Social networking. Not necessarily funny. At all. August 24, 2010
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.7 comments
What of this?
THE GARDA have warned people who set up pages inciting racism on online social networks that they are open to prosecution, and even people who join these sites could face charges.
Sgt David McInerney of the Garda Racial and Intercultural Office said site hosts like Facebook were also “open to prosecution” if there was a valid complaint about racist online material.
“It is only a matter of time before a prosecution is brought,” he said.
For an example of the worst sort of on-line activity in these areas you’d not have to go far to see these as being typical…
Two anti-Traveller pages were recently pulled by Facebook following complaints from members of the public.
One of the sites had more than 8,000 members before it was closed down, while another site still in operation which promotes abuse against Travellers has more than 300 members.
Although in my own life I have a Facebook page I have, and some will have noticed this – so apologies (or should they be thanking me 
), not updated it since Christmas. To be honest there’s only so much time and that seemed like a bridge too far. Concentrate on the main stuff. But, I’ve never found much to inspire me about Facebook pages that have that semi- ‘campaigning’ element. It doesn’t seem, in the main, to translate to the broader world.
And in a curious way Facebook doesn’t seem to lend itself, at least to my mind, to that in the same way as other networks. It always seems a bit detached, not least in the curious formulation of the name of the person starting off every sentence. Joe27 is just home from Inception and likes it, doesn’t quite lend itself to Jane31 wants to start a riot later this evening.
Although that analysis may be wrong.
Sgt McInerney encouraged people with complaints to continue to come forward. He described racist online activity as “very harmful” and “a very very serious form of crime. People don’t realise the harm it causes. Such sites can lead directly to racial abuse against minorities in the streets.”
It’s possible although causal relationships would, I presume, be difficult to prove.
As it happens there’s another, somewhat less pernicious – although arguably more widespread – aspect to on-line discourse which was pointed up by a piece on Slate in recent weeks. One of their contributors went off-line for a long number of weeks simply to see whether it was possible to do so – and naturally discovered that, despite being linked in to various social and business on-line networks it was indeed possible. So much so that he has decided to strictly curtail his on-line access. This seems to me to be sensible. There’s very much a sense in my mind that some on-line activity is a thief of time. Again, that’s a commodity that I find increasingly precious.
But one aspect of this which he quoted an excerpt from a letter to him during this period is perhaps reflecting upon. A correspondent suggested that:
What strikes me most about the Internet, is just how devoid of compassion and empathy it is. Something about anonymity and not having to look the other person in the eye makes for very cruel, one sided interations. It removes our humanity, both as subjects of discourse and objects of discourse. I say this both as someone who has ruthlessly attacked others via internet communication and as someone who has been attacked. This is one reason I no longer read blog comments, message boards, forums or the like. It is just too disheartening.
I think I know what they mean. Outside of a circle of blogs and sites that I trust I tend to avoid reading comments. Guardian on-line is perhaps the worst, but it’s by no means unique. There is a terrible leaden inevitability not so much to the opinions – which in truth bar the most extreme are fairly innocuous, if occasionally irritating, on all sides, but to the form the interactions take where it becomes one half-truth being used to batter others. And, few are exempt. What’s fascinating to see is how this form overwhelms content, indeed in some respects trumps it. So we can see when – say – a site exchanges proponents of one worldview with another, and it happens, that the underlying dynamics remain very much the same.
And we all become prey to this. I know I am and have been. And it’s uniquely irritating, because that level of discourse is something I’ve generally hoped I grew out of early on in life. But no, it’s there, dogging ones steps.
What will be of particular concern, and utility, will be to see if there are quantifiable outcomes from social networking. Whether the person quoted on Slate is correct in his or her perception. And whether that online mode of expression transitions to offline modes of expression.
Careful with that ‘austerity’ narrative Brian(s)… August 24, 2010
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Economy, Irish Politics, The Left.23 comments
I’m on a holiday of sorts this week and last, and very pleasant it is too – away from the grind of work. Anyhow, I was at a party on Saturday evening where I got talking to a man who had worked for one of our more profitable semi-states, but in more recent years was now out on his own with his own company.
He was a bit older than me, perhaps early to mid-50s and his tone was one of utter dejection with our current economic situation. As he said, there’s nothing happening out there. So intrigued I asked him how bad was it?
“Very,’ came the response. ‘There’s no demand in the economy, either consumer or commercial.’
‘So what,’ I asked…’what was the solution?’
‘We’re going to have to cut the minimum wage, cut social welfare… people are paid too much here. We just have to cut and cut and cut until we’re competitive.’
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘But what about consumer demand? How will that pan out if those cuts are implemented? And what about ability to meet debt repayments in terms of loans and mortgages which will increase relative to falling wages?’
He eyed me at this point, ‘Don’t know if you work in the public or private sector…’ I didn’t enlighten him. ‘…But everyone has been cut and…there’s going to be more.’
‘I’d still be curious about consumer demand if cuts are imposed?’
‘Well, some people were just greedy,’ he said. ‘They bought houses for mortgages they couldn’t afford, half a million, three quarters of a million and…now they can’t pay them back.’
‘Absolutely, so are you suggesting they should just go to the wall?’
‘It’s all going to go down before there’s any recovery.’
Change of tack, ‘We need leadership, something that can pull this around, people who’ll say it like it is.’
‘The government?’
‘No, they’re useless. And the other shower, Fine Gael and Labour… they’d be worse.’
‘So maybe someone else…’
‘We need a National Government. Someone who’ll tell them what it’ll be like if the IMF come in. Sure if we’d had the IMF it’d be better. They’d make the cuts necessary.’
‘And what does that do to demand when you have people who have defaulted on mortgages, or are made unemployed and can’t repay those mortgages? How does that help the economy? Doesn’t that make the situation worse again?’
At which point he shrugged.
Later when he was leaving I wished him good luck with his own business given the situation. He looked a bit surprised for a second, then said, ‘Me? No, my business is grand. Doing fine.’
And it’s important to note that there are businesses, small, medium and large which are hurting badly in this crisis, and in truth when a business hurts its workers to hurt. And there are many many who have with considerable initiative and enterprise established their own businesses which are in serious trouble. So I don’t dismiss any of his concerns in those regards. They’re absolutely genuine.
Now, what struck me most forcibly about that conversation which is near verbatim was the answers. This was not that an unintelligent or vindictive person (well no more than most of us), but that instead a narrative generated by the media over the past two years, and in no small part driven by the government and its proxies has now spiraled dangerously out of control.
And in political terms you can chart how that could have occurred, that the original softening up of the public sector for cuts and levies (albeit that this was often elided with public expenditure) which was headlined as being almost the fundamental key to tackling the economic crisis, established a narrative of others who would have to have pain inflicted upon. And that when the crisis continued, or actually continued in piecemeal fashion and no turnaround manifested itself that that created a sort of cognitive dissonance. In other words, if the initial actions taken weren’t sufficient, then what was? Who is to be turned to next?
Curiously that has had the effect of further delegitimising the government, already on hugely shaky ground given that it oversaw the navigation of the state into the crisis in the first place. Because its own actions self-evidently aren’t working, or are insufficiently working (not to mention that the scope of cuts alone is enormous and staggered across three or four years so it’s no case of jam tomorrow).
And politically, or rather how this has played with circles in the media, this has been utter poison. With no revival in FF’s poll ratings and the other conservative formation still doing poorly there has been no evidence that the proscriptions are being accepted in anything like the way that was envisaged.
Which explains the consequent disillusion and disenchantment expressed in most of that media at what is happening and also the otherwise inexplicable casting around for alternatives such as the PD redux rumours.
Which further explains why someone like the guy I was talking to would ultimately be still locked into a narrative whereby FF and FG and Labour are useless, but somehow a National Government comprised of these same formations will do the trick. Or where his personal circumstance is fine but all is disaster. Or where the very solutions he proposes only exacerbate the crisis he entirely sincerely is appalled at. Indeed he has no belief in any of the solutions and seeks ultimately some quasi-authoritarian approach as if that will somehow magic the situation away.
You know, without indulging in hyperbole, this a very curious moment to be living through…
Now here’s an odd one about Australian politics. August 24, 2010
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.1 comment so far
Reading up on the Australian Elections what do I chance across but this… the Democratic Labour Party, which is a most intriguing political entity. It’s a sort of melange of social conservatism and a rather Catholic tinged view of labour and it’s just won a seat in the Australian Senate.
It’s also a descendant of the original Democratic Labor Party, which was a split away from the Australian Labor Party in the 1950s by anti-Communist Catholics… some very anti-communist Catholics. Apparently it had a strong Irish Australian aspect to it (and for another Irish connection check out this).
Functionally, in political terms, the importance of the original DLP was to operate as a support to the conservative parties. That’s unlikely to be its current or future role, at least directly after this election given that the action isn’t in the Senate, but it’s an interesting indication of some shifts in the political undergrowth.
This article on aspects of the Irish economic crisis may be of interest… August 23, 2010
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Economy, Irish Politics.8 comments
Left Archive: ‘Words’ from the Trinity Internationalists (later the CPI(M-L), c.1967 August 23, 2010
Posted by irishonlineleftarchive in Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist Leninist), Irish Left Online Document Archive, The Internationalists.27 comments
To access downloadable PDF please click on the following link: INT’L WORDS
Many thanks to Tommy Graham, editor of History Ireland, for making this document available to the Archive.
‘Words’ dates from close to the earliest phase of the Internationalists, the organisation that would subsequently develop into the Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist). As noted here…
When The Internationalists were first set up in Trinity College Dublin in November 1965, it was not as a fully-formed Marxist-Leninist party, but ‘as an exercise in better staff-student relations.’
This loose discussion group held meetings with titles such as “Academic Freedom” and “The Function of a University”, and continued until October 1966, when the decision was taken, presumably by Bains and his supporters, to establish a more disciplined organisation which would focus on ‘which theory we are going to follow, which motivation we should have, which class we are going to favour’ (2).
Sometime towards the end of 1966 the group renamed itself the Trinity Internationalists, and began to issue a periodical entitled Words and Comment. There were at least eleven issues produced between 1966 and 1968, and Trinity’s library has at least seven of them for those privileged enough to have access. (3)
It’s a striking document which clearly is positioned within the much less formal context of a staff student discussion vehicle. From the four page essay by Hardial S. Bains on ‘The Phenomena of Time Consciousness’ to the concentration on Vietnam to the ‘Straight Facts: Radio Telefis Eireann’ it is very much of its time, although there is a telling piece on the back page about the slogan ‘Make Love Not War’ which takes that formulation to task. In some respects that and the tone of the Bains article are the only significant hints of the ideological rigour which would later be manifested in the CPI(M-L). Tied into that is a much less rhetorical use of language throughout.
A useful indication of a transitional stage in the political origins of one of our better known further left formations.
Cuba of the Carpathians… redux – a response from Yourcousin August 23, 2010
Posted by WorldbyStorm in International Politics, The Left.85 comments
A follow up comment from Yourcousin to this post which I’ve added here (he’s slightly rewritten it) as a post in its own right – wbs. Quick background, the conservative Fidesz government has tweaked its nose at the IMF over suggested ‘austerity’ measures and is ploughing its own course. Meanwhile…
Well, now that we’ve all moved on. In a nutshell the reason that the conservatives (Fidesz) can get away with shit like this is that Hungarians have had austerity measures of one sort or another in effect since 1995. Essentially they played by the rules and feel like they got double fucked for their efforts.
The level of disillusionment with government is also extremely high in this environment. I’m not so sure that the conservatives won so much as the socialists lost, very badly. The closest thing I can think of is of the (American) Nov. ’08 elections on steroids. Though the discontent has been growing for quite sometime. Back in ’06 when the Prime Minsiter admitted that he lied all through the campaign and heavy rioting ensued. There was much made about the far right nature of the rioters at the time and indeed I have no doubt there was a ready overlap between the rioters and Jobbik activists. But as some (including myself) noted at the time, much of what put the rioting over the top was a sense of frustration with the underlying economic situation. Which is essentially the same issue we have now, ie Hungarians played by the new market rules, and after tightening their belts found out that it didn’t matter as they were still fucked and lumped in with other dysfunctional EU countries.
I don’t know if this new departure will work, but it is interesting that the only government in Europe to buck the IMF etc. is a conservative one. While the whole slogan thing is not exactly to my liking I would see a similarity to Cameron’s “big society”. Although I think it is being done with the ham fisted style which is unfamiliar with selling a brand which Western governments seem to have become so adept at doing. I would also note, with a great deal trepidation in as much as I’m not saying that Fidesz are being fascistic but that Fascism as an ideology argues for transcending capitalism. Just an observation mind you, not an accusation. It could also simply be that we are seeing a right wing form of social democracy. Well probably not, but you know, someone had to say it.
I’d like to touch on some of the stuff, such as the debate surrounding the invocation of ’56 and how it mirrors what happened in ’48. ’48 was indeed a revolutionary moment in European history and especially Hungarian history. Hungary not only rose up against the Hapsburgs but was the only place that put up sustained military resistance to the counter revolutionary forces of the Hapsburgs and Czarist Russia. As such it was a cause de celeb (or whatever it is they call it) around the world at the time. The failure of the revolution had even more profound effects, namely the Magyarization of the elite within Hungary. Who had either opposed or remained aloof for fear of social element of the revolution. In defeat they remade a romanticized cultural version of the revolution that they could easily claim for themselves while at the same time using that spectre to leverage concessions from Austria. With obviously the end result of the dual Monarchy (which didn’t really work out too well for Hungary in the end). Remember Arthur Griffith for the Irish connection.
To me it seems that that same disconnect is taking place for ’56 as well. When my wife and I attended the 50th anniversary here (at The Hungarian Freedom Park) we also saw that disconnect. A survivor read a poem he had written which talked about the blood of the workers and students in the streets and that it was their revolution. The commemoration then adjourned to a country club where Tom Tancredo was the speaker. We left after my wife almost got into a fist fight with a lady who started talking shit to me after I booed Tancredo. Well at least my wife threatened to kick her ass and then insisted that we leave. I was happy to stay as I had already paid for my meal in advance, but that’s a side tangent.
The point being that Hungary got reforms post ’48, and ’56 because they fought hard and became more of a problem than they were worth. It is also worth noting that they lost everytime. We’ll see if this is one more occasion of history repeating itself.
Sunday Independent Stupid Statement of the Week August 22, 2010
Posted by Garibaldy in media.11 comments
More of the simplistic thinking that ignores the extent to which the state has been the driver of the economy in the Republic, and has subsidised the private sector and continues to do so, in which the private sector worker is seen the victim of the vampiric unemployed and public sector from Eamon Blaney.
Think about it, if you and your partner are both lucky enough to be working, your salaries have to pay for your own household, plus one person on social welfare and one civil servant. And if you think this is bad now, it is only going to get worse in the next two to three years.
One of the most maddening things about the Sindo is its inconsistency (although we can rely on Gene Kerrigan to have something worth reading every week, including this week). One week, we’ll be told Lenihan is the greatest thing since sliced bread; the next, he’s a fool who has allowed himself to be used by the bankers. One week, NAMA is the worst thing ever, the next, we should put it behind us, and get on with the job at hand of recovery. Which usually, though, means kicking the unions and the public sector. Today is one of the pro-Fianna Fáil days. So we get this from Jody Corcoran, when discussing Newsweek’s nomination of Cowen as number 5 in the top ten countdown of the world’s best leaders.
But there are other qualities which make for a fine leader, which, in these times, are perhaps more important than, say, charisma; chief among these is a willingness to do the right thing at the right time, and to hell with the consequences.
We can only conclude then that Cowen has done the right thing in his support for Anglo, his bailing out of large swathes of the propertied elite, and his punishing the poor and working people to do so.
Long time no see from Eilis O’Hanlon. She is back however with a vengeance, storming into first place. Who is standing in the way of the development of a smart economy in Ireland? Is it government and its development arm that sank cash into foreign firms that left no legacy behind them when they inevitably headed for greener pastures, and failed to support native enterprises? Is it the business class that chose to invest capital in housing and construction rather than in hi-tech? Or the banks that facilitated the same? Or how about the politicians who set government education policy? Or the middle classes and the governments who since day one of the state have run an education system in the interests of the middle classes? None of the above.
We’ll never have a smart economy without creating a smart society first, and that means having the guts to take on the public sector teaching unions who have fostered this culture of exaggeration of academic success because it makes them look good.
That Australian Election…’a piece of incredible unfortunateness’ August 22, 2010
Posted by WorldbyStorm in International Politics, The Left.16 comments
…got to admit that I’ve found the last twenty four hours as the Labor Party and the Coalition tussle for dominance, assisted or not – wouldn’t you know, by Independents and the Green Party, to be increasingly fascinating. Labor are in deep deep trouble, but those troubles are as nothing compared to UK Labour during and directly after the last election, and there remains what would appear to be a reasonable chance they’ll head up the next administration.
The increased support for the Green Party isn’t a phenomenon unknown elsewhere, as a sort of respectable (I use the term advisedly) alternative to larger formations.
But what was particularly striking to me was the rhetoric used, particularly by those who are meant to be assisting in government formation.
Two of the independents whose vote appears crucial to forming a minority government have expressed loathing for Barnaby Joyce, one of the Coalition’s most prominent frontbenchers.
While many election analysts suggest the independents, all former Nationals MPs, are more likely to side with the Coalition, Bob Katter and Tony Windsor have derided Mr Joyce; with one calling him a fool and the other labelling him a “piece of incredible unfortunateness.”
Really?
And surely internet or communications access wouldn’t form the key issue for the support or otherwise of an Independent, would it?
Mr Katter said he had not yet decided where his support would go, but pointed to continuing issues with former Nationals colleagues – and concerns over the Coalition’s broadband policy.
Although I seem to recall a certain Tom Gildea…
That said I like what I hear from Mr. Katter…
Mr Katter said improving the ethanol industry and broadband infrastructure were high on his agenda.
”A privatised broadband, I mean, please, don’t even talk about it, privatised Telstra has been absolutely disastrous for rural Australia,” he said.
And the not entirely glorious progress of Australian Labor under Julia Gillard after the defenestration of Kevin Rudd some months back might also give pause for thought to those who might do likewise to the leaders of our own larger political parties. Perhaps.
This weekend I’ll be mostly listening to the… Pains of Being Pure at Heart August 21, 2010
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Culture, This Weekend I'll Mostly Be Listening to....4 comments
It’s easy enough to produce indie pop, isn’t it? Fey lyrics, strummed guitars, winsome singers, winsome songs. Saint Etienne have it down to a tee, which perhaps is why I’m not much of a fan of theirs, like yes, I get how good they are, but… On the other hand throw me the first Primal Scream album where Mr. Gillespie was channeling the Byrds, or The Field Mice – Sarah Records mainstays of the late 1980s and early 1990s, or even a certain Marty Wilson-Piper of The Church … now, that’s another matter.
But Pains of Being Pure at Heart do it in a clever way. They throw at least one reasonably novel element into the mix on their first album by roping in a very very soft Jesus and Mary Chain guitar fuzz to dirty up the melodies just a fraction. Now let’s not get overly excited. This isn’t, as some of its proponents would have one believe, truly shoegaze – or at least not my definition of shoegaze – and it’s not exactly sonic terrorism, but it is a pleasant enough additional element albeit teeth-grindingly twee for some (but when it gets too much there’s always Sunn O))), or Cathedral or Endless Boogie or…).
Do the songs work? Why yes, thankfully they’ve got an ear for melodies and song titles. The Tenure Itch, Young Adult Friction. You get the picture. And if you think you’ve heard some of them before, you probably have but not exactly like this.
Worth noting that they also reference The Field Mice, both in aesthetic – albeit not so much with the JAMC approach – and in titles. Their “This Love is Fucking Brilliant” which appears to be, one presumes and hopes, a not entirely literal account of a brother and sister, or is it sister and sister, who might be just a little too close, is almost a direct response to This Love is Not Wrong by TFM.
But the tracks I like best play to both sides of their influences, one the excellent Stay Alive which is surely a gem amongst indie pop [and along with a track by an obscure Norwegian crowd called Euro Boys, of which more later, perhaps the best song I've heard this Summer] and the other Come Saturday which is JAMC but with some other element, could that be a hint of 60s soul thrown into the mix.
They’ve released a subsequent EP that tries to balance the feedback with some more electronic tinged tracks, and by electronic I’m talking about a soft, inflected electronica close to – say – New Order or even the Cure on their more keyboard driven moments. I don’t know whether that works that well. Perhaps more listens will do the trick.
Enjoy.
Come Saturday
Stay Alive
Everything With You
Young Adult Friction
And from their more recent EP, the title track…
Higher than the Stars
