Scourges, crucifixions and hypocrisy: Second Lisbon Treaty debate begins

The second Lisbon Treaty debate is on and it’s obvious that the pro treaty crowd have learned nothing. In fact, it seems that their arrogance and undemocratic attitudes have become even more extreme.

Dick Roche is still calling the anti treaty side a bunch of liars and Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell obviously doesn’t like the idea of democracy when it comes to ratification of the treaty.

Anti treaty campaigner, Ulick McEvaddy, in a debate (Tuesday) with Mitchell, expressed a very reasonable point of view:

“They’ve been misleading us or they have not got their act together. If it takes us another ten years to get a proper treaty in place that people can understand, let us wait that ten years and spend that ten years doing something that’s right instead of putting this treaty back to the people.”

When RTE presenter, Myles Dungan, put it to Mitchell that he was ‘scaremongering’ the Fine Gael MEP began to lose the run of himself.

“I resent that comment and you shouldn’t have used that comment Ulick (He didn’t make the comment, Myles Dungan did) and everything I’ve said has been very measured on this both this morning and at other times and we’ve let this go… (Interrupted by McEvaddy) there you are interrupting me now, you said you didn’t interrupt (He didn’t say that). You should not be using those terms (He didn’t) if we’re to have some reasonable discussion and debate on this.

I’ll tell you what has to happen Ulick; we have to put people like you in your place. You’re a good businessman but you know sweet damn all about politics and what we’ve really got to do and this is the real problem here… We’ve got to restore to Dial Eireann the democratic deficit between the Dail and the people.

All the TDs have left themselves with is responsibility and they’ve given away authority…It’s time for the Dail to take back authority and to say to people like Ulick…the business of politics requires people to be able to find real solutions to problems.”

Phew, what a roasting for poor Ulick. Let’s do a small analysis on Mitchell’s outburst.

He wants people like McEvaddy taken out of the democratic process, banned from participating in political campaigns. Mitchell would probably allow Ulick to express a personal view and maybe even vote but any kind of campaign that challenges the body politic would be forbidden.

Mitchell admits that Dail Eireann has lost its authority but fails to acknowledge that this situation was brought about by the corruption and cowardice of politicians themselves. Fine Gael, in common with all the major parties, constantly waffle on about Dail reform but do not posses the courage or vision to actually implement change.

Later, Mitchell brings up the question of funding political campaigns:

“Ulick, I don’t know anything about running your business…my business is politics…and it’s people like you and your other wealthy pal down in Galway, Ganley, walking on to the pitch with your millions of pounds (sic) and being able to tell us our business…this is a little game for people like yourself and others.”

It takes a special kind of hypocrisy to attack non politicians for operating under a system carefully set up by politicians to make sure that the millions they get from big business remains hidden from public scrutiny.

In addition to attacking those from outside the body politic for having the neck to mount a political campaign Mitchell is obviously not happy that the people themselves should be trusted to have a direct say in such important matters.

“Do you know that the people in Germany voted for the Third Reich, the people outside Caesar’s palace (sic) voted for the crucifixion of Christ, what has a referendum got to do with…if you ask the people tomorrow to vote for the Government…”

Unfortunately, he was cut off at this point before he made a complete eejit of himself.

Ah yes, there’ll be many a scourging and crucifixion before this campaign is done.

Copy to;
Gay Mitchell

NRA promise: No surcharge on new toll system

According to Hugh Creegan of the National Roads Authority (NRA) retailers will not impose a surcharge on motorists when they purchase their barrier free toll cards. For the record, here’s what Creegan said:

“No, there won’t be any surcharging; they’ll just be paying the statuary toll charge and nothing else. While it may be technically possible it won’t happen in practice.”

(RTE News, 4th report).

What Hugh means is that retailers are legally entitled, if they so decide, to skim off a little something for themselves under the new system. Hugh’s promise that it won’t happen in practice holds about as much credibility as a politician’s promise.

A few years ago when I went to purchase some credit for my mobile phone I was informed by an embarrassed shop assistant that there was a surcharge on the transaction. I told him that I would throw my phone in the sea rather than submit to such greedy extortion.

Motorists should adopt the same attitude when faced with the same rip off, as they inevitably will, despite Mr. Creegan’s promises.

The untouchables

According to the Sunday Tribune, Celia Larkin, Bertie Ahern’s ex-girlfriend, was paid almost €30,000 in fees and expenses for sitting on the board of the National Consumer Agency – a position she described as purely voluntary.

The NCA is a useless organisation that claims to act in the best interests of consumers but, for the most part, fails miserably in its mission.

This useless quango, which has a pitiful budget of €10 million, has a bloated board of 12 and has cost the taxpayer more than €330,000 in expenses and fees. Its chief executive, Ann Fitzgerald, is paid a disgracefully high wage of €182,333.

There is nothing new about this scandal. We know, and have known for years, that there are thousands of Irish citizens doing exactly what these people are doing – sucking the State dry of vital funds that could otherwise be used to benefit those who deserve help.

Does anybody really believe that Ahern, who appointed Larkin, is worried about these revelations, that he’s chewing his nails with worry about possible consequences? Is there anybody naïve enough to think that Larkin gives two damns what people think? Is there anybody fool enough to believe that there’s some state authority or some politician out there who will challenge these people, who will act in the interests of the people?

No, low grade people like Larkin and Ahern do not care what people think, they are confident that they operate in a jurisdiction where accountability is almost non existent, where they are practically untouchable.

None of this will change until the Irish people learn how to express their anger en masse – I’m not holding my breadth.

Copy to:
NCA
Fianna Fail

The hungry rich?

I have no problem with rich people. Most of them work hard for their money and so long as they’re not buying politicians or breaking the law in some other way I say – best of luck.

It is, however, ridiculous to hear someone like Jim Mansfield (worth €1.7 billion) declare:

“I have money in property and in this and that, but at the end of the day it means nothing to me really”

Of course it means nothing to him, it’s only people who have feck all that actually worry about money.

It’s even more ridiculous to hear the Mansfield’s of this world claim that they’re just managing to avoid falling into the pit of starvation.

“Money wouldn’t come on my list of priorities at all. All I want is to be able to get a bit of money to eat every week and that’ll keep me going.”

Give us a break, Jim.

Now, where did I stash that tin of beans I was keeping for Sunday dinner?

Good news from the navy

I got some good news from a navy friend of mine last night.

During the week he overheard a conversation in which the commanding officer of the navy expressed anger about my letter criticising the involvement of a State ship in honouring the corrupt Haughey.

Apparently, he wanted to know if there was anything that could be done about this letter writer. He was informed that as Mr. Sheridan was no longer a serving member of the naval service, there was nothing that could be done.

I wrote last week that my letter hadn’t been published, I’m delighted to report that I was mistaken in that belief.

O'Connor's Bertie love in

They say love is blind, that those struck by the condition find it impossible to see any bad in the object of their desire. And so it seems with Brendan O’Connor and his undying love for Bertie.

His article in today’s Sunday Independent is entitled ‘Tis Bertie’s summer of love’. Here are some of O’Connor’s Bertie endearments.

On criticism of Bertie’s performance on The Road to Croker.

“The thing that mattered about Bertie on The Road to Croker was what always mattered with Bertie. It was that feel good factor he radiates.”

“For an hour (with Bertie) there was no recession, no bad weather and everything was alright.”

On (grumpy bird) Cowen’s performance.

“As we deal with our current grumpy bird, Bertie is reminding us how good we always felt when we were with him. And how we always looked on the bright side of things. We need the Bertie Aherns of the world right now.”

On Darren Sutherland’s comment that winning bronze at the Olympics was like winning gold.

“We believed when we listened to him that bronze was the new gold. And that’s what we need right now, guys who can convince us that bronze is gold. Never mind Cowen addressing the nation — every day at noon, Bertie Ahern and Darren Sutherland should address the nation. And tell us that everything is alright. And we’d believe them.”

No Brendan – Only fools believe Bertie.

Copy to:
Brendan O’Connor

Fianna Fail Cllr. attacks delinquent trees

“I am sick of trees all over this city causing annoyance at one level or another for residents.”

With this comment Fianna Fail Cllr. Michael Crowe brings a whole new meaning to the term ‘Fianna Fail backwoodsman’.

Crowe was giving out about problems caused by trees in and around Galway city (The Last Word, Today FM). Here’s some of what he had to say.

“While trees serve a very worthwhile purpose across the city and country definitely they are causing significant difficulties and it is becoming a hazard for communities and residents.”

According to Crowe these trees were hiding (deliberately?) some very anti social behaviour like illegal drinking and illegal dumping. He didn’t say whether the trees themselves were also involved in these activities.

From a distance, according to Crowe, everything looks fine but the reality is somewhat different. These trees are harbouring dangerous rodents just yards away from where our children are playing football.

“We’ve got to cut them down. You wake up one morning and the trees and vegetation are out of control, you just don’t know what’s happening in there.”

“I’ve had a significant problem with a number of trees both individual trees and trees in residential areas, trees that are too tall and pose a danger to people’s houses.”

The Cllr. didn’t actually name any ‘individual’ tree but we can assume he’ll have no problem identifying the culprits, if required, in any subsequent police line up.

I have to say it’s a very strange case but if what the Cllr. says is true, if the trees really are responsible for illegal drinking and dumping, if they’re providing shelter for nasty rodents, if they are deliberately attacking human by growing too tall with the intention of falling on houses then there’s only one thing to be done – Kill, kill, kill them all.

I do, however, disagree with the good Cllr, on one point. The trees shouldn’t be summarily executed. They should be arrested, put on trial and only then executed.

After all, humans, unlike trees, are civilised, intelligent creatures, masters of nature and guardians of the future of the planet.

Copy to:
Cllr. Crowe

Home grown religious fanatic – A view

I wrote recently about how disturbing it was to see Obama and McCain prostrate themselves before a religious fanatic as part of their campaigns to get elected to the most powerful office in the world.

One of our own home grown religious fanatics, David Quinn, takes the complete opposite view. Here’s what he wrote in this week’s Irish Catholic.

The Power of Rick Warren

“What power. Rick Warren is founder of one of the biggest evangelical churches in America, and author of the mega best-seller The Purpose-Driven Life.

Last weekend, both John McCain and Barack Obama were separately interviewed for one hour each by Pastor Warren about every kind of issue, both private and public.

In a million years I cannot imagine any politician here agreeing to spend an hour of his time answering questions put to him by a priest or pastor.

And we pretend to respect religion.”

No comment needed.

The dreary steeples of Fermanagh and Tyrone forever and ever and ever…

RTEs obsession with all things Northern Ireland continues apace.

Apparently, we’re coming up to the 40th anniversary of the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement that ignited all the ‘recent’ troubles. RTE is marking the event with a new website which, we are told, gives fascinating reports from the station’s archives – I’m overwhelmed with the excitement of it all.

On Today with Pat Kenny (Friday) we heard four veterans of the movement endlessly relate their experiences. I suppose there’s some small justification for this but what are we to make of the long and very boring interview with author Brian Rowan (Today with Pat Kenny, Thursday) who has just written a book entitled How the Peace was Won.

Rowan is a former security editor for the BBC in Belfast and this is his 4th book on the Peace Process – yes, his 4th book on the same subject.

It wouldn’t be so bad if it was his 4th book on world history or Irish history or the history of Northern Ireland or even the history of the recent troubles but no – this his 4th book on the god damned Peace Process.

Does the man have no other life, no other interests, does he have a woman, a family, does he drink a pint, does he collect bird’s eggs; is there anything else he can do? Surely the man is in need of some serious counselling.

And what about those who read these books, I mean, is there really anybody out there who has actually read all four books. Is there some lunatic out there who, having just put down book three is thinking, I just can’t wait to get stuck into book four.

Surely Rowan and his readers, not to mention certain RTE staff are all victims of the conflict, all obsessed with a piddley little part of the world that has imposed its piddley little squabbles on the rest of civilisation for centuries.

And there’s no end in sight, it’s going to go on forever. RTE has miles upon miles of archives in the cellars of Montrose. And when all the countless events that occurred in the 30 years of their piddley little war are commemorated the whole ritual will start all over again.

Churchill, that great man of history, a man who knew the difference between great events and the mundane got it right when he said the following about Northern Ireland during the House of Commons debate in 1922 on the Irish Free State Bill.

“Then came the Great War: every institution, almost, in the world was strained. Great Empires have been overturned. The whole map of Europe has been changed. The position of countries has been violently altered. The modes of thought of men, the whole outlook on affairs, the grouping of parties, all have encountered violent and tremendous changes in the deluge of the world.

But as the deluge subsides and the waters fall short, we see the dreary steeples of Fermanagh and Tyrone emerging once again. The integrity of their quarrel is one of the few institutions that has been unaltered in the cataclysm which has swept the world.”

And so it remains today – May Zeus save us all.

Now – I feel a lot better for getting all that off my chest.

Copy to:
RTE News
Pat Kenny Show

Honouring the corrupt Haughey

Every year the former corrupt politician Charlie Haughey is honoured by the organisers of Dingle Regatta and every year I write a letter of protest to the main national newspapers.

This year, for the first time, my letter wasn’t published. Perhaps the memory of the crimes that this man committed are beginning to fade or perhaps the editors thought my letter was too strong. I think myself it was perfectly reasonable.

There’s not a great deal that can be done about the annual farce in Dingle where the discredited former Taoiseach Charles Haughey is honoured by the organisers of the town’s regatta.

It is, however, a national scandal and a slap in the face to all compliant taxpayer’s that a State ship, the LE Orla, formed an integral part of the ceremonies for this major tax cheat.

Yours etc.
Anthony Sheridan