Assassination as a political means

Victor

OK, upfront I admit I am a bitter and angry person. I also realize I could get in trouble for this. But as a man once said "Damn the torpedos".

I very much feel we don't live in a democracy anymore. We have a government that by and large ignores the needs and desires (I know they don't necessarily match) of the people. We have a government that is more interested in power than responsibility or representation.

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Seamus Brennan was on the Late Late Show last Friday (31/1/03) and bemoaned the state of road safety awareness in this country "because this is the way it always was" and how he was going to change it. The topic then changes to the use of Shannon by the US military - he defended it as "because this is the way it always was". He was promptly ripped to shreds by someone in the audience (someone against the Shannon situation) and he was incapable of making a response. He had previously made several “readjustments” of the truth regarding weapons passing through Shannon.

And from today’s paper: http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/242112?view=Eircomnet

Smith sends soldiers to guard US planes landing in Shannon
The Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, has confirmed 120 armed troops will provide 24-hour security to US military planes landing at Shannon Airport on their way to the Gulf. …
Mr Smith told RTÉ that suggestions soldiers may be able to open fire were "absolutely absurd".

Then why do they have guns minister? Further on in the article

The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has been accused of exaggerating the scale of yesterday's incident after he wrongly claimed that a garda had to be taken to hospital afterwards.
Condemning the attackers, Mr Brennan said the garda had "wound up" in hospital after five protesters broke into the hangar housing the US aircraft shortly after 4 a.m. yesterday.
Questioned on this point, the Garda Press Office said the garda had been overpowered: "He tried to stop them damaging the place. He had no physical injuries. He did not go to hospital, but he was seen by a doctor".

Minister you are a fool.

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Bertie Ahern only seems to register on the national radar when (1) there is a photo opportunity (2) there is an Ahern family photo opportunity (3) there is a Ahern family photo opportunity with VIP magazine (4) the government jet has broken down again (perhaps Ryanair should have the contract?).

And while speaking of the government jet, why is it he wants yet another (so he will look good during our EU presidency) when we can’t even get a modern search and rescue helicopter (the youngest is 19 years old, the oldest about 40). Separately, we are totally incapable of responding in any way to a 9th September type of attack. How will Bertie feel when Al-Qaeda crashes a plane into Farmleigh during said EU presidency?

Bertie's political staff of something like 200 is 4 times the size of Tony Blair's.

Taoiseach you are a vain fool.

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Going back to the Shannon situation, it is an absolute farce. I don’t mind which way the government goes. If we are going to side with the US all the way in attacking Iraq, then so be it or we can stand up for ourselves and not turn a blind eye to transgressions. Either go one way or the other, but can you please (1) be honest, (2) be accountable and (3) do the job properly.

It would appear the boundaries aren’t even patrolled or monitored. Security is operated on a reactive only basis. A few years ago the Bank of Ireland in Dublin Airport was robbed, despite there being the Airport Police, a Garda Station in the Airport, plus up to 40 armed detectives being assigned to the airport, but alas in an expenses scam, all the detective had gone back to their local stations for the shirt changeover and their replacements hadn’t yet arrived.

The creation of new legislation and reform of public services is tediously slow. While I’m not saying rush headlong into everything, all to often things just sit on a minister’s desk until some aide has the imagination to say “Minister, this is a good idea”. Reform of the way the public interacts with departments and agencies is 5 to 20 years behind the private sector.

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There are serious concerns about the diligence and behavior of many civil servants and in particular Gardaí.

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The President was last spotted getting her hair done. Mary Harney now only appears for the occasional jobs announcement (they are rarer these days). Dermot Ahern is believed to be trying to push (ever so slowly) broadband issues. Brian Cowen and Michael McDowell makes the occasional bluster. Mary (oh damn I’ve forgotten her name, head of the Seanad, former Public Entreprise Minister) is still one consultant’s report short of a decision.

Joe Walsh, John O'Donoghue, Michael Smith, Éamon Ó Cuív, Noel Dempsey, Martin Cullen, Micheál Martin and Mary Coughlan (yes they are all government ministers) seem to have disappeared.

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Right, is it OK for me to feel like shooting any of these people? Will the fear of an assasin's bullet do anything to improve the governing of this country?

mike65

First off Victor I'm very glad this place exsists cos otherwise you sound like you'd have "gone postal" sometime back and would now be either dead or in jail.

On assassination I think ytou have to really really deserve it, and none of the above do.

Now can I recommend some calming music and a darkened room?

Mike.

sceptre

He's right though. Leaving aside one line ("I don’t mind which way the government goes"), I'd agree firmly with everything in the above post by Victor.

Victor

Originally posted by mike65
First off Victor I'm very glad this place exsists cos otherwise you sound like you'd have "gone postal" sometime back and would now be either dead or in jail.

Well, I did. But I learned my lesson. Don't own up next time.

Originally posted by sceptre
He's right though. Leaving aside one line ("I don’t mind which way the government goes"), I'd agree firmly with everything in the above post by Victor.

My point was there will be political disagreements, I just don't see the need for duplicity.

Mary Harney forgiven. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79725

Vuk

Originally posted by Victor
Separately, we are totally incapable of responding in any way to a 9th September type of attack.

Surely you mean 9th November

Seriously though, I understand your bitterness, sometimes I feel that we live in a 4/5 year dictatorship rather than a 'democracy'.

mike65

NEWS FLASH!

We do not live in a dictatorship!

We simply chose to re-elect the last government (minus baggage), thats called democracy which is, lets us not forget, the least worst option!

Mike.

Victor

Originally posted by mike65
We simply chose to re-elect the last government (minus baggage), thats called democracy which is,

Well some idiots did, I didn't.

Originally posted by mike65
lets us not forget, the least worst option!

Are we sure it's the least worst option? At least dictatorships get things done (Reminds me to make sure DeVore get those stats done).

sceptre

Originally posted by mike65
thats called democracy which is, lets us not forget, the least worst option!

It's the least risky option which isn't the same thing at all. The gains to us could be greatest with a good dictatorship. The losses to us could be greatest with a bad or malevolent dictatorship. Therefore we've chosen the less risky option of representative democracy.

One definition of a dictatorship would be when a government chooses to ignore the law previously enacted by the people for their protection and benefit, chooses to ignore the truth and chooses to rule for themselves (stricltly speaking of course this is an oligarchy) ignoring the expressed will of the people and choose to manipulate the truth for their own ends. The current powers that be don't fall completely within that definition but prima facie they fall within most of it in particular circumstances. The end rarely justifies the means.

mike65

Now you're being facile, getting the trains to run on time is good but freedom to sound off on boards.ie is better!

The generalisimo would have DeV in jail by now!

Mike.

bonkey

Originally posted by mike65
Now you're being facile, getting the trains to run on time is good but freedom to sound off on boards.ie is better!

PFah. I have both of those things in the democracy I'm in. AND snow. How cool is that.

Good post though Victor....

jc