“As a people, we are excluded from any share in framing the laws by which we are governed. The higher ranks usurped the exclusive exercise of that privilege, as well as many other rights, by force, fraud and fiction.”
Jemmy has an inbuilt prejudice against rugby but he has been pleasantly surprised to see Trevor Hogan emerge as an articulate spokesperson for progressive causes, from Palestine to Greece. But it got Jemmy to wondering why after almost eight years of austerity we have heard almost nothing from senior GAA personalities, if we exclude marching for Sean Quinn, or against abortion.
__
Irish unity has come about in a strange way. When news broke in July that there were questions about a NAMA’s off loading of billions of euros worth of property in Northern Ireland to US investment fund, including question over how €7 million connected to the deal found its was into an Isle of Mann bank account, Jemmy was quickly running though what southern politicians might be connected to all this. Then it turns out it was Peter Robinson who had the secret meeting with company and whose son was employed by the lawyers ‘brokering’ the deal. The only question now is will it be the DUP of Sinn Féin who will be first to merge with Fianna Fail.
__
Sometime Labour TD, Tommy Broughan, was in fine form in the Dáil during July, when he strongly condemned the “extinct volcanoes” of the Labour party – those TDs who fail to condemn savage cuts to lone parents and attempt to take water charges out of workers pockets. And he continued stating that some years ago the volcanoes would have said that support for such cuts “directly opposed the part of the political spectrum for which any workers’ party should stand.” He went on, “They have not done this. They have gone, gently, quietly, into the good night of oblivion which will happen to them, sadly, in the coming general election, instead of condemning these measures, as they should have done, before the Rabbitte-Gilmore leadership eviscerated and destroyed the heart and mission of the Labour Party.” So it looks like Tommy won’t be looking to submit once more to the Labour whip before the next general election.
__
Ever the optimism Jemmy beliefs the truth will eventually out and expose those really responsibility for the destruction of Syria. During May, a document from the US Defense Intelligence Agency dated 12th August 2012 was published on the Internet. The document not only anticipates the rise of extremist regime in Eastern Syrian but seems to suggest it would be a desirable development from the point of view of the international ‘coalition’ seeking regime change in Damascus, stating: “If the situation unravels there is the possibility of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist principality in eastern Syria (Hasaka and Der Zor), and this is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition want, in order to isolate the Syrian regime.” Such a regime now rules much of this area – it is called Islamic State.
__
Just when Jemmy thought things couldn’t get much worse, who begins to show an interest in our island but the Koch Brothers. The bilionaire brothers David and Charles are reported to have bought Sligo-based medical device manufacturer Protek Medical. Of course the brothers also have other interests such as, by various indirect means, pouring millions of dollars into the Tea Party, the lunatic rightwing fringe of American politics.
