Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Uncle Gaybo says NO to Lisbon

Options
  • 12-06-2008 12:35pm
    #1
    Clare_Guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 495 ✭✭


    I was at a funeral last night and picked up the Catholic Monthly Newspaper "Alive" because one of the front page articles was; Gay Byrne says "No" to Lisbon Treaty.

    I thought this would've been big news and influential with "those of a certain age"? In the article it points out that the story was "buried" in mainstream newspapers.

    Full article below;

    Gay Byrne says ‘No’ to Lisbon, attacks ‘sinister’ Yes campaign

    Our national media’s coverage of the Lisbon Treaty is a disgrace, an utter betrayal of the public and their right to know.

    When one of the country’s top economists, Professor Ray Kinsella, claims that Lisbon would put tens of thousands of jobs here at risk, that is a major news story by anyone’s standards.

    When he warns that a ‘Yes’ vote would be a “clear and present danger” to our company tax regime, how could we ignore him? Yet all the national newspapers did ignore the story, and RTE gave it little attention.

    Professor of Banking and Financial Services at UCD, Mr. Kinsella, was formerly Economic Advisor to the Minister for Trade.

    Which takes us to the story about Gay Byrne who has vigorously rejected the Lisbon Treaty and launched a blistering attack on the campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote.

    “I’m voting ‘No’ in this Lisbon Referendum. The whole thing is so sneaky, dishonest, under-handed and sinister that I now have neither faith nor trust in the whole approach.,” he wrote in his weekly column in the Sunday Independent (18/5/08) .

    The veteran RTE broadcaster added: “I don’t believe a word from the mouths of any of the ‘Yes’ brigade and I have deep scepticism about any of their promises or undertakings.”

    Mr Byrne described the Lisbon Treaty as “unintelligible bilge”. “What we’re being asked to vote on is a series of amendments to amendments to revisions to an existing Constitution,” he wrote.

    But “the clincher” for him was that all the amendments, protocols and declarations in the treaty “supersede every law of the 27 member states.”

    He expected to be dead and gone before the “totalitarian superstate really takes over everything,” but, he wrote, “I feel desperately sorry for my grandchildren that certifiable lunatics in Brussels will dictate every single aspect of their lives.”

    He recalled how French and Dutch voters had already voted ‘No’, only to be told by Günter Verheugen, Commission Vice-President, “We will not give in to blackmail.” This, wrote Mr Byrne “is democracy, Europe-style!”

    He was also convinced that “within six months of Ireland voting Yes, our special corporate tax rate will be gone, not because of ‘harmonisation’ but because of ‘competition barriers’.”

    And the Irish will be told, “none too politely, to stick [your] veto you know where.

    Gay Byrne is still a prominent figure and heads the Road Safety Authority. His ‘No’ to Lisbon could have been front page news, even an “exclusive” for the Sunday Independent. Instead it was buried deep in the paper, and even the headline gave no hint of what it contained.

    This is yet another sign of how utterly biased and manipulative our national media are on Lisbon.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Gaybo has spoken in the national media (there is a thread somewhere that notes the fact).

    Mike.


  • Options
    #3
    VoidStarNull
    Closed Accounts Posts: 148 ✭✭VoidStarNull


    Yes, I can just see the Irish Times front page headline now...

    "Uncle Gaybo Discovers that European Partners are Sinister, Certifiable Lunatics who are trying to Dictate Every Aspect of Our Lives"


  • Options
    #4
    DarkJager
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,960 ✭✭✭DarkJager


    Uncle Gaybo's opinions are all void after his last outburst about young male drivers...


  • Options
    #5
    humanji
    Registered Users Posts: 19,976 ✭✭✭✭humanji


    Why should an opinion piece be on the front page? He's one guy with an opinion. If I wrote an article saying "Vote Yes To Lisbon Because I Think It'll Be Great" should I expect to make the front page?

    But, to be honest, it would probably be best if there really was an attempt to hide the article, since it might force people to actually find out about the treaty themselves, instead of taking a former chatshow hosts word for it.


  • Options
    #6
    Clare_Guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 495 ✭✭Clare_Guy


    mike65 wrote: »
    Gaybo has spoken in the national media (there is a thread somewhere that notes the fact)

    ?? :confused:

    Neither I or the article questioned whether Gaybo had "spoken" to the national media.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    When he warns that a ‘Yes’ vote would be a “clear and present danger” to our company tax regime, how could we ignore him? Yet all the national newspapers did ignore the story, and RTE gave it little attention.

    Mike.


  • Options
    #8
    Clare_Guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 495 ✭✭Clare_Guy


    humanji wrote: »
    Why should an opinion piece be on the front page? He's one guy with an opinion.

    He's a famous, respected, influential person. He's particularily relevent to the 50 and over generations.
    According to wikipaedia; "Byrne undoubtedly had more influence in determining the current social landscape of Irish society, than any other member of his generation"
    humanji wrote: »
    If I wrote an article saying "Vote Yes To Lisbon Because I Think It'll Be Great" should I expect to make the front page?

    If you were a famous, respected, influential person who is regarded as having "had more influence in determining the current social landscape of Irish society, than any other member of his generation" then, yes humanji you should expect yourself to make front page news...


  • Options
    #9
    johnnyq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 641 ✭✭✭johnnyq


    See the sig for other well known people voting no.


  • Options
    #10
    Clare_Guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 495 ✭✭Clare_Guy


    When he warns that a ‘Yes’ vote would be a “clear and present danger” to our company tax regime, how could we ignore him? Yet all the national newspapers did ignore the story, and RTE gave it little attention.

    still doesn't question whether he's "spoken" to the national media.

    question is did it receive the attention it deserved?..


  • Options
    #11
    marco_polo
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,076 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    Clare_Guy wrote: »
    still doesn't question whether he's "spoken" to the national media.

    question is did it receive the attention it deserved?..

    Deserves the same amount of attention as any other celebrity opinion should . ie not very much.

    But mostly I blame the headline hogging Jim Corr for the lack of coverage of anyone else :).


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    Clare_Guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 495 ✭✭Clare_Guy


    marco_polo wrote: »
    Deserves the same amount of attention as any other celebrity opinion should . ie not very much.

    I disagree, Gay Byrne holds a special place in the irish social landscape...
    marco_polo wrote: »
    But mostly I blame the headline hogging Jim Corr for the lack of coverage of anyone else :).

    I actually feel sorry for him... That f**ker Tony "Craaaazy" Fenton set the poor fella up!... :p


  • Options
    #13
    sink
    Registered Users Posts: 4,314 ✭✭✭sink


    Bono and Bob Geldof have said they're voting yes. I don't here the yes side dragging them up as reasons to vote yes and they're far bigger celebs than anyone on the no side. The reason being, which way celebs vote shouldn't matter squat, there are some pretty insane celebs out there and there's no guarantees any of them know what they are talking about.


  • Options
    #14
    Phototoxin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,398 ✭✭✭Phototoxin


    Uncle Gaybo's opinions are all void after his last outburst about young male drivers...

    then that screws up every scientist who changed their minds about something.


  • Options
    #15
    humanji
    Registered Users Posts: 19,976 ✭✭✭✭humanji


    Clare_Guy wrote: »
    He's a famous, respected, influential person. He's particularily relevent to the 50 and over generations.
    According to wikipaedia; "Byrne undoubtedly had more influence in determining the current social landscape of Irish society, than any other member of his generation"



    If you were a famous, respected, influential person who is regarded as having "had more influence in determining the current social landscape of Irish society, than any other member of his generation" then, yes humanji you should expect yourself to make front page news...
    You're missing the point. It's an opinion piece. They should never be on the front page, as it's just an opinion. And here, his opinion is being spouted as something everyone should be listening to. People would be better served by finding out for themselves.


  • Options
    #16
    Clare_Guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 495 ✭✭Clare_Guy


    humanji wrote: »
    You're missing the point. It's an opinion piece. They should never be on the front page, as it's just an opinion. And here, his opinion is being spouted as something everyone should be listening to. People would be better served by finding out for themselves.

    No, i think you're missing the point. Gay appeals to a certain section of our population who traditionally vote by party rather than issue. I'm not saying that they should be told how to vote but if they knew "Uncle Gaybo" was so against the treaty, and as a result, ALL the major parties, it would at (hopefully) raise questions in their heads...


  • Options
    #17
    Hitman Actual
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,362 ✭✭✭Hitman Actual


    Clare_Guy wrote: »
    I disagree, Gay Byrne holds a special place in the irish social landscape...

    Yep, he's particularily relevent to the 50 and over generations.


  • Options
    #18
    humanji
    Registered Users Posts: 19,976 ✭✭✭✭humanji


    Clare_Guy wrote: »
    No, i think you're missing the point. Gay appeals to a certain section of our population who traditionally vote by party rather than issue. I'm not saying that they should be told how to vote but if they knew "Uncle Gaybo" was so against the treaty, and as a result, ALL the major parties, it would at (hopefully) raise questions in their heads...
    AND IT SHOULDN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's one mans opinion. Why should anyone's decision be influenced by someone elses opinion? He's just a guy off the telly. It doesn't matter what others think of him, they should be learning about the treaty themselves and then make an informed decision.


  • Options
    #19
    Clare_Guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 495 ✭✭Clare_Guy


    Everyone's opinion's are based on other peoples opinions, whether it be reading stuff, watching stuff on telly, hearing stuff it's all, basically, someone else's opinion. One draws their own opinion from taking all of this in, processing it and coming up with one's own opinion...

    My point which you still seem to be missing is that the people gaybo has a voice with traditionally vote based on party rather than issue. Voting ff or fg etc. I'm certain if Gaybo's view was publicised widely it would at least cause these people to question voting purely on allegencies...


  • Options
    #20
    VoidStarNull
    Closed Accounts Posts: 148 ✭✭VoidStarNull


    Given the level of paranoia expressed in Gay's article, I would say the reason the papers didn't publish it on the front page is obvious:

    THEY ARE OUT TO GET HIM ...


  • Options
    #21
    humanji
    Registered Users Posts: 19,976 ✭✭✭✭humanji


    I'm not missing the point the people may respect Gaybo, I'm saying that they shouldn't be swayed by his opinion. And his opinon shouldn't be spread all over the media. The very fact that you say it should is a good reason why it shouldn't. I'm assuming you're against the treaty, so how would you feel if everyone in Ireland said Yes because Bono said so? You'd be shocked that no one used their own judgement. It's the same here. People can easily get the facts of the matter and form their own opinion. Gaybo shouldn't come into it.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    marco_polo
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,076 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    Clare_Guy wrote: »
    No, i think you're missing the point. Gay appeals to a certain section of our population who traditionally vote by party rather than issue. I'm not saying that they should be told how to vote but if they knew "Uncle Gaybo" was so against the treaty, and as a result, ALL the major parties, it would at (hopefully) raise questions in their heads...

    But is people voting based on the cult of personality something for a democracy to aspire to?


  • Options
    #23
    humanji
    Registered Users Posts: 19,976 ✭✭✭✭humanji


    marco_polo wrote: »
    But is people voting based on the cult of personality something for a democracy to aspire to?
    Ok, he phrased it better than I did. :D


  • Options
    #24
    marco_polo
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,076 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    humanji wrote: »
    Ok, he phrased it better than I did. :D

    Just lazy and economical with words. ;)


Advertisement