While I had no problem with people protesting at Tory Blur’s Easons booksigning, on account of his invasion of Iraq and all the civilian deaths and chaos his actions caused, I did find it ironic to see the 32 County Sovereignty Movement were among the demonstrators.
The 32 CSM, remember, is the political wing of the Real IRA – the unreconstructed lumpen “republicans” who brought us the Omagh bombing, the atrocity that killed 29 innocent people going about their business in the town 12 years ago.
Despite their obsolete Marxist rhetoric, these people - and others on the on the so-called republican “left” - are as much about progressive politics and "freedom" as any far-right ultra nationalist grouping, and should be seen as such.
The only Real difference is that they are a lot more deadly and given to participating in wanton slaughter on a grand scale.
Just like Tony Blair.
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4 comments:
I’m note sure if Boswell quotes Johnson’s informal speech in the famous quote below-
Or whether that line Was actually extracted from Johnson’s pamphlet The Patriot ;
the quote marked 408 is from that pamphlet.
More of the same is at www.samualjohnson.com
114. Patriotism
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
Boswell: Life of Johnson
408. Patriotism; Politics; Subversion
"A man sometimes starts up a patriot, only by disseminating discontent, and propagating reports of secret influence, of dangerous counsels, of violated rights, and encroaching usurpation. This practice is no certain note of patriotism. To instigate the populace with rage beyond the provocation, is to suspend publick happiness, if not to destroy it. He is no lover of his country, that unnecessarily disturbs its peace. Few errors and few faults of government, can justify an appeal to the rabble; who ought not to judge of what they cannot understand, and whose opinions are not propagated by reason, but caught by contagion."
Johnson: The Patriot
I’m note sure if Boswell quotes Johnson’s informal speech in the famous quote below-
Or whether that line Was actually extracted from Johnson’s pamphlet The Patriot ;
the quote marked 408 is from that pamphlet.
More of the same is at www.samualjohnson.com
114. Patriotism
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
Boswell: Life of Johnson
408. Patriotism; Politics; Subversion
"A man sometimes starts up a patriot, only by disseminating discontent, and propagating reports of secret influence, of dangerous counsels, of violated rights, and encroaching usurpation. This practice is no certain note of patriotism. To instigate the populace with rage beyond the provocation, is to suspend publick happiness, if not to destroy it. He is no lover of his country, that unnecessarily disturbs its peace. Few errors and few faults of government, can justify an appeal to the rabble; who ought not to judge of what they cannot understand, and whose opinions are not propagated by reason, but caught by contagion."
Johnson: The Patriot
I often wonder if Johnson should have expanded on that to read:
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel as it takes in the gullible half-wit and makes the scoundrel secure".
We're hardly a "peaceful "nation , merely a nation that abhors conventional open warfare
quote from a general article in II today ( on subject of intolerance in general Koran burning etc...) ...it's the quote below from a FG councillor that I like
So here's the deal — if you have no problem with Queen Betty coming to this country, then you are nothing better than a West Brit lackey who spends your free time laughing at the thoughts of people killed in the conflict; you are simply an imperialist war mongerer who shouldn't be allowed to exist.
That's the blinkered, fascist view of groups like eirigi, that rabble of fanatics who think Sinn Fein has gone too soft and who won't rest until we have what they refer to as "A united, 32county, socialist Republic" — translation: they won't rest until they have turned us into Cuba or, even better, North Korea.
But some politicians aren't taking their little protests very seriously.
Step forward Fine Gael councillor Bill Tormey, who responded to the group: "This City Council notes the number of unreconstructed nuts in Ireland whose olfactory organs are so damaged that they are incapable of smelling the roses, thus condemning themselves to fighting ancient wars when a truce has been called and the whole world has passed on."
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