Every
now and again writers Christopher Hitchens & Alexander
Cockburn tell an amusing story about Noam Chomsky's
trip to the Dentist. The Dentist asks Chomsky why
he is grinding his molars down and Chomsky pleads
ignorant. Determined to find out what the cause is
of Chomsky's wear and tear, the Dentist asks Chomsky's
wife if perhaps the good Professor might be grinding
away nocturnally without realizing it. Chomsky's wife
said no, not at night, just during the morning at
breakfast when he reads The New York Times.
Since
only the internet provides all the news fit to print,
daring denizens and their dentures need not despair
like they used to have to at what passes for news
in the so called main stream advertising based dailies.
Armed with Chomsky's insight about appropriate ways
to test for propaganda in private for profit free
market media ("...by close comparison of paired
examples." Chomsky, 1989, page 151), we should
be able to slay the news demons on D'Olier Street
and anywhere else. Reference for instance a lead editorial
in The Irish Times from last year: "From
its embryonic start with the Humes/Adams dialogue,
this newspaper has given its whole-hearted support
to the democratic principles underlying the peace
process. It hailed the Belfast Agreement as the most
historic Anglo-Irish accord since the 1921 Treaty."
(The Irish Times, Editorial of July 27, 2001,
at page 17).
Observant
Republicans should have no problem poking holes in
this transparent fig leaf, i.e. what democratic principles
given the now enshrined sacrosanctity of the minority
Unionist veto? Historic for who in particular (remembering
that history is written by the victors and not by
those who surrender to them)? Peace process? Where?
In the Short Strand? Don't they really mean a partitioned
piece process? Well at least The Irish Times
didn't call it "The Good Friday Agreement"
(this time) as if by associating it with a venerable
religious day it somehow becomes a holy article of
unthinking faith rather than the holey sell-out sectarian
rag that it is. If you dont think so then which
flag is John Hume now eating? But even more to the
point, The Irish Times supported this treason
at least in part because it created a weak confederation
of two separate sovereign states that could join
together if one of them that has never wanted to wanted
to (like that was ever going to be a step toward 32
County sovereign Irish unity anymore than NAFTA was
going to give Texas back to Mexico even though Chicanos
now outnumber Anglos in Texas).
Now
for today's news: "Reunification talks on
Cyprus break down on issue of security: 'The impasse
has been caused by two very different visions of a
future Cyprus State. The Greek Cypriots and the international
community (NATO & the EU [i.e. USA, UK & ROI])
have committed to a bizonal, bicommunal federation
with single sovereignty. But Mr. Denktash (Turkish
Cypriot Leader), backed by Ankara, insists on a weak
confederation comprising two separate sovereign states.'"
(The Irish Times, Friday, June 21, 2002, at
page 11)(Emphasis added).
Gee,
now who do you think is holding all the cards here
with Turkey desperate to get into the EU? Could it
be that same International Community which will (without
blinking an eye) hold the Turkish occupation of Northern
Cyprus to one standard while holding the British occupation
of Northern Ireland to another? And who wants to bet
that the Cyprus conundrum will be solved via some
ersatz Eire Nua plan with maybe even George Mitchell
presiding without so much as a comparative peep from
the pages of the D'Olier Street devils? And what won't
the F&F'ers and company talk about or demand in
kind when this mono-sovereign Federal Republic of
Cyprus happens? Why don't they ever simply demand
from England what they are all now hypocritically
demanding from Turkey? Why wont they just give
to Turkey what they gave to themselves? Why is the
national liberation & unity of Cyprus more important
than the national liberation & unity of Ireland?
What are the weights & measures of this perplexing
political economy?
Clearly
there are more questions than answers, but do you
ever notice how the political elite in Ireland function
very much like two-faced middle managers who routinely
present smiling faces to their superiors above them
(the US, the UK, the EU & Rome) while snarling
down below at their subordinates (us)? Perhaps then
that bumper sticker was right: "A lot done (Haughey,
Burke, Lawlor, etc.), more to do." So in the
mean time just say HELL NO to Nice while we still
can because we still can! Otherwise, it will just
be banana republic go bragh for all of us wherein
priestly molestation might even pass as exorcism to
further limit the legal liability of the bosses and
the DOlier Street demons would know better but
not tell us.
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