It is a leaflet for Martin McGuinness, publicising his bid to become "UACHTARAN NA nDAOINE" ("The People's President" as Gaeilge - a language he doesn't speak himself, of course).
But that is typical of the cultural-nationalist bollocksology of Sinn Fein, who are really nothing better than Fianna Fail in embryo. The difference being that as long as the Shinners are in opposition, they can be "radical" grandstanders.
They profess to be socialist, yet they don't support a woman's right to chose a termination in her own country - a basic tenet of left wing parties.
They didn't have a nationwide policy on the bin charges, but left it at local level to take an opportunist stance when it suited.
They are "nationalist and internationalist" according to their website - or at least they were the last time I looked.
According to a recent Irish Times MRBI poll, McGuinness' strongest support comes from younger working class male voters... his vote being three times stronger among the unfairer sex.
The point has been made that this is the very demographic most affected by the downturn, and most likely to fall for those making the loudest noises from the far benches. Then you have the whiff of old cordite into the bargain, which some find more alluring than the roar of an Impreza STi.
More of the same. Just another "Republican Party" attached to a narrow, neo-Gaelicist, vision of Irishness. A vision that started with Dev, and has been an abject failure for 89 years.
And a waste of another generation that might otherwise have opted for change, given real alternatives.
17 comments:
Hi GM, the only question here is: Are people voting for Martin McGuinness because of his background or in spite of his background? So you can have differing types voting for him.
I'd say he has a good chance of winning this. A '100% establishment gang up' is bound to energise his supporters.
Only Michael D can stop him but will people really come out in droves for him? Saying 'Michael D' to a pollster over the phone is one thing but I bet a lot of those 'supporters' will stay at home if it is raining on the day, or if there is something good on the telly.
I also think a lot of FF supporters will come out and will ease their conscience with Dana - 1 McGuinness - 2, so he will get them in the end.
Aine
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..anna
Re Norris- he Never said Nawi was not guilty- and that actually is also questionable, as victim wanted sex- and lied about his age. Norris just asked for clemency in the Sentencing as he Believed Nawi may have been suicidal.
This country has Belatedly woken up to all the child abuse that went on. Instead of doing anything positive , such as Demanding those great apologists for child abuse, the Catholic church hands over control of schools AND all the property it is illegally holding onto that was agreed as damages 8 + yrs ago this sheep like nation, or at least its dreadful TDs and media decided to scapepgoat Norris- a man who was never soft on any kind of abuse.
‘We must show this country is not soft on child abuse’ said North Dublin independent TD, Finnian Mc Grath when withdrawing support form Norris.
Finnian then went swiftly on to support MMCG- just to demonstrate to the world that it’s OK to be soft on those who blow children and other innocent citizens up: DO all of his constituents drink in the Player’s Lounge Drunmcondra? It’s THAT big???
anna
To anon poster : the blog Never said being fluent in Irish made you some kind of unstable rabid nationalistic scum- as 2 Very decent Irish speakers – Joe Higgins and Michael D Higgins made sure Norris got nominated. Conversely being English speaking does not make you a decent rational being-EG Martin Mc Guinness.
Here’s some paraphrasing of Maurice Hayes-NI’s most highly placed Catholic civil servant ( I think he was one time head of NI civil service) and who ended his career in the Seanad.
MH said the early yrs of NI state lead to discrimation against catholics- leading to 60’s civil rights movemnt.This had to be redressed- whether terrible violence was necessary was very questionable. BUT how many years Would it Really have taken to put all reforms in place- if it all had not been so much hampered by those Violently murdering people into a United Ireland???. MH said these were two Very Separate issues:
1) Fair treatment for NI catholics- unquestionably an idea all reasoable people would support.
2) United Ireland- an Idea That Even Today is NOT feasible as the Principle of Consent is VITAL for that to happen.One commenator also said’ when will the IRA realise how futile it is to ‘persude’ NI protestants they belong in a united Ireland- by bombing them of existence?’
A 2011 survey has shown that even Less NI catholics would vote for a United Ireland now, than in the 1990’s....it may happen some day- but not without consent.
.....and yet after many reforms had been WON for NI catholics, the horendous blood shed continued- read F O’Toolle for the stats. These defenders of their people killed about 29 Loyalist paramilitarities – hundreds of ordinary catholics and protestants . John Hume said the IRA killed MORE catholics than the loyalist s and security forces Put Together.
BTW – WHAT is a ‘republicna’ in an Irish context? Is it some one who just Hates the Brits and believes in Any violence PROVIDED 1) Ordinary catholics/ protestants are Only killed in NI- Not Republic of Ireland and 2) even the most horrible violence can be loosely construed as ‘against the Brits’
I grew up in NI, Yes I was luckyI wasn’t living in a very dangerous zone. I did very well out of excellent free education and health care. I love living in ROI now- but for those reasosn I am Glad I didn’t grow up here.
Re Election: I posted Norris €20, and will vote 1) Norris 2) Michale D Higgins....then I will give all the also rans a preference- and none to MMcD- Just to move him further down the preference scale.
anna
BTW: would all those in the south of Ireland bleating about what a freedom fighter MMCG is, be saying that if IRA had killed as many innocent people down here??? If your mother , father, sister had been Blown to Bits, would you want one of the Head commanders of the slaughter as your President? But so long as this atavistic Southern Irish Brit hating patriot game was played in NI, then that's all right-
the lives of ordinary Northerners were less valuable then.
Would I want a united Ireland - united to a southern population that still believes that being a good republican / nationalist is all about any kind of Brit hating and vicious blood shed- If It’s loosely construed as ‘against’ the British?- NO.
Would I want, some day, NI to be united to a southern population that had shaken off the atrocious brain washing and poor education of the past – and which now believes that being Irish/ Nationalist/ Republican means : Being proud of any decent achievements of this country , striving for social equality for all, especailly the vulnerable, being incluisve of ALL traditions of this country- and reaching out to all nations, especially the one we are entwined with- the UK. YES.
NB- if Martin Mc G was ‘laying down his life for his his country’, why is he still alive?
Why do those who train suicide bombers stay alive themsleves?
Its often the less bright who plant the bombs – isnt it?
anna
I don't know what you all get so upset about Martin McGuinness and his presidency thingie. Or about any candidate or former or reigning president.
The president of Ireland as such has no say whatsoever in politics. At best he (or recently she) has the powerless power to postpone decisions of a government which usually does the actual damage. No matter what the president says or thinks
His (or her) job as the chief ambassador is to be charming, convivial, convincing, good looking, connected and - "whatever you say, say nothing". Job description. Simple as.
Who could be better for that than McGuinness?
Pe.
"They profess to be socialist, yet they don't support a woman's right to chose a termination in her own country - a basic tenet of left wing parties."
I may be wrong but I thought concern for ordinary working people was a more basic tenet of left wing parties - an issue where SF scores but where the so caller Labour party has been sadly lacking, preferring instead to seek to maintain the privileges of well paid unionised workers while at the same time being as employer friendly as they can be.
PJ
LOL
GM the censor has been at it again!
Little tip, when you delete comments you don't agree with you should check that anna has not referenced them. It makes her comments even more rambling and nonsensical than usual ;)
Have you nothing better to do there in Southampton Uni for goodness sake, than post under multiple identities (when you bother signing at all) and having a go at the blog and the people who do contribute positively and have to actually live in this country and take all the shit that goes with it, rather than viewing it through green-tinted ex-pat glasses?
As for "censoring", I get a fair few abusive/insane/trolling comments, so I reserve the right to publish comments that add something to the blog. I'd rather publish no comments at all, rather than deal with obsessive trolling. Anna's contributions, however, are always informative and add value... though they might be a bit over your head.
Also, if I write to the letters page of a newspaper, there is no guarantee my letter will be published. Some of the comments I get ignore points already made on the blog, and I simply do not have the time to waste it debating in circles.
For the record, Anna's references were to another post related to this one - I didn't delete anything.
As for your latest trite comment, SF didn't care much about working people when their armed wing was murdering them at le Mon, Enniskillen and elsewhere, so don't make me laugh with that guff.
Anonymous said...
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. 28 September 2011 14:15 :-
Above was under a GN post’ Mc Guinness will get the Cyclops vote’. 27/9/2011
I posted under it and I did reference it. The other 3 posts I made did not go through on 28th Sept, due to blogger problem. As MMCG is again a topic, I re- posted all 4- as blogger is now working . I am terribly sorry to have confused Southampton Irish ex-pat.
The Irish language contributor Did originally post this under ‘ MMCG will get Cyclops vote.’ A Lot of debate should be given to Presidential debate- which is why I posted on MMCG , twice,- and why I reproduce the above. Hopefully Southhampton poster can Now ponder on the erudite words of Anon Irish Language poster of 28/9. Hopefully he can now also add his own sound words on who should be Ireland’s President- always glad to be of public service- Anna
Re Dana's Prime Time disclosed family scandal : the whole story ( about to break) is Already on USA site Irish Central- and one wonders if anyone sympathetic to other candidates posted it. I don't speculate as to it's truth- but I wondered Why target the Biggest loser in this race??- she's on 7%!. Then I Realised-it's Not about the 1st preferences ( she won't get many) - it's about the 2nd prefs- as it is Widely believed that this election will be won on those.
Dana may Well get 2nd prefs from older people who remember her singing- and Even a Few of those 2nd prefs could be useful to Any of the other candidates, if she withdraws from the race. No I did not think she would be a good president- but in the interests of a good Clean fight, stay in there Dana!I'll be giving you a preference anyway ( Possibly 6th)just to help MMCG slide a little lower down the scale- as I am not giving him any.
Isn't the Presidential Race turning out to be a "Guide to what's wrong and self destructive in Irish Society"?
McGuinness- the age old tradition of burying someone who crosses you in an unmarked grave
Dana- the Irish family secret of the abused kid alongside the staunch catholicism
Norris- the pro-child candidate we'd all secretly love to elect
Michael D- the pontificating moralist who keeps clean by opposing everything in case it turns out nasty
Mitchell- the talentless bully boy who insists he is the man for the job
Davis- the quiet woman's candidate who just sails through life thanks to knowing people in power
The Dragon's Den lad- the epitome of the Irish Entrpreneur who borrows 3 million in order to be worth 1 million
Mc Gunniness is just testing the waters for Sinn Fein to see what suppport base they have on a national level post the demise of Finna Fail. They can go on to focus on building their power base in the South. I was in west Cork last week and funny to see Jm Mitchell in poster with tractor in background and farm jacket and then to hot the city and back in the suit again
Dear Ed.
Martin McGuinness is the only truly National candidate in presidentialelection2011, all the other candidates are partionist presidents for a partitioned country. When will this political schizophrenia end. When the self-censorship of the media due to public funding cease. Is there really a free press and free speech in this increasingly unfree state?
Barney Mc Beany.
I've news for you Barney, my man. We live in a "partitioned country" called the Republic of Ireland which recognises the existence and validity of Northern Ireland.
If McGuinness wants to be president, he'll have to recognise it too.
If Mc Guinness becomes President this will be somewhat ironic. As in 1970 the then Cpt Kelly removed money from a bank account in Northern Ireland(100k)this money was then used to set up the Provos. Here it gets somewhat interesting. The money was provided by the late Charles J Haughey and given to the Irish Red Cross who placed it into the account in the North. So how does this effect Martin. Well, if he was to become President he would also become President of the Irish Red Cross Society, one of the duties of any President of Ireland.
Now that is what is known as coming full circle.
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