A hurler on the ditch or a spectator?

Nature abhors a vacuum.  There are those that believe nature is externally controlled by a divine force. Some of these folks refuse to accept that science can explain many things that are fundamental to understanding life; like evolution or global warming.  

Donald Trump seems to have made good on his promises to the US electorate and surrounded himself with people who not just buy into this view of nature but go further and buy into conspiracy theories. 

I don’t think the sales of British right wing magazine “The Spectator” are too high in New Ross.  

However I’m more than surprised to find that a New Ross (not New York) councillor considers some of their articles  worthwhile enough to retweet them approvingly to his followers.

The Spectator in the recent past had Boris Johnson as its editor and it is generally regarded now as a mouth piece for the Tory party and BREXIT. In the past it described the Anglo Irish agreement which recognised the right of the Irish Government to have input north of the border as fraudulent .  Last year it described SF economic policy as a basket case.

So I’m quite surprised that it is in fact the local Sinn Fein Councillor Oisin O’Connell who finds common ground with a libertarian Tory but there you go! New Politics isn’t just for Enda Kenny, it’s for everyone now!

Cllr O’Connell tweets “Like the inappropriate application of an antibiotic, the incessant misuse of these terms has created a superbug" and links to an article which in a self congratulatory tone defends Trump and his ilk from attacks of being bigots, homophobes and misogynists.  Trump is no bacteria. He’s a parasitic virus against which no antibiotic works.

SF obviously don’t do irony.  Superbugs would never have evolved were it not that those using anti-biotics ignored best advice which was to finish the course to its end so as to eliminate the threat. 

And then I remembered last Easter when we marked the centenary of 1916.  You remember that? Inclusivity, Equality, fraternity and all that malarkey?  Seems that Sinn Fein in Wexford have dropped that like a hot potato and are off chasing the latest populist guff from creationists, homophobes and deniers of all sorts.

On a personal level I respect Cllr O’Connell’s honesty. He at least isn’t engaging in the “on the one hand this and on the other hand that”.  The politics of it stinks to high heavens.  A self proclaimed republican party giving the nod to a fascist.And the reason why is clear. It’s all about Sinn Fein tapping into US cash to fund their party here.   But principle? It is lost in Yonkers by an Irish mile.

All falls into place at this link! http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/donald-trump-could-make-sinn-fein-ally-peter-king-counterterror-chief-in-white-house-35227644.html

Jim Walsh is no April Fool!

My jaw dropped when I read the remarks made by Fianna Fail Senator Jim Walsh.  Firstly let’s correct the suggestion that Jim has resigned from Fianna Fail.  He hasn’t. He still has his cumann card and he very much holds sway in New Ross within Fianna Fail circles.  He would never surrender his power base in that district to rival factions within that party.  He merely has resigned from the Fianna Fail parliamentary party and surrendered the whip.

Senator Walsh quotes someone he met who happens to be gay.  This person thinks that the cost of holding the marriage referendum would be better spent on providing a free HIV test for those who are gay.   Senator Walsh was keen to share this piece of wisdom in the Séanad adding that the cost of the referenda is €21M.  Senator Walsh seems to have forgotten that May 22^nd sees 2 referenda being held and that regardless as to whether the Marriage Equality vote proceeds or not, there are fixed costs involved in running polling on any day. 

But saving money wasn’t uppermost in Senator Walsh’s mind, nor indeed any interest he may have preventing the spread in HIV.  Central to Senator Walsh’s speech is an ignorance of HIV and homophobia.    It’s true that gay people can contract HIV. It’s also true that straight people can contract HIV.  New Ross is the ancestral to the Kennedy Clan.  A relative of the Kennedy’s who is a priest many years caused outrage in Dungarvan by warning from the pulpit about an “angel of death” spreading HIV as an act of revenge on the male population of West Waterford. 

Senator Walsh singles out gay men as a source of HIV.  Why stop with gay men? There are many other sectors at risk from HIV.    So if only he could tell us what the state would you do when it’s found out the result of the test?  Senator Walsh’s politics would be at home in the world that Brindlsey McNamara portrayed in “The Valley of the Squinting Windows”. 

The subtext to all this is Senator Walsh’s homophobic views.  He opposes Marriage Equality and that is the nub of his outburst.  In the past he complained that he couldn’t call gay people “fairies”. He has opposed the Children and Family Relationships Bill citing Marriage Equality as a reason.  Senator Walsh is taking advantage of the low morale in Fianna Fail and the ineffective leadership of Micháel Martin but send the subtle but clear signal to Fianna Fail voters that at heart Fianna Fail Oireachtas members reflect the old conservative ways.  There’s a certain segment of FF voters who support Jim Walsh’s view.  He is not politically on his own.  Make no mistake about that.  At least he’s said what more than a few FF people are clearly thinking.  FF are the biggest party on Wexford County Council.  Yet no councillor turned up on Sunday last for the launch of the Wexford Marriage Equality Vote Yes campaign.

With 2 months to go to polling, there’s every sign that the Marriage Equality Referendum will be a tough battle in Ireland, but nowhere as tough as in Wexford.