the system that destroyed the country and continues to abuse both democracy and the people.

He agrees that political reform is needed but not for the good of the people, the country or democracy.

No, he wants reform because the corrupt system he supports is in danger of being wiped out by a new political force that may actually tell the truth, may actually work for the good of the country and its people instead of betraying every democratic principle in existence.

Copy to:
Fine Gael
Eoghan Murphy

Senator Power: A gormless gombeen clone

Fianna Fail senator Averil Power was clear and passionate about her reasons for entering politics.

The reason I got involved in politics is because I want to be involved in the present and I want to be involved in trying to change things and I’m genuine about that and I see there are other young members, people like Martin, (Conway FG senator).

There are new people across all parties that want to change and I think what we need to learn is how do we change the system, how do we put in place a proper system of transparency and scrutiny.

Sadly for the people of Ireland senator Power is nothing more than your average gormless gombeen politician whose loyalty is strictly confined to her own career, her constituents who are the fodder for her election campaigns and her corrupt party.

We know Power is a gormless gombeen because she speaks the exact same language as that spoken by every other gombeen politician down through the decades.

She speaks the language that destroys democracy; that brings untold misery on ordinary citizens while enriching those in the golden circle.

In a discussion on the Fine Gael McNulty political stroke Vincent Browne put it to senator Power (13.40 min.) that Fianna Fail had brought such cronyism to a fine art over the years and that it was a joke to pretend that it was all in the past.

Power responded exactly as countless other Fianna Fail gombeen politicians have responded in the past.

I think there were a lot of mistakes made in the past.

Mistakes, mistakes, thundered Browne who went on to tear strips out of the hapless politician.

Are you seriously suggesting that Fianna Fail’s policy of cronyism and stroke politics over decades and decades in office was nothing more than a mistake?

Power then compounded her gombeenism with political stupidity by challenging Browne, not once, but twice, to give her even one example of Fianna Fail ever appointing anyone to a board in such a manner.

The very fact that Power made the challenge in the first place suggested that she was familiar with the history of Fianna Fail, that she could stand over anything Browne could throw at her regarding her party’s past behaviour.

Yet, when Browne met her challenge by recounting a similar example of stroke politics by Fianna Fail, Power claimed she had never read about that incident and that in any case she was just four years of age when it occurred.

There are three aspects of senator Power’s typically gombeen performance I will comment on.

One: Fianna Fail is the party that invented and infected the political system with cronyism and stroke politics. The corruption introduced by Fianna Fail into the political system was the direct cause of the 2008 economic catastrophe that has impoverished so many Irish citizens.

That cronyism/corruption is still alive and well today in Fianna Fail and the wider body politic. That culture of corruption is still inflicting untold damage on Ireland and its people; we only have to listen to the news to confirm the truth of this.

Two: Senator Power’s abdication of responsibility for the disgraceful history of her party is, at best, dishonest.

When she joined Fianna Fail she was signing up to that party’s history in addition to its current policies and conduct.

As a member of that organisation and as a public representative she has an obligation to know the history of her party and to state clearly where she stands on its disgraceful betrayal of the Irish people.

Three: Her claim that young politicians in the mainstream parties are the future hope for political reform is grotesquely laughable.

There is not a single young politician within the mainstream parties with the courage to step out and challenge the culture of cronyism and corruption that does so much damage to Ireland and its people.

They are all, like senator Power, pathetic clones of their older gombeen peers.

I’ll end by speaking a language that senator Power will not understand, a language she has never heard of or studied.

Vincent Browne: Senator, would you agree that your party took this type of cronyism to a fine art over many years in office?

Senator: Yes, I fully agree with that statement and I would like to go even further.

As a new and young member of the party I want to condemn and totally reject the corrupt behaviour of previous party members and leaders over the years. I recognise and apologise to the people of Ireland for the massive damage done to their interests as a result of that corruption.

I pledge here and now, live on air, that I will work to rid Irish politics, and my party in particular, of the disease of corruption, cronyism and stroke politics.

I realise this is a politically dangerous stand for me to take but I believe it’s worth the risk, not just to protect my personal integrity, but in the hope that I can make some recompense to the Irish people for the damage done by my party.

Copy to:
Senator Power

Labour Senator Aideen Hayden is a traitor

Labour Senator Aideen Hayden is a traitor to Ireland and its people.

Hayden is a traitor because her loyalty is, first and foremost, to herself, to her party and to her government.

By definition, any politician who supports the type of stroke politics surrounding the McNulty scandal is acting against the interests of Ireland and its people.

Three times Hayden was asked to demonstrate her loyalty to her country and three times she chose to give her loyalty to the diseased political system that has brought catastrophe on the Irish people.

Do you think it was a stroke?

Hayden: I’m not in a position to say it was a stroke.

Was she incorrect in appointing him?

Hayden: I’m not going to say whether she was correct or incorrect.

Do we have openness and transparency here?

Hayden: Labour Party ministers when they are appointing members to state boards use the public recruitment process. I would suggest that Fine Gael does the same.

It could be argued that Heyden is not a conscious traitor in the traditional sense but that point is not relevant in Ireland any more.

Catastrophe was visited upon the Irish people in 2008 resulting in massive pain and damage to countless citizens.

Every political party has accepted that the political system played a major role in the disaster, it has been accepted that the system is not fit for purpose, that radical and immediate reform is urgently required.

This government, under the banner of a so-called democratic revolution, promised to implement such reform, to rid the country of stroke politics, once and for all.

This latest scandal give the lie to that promise. Hayden’s support of the lie places her in the camp of the traitors who have betrayed the country once again.

Hayden is not, of course, the only traitor. Taoiseach Enda Kenny is also a traitor and a liar, he lied when he said he would rid the country of gombeen politics.

Every politician who supports or defends this latest political stroke is a traitor. Every politician who fails to challenge this latest attack on democracy place themselves in the traitor’s camp.

The time for political reform in Ireland passed many years ago. The diseased system, peopled by gombeens, cowards and self-serving traitors, is irretrievably corrupt.

No reform will happen, no justice will be forthcoming, no democracy will operate until the rotten system is completely eradicated from our culture and replaced with a functional democratic system peopled by citizens who understand what it means to loyally serve their country.

Copy to:

Senator Hayden
Taoiseach Enda Kenny
Fine Gael
Labour

Joan Burton: Time to leave the dark cave of hypocrisy

Yesterday I wrote about Joan Burton’s visionless political pedigree most clearly exposed by her hypocritical attitude to coalition with Sinn Fein.

Here’s how I think a political leader operating outside the narrow-minded, corrupt, self-serving system under which Burton forms her political views would respond.

Tubridy: Mr. Sheridan, as leader of the New Ireland Party would you go into coalition with Sinn Fein?

Sheridan: Let me be absolutely clear on this question. What you are really asking me is – Do I think Sinn Fein has cut itself off from all paramilitary involvement, do I think the party now operates as a fully fledged legitimate democratic political party?

My answer is a resounding – Yes.

And I am not alone in this view. The United States, the United Nations, the European Union, the Unionist community in Northern Ireland, the Queen of England and the vast majority of citizens in the Republic, Northern Ireland and the UK also hold this view.

The only group of people who refuse to accept this political fact are the leaders of the mainstream parties in this country.

So yes, we would go into coalition with Sinn Fein if both our parties could agree on a reasonable and comprehensive programme of government particularly on economic policy.

Tubridy: But what about Sinn Fein’s violent past, what about the other mainstream parties who have rejected Sinn Fein because of its terrorist past? What about Joan Burton’s assertion that there remains a nexus between Sinn Fein and the IRA? Are you not worried that Sinn Fein may use that nexus to bring down the state?

Sheridan: Joan Burton’s claim that there remains a nexus between Sinn Fein and the IRA is very serious. If the claim is true then there could be very serious consequences not just for the citizens of the republic but also for those in the UK and indeed for the Peace Process itself.

To my knowledge there is no evidence whatsoever for the claim but if Ms. Burton is in possession of such evidence then she has a duty to make it public and forward details to the relevant authorities.

Tubridy: Do you think such evidence exists?

Sheridan: No.

Tubridy: Then why do you think she and indeed all the other mainstream party leaders continue to make such claims?

Sheridan: Political fear of Sinn Fein’s success, nothing else. Instead of accepting Sinn Fein’s bona fides like the rest of the world the mainstream parties have retreated into the dark cave of hypocrisy.

On the one hand they declare to the world how delighted they are with the Peace Process and praise Sinn Fein’s contribution while on the other they claim that Sinn Fein is still connected with terrorism and the IRA.

This political strategy is as weak as it is insulting to the intelligence of citizens of Ireland and the rest of the world. It is also an indication of how bankrupt the Irish political system is of real courage and vision, something that is absolutely vital for the future of our country.

Tubridy: Have you any advice for Joan Burton on this question?

Sheridan: Yes, as a new party leader and Tanaiste she has a golden and once in a political lifetime opportunity to make a real difference for her party.

By simply announcing that the Labour Party now accepts what the rest of the world accepted years ago she would immediately remove her party from the dark cave of hypocrisy leaving Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to hug each other in their cold political idiocy.

By accepting political reality Ms. Bruton would also elevate her position as a political leader and provide her party with a huge political advantage in negotiating what form the next government takes.

Tubridy: What are the chances that she will go down that road?

Sheridan: Zero.

Joan Burton: A less than ordinary political leader

Tanaiste and leader of the Labour Party Joan Burton is a less than ordinary political leader.

She is, like the vast majority of Irish politicians, a creature of our intrinsically corrupt political/administrative system.

She has no vision whatsoever for Ireland and its people.. She is, like the majority of politicians, so much a part of the rotten system that’s she’s completely unaware of how desperate citizens are for a leader who will destroy that system and replace it with a genuine democracy.

Her recent appearance on the Late Late Show where she was questioned about her attitude to coalition with Sinn Fein confirms her political ignorance and ineptitude. (My analysis appears in brackets).

Ryan Tubridy: Would you go into coalition with Sinn Fein?

Burton: I believe Sinn Fein still has questions to answer. There’s a nexus between Sinn Fein and the IRA.

(There is no nexus between Sinn Fein and the IRA. The entire world has accepted this fact and have moved on. The mainstream and backward Irish political system refuses to accept this fact preferring to operate where’s it’s most comfortable – in a self-serving bog of hypocrisy).

Tubridy: Give me one question they have to answer.

Burton: Well, I never felt the armed struggle and killing people were necessary.

(Tubridy is asking her to provide a fact, she dishonestly replies with an irrelevant opinion).

Tubridy: But you know there was a peace process?

Burton: And I am a very strong supporter of the Peace Process.

(It’s hypocritical and illogical to reject Sinn Fein while at the same time claiming to be a very strong supporter of the Peace Process given that Sinn Fein is a major pillar of that process. If Burton was honest she would reject the Peace Process on the grounds that Sinn Fein still has questions to answer).

Tubridy: So what’s your problem?

Burton: The issue is in terms of Sinn Fein in government, their economic policies for instance.

(Again, dishonestly avoiding the question by changing the subject).

Tubridy: That’s got nothing to do with the armed struggle.

Burton: You have to look from a range of factors, I would have been in my twenties when all of the violence broke out.

Tubridy: All in the past.

Burton: No, no, I make democratic choices, I don’t like violence.

(Once again dishonestly avoiding the question).

Tubridy: Do you support the administration in Northern Ireland?

Burton: Absolutely.

Tubridy: So how can you expect, an hour and a half up the road, a Sinn Fein party to sit with the DUP and yet here you say Sinn Fein are not fit for government.

Burton: What I’m saying is that Sinn Fein have questions to answer.

(The circle of hypocrisy is complete).

Burton is already a failed political leader because her visionless mindset is the exact same grey colour as all the other mainstream political leaders in Ireland.

Tomorrow I will publish how a visionary, progressive political leader would respond to the coalition with Sinn Fein question.

If Joan Burton ever gets to read my view she will be utterly bamboozled because she will be attempting to read a language that she has never learned.

Copy to:
Joan Burton