McGuinness, you may have heard, has stated that he left the IRA in 1974. Intelligence sources disagree, however, as do former comrades-in-arms, who claim he was the top man right up until the ceasefire negotiations and beyond.
According to the article, McGuinness dismissed those who question his paramilitary past as "west Brits”. And in Shinner logic that deals the whole uncomfortable issue a knockout blow. Anyone who disagrees with the Shinners' brand of national socialism is a “west Brit”, of course. There are worse things though - like being a leading light in an organisation that killed protestant and catholic workers alike, if it deemed them to be “legitimate targets”.
I know the IRA were not the only ones – there were also the sectarian murder gangs of the UDA, UVF and the rest. There were bigots like Paisley stirring it since the late 60s civil rights movement, and making a career out of it. Now they are all peacemakers - having got it out of their systems - and we should all fall over ourselves in gratitude to them. And how many younger people who have no recollection of what things were like during "The Troubles" will be rushing out to vote for Sinn Fein's candidate?
How many will vote for him because he is the “Ya-Boy-Ya!!!” candidate? You know the type? The barstool republicans who have blighted every Irish generation since 1922, lemming-like in perpetuity, cheering on the boyos from a safe distance with their lumpen nationalist bollocksology.
That other hopeful candidate, David Norris - a man being hounded for far less serious past transgressons - might wistfully recall The Citizen from the Cyclops chapter in Joyce’s Ulysses – a character that summarised the above type so well.
He hasn’t gone away, you know. He'll be out voting for Martin McGuinness on the 27th of October.
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12 comments:
At the time of writing this Norris still needs one more council and Dana has got the nod. I suspect that if Norris does not get the nomination there will be a protest vote that could go to McGuinness.
Glad to see Norris got the fourth nomination, John.
Did we ever think we would see Mr Mc Guinness a contestant on the Irish version of X Factor? Can't say this country hasn't come on leaps and bounds. A unique time in the nations history.
I'd better not say "where else would you get it?" for fear of a certain expat nutter branding me a racist fascist... ;-)
We'll just say the hints in the question GM.....It will have to be mirror writing snd cryptic anagrams next.
Is é an rud is mó a bhaineas gáire asam ná nach féidir leat do sheanóráid a thabhairt faoin nGaeilge mar theanga na sceimhlitheoirí agus na bhFaisisteach, ó tharla go bhfuil Mac Mhig Aonghusa dall ar an teanga.
The fun thing is that for once you cannot launch one of your standard diatribes against the Irish language being terrorist and fascist in nature, because McGuinness happens to be ignorant of said lingo.
Is é Mícheál Ó hUiginn an t-iarrthóir is mó Gaeilge, ar ndóigh, agus is fear é nach féidir leat féin a bhrandáil mar Fhaisisteach Poblachtánach.
The candidate with the most outstanding Irish-language credentials is of course Mícheál Ó hUiginn alias Michael Higgins, whom even you cannot call a Shinner fascist.
Ar ndóigh bheadh sé i do dhúchas a chur i leith Mhíchíl gur cineál "Poblachtánach faoi cheilt" eisean, ós Gaeilgeoir é. Beidh sceitimíní orm ag fanacht leat ionsaí den tsaghas sin a thabhairt faoi mo dhuine.
Of course, it would be perfectly in character for you to allege that Michael is some sort of crypto-Shinner, being an Irish speaker. I'll be thrilled to look forward to you assaulting him verbally in that vein.
Ná bíodh náire ort cinsireacht a dhéanamh ar an bhfreagra seo. Ní raibh riamh.
Of course you won't publish this humble comment of mine. You never would. Fine with me, be my guest.
Beir bua, old boy.
Very impressive. No grants for translation here on Gombeen Nation though, I'm afraid.
No, I wouldn't call Michael D such things.
Nor Joe Higgins, another native Gaeilge speaker, for that matter.
So there you go...
McGuinness was a leader in a war footing in the decades he was associated with the IRA.
That is now in the past. Over the history of most nations leaders in war's have gone on to be political leaders.
Perhaps this is the reason why republican people will vote for Martin McGuinness?
Sure Anon... I've no doubt "republicans" will be out in their droves to vote for him. Thing is, are they voting despite the unsavoury aspects of the past, or because of them?
Also, labeling those who question that past as "west Brits" is funny language for a bridge-building president to use, IMO.
I know I'll seem foolish, but can someone explain the term "west Brit" to me? Is it just an Irish person who is deemed insufficiently proud to be Irish? My extended family were(are) rabid republicans, always railing against the British while sitting in bars in New York and Boston, but I've never heard that term.
Russell, the first literary reference to "west Brit" or "west Briton" that I know of is in Joyce's "The Dead" in "Dubliners". It was published in 1914.
The term was used by an irritating character called "Miss Ivors", who was full of Gaelic revivalist zeal, as many members of her privileged class where, as they sniffed home rule, and saw it as a useful tool.
Michael D Higgins is a Really decent man- he's also a long term friend of Norris.He moved heaven and earth to get his friend a nomination-a man who could give Irish politicians a Good name, I'd almost support the Irish Political Family Dynasty if Michael D's kids went into politics....
and Independent TD Maureen O'Sullivanbehaved very nobly during L'Affaire Norris ( LAffaire Dreyfus was in C19 France: a jewish french army officer was slandered, jailed- and cleared by writer Emile Zola).
As for the way some Irish politicins behaved, withdrawing support from Norris- then Jumping to support Martin Mc G- Finian Mc Grath and Ming, take a Blush. And as for that fine opportunist, oops I mean Patriot Michael Healy Rae and some other Kerry yokel also jumping to support Martin Mc G ...a gay man said on www.the journal.ie it took Norris months to get nominations- yet TDs Jumped to support Martin McG- within 48 hrs- even though he had not even spoken to them in person.
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