The Nazi-Soviet Pact Strikes Again

Democracy- what's it all about, eh? Here was me thinking that with devolved government, we might have seen an end the backdoor sidedealery that marked British Direct Rule. However, it seems that the DUP and Sinn Féin are picking up where Hain and friends left off.

It has been revealed that the Paisleyites and the Provos approached the British Government on the sly to get cash for two extra advisors, a move which required a change in the law. But did they do this through the Assembly? No. Did they decide to put it to the elected representatives in the House of Commons? No. It turns out that the law was changed through a Prerogative Order signed by the Secretary of State and rubberstamped by the Privy Council on 25th July, allowing no debate in either Parliament or the Assembly.

Are this lot having a laugh? First we have the 'Democratic' Unionist Party revelling in getting some of its members appointed to the undemocratic and unaccountable Privy Council. The next thing we know, they are using those links to squeeze taxpayers' money for jobs for the the boys and girls. Not only that, but that paragon of democratic virtue, Provisional Sinn Féin, has happily jumped into bed with them to get their mitts on even more of the Queen's shillings. Up the republic and all that. Tiocfaidh ár cashmachine.

These two parties can clearly not be taken at face value. But then again, given their respective records of doing complete u-turns on practically every one of their 'principles', I don't think we should expect anything less. With the DUP abandoning 'Never! Never! Never!' for 'Aye, sure why not?' and Sinn Féin flipping from 'Smash Stormont' to 'Look Flash at Stormont', clearly it's just a natural progression for them to describe themselves as 'democratic' when in fact they prefer to use secretive and unaccountable methods of getting what they want, out of public view and away from political scrutiny.

I feel a bit like Mrs Doyle in that episode of Father Ted where they had to train her to think the opposite of what the sarcastic priest said to her- presumably the tax-paying voters of Northern Ireland should just interpret what the DUP and Sinn Féin say as the direct opposite of what they mean.

Maybe it's time the DUP and Sinn Féin saved taxpayers' money by pooling their resources and sharing advisors- after all, they're practically identical these days.

Turning A Blind Eye To Reality?

Here's a thing- the Orange Hall on the Ormeau Road in Belfast is sporting so many flags at the minute that it's hard to see the actual building. Alongside the obvious union jack is a myriad of other standards such as the Australian flag, the New Zealand flag and a load of what I presume are flags of African nations. It appears that these are in place to symbolise the countries in which the Orange Order is present.

But there is one bizarre omission.

Despite being part of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, despite organising in places like Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin and Wicklow, and despite parading in Rossnowlagh each year (as seen here), the Irish tricolour is conspicuous by its absence. Fair enough if they see the south as a 'separate country', but why not celebrate the fact that they organise there by flying the flag of that state like they have done with so many others?

I did see a flag bearing St. Patrick's Cross on the Orange Hall- perhaps they see that as representing all of Ireland. If so, does that make them in favour of a united Ireland where there is no differentiation between north and south?

Or are they just ignoring the existence of the 26-county Republic of Ireland and its flag? If that is the case, then would that not indicate that they are simply anti-Irish buffoons?

Who knows?

Fidel Castro Is Dead (Or So They Think)

Is he? Isn't he? I haven't a notion. But over the course of the past three hours this site has been inundated with visitors searching Google for news of his demise who have been redirected to this post I wrote a year ago.

Welcome To 'Stab City'

There's been uproar at the new video aimed at attracting tourists to Limerick...

Reflections On Rabbitte

It seemed that Irish Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte had weathered the storm that was the recent general election in the south. The plan had been for a Fine Gael/ Labour 'Alternative Government' to force Bertie out of office- Enda Kenny's party delivered, but unfortunately for Labour, Fianna Fáil also delivered, and Team Rabbitte felt the squeeze like the other smaller parties when the results came in. The election was by no means a disaster for Labour, but ultimately they failed to deliver on their plans to get into government.

SDLP Leader Mark Durkan commented on the resignation: "Pat Rabbitte is an articulate parliamentarian and a compassionate politician. Thankfully, those qualities will not be lost to political life, as he will continue on as a no-doubt active and effective deputy."

Remarking on his working relationship though European politics, he added: "Pat's insight and analysis will be missed at the leaders' meetings of the Party of European Socialists, where his contributions were not just respected but enjoyed."

Noting his domestic contribution, he added: "I have appreciated the very positive working relationship that I enjoyed with Pat as Labour leader. He has always been sharp with his questions, straight in his views and strong in his support for the key principles on which our positive future will rest.

"Given the affinity he has for the North and his active interest in practical North/South cooperation, I hope that we will all benefit from his Ministerial experience and his talented input in his future political career."

Deputy Leader Alasdair McDonnell added: "Deputy Rabbitte has consistently provided a voice for the Labour movement in the Dail since he took up the position in October 2002.

"Pat Rabbitte used the position to hold the Government to account on a wide variety of issues whilst also promoting Labour values and supporting the hard working families of his Dublin South West Constituency.

"I would like to take this opportunity to wish Pat and his Family the very best in the future and I will hope he will retain his seat in any future Elections so that he can carry on his good work in Dublin South West."

Meanwhile, Rabbitte's would-be coalition partner Enda Kenny said: "Today, Irish politics and society are the less for Pat Rabbitte's decision to resign as Labour leader. At a time when we need a better and broader vision for our country we have lost one of the few political leaders who espoused, passionately, such a vision.

"On hearing this news today I have spoken to Pat and thanked him for his work in respect of our country over the last five years and in particular his and the Labour Party's decision to give the Irish people a real choice in the recent general election."

Another potential coalition partner who ultimately coalesced with Fianna Fáil, John Gormley of the Green Party, said: "Pat Rabbitte showed great ambition for the Labour party and was an extremely competent and witty parliamentary performer. He managed to both entertain and enliven the Dáil over the last five years. I greatly respect Pat as a parliamentary colleague. I have always enjoyed a very good relationship with him and I look forward to continuing to work with him in the Oireachtas.

"The Greens have enjoyed close cooperation with the Labour Party in opposition and regret that we have not yet had the opportunity to serve with them in government. I hope this possibility may arise in the future."

So, what now? The bookies are already offering odds on who'll take over at the helm of Labour. Paddy Power has Eamon Gilmore as favourite at 11-8, with Joan Burton and Liz McManus sitting at 9-2 and Jan O'Sullivan at 5-1. Over the next few days we'll no doubt start to see some potential candidates sticking their heads above the parapets- following a postal vote by members of the party, the new leader will be announced towards the end of October.

The Voice Of Reason

The European Union has urged Texas to scrap its use of the death penalty. Redneck Central is about to slaughter its 400th inmate since the death penalty was reintroduced in the USA in the mid-1970s.

The EU statement reads: "The European Union strongly urges Governor Rick Perry to exercise all powers vested in his office to halt all upcoming executions and to consider the introduction of a moratorium in the State of Texas. There is no evidence to suggest that the use of the death penalty serves as a deterrent against violent crime and the irreversibility of the punishment means that miscarriages of justice, which are inevitable in all legal systems, cannot be redressed."

Apart from that, it's also wrong.

How could it possibly be justified for a government to have the power to legally premeditate the purposeful killing a person in their custody? Isn't that the definition of murder?

There are currently 38 states with the death penalty in the Land of the Free': Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York (although currently not in use due to constitutional conflicts), North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming, with the total number of death row inmates standing at 3,350 as of 1st January this year.

Of course, those who support the continued use of this barbaric and wildly anachronistic form of punishment in the US seem to have no problems squaring their bloodlust with the 8th Amendment of the US Constitution which prohibits "cruel and unusual punishments". Clearly the ending of someone's life is the ultimate cruel and unusual punishment- cruel because the person on death row faces years in a prison cell knowing that the only way out of there is via the death chamber and cruel ultimately because their life is artifically and purposefully ended, and unusual because the rest of the developed world has caught itself on and long since banned this idiotic method of dealing with criminals.

It's good to see the EU standing up and being counted on this issue, but I can't see the flat-earthers in the Deep South paying much heed to a bunch of Old World liberals.

The Vatican, Gerry Adams And Wikipedia

A program developed by an American student to scan edits on Wikipedia has found that someone in the Vatican has a particular interest in Gerry Adams.

On the Sinn Féin leader's Wikipedia page, someone whose IP address locates them in the Papal State was found to have made several alterations, one of which was in relation to claims regarding his alleged past.

Other scans have found evidence of someone at the American Republican Party altering a mention of the occupation of Iraq so that it makes reference to the liberation of Iraq instead, and someone at Wal-Mart editing an article which claimed that the organisation's wages were about 20% less than other retail stores to instead read: "The average wage at Wal-Mart is almost double the federal minimum wage."

'March For Truth': A Shameless Violation Of The Rights Of Victims

I was unfortunate enough to find myself caught up in the provofest March for halfTruth on Sunday. Thankfully I wasn't held up for too long as there wasn't much of a turn-out.

I'm sure that there were many people taking part in the parade who have suffered the most terrible sorrow at the hands of loyalists and state forces- I've no problem with them, nor their plight- but what is sickening is the use and abuse of these people for political ends by the provisional movement.

Are the provos really so obtuse that they cannot recognise the laughable hypocrisy of demanding 'truth' when they hold so many secrets about the bloody demise of hundreds of people close to their collective chest? Do they really think that it serves the needs of victims to merely highlight the activity of loyalist and state killers while singularly ignoring the horror visited upon people by the IRA? Perhaps if they'd handed out placards to marchers featuring the victims of provo violence to accompany the posters of victims of loyalist and state thuggery they gave to participants to carry, there would have been a lot more people needed for the march.

The covert activity of state forces in tandem with loyalists (and often republicans too) was repulsive and the truth needs to be revealed about their scum-ridden actions. However, a victim in a coffin who has died at the hands of a bullet or bomb displays the same deathly palour regardless of whether it was loyalists, provos or the state behind their demise. There can be no hierarchy of victims. There can be no hierarchy of perpetrators.

Thousands of people died needlessly during the Troubles. Each of those victims and their families deserve justice. The provos' one-sided capitalisation on the grief of people whose loved ones died at the hands of loyalists and state forces, coupled with similtaneous ignorance of the blood on their own hands, does no one justice and stinks of opportunism and revisionism.

After all, would anyone who genuinely believes in the rights of victims let child killer Seán Kelly act as a steward in a march for truth? I think not.

What is needed is the full truth about all killings which took place during the grubby period of violence here, regardless of the status of victims or perpetrators. Those of us with nothing to hide have, well, nothing to hide, and as such we can genuinely demand this. However, given what the provos were up to for three decades, maybe it suits them to ring fence only one portion of the truth of the Troubles for the focus of their efforts, while conveniently ignoring the need for truth about their own activities.

Shame on them.

When Is Job Creation In Ireland Not Welcome?

It's often been claimed that many southerners are all for a united Ireland in theory, but that things may change once it starts hitting them in the pocket. And so it was this week with the announcement that Aer Lingus is to relocate its hub from Shannon to Belfast.

Political representatives in the west are far from happy that jobs are moving northwards. Surely the most important thing is that they remain within the country. It was quite amusing to see a Fianna Fáil TD on Prime Time this evening demanding that the government should use its 25% stake in Aer Lingus to 'revisit' this issue. Does he not realise that this is all part of Bertie's masterplan- there's no point in being a key player in the peace process and building cross-border links and then turning round and leaving the north as an economic wasteland. Apart from that, is he also oblivious to the fact that it was his esteemed party leader who placed Aer Lingus firmly in the commercial environment when the company was privatised? Decisions based on money can hardly come as a surprise.

I can understand the arguments made by those in the Shannon area that withdrawing the Aer Lingus Heathrow flights will damage tourism and the economy in the area. However, I wonder would there be such an outrage if those flights were relocated to Cork or Dublin.

It seems some people support Fianna Fáil- The Republican Party so long as they're only committed to a united Ireland in theory rather than practice.

Unfortunately for these neo-unionists, people living in the 26 counties do not have a monopoly on Irishness- a job created anywhere on the island, whether in Shannon or the Shankill, in Wexford or West Belfast, or in Cashel or Cookstown, is of equal benefit to the people of Ireland. There is no hierarchy of citizenship.

The British Monarchy: Institutionalised Discrimination

Suffice to say I'm not a fan of the British Monarchy by any stretch of the imagination, but one particularly odious aspect of this outdated and wholly undemocratic government institution is the fact that it explicitly excludes Catholics from its ranks.

Indeed Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne, has had to give up his right to be the tenth in line to the British throne because of his decision to marry a Canadian Catholic, Autumn Kelly.

SDLP MP Alasdair McDonnell said that the continuation of the part of the Act of Settlement excluding members of the Catholic faith being admitted into the Royal family circle as full members, enshrined and underpinned “hidden elements of still virulent anti-Catholic bias within British society.”

“It is not acceptable in any modern society that any individual has to choose between giving up his or her heritage entitlement in order to marry the person of their choice.

“Perhaps the United Kingdom Government and the Royal family could look towards Northern Ireland and learn from the progress we have made as a society in trying to eradicate discrimination of all kinds.

“One dreads to think about the backlash if anybody in Northern Ireland was forced to give up their rights simply because they had the temerity to fall in love with somebody.

“I am afraid that the continuation of this archaic law has more to do with the protection of vested interests within the British establishment rather than developing a totally pluralist society.

“The kind of image portrayed by the latest chapter in the Royal family saga does absolutely nothing for the betterment of community or cultural relations.

“It is an insult to those of the Catholic faith who have once again had it rammed home that as far as certain sections of the British establishment are concerned they still rank as second class citizens.”

Dr. McDonnell said that after Parliament’s summer recess he intended to raise the issue with the Prime Minister.

“Catholics being relegated to the second tier of British society cannot be tolerated in the 21st century,” he added.

As far as I'm concerned, the problem of having to give up one's birthright due to religious considerations should not even be an issue because the whole idea of being born into royality and benefitting from all the trappings associated with it is totally anathema to the idea of democracy in the first place. The easy answer is to simply abolish the monarchy and set them to work like the rest of us to earn a living.

Of course, royalists may say that if we don't like the 'British' way of life, then we should leave the UK. Needless to say, that would suit me just fine.

'Pink' Police On Parade

When you hear the words 'police' and 'parade' uttered in the same sentence, it generally conjures up an image in the mind of riot cops standing in a line between disgruntled residents and marchers in places like the Garvaghy Road.

However, this weekend it appears that all that may change with the revelation that PSNI officers will be taking part in the Belfast Pride parade on Saturday. There's also talk of Gardaí marching in the parade. The Gay Police Association, a UK-wide body, has organised within the PSNI since 2003, but this is the first time they'll be taking part in Belfast Pride.

Given the views of some 'Christians' in this part of the world, I wonder will these police officers need protected by their colleagues in the PSNI...