The brown envelopes of earlier years

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics - Please Fri Feb 11, 2005 21:31

Sorry, it was only when I re-read my piece that I noticed the typos.....sometimes my mind moves too fast for my brain.....and words get skipped and spelling .....

I mentioned the above book.

However I noticed that Austen Morgan has a web site and for anyone interested, I really would recommend it.........

www.austenmorgan.com

There is a good article by Chris Patten and Positive Discrimination........


Michelle

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justics and Ethics Ireland Thu Feb 10, 2005 19:37

Has anybody on the Ireland of Ireland had the chance to read 'The Belfast Agreement' - a Practical Analysis (including the full text of the unpublished Mitchell Draft paper by Austen Moran Bsc MA Law and Phd written 2,000.......

Did anyone here that as Ireland said goodbye to technology we were embracing the "Knowledge Society'.

Who is doing the thinking here because the reflection does not exist with Government members and parties to the Peace Process in Ireland?

I bought this book at Hodges nd Figgis for about 10 euros. It is a great buy.

What is happening to the Rule of Law?

What about Collective Responsibility in Government - I have never seen anyone to go off side from Sinn Fein in negotiations so quickly and with accusations not backed up by evidence?

This is making a farce of the Legal System in Ireland at a time when the Prime Minister in England is making apologies for the gross miscarriages of Justice made in the 1970's and 1980's.......

What a coincidence it is that elections loom? Is that apathy amongst the Irish so strong that we have become like 'hounds in a pack chasing a Fox'.......

A quote from Bright Spirits Book Amnesty Shop

Words and Deeds
'Knowing is not enough; we must apply
Willing is not enough, we must do'
JW von Goethe (1749-1832) German poet.....the time leading to the French Revolution.


Other words that come to mind was a comment by Hitler. When asked the question about recruiting Germans to the Nazi party, basically he said, it was easy that the people were so easily led......


Michelle Clarke

by Kevin Walsh - Social Justice and Ethics - Please Tue Feb 08, 2005 22:07

In response to Keith Harris' article, I sat down watching Questions and Answers last night and I sat sadly looking at the smug face of Willie O'Dea (Groucho Marks). I just got baffled, Keith. People taking the High Ground in Ireland today. There is much bemusement around these parts at the Taoiseach's defence of his appointment of Ray Burke in 1997.

Now Ray Burke, in my humanity, languishes in Arbour Hill prison for a tax evasion sentence and allegedly more serious charges are to come from the Serious Fraud Squad. Bertie Aherne, despite widespread rumours, from every dog from Swords, Donabate, the Naul in as far as Whitehall and down as far as Black Sod Bay, knew that Burke was heavily involved in corruption.

Joe Higgins recently said in the Dail recently that if anyone from Fianna Fail had asked him in the 1980's, he would have told them, the type of fixing that was going on between the land fixer and Ray Burke and many others during those years. Bertie sent the present Foreign Affairs Minister out to Swords and then to London to try to dig up anything of a Criminality nature.

Mr. Harris, is that not intriguing? I again go back to the smug face of Groucho Marks, Willie O'Dea, on Questions and Answers last night.

Meanwhile, Mr. Harris, at the Mahon Tribunal, it was claimed that former Fianna Fail TD, Liam Lawlor, blackmailed a solicitor, John Caldwell. Mr. Caldwell said Liam Lawlor was paid approximately 330,000 pounds to an offshore account and was also given shares in various land companies during the blackmailing episodes in 1995 and 1997.

It was alleged that Mr. Lawlor was paid in Deutchmarks to a bank in Liechtenstein. He also received a 14% share in Pentagon Property Services which then was owned by Service Pipelines in Lucan. Later after further blackmailing, Lawlor was given a further 2.5% in Pentagon as well as land in Baldoyle and a share in another pipeline infrastructure.

Now Mr. Harris, would you agree with me that Sinn Fein's allegations that Bertie's attacks on them are motivated by electoral concerns in the rise of the Sinn Fein vote North and South in the last number of years. but this is being denied by the Government. This has come to the test in the forthcoming contest for the John Bruton seat in the Meath constituency. John Bruton is now European Ambassador to the United States.

Mr. Harris, I am sure you know the story of whats going on down there. Bertie is using McDowell to increase the tone with contempt against Sinn Fein, in the last couple of months. Amazingly, the opposition is pleased at the way Bertie Aherne has rounded on Sinn Fein through the Mad Mullah and his full-moon wearwolf ego. Much of the media also appears satisfied. This is what concerns me is the so-called Pretentious High Ground of Morality.

But the second IRA statement put a different spin on things. We will have to wait until the dust settles - that is, Mr. Harris, if the dust is allowed to settle. I again go back to the smug face of Groucho Marks, Willie O'Dea, on Q and A last night. Mr. Groucho O'Dea is in politics over 27 years. He is very astute, a qualified solicitor and he knew Burke and many more were up to their necks in corruption but he said nothing due to fear.

Therefore, where was his honesty and integrity then? This also includes Mary Harney founder of the Irish Ethical Society.

We can expect more from McDowell in the times ahead. The indiotic minisister comes from good subversive stock. His grandfather, Eoin MacNeill, is best known for giving the wrong orders, due to lack of spinal chord, by forbidding military action by volunteers in 1916, causing great confusion and thereby weakening the Rising. Sadly a few years later, the Mad Mullagh's uncle, Hugo MacNeill, was the Officer in charge of the firing squad which executed Republican IRA leaders: Liam Mellowes; Rory O'Connor (best-man at the 'Nazi' Kevin O'Higgins wedding); Joe McKelvey and Dick Barrett. These four were executed in December in 1922 by the Free State Blue Shirts. When the firing squad subsided, it was historically alleged that one of the men was still alive on the ground. It was Belfast man, Joe McKelvey - McDowell's grand-uncle, Hugo MacNeill, walked over and fired two shots into McKelvey (one to the chest and one to the head). Cold Hearted Bastard....

Now Mr. Harris you asked why the Peace Process is not working - who on this glasshouse of an Island can take a high moral ground? McDowell, who was an absolute incompetent Attorney General in his 10 years tenure who failed to show up alongside Minister Michael Woods at a crucial Church and State meeting in relation to Child Abuse victims and compensation.....abuse that went on for over 60 years in Ireland. When asked, McDowell arrogantly claimed he was not invited to the meeting.

Also in his tenure the biggest corruption scandal in the Gardai Siochana was going on in Donegal. Some years ago he promised 2,000 extra Gardai - he gave his word as Michael McDowell, Progressive Democrat - the man who makes no mistakes Mr. Harris. We don't have any extra Gardai ..... so that makes him a liar.

However, we have an increase in the Vested Interest - Corporatism. In one of his statements last years he said poverty and inequality were an essential part of society - can you explain this to me, Mr. Harris.

I have never seen McDowell in Craogh Park - I wonder why? Can anyone realistically see this idiotic Minister threatening McGuinness and Adams across any Table.

This Process needs maturity. It needs people to go on the same ground level because the people in Fianna Fair who are pointing the finger in relation to the word criminality is seriously a sad joke.

I again go back to the smug face of Willie O'Dea last night but then I get this deep gut feeling when is Ray Burke going to talk - when he does, they will have to build a new Fianna Fail wing in the new proposed McDowell prison.

This Peace Process and ceasefire has saved hundreds of lives in the last number of years and I would not like to see Minister McDowell wrecking it with his compuslive ego behaviour.

Mr. Harris, I hope that Bertie Aherne, for the people of Ireland's sake, gets down to some serious talking and I even hope the media bring a more equal balance to this political equation. As we speak it is costing the Irish taxpayers hundreds of millions euros in relation to all the corruption tribunals.

Mr. Harris - now we are heading to the West of Ireland.......and sadly again Mr. McDowell is involved.....What the hell is going on? There is a proposed asbestos plant for the scenic town of Killala, Co. Mayo. This is part of Dick Roche's critical infrastructure bill.

Minister Suave Roche is proposing new legislation that will speed up planning for crucial waste facilities like the horrible anti environment word Incinerator. Remember the eVoting system that Minister for Foreign Holidays set up which cost the Irish taxpayer 54 m. euros and now is taking up storage at 1 m. p.a. Ms. Bleach and the Minister for Foreign Holidays have cost us approximately 500,000 euros in his tenure in Environment.

As an Environmentalist myself, I am wondering Mr. Harris, what exactly was Miss Bleach's advice to him (environmental terms) about the wildlife in Kuala Lumpur..... If it was monkey's ...... I can make a wild guess myself....

I hope the people of Kilala and Ringaskiddy wake up to the reality of the very harsh consequences to themselves, their children, the wildlife and the habitat that will be caused by the incinerator. I have studied this project for many years now from San Diego to Texas to Boston.......the answer in my maths is not the same as Minister Suave Roche's advice that he is receiving from scientists that are in the back pockets of corporate businesses like Shell. The Corrib pipeline is a perfect example of this.

I have written previously intensely on this - the Taoiseach promised me a reply four months ago when he passed on my documents to Noel Dempsey and I am still waiting for a reply.

Now Mr. Harris, back to McDowell. In the Irish Times last Friday, McDowell stated that the proposed incinerator in Poolbeg, Dublin will not come under the remit of this new legislation suggesting that this proposal would be better treated under existing planning law. Now Mr. Harris, it does not take an Einstein - even the likes of Minister for Foreign Holidays (Mutton Pullen) to realise that Poolbeg is in the constituency of Minister McDowell who has opposed this proposal because of the potential political damage it would do to him personally. This Minister for Justice has now over-ruled Roche by setting two standards environmentally, one for Dublin and another for Mayo.

I would like to know if this asbestos plant is planned for Killala : The people of Killala are entitled to know the Truth.

This government supports incineration - Why? I will sit across any table with any engineer and believe me I will ask questions that they will not be able to answer.......because bogland and pipelines do not mix.

This government believes in the quick fix solution to our waste problem. Bertie Aherne on a recent visit to China (Now Mr. Harris, don't forget he is a socialist) and this time minus Cecelia, claimed that incinerators would have to be built in Ireland under new fast track planning rules. Mr. Harris, I would seriously like the Government to take a step back and reflect morally and with a little sense of spirituality and above all the respect for the people and wildlife of Ireland before accepting the most serious brown envelope of all - 'the Corporate Handshake'. This 'Handshake' has no respect for God or man but then Fianna Fail wrote part of that script to because they broke every law in the book which has resulted in Tribunal after Tribunal.

I again go back to the smug face of Groucho Mark's O'Dea on Q & A last night - the Peace Process needs a level headed and stable approach. It needs toning down........It needs McDowell to reflect on his abhorrent behaviour over the last two months towards Sinn Fein and with a history like his, he is on shaky ground. I believe 98% of the Irish people cannot get a measure on Minister McDowell at all. You see, Mr. Harris, very few Irish people get the chance to walk up the steps of the Law Library let alone preach from the. I am only quoting Minister Cowen on this.

I will end by saying I enjoyed your piece. I didn't understand where you were coming from on some sections of it but please give me an answer in relation to where you think I am coming from. Ireland is a land of Denial from Tax Evasion, Ethics, Accountability, and sadly Suicide (the biggest killer every year in Ireland) and yet in the year 2005, the ignorant stigma is still attached to it. With all our so called advanced technology, as a people, we haven't come that far, from our own so-called High Ground, caused by the illusion of the Celtic Tiger. Sadly, I never got the memo he came........but then the tiger is the Logo for Shell......isn't that a coincidence?

Now before I close, the biggest bank heist in the history of this State was not the Belfast alleged bank heist but the AIB one last year when revealed. I am guessing Euros137 m.....was taken from customers. Mr. Harris, I beg the question, where was the Fraud Squad and where is it now? Why wasn't there just one arrest? I am baffled.

McDowell is annoyed at 26 million euros that was allegedly robbed from the Northern Bank (no evidence yet!!) but he has to shout at Sinn Fein to appease his DUP friends and in particular, his personal friend in private lie, Jeffrey Donaldson. I am closing now. Could someone tell me......What is the High Moral Ground in Ireland (Politics) and who in Government can really stand on it and point a finger?


Kevin Walsh (BE Engr)

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Please Mon Feb 07, 2005 21:57 michelle33 at eircom dot net

To Keith Harris
And 'Pardon me for Asking'

I read the website with great interest suggested by Keith Harris and was further enthuased by 'Pardon me for Asking'.

A favourite quote of mine is that of John Hume - he speaks of 'Diversity in Unity'......and I believe that this is ultimately what must happen.

I found a gem of a book in my Father's bookcase while studying politics in Trinity, as both a mature student and a person with disabilities.

Title: A Study in National Character - The Americans - by Geoffrey Gorer. This book was first published in Great Britain in 1948.

Now lets add some dimension to the Melting Pot of the Peace Process in the hope of lessening bigotry on both sides and educating people to alternatives that exist.

The book is about Cultrural Anthropology.....yes, the old American Melting Pot phenomenon.

This quotation applies to the North as it stands and of course to the South in relation to our own Racism and Asylum Seeker approach.

'It is this inevitable ethnocentrism which makes the discussion of the national character of equals and contemporaries so difficult and so delicate.'

I wonder has anyone any views on this viz a viz the Island of Ireland........Try the Rich/Poor divide perhaps or Stigma relating to those with psychiatric problems and what about Single Fathers.

Some significant psychological truths about America (let's look to our own......)

....'The ancestors of yours....gave up home and country....'Whether the orverriding motive which had driven those immigrants across the ocean was an ethical love of freedom, or more material desire for greater opportunity, a better standard of living, or a free land is unimportant in the present instance....the fact is under the Command of General Patton's command people had come from Europe, had given up home and country, had rejected the values and traditions in which they had been reared......'

'In 1860 the population of the Unites States, immigrant and native-born, white and Negro, numbered little over 30 million.....the next 70 years saw a further 30 million move from Europe'

Now I think of Civil Rights......I think of Martin Luther King.....Rosa Parks.....and others who made a stand for Justice, Equality, Civil Rights.........President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert....and others....

America: The Culture is both strong and pervasive. Is it true to say it is socially a constructed National Character and if so is it evolving? Has the orientation become too economic based perhaps?

This quote provokes thought to contextualise in line with the Peace Process!!!

'The birth of the American republic was signalized by the rejection of authority as such: authority was coercive, arbitrary, despotic, morally true'.......From the emergence of America as an independent nation two major themes appear as characteristic of Americans:
a) Emotional egalitarianism which maintains that all (white American) men are equal to the extent that the subordination of one man to another is repugnant and legally forbidden,

b) equal in opportuniy and legal position; the belief that authority over people is morally detestable and should be resisted, that the suspicion that others are seeking authority cannot be too vigilant, and that those who occupy the necessary positions of authority with the state should be considered as potential enemies and usurpers. The prizes equality of Americans was and is dependent on the weakness of their government'............

Now here is a starting point: This makes us look at the words Government motivation; real equality; motivation for Wars in Iraq and afghanistan,

For me I really like the words of George Santayana 'Those who forget History are condemned to repeat it' and to this I add the comments by a young man about Auschwitz recently who suggested not only should History be thought at higher level in the UK schools but also Moral History ought to be taught......

We all go off course, lose direction, forfeit ethics for greed.....but we all have the choice to take a rain check on the past, to review our behaviour and change views and opinions in favour of Egalitarianism, Democracy, Justice, Ethics.

Michelle Clarke. I hope the Peace Process can be realistically developed and politically apathy gives way to people who take a pro-active stance in World Politics along and Egalitarian line.

Just note how all people responded to the Disaster Tsunai......there is hope for humanity always.

Jesse Jackson Activist
'Never Look down on Anyone unless you are helping them up'.............

This is such an important value.........

by pardon me for asking ... Sat Feb 05, 2005 23:13

Had a look at the link in the posting and read the following: "The British military presence in Ireland must be seen in its factual context ... with the first English involvement in Ireland being documented after the arrival of the Normans in the tenth century."

Ahem, and pardon me for asking but what exactly is the connection between "the arrival of the Normans" and "English involvement" ..... ?

In case you hadn't noticed NORMANDY is not part of ENGLAND, not even part of Great Britain ....... the "Normans" were not "English", they may have been the feudal lords of England but they were not of Anglo-Saxon stock ....

A little bit more precision in your terminology, and less of the random throwin about of terms like "Norman", "British" and "English" and we might start to take you a bit more seriously .....

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice, Please Sat Feb 05, 2005 01:46

George Santayana said 'Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it'

My hope is that reflection will prevent the 'destruction of all the work that has been so far and by so many'.

Michelle Clarke (Hopefully tomorrow, I will be a little more 'creative in mind and spirit'......

Good night. Hope lots of people contribute to this piece......We need to stop the apathy that pertains in Irish politics. We need to be accountable, transparent and move forward.

One other point for potential writers. Panorama on Sunday is reviewing a group of criminals but one hidden common factor Abuse....Let us not forget the influence of the Church in Ireland (there is still a lot of secrecy lurking about.......while conferences are hosted.....). Let's go for an inclusive society or as I like to cite: John Hume's words 'Diversity in Unity'.