Wednesday 16 February 2011

Slippery Brian Lenihan and the hazards of election posters

I've always said that Brian Lenihan is a slippery so-and-so, and here's the proof.  Walking down a miserable, wet, windswept Coolmine Road last night, I chanced upon him lying prostrate on the path ahead, staring up at the rainclouds.  

Unfortunately, it was only his poster, so I resisted the temptation to perform an impromptu jig atop his smug mush.  This was for three good reasons:  1) It would have been very immature; 2) There were some people about, and 3) Those things are bloody slippery in the wet  -   a shortcut to the nearest A&E, in fact.

Which makes you wonder about the hazards posed by election posters - not to mention the fact that we are sick of the sight of most of their subjects anyway.  And what's the point?  Does seeing a candidate's smarmy visage peering down from every lampost make you more likely to vote for them?  I doubt it.

I propose that they be banned on health and safety grounds, and saving the ecosphere or whatever.   And it's not just me.  Certain politicians do actually pose a hazard to life and limb - even in cardboard form.   Witness the following from a Kevin Lalor, of Naas, in the IT letters page a week back:

Madam, – I ride a motorcycle to work. On Thursday, in very windy conditions on the Naas Road, I was nearly beheaded by a calmly smiling Micheál Martin travelling at 100 kph, in the form of a poster. – Yours, etc.

It seems that Fianna Fail cannot help themselves.  They are still out to get us.


Back go Gombeen Nation main page

7 comments:

Ella said...

Hi GM, apparently there was a Joe Duffy show dedicated to this. You know politicians scrounging lifts on the bonnet and windscreens of motorists. Very dangerous indeed. I can't imagine what it was like for Kevin Lawlor of Naas. Having had a motorbike and scooters in the past, I can confirm that really is life threatening stuff on 2 wheels.

Anonymous said...

FIANNA FAIL; FINE GAIL; FINE FUCKING MESS

What you say about the posters is correct and moreover what you say about the same old political and electioneering methods are in operation as they were when I was a child over 60 years ago.

What you think of a state that still has a State Controlled TV and Radio, controlled primarily by the families and relatives of the predominant political party Fianna Fail e.g. The Andrews, Aherne and Coughlan families etc.

Ireland is and always has been a “pseudo one party state”. It will be no hardship for Fianna Fail to be out of office for a few years whilst Fine Gail fuck things up even more, then they will come to the rescue of the people.

What do you think of a state that has a compulsory language, and until recently a compulsory religion. Compulsory means: No Choice. No Choice means curtailed freedom and is in effect a dictatorship with fascist ideals.

YOUTH IS THE ONLY HOPE
I watched The Richard Dimbleby Lecture on the BBC with the most eminent children’s laureate Michael Morpurgo last evening. The theme of the lecture was concerned with Children’s Rights and the power of youth of the world. He referred to the recent role of children and youth in Egypt and Tunisia and the purported that only hope for the world today is, the youth of the world.

WHAT THE HELL HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH IRELAND?

Well, the youth of Ireland are leaving in droves, The youth of Egypt are staying and demonstrating and fighting for justice and equality. In Ireland, putrefied, corrupt, greedy politicians are campaigning with the same old Machiavellian strategies of stagnant deception, and the people shout: Hurrah, Hurrah whilst their children and grandchildren are cast into the wilderness of another country in a state of hopelessness because Ireland is not a safe or fitting place to live in.

JUST IMAGINE
Imagine a scene in O’Connell Street Dublin, similar to Cairo's Tahrir Square for 15 days where the youth of Ireland could not only say, but act and tell the present Irish (priest ridden and Irish speaking) politicians of all established parties that like that of the corrupt Mr Mubarak that their game and their time is up.

BRIDEWELL
It is a good job that I live in England because, if I lived in Dublin, the Special Branch would have me in the Bridewell by 10pm tonight, for incitement to riot, so I will understand if you do not publish this on your blog.

As always thank you.

DBMG

Anonymous said...

IRISH INSANITY

Mr Mubaraks billions have been frozen and sequestered, as have some of the other middle east dictators and the money is to be returned to the people.

No one has applied to have the accounts of Irish politicians, off-shore accounts frozen or sequestered. Several TD’s who are up for re-election in the full knowledge that they have purloined millions of Euros that belongs to the people for their own use, and they probably have transferred the money into the accounts of other family members.

This is the right time (at the election) to take collective legal action so that the accounts of these thieves (like Mubarak)are frozen and the money returned to the people. It is time to indict Irish politicians of all parties, but mainly Fianna Fail in the context of a collective private prosecution. This may prove difficult initially considering that Fianna Fail "own the law"!!

With justification, many people assume that "The Press" and RTE are in the pockets (and the wallets) of Fianna Fail politicians, Therefore do not expect objective investigative journalism from the “free press” in Ireland

DBMG

The Gombeen Man said...

Yes Ella. Spent some time on motorised two-wheelers myself. I doesn't take much knock you off the perpendicular.

Yes DB. There is a striking docility in Ireland. People - for most part - seem too willing to believe whatever they are told IMO.

And as for the youth being the great hope, I'm afraid I must despair on that one. I, personally, have found a great many of them to be extremely conservative.

I think a foray into places such as Politics.ie, Boards and so forth, will reveal an unhealthy proportion of spoilt, xenophobic brats whose reaction to Ireland's changing demographic is to embrace questionable Dev-inspired, exclusive ideas of "Irishness".

Ironically, it could be that the coming waves of young Irish leaving for work abroad will inculcate in them an appreciation for the motivations of the economic migrant, and therefore encourage some future tolerance?

As I had to get on the boat/plane in the past to work, I have identified with those who have come to Ireland in similar search of work. Anyone who has had to do it themselves will feel the same.

But I digress. You are correct, of course. Emigration has been used as a safety valve by Irish governments since 1922. Either as a result of them stifling the economy with their narrow cultural outlook and conservatism, or actively wrecking it as in the case of the present Fianna Fail shower.

Anonymous said...

WOOD AND TREES

What is the Irish mindset, that thousands of people will demonstrate and sign petitions because Mr Kenny proposed that the Irish language need not be compulsory. He has not suggested that it be banned; all he has suggested is that there should be freedom of choice.

Let examination students decide on what subjects is best suited to their academic and professional needs. If a person is naturally interested in linguistics, it is probable that they may wish to study Irish. What is wrong with that argument?

But to retain the Irish language, as Martin and Gilmore advocate just to keep a handful of Gaeltacht Area B+B landladies in business is a very poor argument. Also, it is highly possible that many more people might choose to visit the Gaeltacht Areas to learn Irish if it were not compulsory.

But, using Gaeltacht logic (contradiction in terms) would it not be better to have non- Irish speaking people wear a compulsory star on their clothing as in Nazi Germany. In this way, 15% of the population could justifiably kick the shit out of the other 85%. That is the mindset of the "powers that be" in today’s Ireland.

Many Fianna Fail politicians would love to have more compulsory legal infringements as was in Egypt, as there are still many similar political variables between the attitudes of the Fascists and Fianna Fail.

DBMG

Anonymous said...

WHY THE YOUTH OF IRELAND SHOULD BE PROTESTING IN O’CONNELL STREET.

Just read this heartfelt sad letter from the Irish Independent.

WE'LL THINK OF THE PAIN OF LOSING OUR CHILDREN WHEN WE VOTE

Thursday February 17: 2011
Text received at 07.23: "Thanks for everything, Mom and Dad. Just on plane, will text when we land x x x"
Tears. Aertel page 572. FR7016, departed 08.09. More tears. Unreal feeling in the pit of my stomach -- loss, failure.
Thank you, Brian Cowen and Fianna Fail. Thank you, Anglo Irish Bank.
It's because of you that our daughter and her fiance, like thousands more, have left brokenhearted parents to grieve the loss of their beloved children.
Yes, our hearts are broken and yes, we are angry. It's tough to come to terms with this.
Will they be okay? Will they ever come back? Where can I get the money to go and visit them?
I lost my job and didn't get a golden handshake.
You might have taken our children and our happiness away from us but you left us one thing -- our votes.

Michael Swords
Drimaderra, Ballyhaunis,
Co Mayo

Anonymous said...

THE DIVINE RIGHT

Fianna Fail is right, because God is right!!

The Vatican is the voice of God.

Fianna Fail is the voice of The Vatican

RTE is the voice of Fianna Fail

RTE sound the Angelus Bell to tell people when to pray, which proves that the Vatican still controls Irish society.

Therefore it is logical that Fianna Fail are the party of God.

The Divine Right of Kings has been espoused to Fianna Fail.

Let the people of Ireland genuflect when a Fianna Fail TD approaches.

Lastly, this is 2011, and the Irish people must be living in some sort of time-warp or must be encountering the “Rip Van Winkle” effect. Are the Irish a self destructive people, like a group of lemmings jumping over a cliff.

Today, UK citizens told the Coalition Government to ‘Piss Off’ when they tried to sell off the Common land and Forests to their friends. The Government had to do a ‘U’ turn. The generally reticent, restrained British public said: “On your Fucking Bike”.

When will the Irish people tell their corrupt politicians “On your Bike”?

DBMG