Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
I see Denis O’Brien’s broadcaster and columnist in Denis O’Brien’s controlled Irish Independent Ivan Yates is of the opinion that the constitutional crisis caused by his boss’s threatening behaviour was no more than a damp squib.
Well what a surprise?
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.
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.
The political cowardice of Labour TD Joe Costello represents the effective abandonment by the political system of our democracy to the mercy of people like Denin O’Brien.
Here’s what the coward Costello had to say on RTE regarding the current constitutional crisis.
The constitution is absolutely clear on the rights of the members of both Houses in terms of privilege. And it states that ‘utterances made in either house wherever published shall be privileged’. I have thought that the media for too long have been subservient to big business with deep pocktes in this respect. I think in this particulaer case the media has to stand up, have to ensure that, and that includes RTE indeed, that the case that is put now in the courts is dealt with in a very comprehensive fashion.
In the first instance it is up to the media to stand by the Constitution.
Let the Irish people savour the bitter taste of the ultimate betrayal by our corrupt political system, as represented by this coward, to the interests of powerful oligarchs like O’Brien.
Copy to:
The coward Costello
Fianna Fail just keeps on giving in its continuing destruction under the (non) leadership of Michael Martin.
The latest development is the announcement by former junior minister Martin Mansergh that he hopes to stand in the next election.
Mansergh, who loyally served the corrupt/criminal politician Haughey, enlightened the nation with his scintillating analysis of the upcoming election.
The alternative to a Fine Gael-led coalition, is a Fianna Fáil-led coalition.
We can see from this that Fianna Fail is still populated by those who really should be in a home for the chronically deluded.
Asked how he voted in the referendum Mansergh said it was ‘a private matter’. The hilarious aspect of this cowardly Sean Haughey type reply is that everybody knows he voted no and yet he doesn’t have the political intelligence to avoid public ridicule by just being honest and upfront.
The following exchange between Mansergh and Marian Finucane (June 30, 2013) concerning the economic catastrophe inflicted on the nation by Fianna Fail provides a good measure of this individual’s questionable courage and honesty.
At the time in question Mansergh was Minister of State at the Department of Finance.
Marian Finucane: You were working in the Dept. and presumably in contact with the Minister for Finance throughout that period.
Mansergh: Well, I was in a separate building. My main job was the office of public works.
Finucane: Was there a sense around the place of the kind of pressure that was going on?
Mansergh: Well, as I say, I wasn’t in the building, I was in a separate building about 500 metres away. I was not in the loop. My job in Finance was basically to relieve the Minister of some of his parliamentary responsibilities.
How true is Averil Power’s claim that Fianna Fail lacks vision, courage and leadership?
We can get a good idea by analysing how Sean Haughey replied to a very simple question – Did he vote Yes or No in the marriage referendum?
Like many people this has been a long journey, for this one I felt I couldn’t canvass with conviction. I wanted to listen to all the arguments and I listened to all the arguments right up to polling day. I discussed it with my family, I’m passionate about my country and our society and the how it should develop but at the end of the day it’s a secret ballot.
Fair enough, it is a secret ballot and everybody has the right to refuse to say how he or she voted. But Haughey is a public representative, he intends standing for election to parliament. He could become a powerful minister or even Taoiseach. At minimum citizens have a right to know where he stands on the main issues of the day.
They have a right to know, before voting, what kind of man they are being asked to support. For example, a liberal constituent will want to know if Haughey supports the repeal of the Eight Amendment of the Constitution regarding abortion. Similarly, a conservative will want to know if he’s pro life.
It’s cowardly to say, on the one hand, I’m passionate about my country and how our society develops but I’m keeping my opinions secret.
So you’re not answering that question but you are saying you didn’t go out canvassing on the issue?
I want to be perfectly honest about this. I feel if you’re going to people’s doors and ask them you need to have the conviction and for me I wanted the luxury of sitting back and listening to all the arguments and I listened passionately to every debate right up to polling day.
Honesty is the last thing we’re getting here.
Is Haughey saying he has no conviction on the issue one way or the other? Hardly, since he admits that he ‘passionately’ listened to every debate. As a private citizen Haughey has the ‘luxury’ of sitting back and listening to all the arguments before casting his secret vote. But as an aspiring public representative he has an obligation to be open and honest with those who may consider giving him a vote.
And the fact that your party was supporting the issue?
Well I don’t think I let my party down in any way.
Unwittingly, Haughey is being honest here. His cowardly double-speak, his failure to step up to the plate and openly say what he believes fits in seamlessly with the long established Fianna Fail gombeen mindset.
His corrupt father would be proud.
Ah the bliss of it all. Fianna Fail got to enjoy just a few short days of glory after winning the bye-election before the darkness closed in again with the resignation of Averil Power. Prior to Power’s resignation it was difficult to gauge exactly what progress the party was making in its comeback strategy.
Now we know – absolutely no progress whatsoever.
Power pointed to the 100-foot high neon truth sign on top of the mountain that reads:
Fianna Fail lacks vision, courage and leadership.
In response we witnessed a long line of politicians and ordinary members come out, turn their backs to the sign, and say:
There is no problem with Fianna Fail, Michael Martin is a great leader, all is well.
It is critically important for the good of Ireland and its people that Fianna Fail continues to wallow in this fog of delusion.
Feck, it’s amazing the amout of people returning to Ireland from all over the world to vote. I’m assuming, hopefully correctly, that most of these people are ‘Yes’ voters.
In any case, it seems to be part of the continuing political radicalisation of Irish citizens, long may it last.
Who owns marriage?
This is the question asked by Nick Park, Executive Director of the Evangelical Alliance Ireland and pastor of Solid Rock Church in Drogheda.
The answer is as simple as it is indisputable. Love owns marriage – full stop.
Everything else, every other interest, agenda or argument surrounding the marriage of two humans in love is peripheral to the unassailable, indestructible core that is love.
No religion, no state, no law has a moral right to stop any two in love adults from getting married.
Marriage has been with us, in all its myriad forms, rituals and traditions, since the first humans descended from the trees and began to spread out across the savannah.
And it is this fact that makes Mr. Park’s claim, that marriage belongs to his particular god, so irrational.
His non-existent Christian god has only been around for a couple of thousand years. Countless thousands of other non-existent gods, for countless thousands of years, have also claimed ownership of marriage but not one of them has ever provided any real justification for their claim.
And the reason for that is as simple as it is rational – marriage is based on natural human love between two people whether it’s male/female female/female or male/male.
Human love is natural. Human marriage is the ritual that binds that love and that ritual belongs to everyone.
Everything else is peripheral.
After a meeting between Prince Charles and Sinn Fein representatives Gerry Adams said it was a big thing for him, (Prince Charles) but also a big thing for Sinn Fein.
I think it was a much bigger thing for Prince Charles given the heartbreaking event that occurred at Mullaghmore in 1979.
Listening to the Prince speak about the death of his ‘honorary Grandfather’ Lord Mountbatten, it was clear he had travelled a long road of personal agony and regret at the loss to a place of forgiveness and reconciliation.
He and his mother the Queen are, I believe, playing a major but very subtle political role in the Peace Process and in improving relations between the UK and Ireland.
Long may both of them succeed in their venture.