Clueless journalists – Public Inquiry

Niamh Horan: A chronically uninformed journalist

Irish Independent journalist Niamh Horan tells us that the heroes of 1916 would baulk at the lack of courage shown by Ireland’s leaders of today.

Be that as it may but those 1916 leaders would also baulk at the low standards of journalism operating in the Ireland of 2016.

Ms. Horan is just one of a disturbingly large number of Irish journalists who are chronically uninformed, biased or captured.

In her article Ms. Horan blames global financial interests for the catastrophe visited upon Ireland and its people since 2008. That ‘invasion’ by global interests was, apparently, facilitated by cowardice on the part of Irish politicians.

Ms. Horan then tells us that the (criminal) politician Haughey would never have allowed those nasty financial invaders to damage the interests of Ireland.

I weep for Ireland and its future when I read such tripe.

Here are the facts that Ms. Horan is either ignorant of or chooses to ignore.

Global financial interests have been exploiting the markets since Adam was a boy; there is nothing new about this fact.

The success or otherwise of these global financial sharks depends on the strength of governance of any particular country.

Ireland suffered, and continues to suffer, catastrophic consequences not because global financial interests do what they do but because our political system is irreformably corrupt.

The man who did more than any other to spread the disease of corruption is none other than the man who Ms. Horan so admires, the criminal politician Haughey.

Copy to:
Ms. Horan

Stephen Collins: An enemy of my country

This is, without a shadow of doubt, the most stupid, most ignorant comment/opinion ever written by a so-called journalist in the history of our corrupt/failed state.

The notion that corruption is rife across the political system because of the dubious behaviour of a few needs to be challenged, not simply because it is wrong but because it has the capacity to further erode confidence in our democracy.

Stephen Collins is either a complete and utter moron or he is a supporter of state/political corruption. There can be no other reason for his sheer idiocy.

As a private individual it does not matter a damn what this ignorant journalist thinks but as an opinion maker in one of the most influential newspapers in the country his comments do serious damage to Ireland and its people.

For that reason I see this idiot as an enemy of my country.

Copy to:
Stephen Collins
Irish Times management

Journalilst Michael O’Regan: A chapter in a history book

Here are the words of a journalist who has no idea whatsoever about reality outside the bubble that is Dail Eireann.

Michael Martin has emerged, particularly since the marriage equality referendum, as a highly successful leader of Fianna Fail. He’s extremely good in the Dail and in fact at the moment he stands head and shoulders as a parliamentary performer in terms of his own party.

Irish Times (captured) journalist Michael O’Regan.

It’s good that there are so many captured journalists like O’Regan within the media because their ignorance of reality ensures that establishment politicians like Martin also have no idea what’s happening in the real world.

By the time O’Regan and Martin wake up they will find themselves as a chapter in a history book.

Independent Newspapers: Not so independent anymore

Last Saturday, almost every newspaper in the land covered the constitutional crisis triggered by Denis O’Brien’s ruthless arrogance. The story was so big, so important that global media outlets such as the New York Times and the Guardian gave it top billing.

The only media outlet that practically ignored the issue was the Denis O’Brien controlled Irish Independent.

Buried deep in the issue on page 22 ‘Journallist’ John Downing outlined in an article of only 402 words a series of sentences and quotes surrounding what is one of the most imortant political stories of recent decades. There was no analysis whatsoever.

When asked about this on RTEs Saturday View Downing, with great indignance, repsonded:

There is coverage and there is a photograph of Catherine Murphy and I personally wrote this and was very careful to give fair ball to everybody.

He then adopted the same strategy as Denis O’Brien’s lacky James Morrissey of throwing a bucket of red herrings to avoid criticising his master.

Libel laws, legal compensation industry, conflict between judges and polilticians and ended his rant with this bizarre question:

Which brings us back to the question, why is there only one Monopolies Commission?

The increasingly desperate struggle by ‘journalists’ in Independent Newspapers to portray themselves as objective and professional is really becoming a bit sad.

Olivia O’Leary: Waiting for the penny to drop

I have never, ever understood why governments have allowed public housing stock to be sold off.

This is the incredible admission of ignorance by Olivia O’Leary, one of Ireland’s most experienced, most respected journalists.

Speaking on the subject of social housing Olivia O’Leary demonstrated a disturbing inability in joining up dots.

Here are just some of the dots even the most greenhorn journalist should be capable of joining.

Decades long record of rampant corruption in the planning process.

Very obvious corrupt links between political parties and property developers.

Avalanche of planning corruption revealed by the 14 year long Mahon Tribunal.

And in case Ms. O’Leary’s memory is not the best – the cancellation by the current Fine Gael/Labour government of inquiries into planning allegations at six local authorities.

Or, if all that digging is too much for Ms. O’Leary she could, in a reflective moment, ask a very, very simple question.

Who benefits when politicians farm out social housing contracts to property developers?

Penny dropping?

No, oh dear.

Stephen Collins: A clueless journalist

After reading this article by Irish Times columnist Stephen Collins I’ve decided to add a new category to the blog – ‘Clueless journalists’.

I’m not going to waste valuable minutes of my life actually analysing the article.

The following quote will be sufficient to demonstrate that this particular journalist has no notion whatsoever of the actual underlying political reality in this country.

Since the economic crisis struck this country in 2008 there has been a lot of talk about the collapse of public confidence in our politicians and the need to reform our political system.

It’s an interesting subject for debate but doesn’t really affect the underlying political reality one way or another.