Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
The editor of the Irish Independent is not happy that the European Central Bank (ECB) is forking out €1.3 billion on a new headquarters.
I wonder has the editor said anything about the €147 million (probably €247 after all the nods and winks have been paid for) being forked out by our own Central Bank on its new headquarters which will include a seventh-floor cafe with an outdoor terrace where staff can enjoy stunning views of the river Liffey.
Just asking.
An editorial in today’s Irish Independent unreservedly condemns the recent riots triggered by some anti-austerity protesters trying to blockade the opening ceremony for the new European Central Bank’s (ECB) headquarters in Frankfurt.
It is noteworthy however, that the editor sees the riots as secondary to the behaviour of the ECB towards Ireland.
The editor sensationally outs the real culprit for our downfall in 2008.
The design and implementation of the euro was at fault, in that it led to a one-interest-rate-fits-all scenario. This led to a dramatic fall in interest rates in Ireland and builders and bankers indulged in a spending spree that resulted in us buying and selling property to each other at ever spiraling prices.
Well feck it anyway. There was I thinking that the economic collapse was caused by our corrupt political system ‘looking after’ property developers and making sure there was absolutely no financial regulation to halt the greed and criminality within the financial sector.
And while I was digesting the dramatic news that the nasty Euro was to blame for all our problems I was struck by the difference in opinion by Independent Newspapers to the major and very violent riots in Frankfurt and the timid (by comparison) treatment of Joan Burton in Jobstown.
The ‘sinister’, ‘terrorist’, ‘Trotskyite’ behaviour of the ‘mob’ at Jobstown threatened to bring down the state, the sky was falling in, Apocalypse was upon the nation according to Independent Newspapers and other mainstream media.
But then, silly me, I realised the real thinking behind the editorial – Blame, blame, blame.
Whatever you do, never admit the truth, never admit that Ireland is a failed state, never admit that our political/administrative system is corrupt and beyond reform, always blame somebody else.
Blame Lehman Brothers, the EU, the Brits, the penguins in Antarctica but never… ever… blame the real culprits.
Three conservative, establishment journalists had a cosy chat on RTEs News at One yesterday on the latest scandal involving rape allegations against a former member of the IRA.
RTE journalist and presenter of the show Aine Lawlor raised the suspicions of many that there is a media conspiracy against Sinn Finn.
Irish Times journalist Michael O’Regan laughed at the idea.
It’s nonsense…there is no media conspiracy against Sinn Fein, there’s reportage and analysis of issues.
RTE journalist Martina Fitzgerald agreed with O’Regan.
O’Regan’s dismissal of a media conspiracy against Sinn Fein tells us more about the (Leinster House) bubble in which he operates.
Those of us outside that bubble are in no doubt whatsoever that there is, at the very least, an extremely strong bias across most of the media against Sinn Fein. This bias is directly proportional to the growing political power of the party.
Because O’Regan spends most of his working life interacting with politicians and government officials he is unlikely to even consider the suggestion that he may be a captured journalist.
Newstalk broadcasters Ivan Yates and Chris O’Donoghue were lamenting the fact this morning (Part two; 7.06) that Irish Water are operating a complete ban on speaking to them because, apparently, Ivan gave the CEO of Irish Water a hard time about a year and a half ago.
Now, there are some bad people, I mean really bad people out there who might say – isn’t that mighty convenient.
One of the most listened to/influential programmes on Denis O’Brien’s radio station doesn’t have have to ask any more hard questions of Irish Water.
Some people might say the whole thing was arranged but not me.
No, I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that Denis O’Brien’s radio station would stoop to such underhand tactics, I mean, the very thought.
No, the lads are genuinely aghast at the ban, they would genuinely love to have the Irish Water CEO in, to tear him to shreds but, alas, it’s not possible.
So, the lads wonder…what to do…..I know says Ivan, let’s do a another piece on evil Sinn Fein or perhaps the violent Trotskyite water protesters.
Yes, agrees Chris, they really need to be asked some very hard questions.
I see Irish Examiner journalist Michael Clifford has written a lovely propaganda piece for the Labour Party conference.
I wonder will he be writing an objective analysis of the event?
Sunday Independent journalist Jim Cusack has claimed several times over the past few weeks that the Provisional IRA is still in existence and operating in the border area.
If true, this could have very serious consequences for the Good Friday Agreement and could, potentially, lead to a return to conflict in Northern Ireland with all the associated death and destruction.
Obviously, no self-respecting journalist would make such a serious claim without strong supporting evidence. Sadly, it appears that Mr. Cusack is no longer the self-respecting journalist he used to be because, as far as I can see from his reports, there is not one shred of evidence to back up his claims.
So why would a previously respected journalist abandon his journalistic principles to peddle a story without any supporting evidence?
I can think of only three reasons:
One: The claim is actually true and Mr. Cusack will eventually produce credible evidence to back up his claims.
Two: He is being fooled by a source that is feeding him false information.
Three: He is being pressurised into making false claims to serve the hidden agenda of some other power.
Let’s deal with these one by one.
If Mr. Cusack’s claims are true then his story has international implications as the Good Friday Agreement involved the hard work and commitment of the United States, the European Union and the UK and Irish governments.
If the claims were true Mr. Cusack and Independent Newspapers would have immediately informed all concerned of this extremely serious reversal in the Peace Process. To my knowledge this has not happened.
Neither Mr. Cusack nor Independent Newspapers are telling the world about the sensational ‘fact’ that the IRA is still in existence, still operating as a terrorist organisation. He, and Independent Newspapers, are simply treating the story as a local Irish issue.
It is highly unlikely that Mr. Cusack is being fooled by a source feeding him false information. Even the most inexperienced journalist knows that checking information from sources is the first rule of professional journalism.
The third reason is probably the truth. Mr. Cusack seems to have abandoned his journalist integrity because he is willingly or being forced to serve the hidden agenda of somebody who has influence over him.
That agenda seems to have just one aim – to discredit and damage the credibility of Sinn Fein as a legitimate, democratic political party. The motive behind the agenda appears to be the growing fear among the ruling elite of the rise of Sinn Fein’s political popularity.
Sinn Fein, rightly angry over this campaign of black propaganda, contacted the Garda Commissioner on the issue. She replied, in writing, that Mr. Cusack’s claims had no foundation in fact whatsoever. In addition, the Commissioner quoted the conclusion reached by the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) that the Provisional IRA had indeed disbanded.
In a recent article Mr. Cusack arrogantly dismissed the word of the Garda Commissioner and the IMC, effectively accusing them of lying or, at least, covering up what he considers to be a fact based on his pathetic conclusion that the IRA is still in existence because the PSNI are (apparently) operating as if the troubles were still in full flow.
Good, professional journalism demands integrity, strong principles and an unwavering dedication to reporting the truth.
Journalists who allow themselves to be manipulated by powerful forces pushing a secret agenda are nothing more than spineless lackeys.
Copy to:
Jim Cusack
US banking expert Professor Bill Black recently gave evidence at the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry where he pulled no punches.
He effectively stated, correctly, that at the time, Ireland was a country without a financial regulator, governed by a bunch of morons.
Later he appeared on the Tonight with Vincent Browne show where we witnessed a perfect example of the mindset that makes it possible for our country to be governed minus a financial regulator and led by a bunch of morons.
Professor Black was telling us (correctly) that the bankers were lying about the state of their finances in the run-up to the crisis.
Vincent Browne took great exception to this smear on the reputation of bankers.
Wait a minute now, this is quite serious, the insinuation on the bankers who went to see the Government that night is very serious, and I know some of them, and I don’t believe they said something they knew was untrue.
Yes, you heard right; Vincent Browne is saying he believes the bankers told the truth to Brian Cowen and Brian Lenihan on the night that our economic sovereignty was handed over to the Troika.
Even the most ignorant, the most disinterested, the most ill informed Irish citizen knows that the bankers lied through their teeth that night.
So why is it that a journalist who has spent decades investigating and analysing scandal after scandal in the Irish financial sector can mouth such an idiotic comment?
The answer can be found in these six words spoken by Browne:
And I know some of them.
This comment confirms a disturbing trend in Irish journalism. A trend that sees some journalists loses their objectivity after coming ‘to know’ those they are investigating.
And this is not the first time Vincent Browne has lost his professional objectivity as a result of ‘getting to know’ financial/political criminals.
For many years he was a strong critic of the criminal politician Haughey but in Haughey’s latter years Browne enjoyed some great nights out in Abbeyville drinking wine and discussing the old days with the gangster.
Before long he was a great admirer and defender of the traitor/criminal.
Here’s how an establishment newspaper connects a serious crime to a group of completely innocent people.
A decision to provide “protection detail” for certain politicians was taken at a meeting of the Crime and Security Division at Garda Headquarters last week in light of the firebombing of the constituency office of Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin and after verbal abuse of President Higgins by anti-water demonstrators in Finglas.
The verbal abuse of President Higgins, while stupid and distasteful, was a 100% legitimate democtatic action.
The firebombing of Mulherin’s constituency office is almost certainly a criminal response to what looks like her fraudulent misuse of taxpayer’s money.
The conflation of both events by the Irish Independent is just the latest indication of the newspaper’s evolution from an objective and professional media outlet into a mouthpiece for certain political and business interests.
Copy to:
Irish Independent
Surely it’s time for Irish Times columnist Stephen Collins to come out and admit he’s on the staff of the Government’s propaganda unit?
Last year, if I remember correctly, there was a major controversy surrounding RTE’s reality TV show Operation Transformation. As I recall some person of authority strongly attacked one of the contestants for something or other.
The incident resulted in wall-to-wall coverage and comment, generating massive publicity for the programme.
And now, amazingly, the same thing has happened this year.
So here’s the reality of reality shows.
This show, like all other reality shows, has just one principal aim – to make lots and lots of money.
The principal resource for such shows is an endless supply of naïve, desperate people who are willing to humiliate themselves in front of the nation in the hope of solving their problems and/or enjoying their 15 minutes of famosity.
The more people that watch the show the bigger the profit, so a big effort goes into promoting the product and by far the best, and most cynical, promotional strategy is the creation of controversy – hence the annual charade.
Somebody called Dr. Ciara Kelly was the vehicle for this year’s controversy.
It may be that this doctor is completely unaware of the standard strategy of promoting such shows; it may be that her motives are entirely genuine.
It may be that her one mission in life is to do all she can to help people like Eilish, the victim in this year’s controversy – but, somehow, I doubt she’s as naïve as her victim.
Dr. Kelly should have dropped the matter once the annual controversy had garnered the required publicity but she lost the run of herself and began lecturing the nation on the evils of drink.
The lecture began on the Sunday Independent and continued on the Marian Finucane Show (did the producer of Operation Transformation ‘arrange’ her presence on the show?).
The doctor tells us in her article that:
Yes, I was speaking to Eilish, but I wasn’t talking about Eilish.
So, she was exploiting Eilish’s weakness as a vehicle to deliver a rant to the nation? Not exactly a professional approach to a medical problem.
Here’s some of what she said to her victim.
I’m disgusted (by your behaviour) because there are people around the country following you.
There are young people watching this show, there are kids watching this show and I thought that was appalling.
This week was an abomination.
I was embarrassed for you and I was disgusted to see you, you let the programme down. You let your followers down and with respect to Eilish, you let yourself down.
Ok, I might be missing something here but these brutal, deeply insulting comments do not sound like they were aimed at the general population.
They sound more like an individual abusing her position of authority to stoke up a controversy to promote the commercial interests of a reality show.
No reasonable person would deny that drink abuse is a very serious problem in Ireland. But if Dr. Kelly is serious about helping the situation I would suggest she does it in a measured, professional manner.
I would suggest she desist from exploiting vulnerable people to promote what looks like self-promotion and the promotion of RTEs commercial interests.
Copy to:
Dr. Kelly
RTE