Saturday, October 21, 2006




100,000 hits . And Counting..... : Go raibh maith agat !
While we are aware that there are other blogs out there with a 'fatter' hitcounter , some of which have probably not been around as 'long' as we have (since 2002) , we are nonetheless delighted with the performance of our own wee 'spot' on the Irish blogosphere !
The one constant we have adhered to over the four years of this blog is our political point of view - Republicanism , as we understand it to be .
The position of this blog has , perhaps , best being summed-up by John from this parish at many a Republican rally / function / protest : " It was never a case of saying to the British - 'Stay if you want , just treat us better' " .
Our political position continues to be one in which we demand a complete British military and political withdrawal from this island . And our stat-counter proves that we are not alone in that demand ...

Once again - Thank You !
Sharon .






Friday, October 20, 2006

PILLARS OF SOCIETY : MICHAEL O' LEARY .......
From 'Phoenix' magazine , April 1986 .

The same element of calculation is clearly evident at present - Michael O' Leary's dogged pursuance of the divorce issue has made him further enemies in Fine Gael - and not only in Dublin - but it has given him a higher profile on a popular issue , which he also researched locally, after more than three years silence .

His more recent support for the renegotiation of oil-licences brings him into line with other Fine Gael 'dissidents' and , more significantly perhaps , would not be incompatible with a further transplant, this time to the PD's . Contrary to some speculation , Micko did not apply to join the new party , though he did publicly welcome their arrival .

Perhaps he was inhibited by a severe local problem - of all the seats in all the constituencies of the State , he had to blunder into the bailiewick of Mary Harney : Tallaght is simply not Mick's place .Though not as bad a constituency deputy as is sometimes made out, he has little stomach for the dreary round of grass-roots 'chores' arising endlessly in working-class districts.......
(MORE LATER).



(Martin McGuinness , left , with Henry Kissinger , as usual , on the right ...)

DISARMING MARTIN .......
All (P)Sinn Fein leaders have a series of mantras and mini-speeches which they seek to get into every interview , regardless of the question .
The task of the journalist is to avoid setting off these reflex responses : the problem with Martin McGuinness is that he does it so pleasantly that it seems impolite to interrupt him .
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 1999 .
By John Waters .

Martin McGuinness's in-built 'programmes' include , for example , the 'scale-of-the-republican-achievement' programme , the 'real-issues-of-the-peace-process' programme , the 'decommissioning-the-injustice-of-the-past' programme and the 'what-people-don't-understand-about-the-situation' programme .

The journalist's job is to prevent these programmes being activated . The problem with Martin McGuinness is that he does it so pleasantly that it seems impolite to interrupt him ! There is also the problem that there are a lot of people out there waiting for (P) Sinn Fein leaders to say something by which they could then justify the antipathy to Irish republicanism which has resurfaced in the wake of the 'Good Friday Agreement' (Stormont Treaty) . This would not contribute to the prolongation of peace . ('1169...' Comment - It is actually the 'GFA'/Stormont Treaty itself which "contributes .... " nothing to "...the prolongation of peace " ! That 'Treaty' simply postpones conflict , whilst allowing former combatants to financially enrich themselves in their master's parlour .)

But Martin McGuinness , like other (P) Sinn Fein leaders , makes few blunders * and says little or nothing that is not carefully studied in advance . ('1169....' Comment * - Not so ! When the man had republican principles he had to be careful in choosing his words , but not now . He can , and does [like others in PSF] come out meekly to plead with the British to introduce their policy in our Six Counties . And he [and those others] can , and do , do that because so little is now expected of them in relation to fighting for a British withdrawal.) Nor does he in any sense* fail to convey his meaning in quite explicit terms : ('1169...' Comment * - Again , not the case - " We will lead you to the Republic.....not a bullet , not an ounce.... no New Stormont... " ; explicit terms , but obviously NOT what he meant !) it's just that he is , to say the least , cautious about telling you what he thinks about something ,tending to couch his strongest responses in terms of "...what republicans are saying.." or "...what people say to me in the street.." ('1169...' Comment - Martin will , soon enough , once again be able to use the 'Expenses' part of his Saxon Shilling to employ someone to tell him 'what people are saying on the street' ).......
(MORE LATER).



EMPIRES OF DUST .......
Britain's leaders talk about remodelling the world and its historians draw attention to the 'good side of the old empire' . But what about the reality ?
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 2003 .
By Edel Brosnan .

If George Bush's new-found interest in the Middle-East simply traded oil for democracy , I would applaud it . Freedom - like bisongrass vodka , or half-fat milk - is undoubtedly a good thing : but parachuting into a 'rogue state' and installing a more congenial leader is pointless .

I supported western intervention in Kosovo - but , in retrospect , that action left it even more lawless than it was before : regime change in Afghanistan just replaced the women-hating bigots of the Taliban with the women-hating thugs of the Northern Alliance .

There was lessons there for the British Empire . But they weren't learned.......
(MORE LATER).






100,000 hits . And Counting..... : Go raibh maith agat !
While we are aware that there are other blogs out there with a 'fatter' hitcounter , some of which have probably not been around as 'long' as we have (since 2002) , we are nonetheless delighted with the performance of our own wee 'spot' on the Irish blogosphere !
The one constant we have adhered to over the four years of this blog is our political point of view - Republicanism , as we understand it to be .
The position of this blog has , perhaps , best being summed-up by John from this parish at many a Republican rally / function / protest : " It was never a case of saying to the British - 'Stay if you want , just treat us better' " .
Our political position continues to be one in which we demand a complete British military and political withdrawal from this island . And our stat-counter proves that we are not alone in that demand ...

Once again - Thank You !
Sharon .






Wednesday, October 18, 2006

This blog has received information , from a source which has never failed us in the past , that a story is about to break concerning people on this isle who have spent the previous 30 years underwater !
Apparently , a connection to said feat can be made to the continuing British military and political presence on this island: details on this story are firming up as I type but , not being a 'tabloid'-type blog , we are holding off on publication until all necessary facts have been confirmed to our satisfaction .
As it stands now we are almost certain that , in the coming days/weeks , we will be publishing full details on this remarkable achievement : we ask our readers to bear with us , remain calm and be patient whilst we wait on the full details to be made available to us and to allow us the time we need to verify 100% the accuracy of all information we receive regarding this unbelievable occurrence .
In the meantime , blogging on '1169...' will resume as normal.......






PILLARS OF SOCIETY : MICHAEL O' LEARY .......
From 'Phoenix' magazine , April 1986 .

Michael O' Leary was known for ignoring the formal Labour Party machinery for much of the time - his leadership had a disastrous effect on the already weakened Labour morale and organisation . Above all , Micko suffered from a severe problem of credibility ; no-one ever really took him seriously !

During the 1960's , the political 'Left' regarded his infantile socialism with a measure of affectionate sceptism , and few were surprised when he performed an abrupt U-turn after the 1969 election . He was elected leader largely because there was no credible alternative , and even then the (State) Labour Party soon came to regret its mistake . His change of party and of constituency merely served to widen an existing credibility gap .

But despite his notorious impetuosity , Michael O' Leary is also capable of careful calculation - for example , his defection to Fine Gael was prompted at least in part by an opinion poll suggesting that he had little chance of holding his Dublin Central seat : abandoning a once-safe seat would have been unthinkable for a Party leader , and so a change of constituency was just as important as the change of party .......
(MORE LATER).



(Martin McGuinness , left , with Henry Kissinger , as usual , on the right ...)

DISARMING MARTIN .
All (P)Sinn Fein leaders have a series of mantras and mini-speeches which they seek to get into every interview , regardless of the question .
The task of the journalist is to avoid setting off these reflex responses : the problem with Martin McGuinness is that he does it so pleasantly that it seems impolite to interrupt him .
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 1999 .
By John Waters .

Listening to the modern-day (P) Sinn Fein leader , one rapidly develops an image of - sometime in the 1980's - a kind of paramilitary Bunny Carr going around giving seminars in safe houses , teaching republicans how to talk in unbroken flow without directly answering questions : Martin McGuinness would have been his proudest achievement !

McGuinness's apparent openness is such as to be ... well , 'disarming' . His eyes , smiling and unflinching , suggest acute friendliness and empathy . It would be easy to imagine that this man was about to unburden his soul . Alas , there is an appropriate comparison to be made between the unionist tactic of delay and procrastination in matters relating to the establishment of the 'shadow executive' , and an interview with Martin McGuinness : you have , perhaps , an hour , which seems more than enough to deal comprehensively with a number of focused , precise questions .

But McGuinness is not in the business of giving focussed , precise answers . Like other republican (sic - 'Provisional') leaders he exhibits a tendency which for interviewers is like being given a suitcase full of obsolute currency . All (P) Sinn Fein leaders have a series of mantras and mini-speeches which they seek to get into every interview , regardless of the questions asked . It is as though these mantras and speeches reside in tiny programmes at the back of their minds , their objective in interviews being to find the first available opportunity to press the nearest relevant button and kill five minutes of interview time.......
(MORE LATER).



EMPIRES OF DUST .......
Britain's leaders talk about remodelling the world and its historians draw attention to the 'good side of the old empire' . But what about the reality ?
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 2003 .
By Edel Brosnan .

Niall Ferguson justifies everything in the end because , he argues , the 19th century's biggest superpower kept the peace (!) : 'Pax Britannia' made the world a safer and more stable place than the scary , fragmented world we have today (!) .

When Tony Blair made a speech to his ambassadors in January , he held up the 'good intentions' of Britain's colonial past ('1169...' Comment - "...past.." ? There are six Irish counties that beg to differ , and a gutless 'parliament' in the 26-County State populated with political whores ....) as something to insipre its future - or , putting it another way : " Where there is war , we should sow peace ; where there is tyranny , we should sow liberty." How can you argue with that ? But when you are no longer a superpower , how can you implement it ?

Tony Blair's answer is simple - he cannot , but he will support the USA in its role as the policeman of the world.......
(MORE LATER).







Monday, October 16, 2006

PILLARS OF SOCIETY : MICHAEL O' LEARY .......
From 'Phoenix' magazine , April 1986 .

Why has the rich promises of the 1960's never been fulfilled ? The answer is clear enough - in the first place , Michael O' Leary , as a potential leader , was fatally flawed , possessing an erratic temperament and occasionally unsound judgment .

Some of his initiatives as leader of the (State) Labour Party were decidedly odd - for example , his decision to abandon Leinster House for several weeks to bury himself in of all places East Galway , in the forlorn hope of achieving a good Labour by-election result .

Again , there was his public and predictably futile attempt to recruit Noel Browne as a Labour candidate for the Dublin West by-election . O' Leary indeed shared many of the faults of Noel Browne without having any of his virtures . Essentially a loner , Michael O' Leary , unlike Frank Cluskey or Dick Spring , was incapable of gathering around him a coterie of trusted confidants who could lend support and advice when the going got tough.......
(MORE LATER).



PASSPORTS , PLEASE....... !
The latest passports for investment revelations involve a controversial £10,000 donation to Fianna Fail by US investor Gerry Lindzon .
There are grounds for suspicion that much of the money that changed hands in other deals was never intended for investment in the business but rather a 'facility fee' which accrued to the company for allowing its name to be used .
By Daire O' Brien .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , March 1999 .

It's strange to think that the entire passports affair has its origins in a fairly innocuous clause in the 'Naturalisation Act': in addition to people born in the country , or people with Irish parents or Irish-born children , the 'Act' suggested that citizenship was available to those with "...close Irish ties.." .

It was this vague loophole that allowed the granting of passports to be in the gift of politicans until laws were tightened in the wake of the publicity surrounding the Masri affair. The scheme was finally abolished in 1997 .
[END of ' PASSPORTS , PLEASE ! ']
(Next - 'Disarming Martin' : from 1999.)

EMPIRES OF DUST .......
Britain's leaders talk about remodelling the world and its historians draw attention to the 'good side of the old empire' . But what about the reality ?
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 2003 .
By Edel Brosnan .

Behind the hyperbole surrounding him , however , Niall Ferguson's own attitude to 'Empire' is subtler , and more critical than he lets on - " There's no glossing over the ugly side of empire ..." , he says at one point , nor does he defend "...some of the military excesses .. " : so that's all right then ! But , he adds, "...in economic terms it was a positive force . " Which it was- for some people , for some of the time .

But did the people of Mumbai , Mombasa or Mullingar feel so positive ? Were schools and railways enough to compensate for famines , bad administration and loss of independence ? That is the question Niall Ferguson never asks , and cannot answer . Running an empire is an exciting business - a 'boy's own' adventure where the Great White Master always gets to call the shots because he is 'civilised' and he knows best . Britain's empire was also good for business - for centuries , the nation that 'ruled the waves' got to write the rules for trade .

That was the whole point of world government : The British East India Company first 'acquired' India in the name of private enterprise , and Britain got a foothold in Africa thanks to the asset-stripping diamond despot Cecil Rhodes.......
(MORE LATER).