2 different views on gobalisation in the developing world.

Comment is free. Keep on rocking in the free market

Mail & Guardian (South Africa) Becoming Modern

Osama in comeback special

Usama bin Laden Will Issue Video Tribute to Musab al-Zarqawi. Will it be something like this. This is not the greatest terrorist in the world this is just a tribute.

On Irish Academia

Richard alludes to an interesting piece in today’s Irish Times (why is there always something interesting in the times on the days I don’t buy it). Anyway it is about the amount of people in college and whether that is dumbing down standards.

Is it possible for the currently under-financed university sector to initiate and socialise all these newcomers so they can recognise and digest an intellectual argument? Or must the institutions dumb down and give in to the dead weight of numbers by lowering intellectual standards and turning lecturing into a branch of the entertainment industry?

Firstly it is clear that most people who write for the Irish Times come from a arts background as I am sure that anyone from a Science background would ever say that a lecture in Quantum Mechanics or Organic Chemistry is ever entertaining however interesting. Continued

To pretend that genuine advances in intellectual and scientific inquiries can be easily combined with democracy's demand for undergraduate mass intake and teaching is a complete illusion.

To me UCD's Andreas Hess who wrote the article has missed a major change in the world and indeed I think Richard has possibly missed it as well. . In this new knowledge economy the skills that are demand are the ones that require a university training, few jobs anymore require only a leaving cert and the ones that do are quickly drying up.

The place where previously a degree held, that of the advancement of science etc is now no longer that place. The degree is now been required by so many business that to hold it up to the standards of excellent that Andreas Hess believes it should would damage the economy. The degree now is the definition of the standard level of education need to complete a job.

The place where the “genuine advances in intellectual and scientific inquiries” is at PhD level. A university degree is the new leaving cert.

New Look Irish Election

Just encase you were wondering why material has been short of late. I have been working on a rejigging of the Irish Election site. If you spot any errors let me know.

Wierd searchs

Someone came to my site from Google via the search Evilness in my infant. Strange

Remember Zig and Zag

Sound bites more important then the enviroment for the Greens.

Niall O’Brolcháin Green candidate in Galway West is trading in the Mayoral jag for a more environmentally friendly car. Yet what he is doing is not enviromentally friendly at all.

In 1994 the Environment and Forecasting Institute in Heidelberg, Germany conducted a survey on the energy and environmental impact of a car through out its life time. Having driven 13,000 km a year for 10 years. It will produce 2,040m cubic metres of polluted air driving and 922m in production. This mean that about 40% of the emissions coming from a car in its 10 year lifetime comes from the manufacture. Or to put it another way. If you buy a new car every 4 years the greatest factor in the emissions in the car comes from the manufacture not the fuel.

Now in Galway Niall O’Brolcháin Green candidate in Galway West has been elected mayor. And quiet proudly on there website this little story is told.

Emerging last night from Galway Chambers in full robes and chain, he crossed the car park to where his new Jaguar and driver waited, and in a few quiet and polite words sent them both home for the evening. Mayor O’Brolcháin says he will not need such a large car or one that has a high emission output.

“I probably will need a car to carry out my Mayoral duties but I think using a large petrol vehicle is sending out the wrong message. I will need to negotiate with the Council to ensure I am driving am environmentally friendly car with a low emission output.”

Now according to a poster on Boards.ie the mayoral Jag in Galway is a 2.7 diesel which gets about 40mpg. So it is by no means a gas guzzler. And even if that poster is not correct in that. I am sure that the current mayoral car is newer then 4 years. Thus by insisting that the current mayoral car is changed for a new environmentally friendly car he is in fact causing more emissions and more environmental damage then if he did not change the car and insist on keeping the car that has already been produced and thus has already emitted pollutants into the atmosphere and not create the demand to create one more new car which will produce more toxic waste and carbon dixoide.

Thus the only thing I can conclude is that this is a publicity stunt. Driving a Prius makes you look a lot more environmentally friendly then driving a big old Jag. It maybe good for the image but certainly not for the environment.

On his blog John Gormley TD said.

In relation to the new green ministerial transport, Dick Roche and Noel Dempsey are now in the same league as David Cameron - having their cake and greening it. Cameron is poser. He cycles to work but has his minions transport his clothes and papers to Westminister in a car. Were are the CO₂ savings there?

I would like to ask him the same question where is the CO₂ saving in Niall O’Brolcháin car?

Special Olympics

I haven't mentioned this before nor have I seen much in the blogosphere about it. But anyway the special Olympics Ireland games are taking place in Belfast at the mo. If any one is in Belfast drop and have a look. And cheer on the competitors. It is a great cause.

World Cup Monty Pyton style

Air India inquiry begins

I heard nothing about this. From CBC

The inquiry's commissioner, John Major, opened the inquiry in Ottawa almost 21 years after Air India Flight 182 exploded off the coast of Ireland, claiming the lives of 329 people, including 82 children. Two baggage handlers at Tokyo's Narita Airport died in another connected bombing.

Hat tip.(Blast furnance Canada.)

Canada proposes changing Age of consent.

After the debate in Ireland on the age of Consent. Canada is changing its law to the Age of Protection law. It raising the age to 16 from 14 and including

a close-in-age exception, which means that teens who are 14 or 15 can have a sexual partner who is "less than five years older."

America losing the game of minimum wage.

A few months a go an American said this.

"It is time for Congress to take a look at the minimum wage and other legislation that can help working families."

"The U.S. minimum wage of $5.15 an hour has not been raised in nearly a decade and we believe it is out of date with the times,"

So who is this guy wanting a raising of the minimum wage. A democrat, a raving left wing union boss, some Daily Kos blogger no it was a guy called Lee Scott otherwise known to left wingers as CEO of Evil inc otherwise called Wal Mart. Now before you think this guy must have been visited by the ghosts of Christmas pass present and future and repented his evil neo-liberal ways. Here is the rest of his statement.

"We can see first-hand at Wal-Mart how many of our customers are struggling to get by. Our customers simply don't have the money to buy basic necessities between pay checks."

Note the word customers for later. Recently senate in America decided to not raise the minimum wage. The arguments against raising minimum wage tend to focus on various aspects in the Wall street Journal today the non-rise is defended as it would be against the kids.

With the economy booming, more young people are finding work, including summer jobs. But economists have long known that when minimum wages go up, the number of jobs for kids tends to go down.

The Disillusioned lefties argued that sometimes it is better for people.

Basically, the argument goes, the higher the minimum wage, the fewer low-wage workers can be hired by your average business, and the higher the unemployment (hurting the poorest in society). In addition, the higher the minimum wage, the higher the wage costs to the firm, the lower the profit margins, and the higher the prices for the consumer, hurting everyone

Now what both those arguments miss is precisely what Scott Lee saw. Consumers. In the first scenario. Where are the kids most likely to work. More then likely in the service industry convenient stores (I guess if you are writing about America it is best not to use proper words like supermarkets), Music shops, clothes shops etc etc. Now who would make up a large portion of the costumers of these shops. Who is going to buy 50 Cent’s latest exploits in cat strangling Album, who is going to buy Tommy Hilfiger designer gear. The very same people that this rise is supposed to effect kids and if this rise came, where is the extra money going to go. I’ll tell you more 50 cent more Tommy Hilfiger and more sales for the shop owners. Sure if a shop keeper individually rise wages they will suffer but a rise across the board will result in more sales for all. It is in essences Coordination Game Theory

This also goes for the lefties argument. While an increase in wages will decrease the profit margins it would also result in increase volumes. There is a reason that Toyata makes more money then Ferrari it is not profit margins it is volumes.

Tax cuts to the poor tend to have a greater effect to a consumer economy then tax cuts to the rich. Basically €200 extra a year to a poor family is going to enter the economy a lot faster and be of more benefit then €200 to the rich family. The rich families 200 might go on a foreign holiday leaving the economy all together the poor families 200 however will go more then likily into the local economy stimulating growth, jobs and tax revenue. The rich familes 200 could be seen in many ways to be foreign aid. Same goes for the minimum wage. A rise in the minimum wage will do a lot more for the economy then a lowering of tax on share dealing for instance.

There is of course a limit to how much you can raise minimum wage. Eventually the increase in consumerism is going to not balance out the increase in cost and lead to high unemployment a type of Laffer curve if you will. But the minimum wage in America is no where near that point yet. Even the rise to $7.25 is well below the Irish minimum wage and we have lower unemployment. If the chairman of one of the most successful corporations in America can see that why can’t the US senate.

As for the argument that (again from the Disillusioned lefties)

Why is a coercion-free agreement between two adults of sound mind, with positive affects for both of them and no adverse affects for others, not permitted?

The problem with that statement is that work at this level is a zero sum game. The person looking for the job has more to lose then the employer. He has to pay bills, have debt, put food on the table etc etc. The employer can find someone else. Hence there is no coercion-free agreement.

However raising minimum wage is not the magic bullet solution to poverty as the above OP-ed in the Wall Street journal points out.

In truth, his[ed. Sen Kennedy] proposed rate of $7.25 an hour won't lift many poor families out of poverty because as many as 64% of the earners in these families already get paid more than $7.25. New research by Joseph Sabia at the University of Georgia and Cornell's Richard Burkhauser indicates that factors other than wages--such as working fewer hours and supporting large families--are holding them down.

So maybe some of my readers are wondering have I lost my right wing views, will I start supporting Labour and calling for the fall of the bourgeoisie. The answer is no. Indeed my views have not changed. But if supporting a higher minimum wage makes me no longer a capitalist fine call me a consumerist from now on.

Anti-War Activist places US Soldiers under (Citizens) Arrest in Co Clare.

No this is not a joke. Well an intented joke anyway.

"While Driving through Ennis town yesterday afternoon a local anti-war activist put six young US service men under (citizens) arrest."

From Indymedia (where else). And they wonder why

The top cop was more annoyed that Mr. Cregan had rang the Ennis Gardai Station on the 999 emergency line and informed him that he would be investigating the matter with a view to prosecute

. I have 3 words for you "Wasting Police Time"

New series from makers of Scrubs and Family guy

Visit to the Dail by Iraqi delegation

Here is one that slipped under the radar. A visit by a delegation from the Iraqi parliament. Namely one Adnan Pachachi. Great stuff surprised it didn't get much coverage now had it been from the Palestinian parliament ....

I was wrong

When the international community stopped funding Palestine I thought it was a mistake as I thought it would drive them into the arms of Syria and make them even more hardline. However I was wrong. From the Guardian.

Hamas has made a major political climbdown by agreeing to sections of a document that recognise Israel's right to exist and a negotiated two-state solution, according to Palestinian leaders.

Trouble in the PD’s

The Irish Times is reporting that a leadership struggle is going on within the PD’s.

The Progressive Democrats have been convulsed by a power struggle over the past week with Michael McDowell claiming he had an arrangement with Mary Harney that she would step down as party leader before the next election,

While peace seems to have been declared.

At the meeting, which lasted for more than three hours, there was a frank exchange of views between the two sides but the consensus was that it would be suicidal for the party to embark on a leadership struggle with a year to go to a general election.

In the event, Mr McDowell withdrew his threat not to run in the next election while Ms Harney made it clear she would not be making any attempt to remove Mr McDowell as party president or Minister for Justice.

It remains to be seen will this split the party and how it will effect the party in the future will it damage it’s election chances.

Also on Irish Election.

Is Al Gore's movie on climate change flawed.

Interesting article about some scientist reaction to climate change. So what do ye think. Hat tip (california conservative)

Munster Get tough group

The draw has been made for next years Heineken Cup. Cardiff Blues, Bourgoin, Leicester, Munster. Munster beat Cardiff Blues in the last game of the Celtic league. But they were the top non-Irish team in that league. It is going to be one tough group. But Munster being Munster will win all home games. And go through. Ulster get Toulouse, London Irish, Llanelli Scarlets. and think will go through second to Toulouse but it will be tough. And the pansies sorry that should read Leinster get Edinburgh Gunners, Agen, Gloucester.

Politicians can't blog wouldn't blog.

Just spotted this in Irishblogs.ie. What is the deal with politicians starting blogs and not writing them in the first person. Take Fine Gael election hopefull Lucinda Creighton's "blog". The whole thing is the third person. It is a joke. Would people vote for a politician that went door to door reading press releases. I think not.

Sex is still a taboo.

On of the things that has struck me over the last few days is that sex is still a taboo in Ireland. Much of the debate about Charlie Haughey over the last week has centred around the publication in the Scare Ireland On Sunday of details of Terry Keane and Charlie’s affair. Now none of this was new it was all revealed years ago and famously she was interviewed on the Late Late. Yet it was the republishing of this that rose the heckles of many people.

Many people shouted out. “Do not speak ill of the dead” yet they never said this when they were discussing his dodgy dealings with various people. Neither was it raised when questions arose around his actions during the Anglo-Irish agreement and his handling of the economy in the early part of the 80s. Sure infidelity effects his family but does saying he is a criminal not also effect his family.

On of the question was that a politician has the right to a private life and indeed they do but when something is revealed that effects their character then it is in the public. Interest. For instance Charlie was involved in the whole condom debate. Would people’s perception of the situation have been different if it was known he was Sweetie of Terry Keane’s gossip column. I think so. Also what does it say about the mans character that he would sit on a Sunday reading this with glee in front of his wife. This aspect of his life is just as relevant as any other in the telling of the story of Charlie.

Movie Review: 'Cars'

Scepticism surrounded ‘Cars’ from the off, doubts were raised as reports of a spiralling budget emerged and repeated delays and a lacklustre trailer lead many to believe this could be the end of Pixar’s run of outstandingly successful features. And indeed it is easy to criticise ‘Cars’ in comparison to its predecessors. It does rely on an overly recognisable story structure and ticks the box for each of the standard characters and their respective concerns which will be resolved by movies end. Pixar is the very creator of the stumbling blocks which it finds Cars now stumbling over. Pixar has set the standard which it has continually conformed to and which many rivals seek to emulate. The success of 'Toy Story' was its mass appeal, so much so that a basis for criticism of subsequent animated movies is that they ‘only appeal to tots or children’. Audiences and critics alike demand differing levels of humour to satisfy all viewing age groups, strong unique characters, an enthralling story, pop culture references and of course it must look great.

If we are to label ‘Cars’ the weakest of Pixars films it should mot be said without qualification. To date Pixar and any other animators have created worlds numbered by ants, monsters, fairy tale folk and any other number of characters which have distinguishable human characteristics, they have faces, eyes and some number of appendages through which they can convey emotions, reactions and give depth to characters. The world of ‘Cars’ is just that, full of cars and to have created a stable of characters, easily identifiable and design them so that we believe they are live and struggling characters is commendable.

The creation of the car characters is only a tangent of a broader discussion of the look of the film. From the opening shot I was overwhelmed by the glorious look and colour of the film. From the intensity and bustle of car racing sequences to the great open expanses of middle America, coupled with Danny Elfman’s score no amount of protestation would convince me anyone could resist being caught up in the furore and the calm- you have already got the message of the film before its spelt out to the leading character. Look even at the opaque and monotone look of the city in the concluding scenes of ‘The Incredibles’ or the block of computer graphics that are suppose to be glaciers in ‘Ice Age 2', I could not level such criticism at one such scene in ‘Cars’.

Most importantly,‘Cars’ does continue Pixars tradition of saying something new. Even when ‘Shrek’ was heralded as an innovation in film making with its ridiculing of Disney and ironic twists on fairytales it was nothing more than a road trip, journey of growth, only living happily ever after when you found someone to marry you. Cars focuses on the impact a bypass has on the economy of a small town and more broadly, how distracted and detached we can become by the drone of getting through and forget to live. It’s a real and relatable story so that while 'Cars’ may be relegated to the lower echelons of Pixar’s output, the heart and virtue in the story and the dutiful filmmaking on display deserves recognition.

The Charles J Haughey Tunnel

From the Examiner

A ROW has broken out among Dublin councillors over a proposal to name the Dublin Port Tunnel in honour of Charles Haughey.

. I have to say the idea of the Charlie Tunnel is really quiet funny. Imagine how many people will got to the toll booth operator and go "Thanks a million big fella" when they pay their way.

Civil Liberties and the War Against Terrorism.

Interesting blog debate between 2 guys in the University of Chicago Law faculty Posner v. Stone: Civil Liberties and the War Against Terrorism. Hat Tip Andrew Sullivan

Democratic Dictatorships

In South Africa the ANC have won in the last general election almost 70% of the vote. It has never been out of power since the fall of Apartheid. The Congress of South African Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said recently

"Dictatorship never announces its arrival,"

"It won't, like drum majorettes, beat drums and parade down the street to announce it has arrived." "The main concern of the committee centres on signs that we may be drifting towards dictatorship.

Now much of the background to this is to do with Jacob Zuma the former Deputy President who was accused of rape but was acquitted. During his trial he admitted to having unprotected sex with his accuser but claimed that he took a shower afterwards to cut the risk of contracting HIV. Now the Congress of South African Trade Unions is very much in favour of Zuma which the current president Mbeki does not. So a lot of the reason for such talk is inevitably political in nature. But is their a grain of truth in it.

While the reason that the ANC has 70% of the vote is because 70% of the electorate voted for them. But the question is does power breed power. Is there a certain point where in a democracy that a party can be so big and in power that removes the ability for the opposition to get in. i.e. leading to the case where a democracy can be a dictatorship.

Much of politics is about money the ability to get your message across is more important then your message. Now if you are the party in power and in the position where you are going to be the only party in power you are going to be the largest receiver of political donations. Who is going to back a dead horse. Not many, especially in a place where there is a perception that society is more or less democratic. While people fighting the good fight will always attract sympathy especially from foreign donor’s, if a party is on the surface democratic and the former home of Nelson Mandela who is going to back the opposition against such a party. Thus this leads to the main party having an large advantage in the financial stakes.

But that is not the main cause of power breeding power. When a party is so much a part of the history of a struggle for freedom. It comes very much the symbol of what was fought for. What ever the ANC will do it will always be the party that ended Apartheid it will always be the party that ended the oppression of the black population. That is a very powerful symbol, something that people feel a loyalty to something that is very difficult to vote against. As it seems in some respects to be voting against what they stood for. Then that thought can come institutionalised the very idea of voting for something else seems wrong it comes very natural to vote for that party. And while there are differing ideas about how the country should be run there these are considered to be dealt with in house. Where we end up with a big tent party where differing ideas exist but whether these ideas become government policy or not is dealt with in house and not by the electorate. Thus the electorate no longer dictate government policy it is dictated to them. This state has all the hallmarks on the outside of democracy but isn’t, it is dictatorship.

Desmond Tutu said of the ANC in 2004.

An unthinking, uncritical, kowtowing party line-toeing is fatal to a vibrant democracy. I am concerned to see how many have so easily been seemingly cowed and apparently intimidated to comply. I am sure proportional representation has been a very good thing but it should have been linked to constituency representation. I fear that the party lists have had a deleterious impact on people even if that was not the intention. It is lucrative to be on a party list. The rewards are substantial and if calling in question party positions jeopardises one's chances to get on the list then not too many are foolhardy and opt for silence to become voting cattle for the party.

Imagine an Ireland where Collins and Dev had agreed on the treaty. Where the IRA didn’t split where the civil war never happened and Sinn Fein had never split. We would have had a Dail with Sinn Fein being the dominate party. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail would never have come into existence and while parties like Labour and the Greens would exist and parties like the PD’s would break away. They would never have had the ability to beat Sinn Fein in an election. Currently combined Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have 110 seats. Or 66% of the seats and that is quiet low in 1981 (random pick) they held 74% of the vote. We would probably have had 80 years of 1 party government. I think it would be quiet likely but due to the civil war that ripped the country and possibly most vitally the dominate party of the struggle for freedom apart. The split introduced choice and allowing real democracy to flourish. And while Fianna Fail does show many of the aspects of the big tent, they are not un-opposed there is a wide section of choice and the public can dictate policy. However due to its big nature Fianna Fail does tend to distort the field somewhat, Fianna Fail is not a vote for any ideology but for a set of managers. But the presence and the ability of other parties to gain power means that the electorate not a party dictates policy.

In the world now a lot of the talk from the neo-cons is about democracy promotion (will I avoid Richards Eddie Holt award for using the word neo-con incorrectly :) ) a laudable aim, the talk is all about getting people a vote giving a chance to express a vote. But that is not the founding principle of democracy indeed Saddam got won 100% of a vote in 2002 . The real test of democracy is does the opposition have the ability to get into power can the people dictate to the government. Because without that you merely have dictatorship with a democratic mandate. So how do you do this, parties created from struggles for freedom have to be encouraged to split when those rights it fought for are won. For without this you merely have a democratic dictatorship.

Mentos and Diet Coke to the Extreme

Isn't science wonderful. Should do this experiment in School. Diet Coke and Mentos Mixed.
Go the whole hog
The Reason why. Feel free to try this at home. With a 2 litre Bottle and about 5 mentos (By home I mean outside your home)

My thoughts on Social Partnership

I was thinking about writing about social partnership and then someone writes exactly what I want to say Rotten social partnership deal eroding democracy by Neil Ruddock in the Indo

Leaving Cert Maths

I just had a look at the controversial leaving cert question. And I have to say it was quiet difficult now I could do it. But then again I have done physics in collage for 5 years so I would want to be able to do a leaving cert maths paper. Still though it requires a definite analytical thinking that many at that stage will not have. However the leaving cert is to much of a test of learning not skill so I think this is a good thing that papers are more challenging. With the points system it should not effect peoples collage chances that much as everyone is in the same boat. However it should be in all subjects as some people will be depending on different subjects i.e expecting Maths to bring up English.

Anyone have a picture of the question? It was in the Sunday Indo

Movies

So time you want to watch intelligent Art house movies other times RomComs then there is the time you just want to see Steven Segal kick it up a notch. With great caracters like Bad Ass Guard played by Michael McGrady

Also Goodbye Lenin is on after Segal. An excellent german movie.

RTE live streaming.

Watch RTE1 on your computer. Live videostream thanks to heanet. Not sure is it just for home programming or available outside Ireland still pretty cool. can't find a rte2 stream yet. If anyone knows let me know. Also if any of my outside Ireland readers can see it as well let me know. Cheers

Don't Buy Magil.

I brought this months Magil and I have to say I regret it. Nothing of interest in it at all. While Richard's article was nothing new (maybe reading his blog, reading Freedom Ins and holding some of the same views is the reason) but the rest was utter plup. The main article was an interview with Enda Kenny. I have to say I have read more anti-Fine Gael stuff on the Fine Gael website. It was totally devoid of any merit. The main question of the opposition. Can you go into government with a party you disagree with was not asked instead questions about how a guy with his impressive CV it took so long to rise to the top are featured. Other stuff is about chucking tomatos into moutjoy and decentralisation has all been done before.

It is simply not worth your €3.25. Makes you nearly want to buy Village. Ok not really but the mere thought that I might buy village says alot.

1 year old today

The Dossing Times is one year old today. Perphaps I should mark this with my favourite posts. But that requires like effort. Thanks to all my readers any suggestions about what you would like to see me blog about feel free to tell me. Cheers.

Irish Times website trying to tell us something.

Ireland.com

Media lies

I have always been aware of the power of the media to mis-represent the truth and make people believe lies. Like life being un-biased in journalism is practically impossible. Richard of Sicilian Notes makes an excellent point about how the Irish Times ignored the fact that a beach in Gaza attacked by Israel did not lead to the explosion that killed many civilians. How many people in Ireland will believe this. I would say not many Times readers. See people there is an example of how the media can spin a story and as Richard says it really does show up the Anti-Israel sentiment here. Maybe he should write a letter to the paper.

I remember reading someone remarked that the left tends to always believe that the terrorist freedom fighter is right. Think about it Palestine, Iraqi insurgency, PIRA. Now I am sure that many people would give out to me for putting the provos in with the Palestinians but outside of Ireland that is often the case. Why? Because here in Ireland we know about the North. Unlike with Palestine where our news is a biased in Ireland we know more of the truth, we know the history, we know the culture, we know the real IRA from the official IRA, the provisional IRA from the continuity IRA and the low fat IRA from I can't believe it is not the IRA when you know the facts you stop seeing war and death in black and white.

Richard also in a way shows how much of the Pro-Israel side sees it in black and white as well.

The fact that Israel is more effective at killing Palestinian terrorists than Palestinian terrorists are at killing Israeli civilians neither lessens the moral outrage of Palestinian terrorism nor impugns the Israel's reasonable policy of zapping terrorists engaged in attacks.

Not all Palestinian killed are terrorists. People you can see the wrong on both sides of a conflict not everything is balck and white. Sometimes I feel I am shouting into an empty hall, a hall that sometimes I am not even in.

Irish Times on CJ Haughey

The Irish Times have a special CJ Haughey. Funny how quickly they got it up and designed

Charles Haughey RIP

RTE are running a special on the Radio at the moment. How he will be remembered for the Celtic Tiger, Ben Dunne, no taxes for artists, Arms trial. A gangster or a god.

If Scotland can do it why not us.

From the Scotsman.

Scottish Renewables, the body that represents the green power sector, said the country was set to meet its 2010 target of generating 18 per cent of electricity from renewables by the end of next year.

And with more ambitious development of tide and wave power schemes, the organisation predicted that more than half of Scotland's electricity needs could be satisfied through sustainable means by 2020 - compared to an Executive target of 40 per cent.

We must have the same conditions if not better then Scotland. We need energy security we should follow Scotlands lead. I have talked about energy a few times already.

Occupations in Ireland and Iraq.

Much has been made recently of Ken Loach director of the Wind that shakes the Barley comparing the British Occupation in Ireland to the American Occupation in Iraq. And Indeed he is right there is a comparison to be made but it is not the one he is making.

The British occupation in Ireland was a bit like Saddam’s regime in Iraq. A Non-democratically elected government that gave the minority power over the majority. Where in Iraq it was the Sunni’s in Ireland it was the ascendancy. While the Irish did have the vote and the ability to elected people to Westminister they always elected people from various Nationalist parties. These parties aim were for Home rule for Irish control of Irish affairs. Until a parliamentary crisis in 1910 required the Liberals to give Home Rule nothing was coming. Even then what was been given to the Irish was far far less then they wanted. Is it really democracy when the will of the people is not listened too?

The Iraq war was not approved of by the Iraqi government neither was the 1916 rising. However once the country was given true democratic self-determination these two things were approved. The first Dail in 1918 elected Dev the only survivor of the 1916 rising leader. The Iraqi parliament also democratically elected has given its backing to the American forces.

Also in 1919 the League of Nations did not recognise Ireland initially but eventually did with Ireland playing a large role. likewise neither did the United Nations recognise the need for Iraqis to have freedom but eventually they did recognise the government and perphaps Iraq will play a big role in the UN in the future.

The Black and Tans were a brutal force in Ireland. Burning houses killing and generally being brutal. The same can be said for the insurgents, a minority organisation fighting and terrorising the population who disagree with them. Now the (Old) IRA like the American were fighting for the people for freedom while both have and did commit terrible atrocities it does not take away from the basic principle of the issue and that being standing up for democracy.

So maybe Ken Loach’s next film will be about American soldiers in Iraq showing them ini a good light and winning the Palm D’or. Some how I doubt it.

After typing this I found Niall Stanage on Comment is Free made a simular point.

Jon Stewart vs. Bill Bennett on Gay marriage

What does it say about America that the most intelligent pundit is a comedian? Here he debates on Gay marriage.

Here is one question I have for people who say gay marriage should only be between heterosexuals as they are the only ones that can have kids. Does that mean they are against straight infertile couples getting married. Do they think that people getting married should have fertility tests prior to being allowed to marry. How about older couples. Do they think that marriage should have an age limit. That if someone is beyond child bearing age that they cant get married. Love to hear that answer. Anyway watch the clip

And here is a point about Stem Cell research and Iraq War. Talk about stumping someone. Possibly the one of the greatest questions I have ever heard someone put to some one Paxman eat your heart out. .

The Long Con

First on Irishelection.com

In main ways it might be to Fianna Fail’s and the PD’s advantage to lose the next election. There is a saying about economics “Don’t do what the banks say to do, do what they do”. With that in mind when I heard that AIB and Bank of Ireland were selling there buildings. I got to say I got a bit worried. The reason being that the banks now think that it is time to sell their buildings it must mean that they think the housing market is at its peak. Also a recent OECD report thinks that too. Which can only mean one thing the market is going to go down, bringing many people with them and possibly bringing the next government party down with it.

When he won the American presidential election in 1992 Bill Clinton’s catch phrase was “It is the economy stupid!” meaning that the only thing that really mattered in the election was the economy. People care about equality, and infrastructure and the like, but only when their pockets are safe. In Ireland now in many ways economic stability is taken as a given that the country is going to boom like the Duracell Bunny “On and On and On” but that is hardly going to be the cas

So what happens when the property boom goes. Leading to many people in the construction industry out of work. Leading to a knock on effect in the government finances and thus government spending. What happens when the ECB continuing interest rate rises result in people struggling with their mortgages. What happens if the price of fuel increases, hitting the pockets of the people. Now most of these factors are beyond the control of the government. Like the recent statutory rape crisis there is not much the government can do about things like the ECB and oil but like the statutory rape crisis the people will blame the government and the parties that are in government will take a massive hit.

The government is going to fight the next election on the basis that they are the best pilots of the economy but now that people seem to take the boom for granted that issue is unlikely to see many people rally to the government. But what happens if this collapse happens with FG/Lab in power. Suddenly FF and the PD’s prophesying doom under the rainbow will seem like sage like advice. Indeed many might see FG/Lab is totally inept at running the economy. Leading to a case where the 2002 election might seem like a great number of seats. With the electorate flooding to FF/PD/Sinn Fein in the hope of finding the perceived economic wisdom that gave rise to the Celtic Tiger.

Another aspect of the downturn in the property market would be the drop in stamp duty. A drop in tax usually requires a drop in government spending. Something that FG might accept but Labour would not. If this happens prepare to see the coalition fall apart with either an early election or FF leading a minority government.

That kind of economic collapse could destroy the publics confidence in FG and Labour. The drop does not even need to be that great. Just a enough for the average person to feel less well off. Indeed those parties might never recover leading to a rise in for all the parties not in the rainbow. There is often talk of Fianna Fail ready to play the long game. Maybe this is the game. Maybe they see the writing on the wall for the economy and think that it is better that anyone but them, take the fall and will be glad to lose the election in 2007 because it would mean winning the next few.

And yes the title did come from an episode of Lost.

Window Dressing for people.

Barcelona is one of the most popular destination for people today. The street side cafes, the buzz of La Rambles, the beauty of the dancing fountains, the view from Montjuic, the architecture, the food. People walk around there and think they are absorbing the true Barcelona the real Catalonia but they are not look around you and it is not Barcelona you see it is a façade window dressing the buzz is of tourists who like you have no connection to the place. The real Catalonia is in places like the La Maquinista just off Sant Andrea metro station. So what is there that is so indicative of Catalonian culture. A church, a Guadi building are maybe an art gallery? No La Maquinista is the largest shopping centre in Barcelona. Always buzzing with what makes Barcelona the place that it is. Locals.

Recently there was a lot of talk about how it was disgraceful about how Grafton Street was turning into a non-descript high street with zero characteristics of Ireland. That it was terrible that shops with wonderfully Irish names with O’s in front of them selling all sorts of traditional Irish stuff were being replaced by such bland entities like Foot Locker, Boots and McDonalds. It was seen as an abandonment of Irishness as these shops have nothing to do with being Irish.

But what is Irishness. To me Irishness is everything and nothing. It is not a commodity that can be bought or sold or indeed reproduced. It is not Aran sweaters it is not pony and traps and indeed it is not even the great Martin Hayes. If it was merely those things then it would be a commodity something we can sell nothing else. Something that could be reproduced anywhere in the world on an assembly line. And indeed we do sell these things we sell Aran Sweaters to the yanks who send post cards with Rush Hour Ireland on them back stateside. This just like La Rambles in Barcelona is a commodity, a commodity used to trick the tourist and sometimes ourselves into believing that Irishness is something that it is not. Aran Sweaters are merely wool, traditional music is merely sound waves. The sum total of their parts do not add up to Irishness it is something else that makes them Irish and it is the same thing that makes any place special. People.

The reason that all these Boots etc move into Grafton street is because that is what people want. These shops are paying some of the highest rates in the World. The only reason that they are is because people will shop there. These people are Irish.

In some ways trying to maintain Ireland like it was is in many ways trying to impose a vision of what people want Ireland to be not what it is. To create a stereotypical streetscape. Because think about it what really is in the name of a shop what tangible thing is it really, like a career it is a phantom an apparition a nonsensical entity created to remove people from the reality of the situation that the only thing that is real in this world is people. Everything else streets, culture, food, clothes is merely window dressing.

Ireland colluding in controversial and illegal "extraordinary rendition flights"

The report of the Council of Europe's shows that Shannon is being used for flights to Gitmo. Now it seems that Ireland is not the worst of the countries only being a stop-off point. But this is to much. I have no problem with the troops passing through Shannon but not this.

Indymedia again.

I know I never talk about indymedia but here I have to talk again. This time they seem not to have a problem with vigilante violence. The fact that this post has not been pulled seems to suggest that Indymedia approve. Call themselves liberals they don't even know the meaning of the word. The previous post I flagged was pulled according to I believe the editor because it was "advocating ethnic cleansing." yet a post celebrating vigilante violence is not pulled. And the fact that many of the people posting comment. Approve says a lot as well. Disgraceful. For my sanity I should just avoid that site from now on.