What They Didn't Show You Yesterday...

A hideously rendered but nonetheless quite amusing mock-up.

Hain Cooks Up A Big Serving Of Fudge, But Will The Nazi-Soviet Pact Deliver Devolution?

Despite his claims that the March 26th devolution date was "set in stone", NI absolute ruler Secretary of State Peter Hain has agreed to the DUP's call for it to be moved to 8th May.

So much for standing firm.

But is there any need for a delay? Absolutely not. If the DUP has accepted in principle that it will go into government with Sinn Féin (and the SDLP and UUP for that matter) then it is wholly indefensible to leave control of the north in the hands of unaccountable direct rulers for a minute longer.

This new delay is simply the DUP flexing its muscle- there is no legitimate reason for it, but rather Paisley and friends want to show who is boss of the block and that they call the tunes. And yet again, the British have given them exactly what they wanted.

Thankfully it seems that water bills that were due to be sent out this week will now not be delivered through our doors. But one has to ask- why is this the case? Was Hain simply using water tax as a stick to beat the politicians back into devolution? If so, then why were millions of pounds spent on the infrastructure and marketing of this proposed water tax regime? If not, then why is Hain pre-empting the work of the Assembly by scrapping the water bills before devolution happens?

If Hain genuinely believed in the need for water taxes, then he would have left them in place until an alternative administration decided to do otherwise, but alas he has dropped the planned charges like a hot potato now that it looks like he has got what he wanted out of the DUP and Sinn Féin.

It seems that the homeowners of Northern Ireland were merely political pawns in a devious power game.

Clearly the scrapping of water taxes will be a good thing, but the fact that Hain is using it as a bargaining chip just adds further to people's scepticism and lack of trust in the political system here.

The British Government's £1 million UDA/ UFF/ UPRG Payout: Crooked Cash For Conmen, Cokeheads, Criminals And Killers

The British Government in all its wisdom has decided to hand a rather large brown envelope stuffed with £1 million over to the terrorist organisation that is the Ulster Defence Association. Anyone with two brains cells can clearly see that this is nothing short of disgusting and depraved.

That's a £3,861 reward they've been handed for each person they murdered.

Yet again we see the grubby underbelly of British involvement in Ireland- through collusion they paid terrorists in secret to kill people- now they are blatently bankrolling them in public to 'wind down'. Surely these thugs should bin their guns because it's the right thing to do, not simply to get their hands on taxpayers' money. The cash is apparently earmarked for improving 'deprived' loyalist communities, but the irony is that said communities' biggest problem is the existence of these very paramilitaries and the filthy stench of drug-dealing and thuggery that follows them.

I've no problem with investing in areas that need a helping hand, but for God's sake don't leave community development in the hands of those who have done their level best for the past three decades to destroy everything in their wake! Would the British Government fund al-qaeda to work in 'community development' in Muslim areas of London? I think not.

Talk about putting the fox in charge of the chicken shed.

And what kind of message does this send out to the majority of people who have lived peacefully and endured the wrath of these idiots down the years? Should we have all taken up arms, killed people based on what church they go to, and peddled drugs to children in our own neighbourhoods?

It seems that most of us have been in the wrong business.

If the UDA wants loyalist areas to be improved, then that's fair enough. But they shouldn't be involved, nor should they be waiting for cash before they take the biggest step needed to get the show on the road- disbanding. It's time for them to leave the stage without money from the government and without ongoing 'influence' on the areas they have held to ransom for so long. If this is going to be a fresh start for loyalist areas, then the strings much be cut with the UDA- they should be told to piss off, not paid to hang around.

I'm not paying my taxes to fund scum to sit around on their arses all day and continue to act the lads in loyalist areas.

Catch Yourselves On!

It has been revealed that after the helicopter crash in Crossmaglen yesterday, a group of youngsters attacked an ambulance as it headed for Daisy Hill hospital in Newry. According to the BBC, the Ambulance Service's director of operations Brian McNeill said: "They stopped the vehicle for about a minute and shone torches into it. We are only trying to do our job and it is difficult enough going to a major incident like that without having to deal with unruly crowds, and it is unacceptable."

Apparently fireworks, stones and snowballs were hurled at the emergency services.

Mr. McNeill added: "We would appeal to people to stop this. Thankfully the person who was on the ambulance which stopped was not critically injured. We are only interested in rescuing the casualties and saving lives."

Exactly.

What were these people hoping to achieve- to intimidate ambulance workers from coming back to Cross with a view to leaving their neighbours unaided if they ever find themselves suffering from a medical emergency in future? To force the medical workers to leave the injured behind? To act like tight lads?

Like the residents of Cross, I believe that the British armed forces have no place there, but that is no excuse to stage a re-enactment of something from the 1970s. It isn't exactly helped when backward flat-earthers on other websites come out with comments like: "I hope everyone in the chopper was badly hurt or even dead. Shouldn't really have been in Ireland in the first place." (Although it was quite funny when a dissident republican added: "A Sinn Féin delegation who arrived on the scene with a set of jump leads and a mechanic to render assistance to their crashed chums were forced to retreat under this barrage, abandoning a large cache of flasks of tea, cake and sandwiches for the British forces. Sinn Féin have announced they'll be having a special mass in Crossmaglen tonight to pray for the safe recovery of the PSNI civic community policemen injured in the crash.")

Both Sinn Féin and the SDLP have councillors in Newry and Mourne who are employed in the health service, so I'm sure they'll share my disapproval at yesterday's tomfoolery. Things are moving on here- it's time we left this kind of activity behind and looked forward to a brighter future.

Update: The MP for the area Conor Murphy claims that no such attacks took place yesterday against the ambulance.

Ireland's New Enemy? Pakistan Not Happy At World Cup Defeat

I must confess that I haven't a notion how cricket works, but I did notice that Ireland defeated Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup, and although I tend to switch off during the reports of 100-not-outs etc. in BBC sport coverage, as far as I know Pakistan are pretty good.

But it seems that some Pakistanis aren't too happy with the result. In a bizarre act of, shall we say, bad sportsmanship, mobs have taken to the streets chanting: "Death to Bob Woolmer (the coach), death to Inzamam (captain), death to Nasim Ashraf (chairman)- police should arrest them!"

Hmm- some people really need to get out more.

As it turns out, they've already got what they wanted to some extent- Bob Woolmer was found dead in his hotel room after the game.

If that's the kind of rage that some cricket fans in Pakistan harbour for those associated with the Pakistani team after their departure from the World Cup, God knows what they think of the Irish!

Anyway, following the criminal denial of Ireland's claim to the Six Nations title at the weekend, let's hope the cricket team do some runs and, em, stuff and win the World Cup.

Break a leg (before wicket)!

I Saw The Photograph

I took a dander round to the Ormeau Baths Gallery in Belfast today to take a look at the 'Out of the Darkness' photo exhibition there. The photos depict life and events in the north since the late 1960s, and include images of riots, bombings, the shooting of Seán Downes, Gerry Fitt after his home was attacked, and funerals such as the one above which was for an RUC man shot by the IRA in 1997.

If you're in the area, it's certainly worth calling by. Admission is free.

[Photo credit: Alan Lewis]

Outrage!

No, I'm not talking about the gay rights group which threatened to 'out' a Northern Ireland MP on the same day that North Down unionist parliamentarian Jim Kilfedder happened to die of a heart attack, but rather describing the content of the Guardian's Mandelson interview.

Essentially the former Secretary of State said that the British government bent over backwards to keep Sinn Féin happy during political negotiations, despite the latter levelling 'unreasonable' demands.

Indeed, Mandelson commented: "If you didn’t give success to the modernisers [i.e. Adams and McGuinness], then power would pass back to the bad men."

Hmm. So concessions weren't given on the simple basis that they were good for the people of the north then, but rather because refusal to do so would have possibly sparked violence?

Damn right the 'securocrats' were up to no good, but their activity certainly wasn't to the detriment of provisional republicans as some would have us believe. In actual fact, it seems that the open and very public negotiations spearheaded by the SDLP and UUP at the time of the Good Friday Agreement to bring about a new era of power-sharing were replaced by British government-inspired backdoor sidedealery. To be honest, one can hardly blame Sinn Féin for trying to bleed what they could from the British, but I don't think such unilateral demanding helps the process- as it transpires, the British government could only deliver so much, with Sinn Féin having to meet them with decommissioning of the IRA and the acceptance of the PSNI.

Meanwhile, the sidelining of the two big GFA-era parties would partly explain the result of last week's elections, notwithstanding those parties' own problems.

If I were Durkan, Trimble, or Empey, my temper would be erring on the side of incandescence tonight.

I Haven't Gone Away You Know!

I just realised that it's a week since I last posted- intervening elections, results and hangovers have impeded further writings on El Blogador.

So the people have spoken, and the DUP and Sinn Féin have been the victors this time. I may not like it, but congratulations to them. Sinn Féin in particular managed their vote excellently, managing to bag five seats in West Belfast and get candidates through on the first count in a number of constituencies.

Hopefully we'll get government up and running by the end of the month, and over the course of the next few years the parties can be judged on their performance rather than their rhetoric.

Meanwhile, it is quite clear that serious post-match analyses need to be held by the UUP and SDLP. The UUP in particular suffered heavily in these elections, which is a shame, as their manifesto focused to a large extent on 'real' issues and they seem to be making an attempt to move away from the entrenched politics of tribalism- however, the unionist electorate doesn't seem to agree with their efforts, largely opting instead to vote for a party which is more reminicent of the official unionists from the 1960s.

I also thought I'd make a point of passing censure on those who stayed at home, regardless of their political hue. I've heard people complaining about how politics is moving towards the extremes, but it transpires that many of these same people didn't bother to vote. As far as I'm concerned, non-voters who allow those who do vote to speak on their behalf at the ballot box lose all right to complain about political situation here- if they don't even bother to utilise the franchise that many people died to afford them, then they themselves become a major part of the problem. Likewise, it is for the parties to give these non-voters greater reason to stand up and be counted, rather than leaving them to wallow in their armchairs pontificating.

Now it's time to see how negotiations go, and with any luck this time next month we'll have politicians elected by the people here dealing with issues affecting the people here.

SDLP: A Better Way To A Better Ireland

There is only one party in the north that commands the respect of the main parties in the south and enjoys their open support- that party is the SDLP.

The only way to secure investment from the south and to improve cross-border cooperation is by working constructively with the southern government- it helps then that both the current Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his party Fianna Fáil, as well as the 'alternative government' of Enda Kenny's Fine Gael and Pat Rabbitte's Labour have all openly and publicly endorsed the SDLP's North South Makes Sense blueprint for all-Ireland cooperation. Things don't come any stronger than that. That means that come the elections in the south, no matter who is in power, they will be backing the SDLP's plan.

Of course, the best way to secure that cooperation is to secure a strong SDLP- that will enable the party of Durkan and McDonnell to work with our southern friends in the strongest possible terms, and to implement the North South agenda to its fullest.

And for unionists, transferring SDLP will ensure that the North South agenda being pursued will be one which benefits the whole island and secures better infrastructural and business links with the south. This is not a united Ireland down the barrel of the gun, but fruitful and progressive cooperation that will benefit everyone and threatens no one.

In the past couple of weeks, An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has been the keynote speaker at an SDLP North South Makes Sense event in Dublin, the Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has been the keynote speaker at a North South Makes Sense event in Newry, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte has hit the canvass trail with the SDLP in Belfast, Fianna Fáil Minister Noel Dempsey came to Belfast to attend a North South Makes Sense event, Labour TD Liz McManus has canvassed with Marietta Farrell and Mark Durkan in Lisburn, and Finance Minister Brian Cowen, the man who holds the purse string, was guest speaker at a breakfast event in Derry on the National Development Plan as part of the SDLP’s ‘North South Makes Sense’ campaign last week.

Need I say more?

A strong SDLP will also be the antidote to the stop-start politics which has ground this corner of Ireland to a standstill. Direct (mis)rule benefits no one, and has resulted in a grossly underperforming economy. That’s why we need a stronger SDLP to get direct rule ended. The same result as the last time will only produce more of the same: suspension, direct rule and the squeeze being put on hard working families.

After years of suspension, people in these elections have the chance to end the posturing and deliver real progress. You can make the difference by voting SDLP.

The SDLP is a party that listens and hears. When you vote for the SDLP, you know who you are voting for, and what you are voting for. Your ambitions are the SDLP's agenda. So you can trust the SDLP to deliver on the issues you care about like health, water charges, crime and building a strong all-Ireland economy.

These elections are a chance for all of us to get the change we all deserve.

Make the difference. Vote SDLP.

There May Be Trouble Ahead: Part 2

Aside from the motions to the weekend's Sinn Féin ard fheis seeking to limit the party's policing moves (which were thankfully rejected), a raft of anti-provo graffiti has sprung up in various nationalist areas across the north. Will this be reflected in a drop in the Sinn Féin vote on 7th March, or will dissidents fail to make any impact? All will be revealed by the end of the week. Of course, the elections may not be the end of it, but perhaps only the start...

From the Lower Ormeau Road, Belfast






















From Newry


















Still, at least they're keeping close to their new friends.

Donaldson Delusions

I saw Jeffrey 'Jump Ship' Donaldson on the Politics Show this morning saying that the inbuilt power-sharing arrangements of the Good Friday Agreement should be scrapped in favour of a voluntary coalition. Does Jeffrey seriously think that any nationalist would agree to a system that would have an inbuilt and permanent unionist majority?! The only party that the DUP would go into coalition with is the UUP, essentially resulting in a 100% unionist government. And even if voters weren't happy, is there ever any real prospect of DUP or UUP voters switching to the SDLP or Sinn Féin? Of course not! No matter what, any government under that system would be made up of the DUP, UUP and any other unionist microparties that happen to be knocking about.

In 'normal' democracies, voluntary coalitions can exist because there is a real prospect of their constituent parts being thrown out by voters if they don't do a good job- in Northern Ireland, this would simply never be the case. Tribal politics reigns supreme, no matter what people may say.

Instead of coming up with crackpot ideas that hark back to the 1930s and which would never work, Jeffrey needs to recognise that the Good Friday Agreement and its d'Hondt system (which the DUP has failed to get abolished, despite their promises) is the only viable option. Now, let's get this election out of the way and get down to business.

There May Be Trouble Ahead: Part 1

Despite managing to steer the policing ard fheis in their favour, it seems that Adams and McGuinness are not completely free from discontent within the Sinn Féin ranks regarding the party's policing position. Apart from those dissident republicans who are running against the provos in the forthcoming elections, it seems some inside the party are not happy. The clár for this week's standard ard fheis in Dublin reveals a number of motions displaying anger at the current pro-PSNI position:

- This Ard Fheis resolves that any Six County police force is unacceptable and Sinn Féin will
withhold support for any policing arrangements in the Six Counties until there is a united, free and independent Ireland.
Clonoe Martyrs Cumann, Coalisland
Leinster Ógra Cúige

- This Ard Fheis calls on the party leadership to refrain from pledging any support to a policing
arrangement in the Six Counties that will reinforce British rule in the North of Ireland.
Cumann Sheáin Uí Leathlobhair, Baile Uí Thaidhg, Co Chiarraí

- This Ard Fheis expresses its concern on the direction in which the party is being taken on the
policing issue.
Cumann Ó Chianáin/Ó Dochartaigh, Carraigh Mhachaire Rois, Co Mhuineacháin

The leadership of Sinn Féin would have us believe that they received resounding support for their late but welcome move to get involved in the policing structures. However, things don't seem to be as unanimous as it appeared only a few weeks ago. Paper can only cover the cracks for so long.

Can voters trust a party that cannot even agree within its own ranks on the best way forward?

Arthur M. Schlesinger

I was sad to learn of the passing of Arthur M. Schlesinger, the American academic and commentator. Schlesinger was a lonely voice at the height of Bush imperialism- his excellent book 'War and the American Presidency' exposed the hypocrisy, lies and downright danger of the Bush administration's violent conquests. It is only now that public opinion in that country has somewhat caught up to his thinking and recognised the validity of his points. Brave and lucid people like this are a rare breed in American politics- his academic rigour and fearlessness in exposing the truth even when it was unpopular will be sorely missed by those who believe in democracy and freedom of speech.

During an illustrious career, he served in the Kennedy administration in the early 1960s and won two Pulitzer prizes for his writing. This article I wrote last summer on American warmongering and censorship was heavily influenced by the opinions of Schlesinger.

If you get the chance, I urge you to have a look at his work, particularly the aformentioned book on the presidency during wartime.

"If we are to survive, we must have ideas, vision, and courage. These things are rarely produced by committees. Everything that matters in our intellectual and moral life begins with an individual confronting his own mind and conscience in a room by himself."

Rest in Peace.

Water Joke

Sinn Féin's South Antrim veteran newcomer Mitchel McLaughlin has said that trade unionists and postal workers should not deliver water tax bills. Yes Mitchel, not only will these people be facing water taxes like the rest of us, but they will also end up losing their jobs and facing jail-time. Well done.

I wonder does the former MLA for Foyle believe that such a move would be wrong, but not a crime...

Understandably, trade unionists have reacted with anger. It's wholly inappropriate for politicians to try and put pressure on workers to do something like this- it isn't a worker's place to decide what letters people should receive or not receive. If people receive water bills, it should be their own choice as to whether they pay or not. Ironically, Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey criticised the SDLP a while back for saying that non-payment action by members of the public was a possibility, saying that people shouldn't undertake such acts of civil disobedience!

The people of the north don't need postal workers making decisions for them over water taxes, and likewise postal workers don't want to have to make that decision for people.

What next- should postal workers refuse to deliver election literature that Mitchel doesn't agree with?