Titanic captain: Don't worry, all is well

The captain of Titanic (Ireland) made a statement yesterday claiming that while the company had made some mistakes the collision with the iceberg had nothing to do with him.

The captain and his officers continue to assure passengers that the damage, while serious, is under control and therefore steerage passengers shouldn’t worry that the limited number of lifeboats have already been filled with bankers, property developers and politicians.

The ship, they insist, is not sinking and therefore ordinary passengers shouldn’t be concerned about the possibility of ending up swimming for their lives in the frozen waters of the dead Irish economy.

The captain’s reassuring statement is backed up by his advisory group, Goodbody Stockbrokers, who (coincidently) report that the pumps have successfully stemmed the flooding waters and that the ship will safely reach port sometime in 2011.

A Goodbody spokesman said that no significance whatsoever should be attached to the fact that his company’s statement was issued from the captain’s lifeboat.

RTE News covers Dail protest incident – after the dead bird story

I received a text from Gavin last evening informing me of the trouble outside Dail Eireann. I immediately switched to RTE for an update but apparently the national broadcaster was as much in the dark as I was.

Morning Ireland just about managed to cover the story slotting it in as a low priority piece after a story about a dead bird.

Some of those involved were interviewed on Today with Pat Kenny. Revealingly, Kenny opened with the following advice to listeners.

If you want you can check out the events on utube, there’s TV3 footage available there.

There are unconfirmed reports that the bulk of RTE News staff are still up in Northern Ireland desperately searching for stories like, for example, the breathtaking report of a few days ago that a policeman was slightly injured in a row outside a pub.

Irish democracy – Sold for a few cheap favours

As Gordon Brown entered Buckingham Palace yesterday evening to relinquish power he was saluted by the palace guards. On the way out, as an ordinary citizen, he was ignored.

Gone too was the police escort that cleared the streets on his way to the Queen leaving Brown to negotiate London traffic as best he could.

I don’t know but suspect that former British Prime Ministers do not enjoy the luxury of a state car and two police drivers for life as former Irish Prime Ministers do at enormous expense to the taxpayer.

As power was handed over in London today it was fascinating to observe how a real democracy operates.

The attempt by senior figures in the Labour Party to do a deal with the Lib Dem Party was quickly scuttled when Labour backbenchers revolted saying it would be undemocratic not to accept the will of the people.

A woman, angry at possible deals being hatched behind closed doors, demanded that Parliament sit. We want openness, not secrecy she demanded.

This attitude is in stark contrast to how Irish citizens react to the Tammany Hall type deals done in Ireland.

The will of the people is invariably ignored as parties scramble to do deals that will benefit themselves and their supporters; no principle is too precious that it cannot be sold to the highest bidder.

A new low in Irish politics was reached after the 2007 general election when the chancer Bertie Ahern spent unknown millions of taxpayers’ money in a secret deal to buy the support of a cabal of independents.

There is no way the people of the UK or any other self-respecting democracy would allow such mafia type deals be hatched behind closed doors with the details remaining a state secret.

My whole impression as I watched power being handed over today in the UK was of a nation proud and watchful of its democracy.

Of course, like all democracies the UK has many problems and failings but its people are in possession of that most valuable of democratic assets – political intelligence.

They are fully aware that it is the people and not the politicians who ultimately own and hold power.

The tragedy of Ireland is that its people are nothing more than docile voting fodder who long ago handed over power to a corrupt political system for the price of a few cheap favours.

Garret Fitzgerald – Still apologising to the criminal Haughey

Former Taoiseach Dr Garret Fitzgerald and his daughter, Mary Fitzgerald were guests on Miriam Meets this week.

One of the matters discussed was the (in) famous ‘flawed pedigree speech’ delivered by Fitzgerald in the Dail following the nomination of the criminal Haughey as Taoiseach in December 1979.

Fitzgerald’s description of Haughey as a flawed pedigree was a 100% accurate assessment of the criminal’s character.

Everything that has come to light since that day has confirmed that Haughey was/is nothing more than a common criminal who infected the body politic and subsequently the entire state administration with the disease of corruption.

That infection continues to do untold damage to the interests of the Irish people today as Haughey’s flawed successors bankrupt the nation in order to protect corrupt bankers and property developers.

But, bizarrely, Fitzgerald is not proud of his famous speech and constantly apologises for his attack on Haughey. Here’s how Fitzgerald and his daughter responded to questions from Miriam O’Callaghan.

O’Callaghan: You regretted the flawed pedigree didn’t you?

Fitzgerald: It was a perfectly valid remark but it was totally misinterpreted. I simply said that unlike all previous Taoisigh he didn’t enjoy the full support of his party.

Daughter: It was really the wrong word to use; I mean it immediately raised all kinds of connotations which were completely hijacked

Fitzgerald: I mean, I wrote the speech at 4.30 in the morning.

Daughter: Pedigree is an obnoxious word, how you could have used the word pedigree, it wasn’t very bright.

Fitzgerald: No, it wasn’t

I believe Fitzgerald’s regret is all about class, specifically the ruling class of this country.

Haughey may have been a dodgy character, unfit to run the country but he was still a member of the ruling elite and Fitzgerald’s ‘unfortunate’ description of the criminal as a ‘flawed pedigree’ in front of the gathered ruling elite in the very building where they wield power was unforgivable.

It’s clear from the above exchange that the Fitzgerald’s are still apologising to the Haughey’s.

Catholic god throws a tantrum – thousands die

Last week, writing about RTEs obsession with all things Northern Ireland, I jokingly suggested that perhaps the end days were close to hand because of recent catastrophes like the Haiti earthquake, the Icelandic volcano eruption and the possibility that there could be a split in the Unionist vote in Fermanagh/south Tyrone.

But there are those who believe that there’s a more serious message in recent events.

Pat O’Leary, columnist in the Irish Catholic, warns that recent events could be the work of (her) god warning humans that their quality of homage was not up to scratch.

Where is it all going to end we wonder?

In a world and in a Europe today that tries to ignore the existence of God, it is not beyond the bonds of possibility that we are being reminded that we need to recognize and pay due homage to our Creator.

And there I was thinking that the deaths of more than 230,000 people in Haiti was an horrendous tragedy brought about by natural forces when in fact it was actually the work of a god throwing a tantrum because his due homage wasn’t up to scratch.

Mutinous Gardai win battle against Government

On Tuesday 27th April last the organisation representing rank and file members of our police force committed what the Justice Minister described as an act of mutiny when they accused the Government, Fianna Fail and the Minister himself of national sabotage, corruption and facilitating criminality.

The Minister went on to say that the remarks were

An unprecedented political intervention by a Garda representative and have no place in a modern democracy

and

No democrat could tolerate such political interventions by any member of a police force.

Garda Commissioner, Fachtna Murphy, said he was not happy and would be calling in GRA General Secretary PJ Stone and new GRA President Damien McCarthy to explain their actions.

Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins said that the outgoing president of the Garda Representative Association, Michael Boyce, (GRA) should be removed from the force for such criticism of the Government, the Minister and Fianna Fáil.

Clearly, the development was seen as extremely serious by the Government and the leadership of the Gardai and, in a functional democracy, strong and decisive action would inevitably follow – so what happened?

On Tuesday the Minister said he was going to do nothing because the Garda responsible for the mutinous statement was the outgoing president of the GRA.

Unfortunately for the Minister the incoming president of the GRA, Damien McCarthy, said he fully agreed with the outgoing president that the Government, Fianna Fail and the Minister himself had been corrupted by years of power.

This was a reiteration of the mutinous statement and provided the Minister with another opportunity to demonstrate that he understood his responsibilities as Justice Minister by taking strong and decisive action.

Predictably, however, Ahern again abdicated responsibility by issuing a wishy-washy statement calling on the GRA to apologise to the Irish people for trying to politicise the police force

The calling in of the mutinous policemen to explain their behaviour by the Garda Commissioner was just as pathetic and ineffective.

Commissioner Murphy reminded the men that they were still Guards and therefore must abide by the rules. He said he could not tolerate political comment from members of the force.

The whole farcical, keystone cops episode was accurately summed up on RTEs News at One (4th report, 2nd item) when it was reported that no action would be taken against O’Boyce because he was the outgoing president of the GRA and no action would be taken against McCarthy because he was the incoming president.

The bottom line is clear: Representatives of rank and file Gardai have (accurately) accused this Government of corruption, criminality and national sabotage.

The abject failure of the State to refute the allegations by taking strong and decisive action can, effectively, be seen as an admission that the charges are true.

This successful challenge to the authority of the State is merely the opening shot of what is to come as our republic continues to be exposed as the fraudulent and failed entity that it has always been.

Minister for Justice accepts that his government is corrupt and treasonous

Speaking on Prime Time (1st report, 2nd item) during the week, Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern was absolutely clear about the seriousness of the challenge posed to the Government and the State by Michael Boyce at the Garda Representative Association annual conference when he accused Minister Ahern and his government of national sabotage and more (See previous post).

If this was to happen in the army it would be regarded as mutiny, that’s the reality in relation to this.

They’re the enforcers of the law that the Oireachtas passes and they cannot delve into politics because they are crossing the line.

So what are you going to do about it?

asked Miriam O’Callaghan

I’m not going to do anything because this man is outgoing.

So there you have it. The national police force accuses the Minister and his government of national sabotage, corruption and facilitating widespread criminal activity and the Minister for Justice, the man allegedly in charge, is going to do nothing on the grounds that the routine handing over of the presidency of the GRA from one Garda to another is taking place.

This is just a pathetic excuse for doing nothing by a cowardly and incompetent Minister. Apparently, the Minister’s logic is that the outgoing president, Mr. Boyce, is being replaced by a more reasonable and loyal Garda.

Since then, however, the incoming president of the GRA, Mr. Damien McCarthy, has gone on the record as saying he agrees that the Government, Fianna Fáil and the Minister for Justice have been corrupted by years of power and he supports the (treasonous) comments of his predecessor 100% and without reservation.

The situation is now crystal clear.

The national police force is in rebellion against the State and the Government. This, in my opinion, is a legitimate stance to take against a government that has betrayed its people and the rebellion is further legitimised by the (corrupt) government’s acceptance of the situation.

Copy to:
Minister for Justice

Time to replace the old rotten republic

What Irish citizens have been witnessing for the last two years is the slow but increasingly rapid disintegration of our rotten republic.

Let me be clear, this destruction of the old republic is the most significant and most positive thing to happen since independence.

The process of disintegration was triggered by the global financial crisis which had the affect of exposing Ireland for what it really is – a corrupt state.

The most serious (and welcome) incident in this process happened yesterday at the annual conference of the Garda Representative Association when the president of the GRA, Michael Boyce, circulated a speech strongly criticising the Government, Fianna Fail and the Minister for Justice.

I do not believe I am exaggerating when I say that the speech is on a par with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1916.

Obviously, neither Michael Boyce nor the GRA are declaring a rebellion but they have thrown down a very strong challenge to the ruling power which they clearly believe (just as the 1916 rebels believed about the then ruling power) have no right to govern the Irish people.

Every word of the following extract from the speech is true and it is heartening, at last, to witness somebody stand up and publicly state the truth.

We are angry at the arrogance of a government corrupted by years of power, a government whose only agenda is to protect the economic traitors.

This government has mismanaged the wealth of the country for more than a decade by allowing our assets to be plundered and robbed by bankers and speculators.

You are making generations of Irish workers pay the price for this treachery.

You did this because bankers and speculators bought your party and in return you sacrificed the greater good and prosperity of the Irish nation for the benefit of the few who have taken their ill gotten gains and secured them in tax havens around the world.

You are truly a government of national sabotage.

Apart from a military coup, this is the most serious challenge any government could face. If the police force in the UK, France or the US made such a challenge to the State there would be an immediate and strong response.

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said the remarks were

an unprecedented political intervention by a Garda representative and have no place in a modern democracy

and

No democrat could tolerate such political interventions by any member of a police force.

If Ahern truly believes he lives in a democracy then he has no option but to take immediate action. At a minimum, the Minister should immediately sack Michael Boyce and summarily disband the GRA.

The government cannot ignore this challenge and retain any credibility, they must respond with strong action or admit, by default, that what has been uttered is true and take their leave from office.

I passionately believe that Michael Boyce and the GRA are right in their assessment of the situation and that; sooner rather than later, this corrupt government will be thrown out of power.

It is only when the mechanisms of the old corrupt regime are completely dismantled that the people of Ireland can begin the task of building a new republic.