No Welcome For Bush - Lunch time Rally

by Paddy Meehan Thu May 29, 2008 15:36

I have been trying to send an e-mail to belfastantiwar@yahoo.co.uk however the address keeps bouncing back. This happened before the 15th March demo as well could anyone from the BAWM please confirm wether or not their e-mail is working or could someone post an alternative e-mail address in order to send messages?

by Redneck Thu May 29, 2008 15:59

for Belfast Tourism -
between Bush's army of hired hit men, and would-be assasins jetting in from all over the world.

Have a Nice Day, Belfast !

by Séamus Thu May 29, 2008 16:10

belfastantiwar@yahoo.ie might work

by Redneck Thu May 29, 2008 17:06

I do feel that practically, all hatred of the man himself aside, that the Bush visit augurs well for inward investment and a real upturn in the economy for Northern Ireland, more jobs and more better-paying jobs.

The President's visit, if it goes well, will be well highlighted by the Yanks who are convinced (mostly by Bertie) that they alone, with a small bit iof help, created Peace in Ireland.

They see this as a jewel in the crown of their foreign policy, pointing to N.I. as a real sign of THEIR Victory for Peace.

But that's Yanks all over and we in the South have learned how to live with and humour them, none better than Bertie in his time.

We must get them to a stage where they will begin to see the economic prosperity of Ireland as yet another great victory of theirs, for more prosperity, more jobs, as we try to catch the fleeing tiger by the tail.

It is for this reason that I feel that the protests should be nice and friendly, polite to Bush though making their point, and agreeing with the Yanks that, sure, yes we could never really get anywhere or do anything without them.

You will make much more progress with them that way - Praise them to the skies, they love it and lick it up.

Bush's visit is indeed an ideal opportunity for the North's economy - grab it with both hands, that's my tuppenny worth.

People come first, and though Peace is won, there is still a lot of poverty in the North, as there is here in the Republic too, so let's concentrate on getting our economies stoked up again together and providing good decent jobs for the small man and the little woman.

Let Common Sense prevail for George Bush's visit to Belfast - That's what I say.

by Angry Thu May 29, 2008 17:38

We need to kick out the American corporations, withdraw from the EU, do away unjust exploitative capitalist system in Ireland, jail the corrupt politicians and business fatcats, nationalise the banks, dismantle our military, replace the corrupt legal system with people's courts, redistribute all the wealth land and property equally, replace polluting energy sources with green sources, push for Irish unification, revive the Irish language, protect and copperfasten our cultural heritage by reviving traditional Irish music, dance, art, drama, poetry and storytelling.
We need to establish a self-sufficient, independent, fiercely proud, Socialist Irish Republic.

by Redneck Thu May 29, 2008 18:05

"Angry" wants Utopia.
I understand his anger but I have no time for Utopia Seekers.

Whatever must be done for the people of the Shankill and the Falls, economically, to make them all part of a prosperous Ireland, that I will do, that the vast majority of the Irish People will do.

Those little rows of houses, of quiet people living in quiet desperation, with the shipyard closing, the docks despressed, this is what I remember of Belfast, and these inner city communities must be our first concern in every thing we do, in every action we perform, to give them hope, to give them jobs, to give them money, to give then life -

For this is what they and all the other such communities throughout Belfast were promised as a result of the Peace.

It is alright to be Hard Left, it is alright to be Miilitant, in more prosperous times - and not on another man's wound.

It is fine to be angry, it is indeed right to be angry, but it is not alright to let that anger blind you to the poverty and suffering of other people.

In any case the most effective protests are completely silent in their dignity.

This presidential visit to Belfast is a gift horse -

Let us not look it in the mouth

by Never bent the knee, never will... Fri May 30, 2008 15:38

What exactly are you on?

Whilst I am grateful that you have taken the time to speak on behalf of those quite distant from yourself, as a resident of the Falls Road, I would respectfully ask you to speak not of what you don't know.

I live on the Falls Road and yes their exists substantial desparation, but you need not look that far the poverty is all pervasive in Ireland. Indeed, the 'Celtic Tiger' seems not to have been very good at parenting skills as many of its young still go hungry.

Seems all the Viagra factories in Cork couldn't prevent the 'hard' times.

The people of the Falls Road have been through a lot, but we haven't been renowned for bending the knee of playing the poor and simple 'paddy', which you seem to regard as the road to a better life.

All the US corporations, war criminal visits, and 'yes massa' actions in the world will not be the salvation to our woes.

They lie in occupation, division, and socio-economic inequality. Somehow I doubt a visit from an occupying, war criminal, neo-liberalist will address these concerns.

by Redneck Fri May 30, 2008 15:49

So ignore Bush, blank him, pay absolutely no attention whatsoever to his Belfast visit.

I have always found this to be the most effective trade union practice ever invented.

Kill Bush with silence !

Give him the Obscurity he fears.

by A Blank Canvass Is A Dangerous Thing Fri May 30, 2008 16:25

Well we have heard it all from you now. We surely have.

Play the poor 'paddy', tell the yanks how great they are, how daft you are, and how crucial they are to our very existence. Accpet whatever is thrown your way and be gracious never critical.

And when the warmongerer rolls into town, don't make any noise, leave a blank cnvass for those to spin away his crimes, allow us, through our cowardly silence, to facilitate the legitimacy of not just a man, but the legacy he has left behind.

Thats what we need to remember. This is not just about the man, but all he leaves behind. What he leaves behind is not fading into obscurity.

Redneck, you do seem either the worst disguised apologist in the country, or the greatest coward.

When there is injustice, the real people, the only ones who will be remembered, are those that stood up not those that lay down.

by Doire Fri May 30, 2008 20:30

Martin mcGuiness has given his live to republicinism and if he thinks its ok to welcome Bush then he has my support anyday. Bush is the president of America and we have many americian friend who supported us over the years. If it takes ourselfs alone then so be it...... thuckie are la.

by Silent O'Moyle Sat May 31, 2008 01:58

Bush may not be the most articulate man in the world, and indeed, anyone who has ingested the amount of mind-blowing substances that he has, is bound to have some brain damage and may not have the mental dexterity for jousting with the left-wing conspiracy that would show him and his policies to defend the Free World in the best light, but what he lacks verbally President Bush more than makes up for it in the body language area.
Its a fact that Bush has mastered the art of body language more so than any other President, with the sole possible exception of Richard Nixon.
And its on body language that he should be judged and not on his frequent stumbling over the Queen's English.
So take a look at his body language in this photo (link) and then decide if you still want to protest his visit to Belfast.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bush-talks-up-need-for....html

by here15 Sun Jun 15, 2008 20:23

We need to kick out the American corporations, withdraw from the EU, do away unjust exploitative capitalist system in Ireland, jail the corrupt politicians and business fatcats, nationalise the banks, dismantle our military, replace the corrupt legal system with people's courts, redistribute all the wealth land and property equally, replace polluting energy sources with green sources, push for Irish unification, revive the Irish language, protect and copperfasten our cultural heritage by reviving traditional Irish music, dance, art, drama, poetry and storytelling.
We need to establish a self-sufficient, independent, fiercely proud, Socialist Irish Republic.

hear hear. As a Yank who has chosen to make Belfast my home, I only wish we could achieve most of those same things back in the States! As for Bush's visit, he should be rushing home to deal with the state of emergency across the American Midwest - not here hawking his war.

As for Redneck's comments - well, I'm sorry his opinion of all and sundry Americans is as condescending and uninformed as some Americans' of Ireland.