VOTE 'NO' to Lisbon Two!
In December 2008 - 6 months after the majority of those that voted in this State on the 'Lisbon 1' treaty had voted 'NO' , a conference was held in Brussels at which EU business representatives and the political leadership of the EU queried reps from Leinster House as to 'how we had lost' ; Micheál Martin and Dick Roche (who, in monetary and property terms, are both millionaires) explained , cap-in-hand , that they would need permission from their bosses in Brussels that it would be ok for them to return to Dublin and (falsely) claim that they fought tooth-and-nail to obtain 'a better Lisbon treaty' to put before the electorate in this State . Permission was granted.
When they arrived back in Dublin , Micheál Martin declared - " We will not be asking people to vote on the same proposition " and his political accomplice, Dick Roche, stated - " Our partners understand , I believe, that we cannot and will not put the same package to our people." However , those comments backfired on the Dastardly Duo : the political leadership in other EU member States became uneasy that the voters in this State were apparently being offered a better deal than they themselves got - the political bosses in Poland , Holland , Austria , Sweden and Britain "raised issues about the ('new') protocol text relating to a belief that the Irish guarantees [SIC] amount , in effect , to a new treaty" ('Irish Mail On Sunday' newspaper , 14 June 2009) .
The unhappy political leadership in those countries demanded , and got, a meeting with the EU Presidents Office in Brussels and loudly demanded to know what exactly was going on in relation to the so-called 'new Irish Lisbon treaty' and were assured by the fattest of all fat-cats in the EU that the two Dublin reps , Martin and Roche , had simply practically begged to be allowed to re-sell the old Lisbon treaty as 'a new and improved' version and that permission had been granted for them to do so. The political (mini) fat-cats from Poland , Holland , Austria , Sweden and Britain replied that such private assurances from Brussels re the Irish situation were worthless unless made public ; the EU Presidents Office then issued the following , short, statement , in relation to 'the Irish situation' - "The text of the guarantees (given to the Irish) explicity states that the Lisbon treaty is not changed thereby " ('Sunday Tribune' newspaper , 28 June 2009) , which was a follow-up statement to that issued on 19 June 2009 by Jan Fischer , the President of the Czech Statistical Office , who stated - "The protocol ('changes') will clarify but not change either the context or the application of the treaty of Lisbon . It is an explanatory clarifying text which changes not a dot nor comma of the Lisbon treaty."
It is obvious that an underhanded attempt is being made by underhanded politicians to 'sell' us the equivalent of 'snake oil medicine' : those demanding that we should vote 'YES' to Lisbon 2 are people of low calibre , with a matching set of political morals . Let's show them - by voting 'NO' to Lisbon Two in October 2009 - that we are better than they are!
The claim from those demanding that we now vote 'YES' to the Lisbon Two Treaty that they "have now secured a Commissioner in Brussels to look after our interests" is a false claim : under EU law , it is actually illegal for a Commissioner from any member State to seek to "look after" the interests of that particular State !
Likewise , the claim from the 'YES' side that they have obtained " protocols and guarantees" from Brussels (ie a "new/changed" Lisbon Treaty) is also false : before any such "new/changed" Lisbon Treaty can legally come into operation ,it would have to be approved by all 27 member States , not just by this State.
What the 'YES' side is attempting to sell is a bright , well-paid and very-well-pensioned political career for themselves in Brussels - we are witnessing from them, in effect , predictions from the same people that never saw things coming on what's going to happen next ! VOTE 'NO!' in October 2009 on 'Lisbon Two' - we don't owe them a cushy career . We don't owe them anything!
"Ní hea, No, Nein, Non, Nyet, Nope, Not, No Means No ..."
What part of that don't they understand ?
On Thursday , 12th June 2008 , a vote was held in this State on the Lisbon Constitution/Treaty : for months beforehand we were repeatedly told by the political 'establishment' in Leinster House that that what we were being asked to vote on was "non-negotiable" , that we had to vote on it as it then stood , that it was legally impossible to have anything removed from it or inserted into it. Now that same political 'establishment' are asking us to believe that not only was it possible to change that Treaty , but that they had managed to do so to the "benefit" of this State's position within the EU !
However - Czech prime minister Jan Fischer, who chaired a meeting on the supposed 'new Irish Lisbon Treaty' (as his country presently holds the EU presidency) was questioned (on Friday 19th June 2009) on these 'Irish changes' and dismissed them as nothing of the sort : "The protocol ("changes") will clarify but not change either the content or the application of the treaty of Lisbon. It is an explanatory clarifying text which changes not a dot nor comma of the Lisbon Treaty."
What has actually been 'achieved' by those idiots in Leinster House is a promise ("guarantee") from the bigger political fatcats in Brussels that , at some time in the future, they might look at making a few amendments to the way the Lisbon Two Treaty affects this State! And Brian Cowan and his equally useless cabal of semi-political misfits were never going to get "changes to the Lisbon Treaty" due to the fact that Poland , Holland , Austria , Sweden and Britain used their combined 'weight' to 'lean' on Brussels , stating that if the Irish were to be offered a new Treaty then they , too , would expect the same offer to be made to them - so a compromise was agreed : Brussels would allow Cowan to claim that a "new Treaty" for the Irish was on offer but , at the same time , made it clear to Cowan that what they were offering was a promise that , if passed this time, they would perhaps - at some future date - take a look at the manner in which the Treaty affected this State. And please have no doubt that that is all that is on offer here - a promise from corrupt millionaire politicians in Brussels that they will , someday , give a curious glance over their well-padded shoulder at the way their tax laws are effecting finances in this State.
Don't be fooled by them - VOTE NO TO LISBON 2 in October 2009 .
"The meeting and dinner heard how Ireland’s “intellectual mediocrity and lack of political courage” led to the rejection of the Lisbon treaty and included discussions of how to “cuddle and pamper” the Irish voter ahead of a new vote while at the same time “making pressures on them”.
(From here.)
This video gives an apt description of the type of morally and politically corrupt politician and system that are now demanding we vote 'the right way' on the already failed Lisbon Treaty. And this video shows what those bent career politicians stand to loose if we don't vote the way they want us to . As Republican Sinn Féin have stated - "The decision to re-run the referendum on the rejected Lisbon Treaty in the 26-Counties next October represents an attempt to subvert the sovereign will of the people.All kinds of pressure is being applied to those allowed to vote to ensure that they arrive at the result Brian Cowen and the EU 'élite' demand....."
(From here.)
Once again, this blog will be campaigning for a 'NO' vote on the Lisbon Treaty , for the same reasons : the "guarantees" which Brian Cowen has received have been given to him by similar unprincipled characters and , even if they were to be written in blood , would still be worthless . VOTE 'NO!' and help keep the lifts and corridors of the EU building free of more political rats , who scurry around trying to find the 'Sign In' book before they head back home to the political brothels they come from .
Sharon.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY.......
Twenty-six men were convicted on the word of Harry Kirkpatrick. On their appeal against those convictions could well rest the future of the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement'
('The Hillsborough Treaty') . Based on a full transcript of the Kirkpatrick trials , the story of how these convictions were obtained shows why the 'Supergrass System' is a pale shadow of justice.
By Derek Dunne. From 'MAGILL' magazine, February 1986.
There had been a lot of 'visitors' calling to Harry Kirkpatrick during his two years in safe-keeping in Crumlin Road Prison . William 'Budgie' Allen's (aka William Reeves) wife had called to see him , and his best friend Gerard Barkley had also called , as had his own wife , sisters and mother . The RUC had been in with him 117 times in eighteen months , although most of those had been social visits - two RUC men , Meeke and Mitchell , had built up a relationship with him , despite the fact that Kirkpatrick claimed he had spent sixteen months trying to blow away as many of them as possible ! Kirkpatrick called the two RUC men by their first names , Kenny and Tommy , and they called him Harry.
Harry had made statements about dozens of people , said how they had been involved in scores of 'crimes' . Twenty-seven of them were now in prison and , for almost two months , they had trouped through a tunnel across Crumlin Road to the Courthouse . The 'evidence' against them consisted of the word of Harry Kirkpatrick , who was then resting in the special annex of the same prison. The court time was taken up with proving that incidents happened as the 'Supergrass' claimed they had.
Kirkpatrick had passed a note to his wife on one of the last occasions that she came to visit him - " Things are going my way now , " he wrote . That was on Sunday 21st April 1985 ; on the Monday , 27-year-old Harry Kirkpatrick would troupe through the tunnel and take the witness stand . On his word he would send twenty-six men to prison for a couple of thousand years between them.......
(MORE LATER).
THE HOWARD MARKS AFFAIR.......
Customs Officers in England have arrested a man who could blow the lid off an embarrassing British Intelligence operation against the Provisional IRA , when he answers drug smuggling charges in London later this year.
From 'MAGILL' magazine, July 1980.
By James Curtis.
Howard Marks had been on the run for six years and is no stranger to the courts in Britain . In April 1974 he was due to face earlier charges of conspiracy to smuggle cannabis to the USA and , when out on bail , he had told family , friends and lawyers that he had been recruited by MI6 to collect information about the Provisional IRA and claimed that his spymaster knew he was involved with drug smuggling .
The possibility that Howard Marks might raise his MI6 involvement in his defence no doubt worried his intelligence bosses ; at this time , prison escapee Kenneth Littlejohn was telling the world that he had been cleared by his MI6 bosses to rob banks in Ireland . British MP's were calling for a full inquiry into the security and intelligence services , but those 'spy authorities' were spared any embarrassment when Marks conveniently vanished from his lodgings in Oxford a few days before his trial.
There has since been speculation about whether he was genuinely abducted or whether someone told him to make himself scarce . In the event , his parents were not directed to surrender any bail money . Back behind bars now , Howard Marks is unlikely to get bail a second time.......
(MORE LATER).
A BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS.......
A look at issues raised by Liz Curtis' recent book.
From 'IRIS' magazine, August 1984.
Review by Trisha Fox.
As Liz Curtis concludes in her book - " British people must , in the end , carry the responsibility for the policy their government pursues : they pay the piper and they could, if they wished, call an end to the tune .
Whatever the shortcomings of the coverage and the secretiveness of the British authorities , it is possible for people to take the initiative and seek out the information for themselves . Ireland is , after all , only next door."
[END of 'A BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS']
(Next : 'Fighting Back - The Campaign Against Heroin In Dublin' , from 1984)
Twenty-six men were convicted on the word of Harry Kirkpatrick. On their appeal against those convictions could well rest the future of the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement'
('The Hillsborough Treaty') . Based on a full transcript of the Kirkpatrick trials , the story of how these convictions were obtained shows why the 'Supergrass System' is a pale shadow of justice.
By Derek Dunne. From 'MAGILL' magazine, February 1986.
There had been a lot of 'visitors' calling to Harry Kirkpatrick during his two years in safe-keeping in Crumlin Road Prison . William 'Budgie' Allen's (aka William Reeves) wife had called to see him , and his best friend Gerard Barkley had also called , as had his own wife , sisters and mother . The RUC had been in with him 117 times in eighteen months , although most of those had been social visits - two RUC men , Meeke and Mitchell , had built up a relationship with him , despite the fact that Kirkpatrick claimed he had spent sixteen months trying to blow away as many of them as possible ! Kirkpatrick called the two RUC men by their first names , Kenny and Tommy , and they called him Harry.
Harry had made statements about dozens of people , said how they had been involved in scores of 'crimes' . Twenty-seven of them were now in prison and , for almost two months , they had trouped through a tunnel across Crumlin Road to the Courthouse . The 'evidence' against them consisted of the word of Harry Kirkpatrick , who was then resting in the special annex of the same prison. The court time was taken up with proving that incidents happened as the 'Supergrass' claimed they had.
Kirkpatrick had passed a note to his wife on one of the last occasions that she came to visit him - " Things are going my way now , " he wrote . That was on Sunday 21st April 1985 ; on the Monday , 27-year-old Harry Kirkpatrick would troupe through the tunnel and take the witness stand . On his word he would send twenty-six men to prison for a couple of thousand years between them.......
(MORE LATER).
THE HOWARD MARKS AFFAIR.......
Customs Officers in England have arrested a man who could blow the lid off an embarrassing British Intelligence operation against the Provisional IRA , when he answers drug smuggling charges in London later this year.
From 'MAGILL' magazine, July 1980.
By James Curtis.
Howard Marks had been on the run for six years and is no stranger to the courts in Britain . In April 1974 he was due to face earlier charges of conspiracy to smuggle cannabis to the USA and , when out on bail , he had told family , friends and lawyers that he had been recruited by MI6 to collect information about the Provisional IRA and claimed that his spymaster knew he was involved with drug smuggling .
The possibility that Howard Marks might raise his MI6 involvement in his defence no doubt worried his intelligence bosses ; at this time , prison escapee Kenneth Littlejohn was telling the world that he had been cleared by his MI6 bosses to rob banks in Ireland . British MP's were calling for a full inquiry into the security and intelligence services , but those 'spy authorities' were spared any embarrassment when Marks conveniently vanished from his lodgings in Oxford a few days before his trial.
There has since been speculation about whether he was genuinely abducted or whether someone told him to make himself scarce . In the event , his parents were not directed to surrender any bail money . Back behind bars now , Howard Marks is unlikely to get bail a second time.......
(MORE LATER).
A BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS.......
A look at issues raised by Liz Curtis' recent book.
From 'IRIS' magazine, August 1984.
Review by Trisha Fox.
As Liz Curtis concludes in her book - " British people must , in the end , carry the responsibility for the policy their government pursues : they pay the piper and they could, if they wished, call an end to the tune .
Whatever the shortcomings of the coverage and the secretiveness of the British authorities , it is possible for people to take the initiative and seek out the information for themselves . Ireland is , after all , only next door."
[END of 'A BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS']
(Next : 'Fighting Back - The Campaign Against Heroin In Dublin' , from 1984)
Monday, June 29, 2009
VOTE 'NO' to Lisbon Two!
The claim from those demanding that we now vote 'YES' to the Lisbon Two Treaty that they "have now secured a Commissioner in Brussels to look after our interests" is a false claim : under EU law , it is actually illegal for a Commissioner from any member State to seek to "look after" the interests of that particular State !
Likewise , the claim from the 'YES' side that they have obtained " protocols and guarantees" from Brussels (ie a "new/changed" Lisbon Treaty) is also false : before any such "new/changed" Lisbon Treaty can legally come into operation ,it would have to be approved by all 27 member States , not just by this State.
What the 'YES' side is attempting to sell is a bright , well-paid and very-well-pensioned political career for themselves in Brussels - we are witnessing from them, in effect , predictions from the same people that never saw things coming on what's going to happen next ! VOTE 'NO!' in October 2009 on 'Lisbon Two' - we don't owe them a cushy career . We don't owe them anything!
"Ní hea, No, Nein, Non, Nyet, Nope, Not, No Means No ..."
What part of that don't they understand ?
On Thursday , 12th June 2008 , a vote was held in this State on the Lisbon Constitution/Treaty : for months beforehand we were repeatedly told by the political 'establishment' in Leinster House that that what we were being asked to vote on was "non-negotiable" , that we had to vote on it as it then stood , that it was legally impossible to have anything removed from it or inserted into it. Now that same political 'establishment' are asking us to believe that not only was it possible to change that Treaty , but that they had managed to do so to the "benefit" of this State's position within the EU !
However - Czech prime minister Jan Fischer, who chaired a meeting on the supposed 'new Irish Lisbon Treaty' (as his country presently holds the EU presidency) was questioned (on Friday 19th June 2009) on these 'Irish changes' and dismissed them as nothing of the sort : "The protocol ("changes") will clarify but not change either the content or the application of the treaty of Lisbon. It is an explanatory clarifying text which changes not a dot nor comma of the Lisbon Treaty."
What has actually been 'achieved' by those idiots in Leinster House is a promise ("guarantee") from the bigger political fatcats in Brussels that , at some time in the future, they might look at making a few amendments to the way the Lisbon Two Treaty affects this State! And Brian Cowan and his equally useless cabal of semi-political misfits were never going to get "changes to the Lisbon Treaty" due to the fact that Poland , Holland , Austria , Sweden and Britain used their combined 'weight' to 'lean' on Brussels , stating that if the Irish were to be offered a new Treaty then they , too , would expect the same offer to be made to them - so a compromise was agreed : Brussels would allow Cowan to claim that a "new Treaty" for the Irish was on offer but , at the same time , made it clear to Cowan that what they were offering was a promise that , if passed this time, they would perhaps - at some future date - take a look at the manner in which the Treaty affected this State. And please have no doubt that that is all that is on offer here - a promise from corrupt millionaire politicians in Brussels that they will , someday , give a curious glance over their well-padded shoulder at the way their tax laws are effecting finances in this State.
Don't be fooled by them - VOTE NO TO LISBON 2 in October 2009 .
"The meeting and dinner heard how Ireland’s “intellectual mediocrity and lack of political courage” led to the rejection of the Lisbon treaty and included discussions of how to “cuddle and pamper” the Irish voter ahead of a new vote while at the same time “making pressures on them”.
(From here.)
This video gives an apt description of the type of morally and politically corrupt politician and system that are now demanding we vote 'the right way' on the already failed Lisbon Treaty. And this video shows what those bent career politicians stand to loose if we don't vote the way they want us to . As Republican Sinn Féin have stated - "The decision to re-run the referendum on the rejected Lisbon Treaty in the 26-Counties next October represents an attempt to subvert the sovereign will of the people.All kinds of pressure is being applied to those allowed to vote to ensure that they arrive at the result Brian Cowen and the EU 'élite' demand....."
(From here.)
Once again, this blog will be campaigning for a 'NO' vote on the Lisbon Treaty , for the same reasons : the "guarantees" which Brian Cowen has received have been given to him by similar unprincipled characters and , even if they were to be written in blood , would still be worthless . VOTE 'NO!' and help keep the lifts and corridors of the EU building free of more political rats , who scurry around trying to find the 'Sign In' book before they head back home to the political brothels they come from .
Sharon.
The claim from those demanding that we now vote 'YES' to the Lisbon Two Treaty that they "have now secured a Commissioner in Brussels to look after our interests" is a false claim : under EU law , it is actually illegal for a Commissioner from any member State to seek to "look after" the interests of that particular State !
Likewise , the claim from the 'YES' side that they have obtained " protocols and guarantees" from Brussels (ie a "new/changed" Lisbon Treaty) is also false : before any such "new/changed" Lisbon Treaty can legally come into operation ,it would have to be approved by all 27 member States , not just by this State.
What the 'YES' side is attempting to sell is a bright , well-paid and very-well-pensioned political career for themselves in Brussels - we are witnessing from them, in effect , predictions from the same people that never saw things coming on what's going to happen next ! VOTE 'NO!' in October 2009 on 'Lisbon Two' - we don't owe them a cushy career . We don't owe them anything!
"Ní hea, No, Nein, Non, Nyet, Nope, Not, No Means No ..."
What part of that don't they understand ?
On Thursday , 12th June 2008 , a vote was held in this State on the Lisbon Constitution/Treaty : for months beforehand we were repeatedly told by the political 'establishment' in Leinster House that that what we were being asked to vote on was "non-negotiable" , that we had to vote on it as it then stood , that it was legally impossible to have anything removed from it or inserted into it. Now that same political 'establishment' are asking us to believe that not only was it possible to change that Treaty , but that they had managed to do so to the "benefit" of this State's position within the EU !
However - Czech prime minister Jan Fischer, who chaired a meeting on the supposed 'new Irish Lisbon Treaty' (as his country presently holds the EU presidency) was questioned (on Friday 19th June 2009) on these 'Irish changes' and dismissed them as nothing of the sort : "The protocol ("changes") will clarify but not change either the content or the application of the treaty of Lisbon. It is an explanatory clarifying text which changes not a dot nor comma of the Lisbon Treaty."
What has actually been 'achieved' by those idiots in Leinster House is a promise ("guarantee") from the bigger political fatcats in Brussels that , at some time in the future, they might look at making a few amendments to the way the Lisbon Two Treaty affects this State! And Brian Cowan and his equally useless cabal of semi-political misfits were never going to get "changes to the Lisbon Treaty" due to the fact that Poland , Holland , Austria , Sweden and Britain used their combined 'weight' to 'lean' on Brussels , stating that if the Irish were to be offered a new Treaty then they , too , would expect the same offer to be made to them - so a compromise was agreed : Brussels would allow Cowan to claim that a "new Treaty" for the Irish was on offer but , at the same time , made it clear to Cowan that what they were offering was a promise that , if passed this time, they would perhaps - at some future date - take a look at the manner in which the Treaty affected this State. And please have no doubt that that is all that is on offer here - a promise from corrupt millionaire politicians in Brussels that they will , someday , give a curious glance over their well-padded shoulder at the way their tax laws are effecting finances in this State.
Don't be fooled by them - VOTE NO TO LISBON 2 in October 2009 .
"The meeting and dinner heard how Ireland’s “intellectual mediocrity and lack of political courage” led to the rejection of the Lisbon treaty and included discussions of how to “cuddle and pamper” the Irish voter ahead of a new vote while at the same time “making pressures on them”.
(From here.)
This video gives an apt description of the type of morally and politically corrupt politician and system that are now demanding we vote 'the right way' on the already failed Lisbon Treaty. And this video shows what those bent career politicians stand to loose if we don't vote the way they want us to . As Republican Sinn Féin have stated - "The decision to re-run the referendum on the rejected Lisbon Treaty in the 26-Counties next October represents an attempt to subvert the sovereign will of the people.All kinds of pressure is being applied to those allowed to vote to ensure that they arrive at the result Brian Cowen and the EU 'élite' demand....."
(From here.)
Once again, this blog will be campaigning for a 'NO' vote on the Lisbon Treaty , for the same reasons : the "guarantees" which Brian Cowen has received have been given to him by similar unprincipled characters and , even if they were to be written in blood , would still be worthless . VOTE 'NO!' and help keep the lifts and corridors of the EU building free of more political rats , who scurry around trying to find the 'Sign In' book before they head back home to the political brothels they come from .
Sharon.