What you want to say… Open Thread, 12th April, 2012 April 12, 2012
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Culture, Economy, European Politics, Irish Politics, Northern Ireland, The Left, US Politics.trackback
As always, following on Dr. X’s suggestion, it’s all yours, “announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose”, feel free.
Politics.ie is disgusting.
Has Garibaldi recovered following his April 1st breakdown?
Haven’t been on P.ie for ages. Has it really gone
downhill ?
Yes. Well either that, or my tolerance is in decline. Lots of racism, baiting and general stupidity. Public Sector bashing is obligatory.
Costa-Gavras’ 1972 film of State of Siege is now on youtube:
More than a few of this site’s denizens will enjoy it, I think.
His daughter’s Blame It On Fidel was on the BBC a couple of nights ago. Bears comparison to A World Apart.
Is it true that the RIC intelligence files for the War of Independence have been digitised and are available online? I seem to recall something along those lines in a recent edition of History Ireland but I can’t find any reference to it on their site and the magazine itself is nowhere to be found. Any pointers appreciated.
I was under the impression that the BA and RIC had destroyed most of their records during the withdrawal, so Libya-style treasure troves are unlikely after all this time (and the Brits are extremely unlikely to let anything really sensitive escape from London archives).
I do recall the story of a list of British intelligence assets being found in Cork, but that was it.
The RIC county inspectors reports are on micro-film in the National Library. There are copies in the NUI Maynooth Library and in most university libraries I think. There’s substantial files on Ireland in the Imperial War Museum in London and in the British National Archives. (A lot of researchers have found important stuff in various regimental archives as well). The British state generally releases much more material than the Irish. The daily operations reports from the British Army in Belfast, including material on the Falls Curfew have been available at the British Archives for a few years.
Cheers for the replies, much appreciated.
Thanks, Brian.
I thought there was a release of files related to Dublin but i think it was staff records of DMP.
I saw somewhere that Britain shared intelligence with the equivalent US agency after WW1. Mainly I would guess leftwing stuff. But there must be a lot of Irish stuff there. So if not available in Britain, perhaps a request in the USA might glean some stuff.
Socialist Party statement calling for the release of Marian Price:
http://www.socialistpartyni.net/statement-a-analysis/58-the-national-question/770-return-of-internment-no-to-state-repression
It can be forgotten that the ex prisoners are all out under licence. Which I gather means that they can be pulled in anytime. Bravo to the SP for the statement.
The facts of Price’s detention, taken together, suggest she is being held indefinitely not because she has been found guilty of a serious crime, but because the Northern Ireland Office
believes the state is better off with her out of the way. In
everyday language, she is in internment. We thought we were done with that in Northern Ireland, but obviously not.-
EAMONN McCANN
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/01/19/the-case-of-marian-price/
A priest from the ACP was just on the News At One (radio), discussing a survey they commissioned showing how Catholics in this country disagree with Rome’s teachings on clerical marriage, women priests etc.
Complete with an inference that Marx was right(!) – talk about throwing a grenade at the Vatican. Benny’s going to burst a blood vessel when he hears…
Sean McDonagh is pretty sound. I heard him speak at the showing of the Pete Postlewhaite film The Age of Stupid in the Solstice Arts Centre in Navan a couple of years ago.
He also spoke at the launch of the Feasta book Fleeing Vesuvius :
http://www.feasta.org/2010/11/20/father-sean-macdonagh-on-fleeing-vesuvius/
He seems to be one of those people that one might imagine ended up in the RC church as a career move for intellectuals during past times of limited options.
General election in Greece called for 6th of May.
KKE statement here: http://inter.kke.gr/News/news2012/2012-04-12-ekloges/
Any update from the pollsters out there on how the numbers are looking?
The Wikipedia page for the Greek election has a very complete round up of polls:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_legislative_election,_2012
Also this mainstream English language news site has some OK articles on the overall situation:
http://www.athensnews.gr/category/8
This site has been mentioned here before, and will probably have several rounds of analysis prior to May 6:
http://greekleftreview.wordpress.com/
A united front of the KKE and the rest of the left excluding Greece’s FF could win.
A superb colum from Fintan O’Toole yesterday:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0410/1224314568160.html
WordPress, can’t understand you anymore..
Anyone any thoughts on the implications of Scottish independence for Ireland?
I’ve always been sceptical that the Scottish people will ever go for independence. But I’m less so recently – it seems to be becoming a real possibility. As for implications for Ireland. Very hard to say, but I think for the Republic probably not many implications. I suppose another country to open up an embassy in and maybe a market rival for foreign direct investment.
I think for Northern Ireland, it’s much more interesting. It will certainly be challenging for unionists. Will surely make them look anew at their relationship with, and their part in, the UK. Where all that would go is anyone’s guess. Hey we’ll probably hear some unionists of the Ulster Scots variety teasing out the possibilities of an Ulster Scotland Union. The mind boggles!
Many thanks for that. Perhaps, Scottish independence may more directly impact the North of Ireland and prompt re-unification of the whole country.
An interesting aside is some talk of us – Eire and Alba – sharing some embassies (I’m based in Tokyo).
Anyway, thanks again and apologies for late response – am trying to wrangle my way through wordpress: bit of a nightmare.
If Scotland becomes independent and then joins the euro system I see two possibilities: 1. Scotch whisky will compete keenly with Irish whiskey; 2. Tourism between Ireland and Scotland will expand.
Why do Irish media report so scantly on the cultural and social affairs of both Scotland and Wales?
Because they’re aping their desired future employers in the London media?
Quite so, old chap. Dublin media take their cues from English media based in London. Irish parochialism in relation to the cultural and social life of Wales and Scotland is derived from the English media parochialism of the same genus.
Irish foreign affairs should start with our celtic neighbours and then work its way through continental Europe, including non-EU countries. After that our cultural and economic relations with Africa, Asia, North & South America and Anzac have histories we seem to be dimly aware of. Irish cosmopolitanism is a media-guarded secret. I point the finger at Irish journalists and academics, whose international focus is so constrained by the anglo-saxon perspective.
Here’s some coverage of Ciara Conway of Labour explaining that the failure to legislate for the X case is “barbaric”. And then going on to say that she’s going to vote against legislating for X.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/td-forcing-women-to-britain-for-abortions-is-barbaric-190437.html
Where do you even start with this kind of incoherence?
I would say a simple case of Party loyalty when Irish Labour cannot afford any more diversion or dissent. From reading this I would say Ciara Conway actually reveals genuine empathy but in the cold world of black and white yes incoherent. I would like to know if readers and subscribers to this site feel as Michael McNamara TD argues that Labour in government is central to fettering the worst excesses of austerity? Can we imagine a scenario when Irish labour, SF and other progressives might form a government? This the O’ Broin SF position to me seems achievable. I think there are good TDs in Irish Labour and among the r and f and youth.
I’m no expert, but my sense is that the hostility within the LP to SF is so deeply embedded that it would take a serious electoral defeat for that to shift. I do’nt think that hostility is all embracing all LP members, though God only knows about the leadership and PP.
The other fly in the ointment is that FG seems to be soaking up the right of centre vote and sections of the centre vote. Interesting to see how that functions at any future election and it may be that the latter is soft enough after another three/four years of austerity.
Re Conway there is indeed some incoherence though I guess one could argue in her defence that waiting for the review group offers some hope that some liberalish TDs from beyond the LP and the left might be persuaded to vote for progressive legislation. A forlorn hope, though so is the prospect of the opposition motion being effective too.
The above was a response to Roasted Snow.
Conway describes the failure to legislate, accurately, as barbarism. She then says that she is going to vote to continue the failure to legislate. That is a completely morally bankrupt position.
Aaargh, comments system! That should have been “the below was a response…@
Yes, a simple case of being a party hack.
As for Michael McNamara’s cretinous claim, no. I doubt if there’s a single reader here who is quite stupid enough to believe that.
And no, there are not good TDs in Irish Labour. They are neoliberals to a man and woman, bar one social democrat who has already lost the whip.
I look forward to Labour being unable to hold a major meeting anywhere in the country for the next number of years without angry protests outside. They are the enemy.
“The economic downturn that has shaken Europe for the last three years has also swept away the foundations of once-sturdy lives, leading to an alarming spike in suicide rates. Especially in the most fragile nations like Greece, Ireland and Italy, small-business owners
and entrepreneurs are increasingly taking their own lives in a phenomenon some European newspapers have started calling “suicide by economic crisis.”
Just like the tens of thousands who emigrate perhaps the Irish Times will now have an article explaining that this trend is due to ‘choices’ and unrelated to the economic crisis.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/world/europe/increasingly-in-europe-suicides-by-economic-crisis.html
This little event happened in my home area some 31 years ago literally. Always worth a mention. And how far have they come?
News from the Local Elections in Peterborough UK. Labour Left to take at least two, probably three seats on City Council despite opposition and sectarianism from SPEW and WRP rump. We tried to talk with the SP/TUSC. Nice try from SP to target houses displaying Labour posters, but no go! We’ve been doing the legwork for months. Get the Tories out! Defend all jobs! Fight all Cuts! Their crisis not ours!
Wow, does the WRP still have many adherents in the UK?
As ever good luck with your endeavours.
Well, the remnants: they’re all over the place in various guises. Newsline is pretty evident in London but we are dealing with Dave North’s World Socialist Movement in the ward of Bretton North Peterborough. But what hits me is just how powerful an impact an individual can make if you go for the negative. For us in Labour you also have to have a possible solution (policy)! And we do. It amounts to the Tory government increasing local government funding and of course restructuring the local budget in favour of disadvantaged communities. Fight all cuts, defend every job! Tories Out!
It’s not “sectarianism” to oppose candidates of a neoliberal party like New Labour, any more than it’s sectarianism to oppose Tory or Lib Dem candidates.
It’s also a matter of complete irrelevance whether there are a few more or less New Labour councillors.
Some entertainment news- TG4 are going to be showing “Breaking
Bad” on Thursdays at 11pm. BB is a superb show with
superlative acting, especially from Bryan Cranston
as the school teacher turned drug pusher, and I
would urge anyone interested in US TV drama to give
it a look ( I loaned the DVD to my in-laws last month, and
now they’re big fans).
Have watched the first few episodes so far and have to agree it’s excellent
Yeah. Funny thing with AMC though- they did
two shows almost everyone says are great (Mad Men,
Breaking Bad) two shows that are
regarded as good-if-not-great, (Rubicon,
the Walking Dead)…and then they just lost it with
their disastrous remake of “The Killing”.
Wow, does the labour Left still have many adherents in the Labour Party?
Not really.
The main remaining institutions of the Labour Left, the campaign group and the LRC can get about 200 people to an open conference.
Depends which Labour Party. Here in the UK LRC has at least 1000 adherents and Socialist Appeal growing with a big turnout at conference on Saturday.Useful article from this week’s Weekly Worker;
http://www.cpgb.org.uk/article.php?article_id=1004798
A bit late but Eoin O’Murchu demolishes the elder Bruton and his Redmond fetish.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2012/0414/1224314727682.html
These disputes may seem arcane or irrevalent but are important.Redmond sent our people to die in an Imperialist war. Bruton regards this as the right course.The new Redmondites want to prepare Ireland for similar adventures. The same rationales will and are used. Saving democracy, Saving civilians, overthrowing dictators and the latest clearing land mines in Afghanistan. Bruton is softening us up for this. Gilmore has a dopted an even more rightwing and pro USA foreign policy that the FFers. There is one declared zionist in the government who disputes the all party agreement to stay neutral in WW2.Gilmore has consistently baced Israel in every way. The EU gives Israel special status vis a vis the EU in trade terms. Only tyhe mildest whimpers can be heard about the continuing land grabs in occupied Palestine.
The continuing revisionist attack on the validity of our quest for national independence is par of the integration of the country into a revived Imperialist project.
The number who died as a result of 1916 is very small compared to the number who died because of Redmond and the number who would have died if they had got away with conscription.
“Musician” Ted Nugent threatens his political opponents:
“If you can’t galvanize and promote and recruit people to vote for Mitt Romney, we’re dead,” Nugent declared. “If Barack Obama becomes the president in November again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.”
“We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November: Any questions?”
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2012/04/16/ted-nugent-to-nra-chop-their-heads-off/
Last year,the nutjob also said:
“”If it was up to me, if you uttered the word ‘gun control,’ we’d put you in jail”.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/01/us-nra-convention-idUSTRE7402SL20110501
No only are the orthodoxy insane (see Krugman’s piece in the IT today) but they’re also cowards. Donal O’Donovan of the Fiscal Advisory Council and formerly of the IMF making an idiot of himself now on Vincent Browne by arguing for reductions of the social welfare budget as a general principle but not having the guts to say that ‘Yes’ he agrees with the cuts to loan parents payments implemented today.
He was in the IMF from 1977 through to 2005. This is the same IMF who Joe Stiglitz claimed was ideologically wedded to ‘free markets’ and responsible for huge economic disasters.
I would not expect too much from him.
This is probably gruesomely simplistic of me, but I look at the great and the good, including AFAIK the IMF reps, who stay in the Merrion Hotel and I think how on earth could they possibly have an iota of knowledge (or empathy) with 80/90 per cent of the citizenry of this or any other state?
It’s perhaps to O’Donovan’s credit that he can’t quite bring himself to slip the knife in when faced with the reality of what his proscriptions proscribe, but that’s the reality of what he and the others suggest (and by the way, someone in comments mentioned Brian Hayes ‘austerity, what austerity?’ article in the IT… that was a classic of its kind).
Everywhere it has intervened the IMF has done severe economic damage to the working class. Donal Donovan spent 28 years formulating and imposing such anti-working class policies. That he is a member of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council shows that this body’s function is to propagate right-wing ideology.
In 2002 Argentina refused to accept IMF conditionality; after an initial downturn, its economy recovered and grew by an annual average rate of 8.5% between 2004 and 2009.
In a further departure from the Washington neo-liberal consensus Argentina has now re-nationalized its main oil company.