Be careful for what you wish for… Gaza, Ireland & death of our citizens.

This week we have seen Israel invade Gaza, not for the first time, with the slaughter of  its inhabitants. We’ve also seen the downing of a Malaysian Airlines Jet with the loss of life of those people on board. We’ve witnessed the ongoing dispute with Greyhound Bins who demand massive reductions to workers wages. We’ve also seen the few thugs in the Gardai manhandle citizens, as Vincent Browne likes to refer to us, outside the American Embassy and elsewhere. The sight of ill mannered thugs in police uniforms dragging a man on his head along the road, does nothing to enhance the image of a demoralised police force whose members I’ve found to be, by and large, good people putting their lives on the line to protect us all. We have seen more people dispossessed of their homes by the Banks as well as the horror of suicides devastating our people. Medical cards have been taken away from the sick and elderly and there is the ongoing battle against the privatisation of water and the ensuing water charges being imposed. Property taxes have been introduced by our Government although Enda Kenny, our beloved leader, has been against them in a previous existence.

From atrocities in Gaza to the IMF’s insistence on dumbing down the Health Services in Ireland as too much money was being spent, there is one common denominator. That is that it is people who are the target of all of these measures. Not Giant Corporations or the Banking Community. The Arms Trade is blooming. Maybe pension schemes should invest in this business as it seems to that giant corporations are where your money should be. Definitely not in anything that remotely resembles local business or indeed supporting the citizen and the local economy.

We live in a time when people are being controlled and relabeled not as citizens, but as consumers. The country is not being run to benefit the citizen but to enhance the profits of Big Business in all its guises. When you dehumanize citizens, it is quite acceptable, in their minds, that they can be collateral damage. Sure what if a few thousand are killed or unemployed, or just left to die at the side of the road? Profits are what matters. Businesses that profit the Elites are given tax incentives to come and set up businesses in Ireland today. Our priorities are to enrich these Elites at the expense of the citizen. At the same time services for the citizen are being curtailed while more taxes are being thought up by our Government every other day of the week.

There is more ways than bombing people out of existence, as is happening in Gaza, to control people. The loss of your job, home, medical benefits, social welfare entitlements and the imposition of unjustified taxes on people at the behest of the IMF and their fellow travellers, is indeed akin to actually bombing them out of existence. In Ireland today, people are suffering and dying while others enrich their lifestyles. Our Government have taken directions from the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the International Banking fraternity and imposed their directives on the Irish people. These imposed changes are killing our people. Despite the efforts of our marvellous doctors and nurses, people are dying on trolleys in overcrowded hospitals. It is the most vulnerable in our society who are suffering the most but this does not change anything. As a lawyer, I see the high street solicitor and the junior barristers suffering on a daily basis and struggle to survive. These are the lawyers who represent you, the people. I do not see the lawyers servicing the interests of the Corporate set suffer at all. In fact they thrive as they are paid handsomely by Big Business and Governments and International Bankers. The rights of workers are being eroded on a daily basis and these short-term contracts in lieu of proper terms of employment are giving our people no security to enjoy their lives and raise their families with any degree of certainty for the future.

If  history have thought us anything, it’s that war follows on from a recession. With all the political manoeuvring by the super powers, financed by the Elites and the insistence on control of oil and natural resources to call their own regardless of where located, the future does look bleak for the ordinary man, woman and child.  Not so bleak for the Big Corporations who are hungry in their pursuit of financial gain, both short and long-term. Our Government have played and indeed continue to play their part as the good boys of Europe and have not ever taken a stance for the citizens of this country. The continued imposition of austerity, despite the suffering of the Irish people is akin to the imposition of fascism on the nation. No doubt our Ministers, on the instructions of the Government, will follow the party line, so to speak, and give support to those Elites that demand the continuing demoralising of the Irish people for some time to come, while lending our support to whatever super power we’re to be aligned with, regardless of the cost to the Irish people.

We are told we live in a democracy. On a daily basis we see wars fought to bring democracy to people all over the world. Democracy I was taught, was Government by the people for the people. Well the democracy we’re witnessing throughout the world would appear to be fully under the control of Major Corporations whose interest is far from anything that is pro people. Be careful for what you wish for.

 

LegalEagleStar , Monday , 21st. July , 2014.

A Depleted Police Force Rings Bells of Corruption #GardaSiochana

Over a lifetime of involvement in the law, I’ve had to deal with the Garda Siochana on many levels. I have seen the progress as well as the demotion of individual Gardai and by and large I have been impressed with the level of integrity and humanity that most show when carrying out their duties. Of course, we come upon the odd bad apple, as in all walks of life, but unfortunately there is nothing as rotten as a bad Cop. The misuse of the Garda Siochana is what annoys me the most. When political influence interjects to corrupt the Force it spells disaster.

In the Ireland of the 1970’s there was no shortage of Gardai to man the ‘political police’ who spent many hours working against those who threatened the State. Politicians left no stone unturned to capture their ‘enemies’ and legislation was enacted to allow for the detention of ‘suspected terrorists’ when the need arose. People were targeted for the most menial of reasons and I personally believe that many became involved in the ‘troubles’ as a direct result of police action who would otherwise not have done so. My point is, that once the State felt threatened, it threw all it’s resources to protect itself regardless of the consequences to the civil rights of those who, for one reason or another became politically active against it. There was never any issue of not having enough ‘Special Branch’ on the ground and manpower was never an issue. The State in this instance was in fact not you and me but the interests of those in power. The old ‘civil war’ politics which have divided this country for many years were alive and well. The Free State was to be protected at all costs.

Times, they are a changing. Today politics have moved on. The Good Friday Agreement has unleashed those who ‘threatened the State’ into mainstream politics. This can be nothing but a good thing, although unfortunately it has left behind some of those who feel that the politicians are now pursuing another agenda. I  suppose, following the Civil War in the 1920’s there were those who felt betrayed and disfranchised. That is where the politicians fail. Not to be inclusive is to distract from the reality. I truly hope that progress can be made to bring about an inclusive society where the rights and aspirations of the Citizen can be nourished, not quashed.

Today in Ireland, we have many problems. Most have been due to the ineptitude, self-interest and downright corruption of the political classes. As a State we have lost our sovereignty. Joan Burton, Labour Party, has stated that we have pooled our sovereignty with our friends in Europe. This loss, or pooling, is in the interests of those who want a United States of Europe, a matter that has never been openly put to the Irish Citizen. Nonetheless, we are now being dictated to by Foreign Powers regardless of our wishes.

The interference with the independence of the Garda Siochana and the cut-backs being imposed by our Government, clearly at the behest of others, including the International Monetary Fund, the IMF, have left the Citizen exposed to forces whose objective is the dismantling of society as we know it. Only last night on National Television we saw the open drug dealing on the streets of our capital city, Dublin. Some have asked why RTE cameras could expose the transactions taking place while the Gardai on film seemed to be acting under crude restrictions. From talking with members of the Force over the last while, I have received an education. Their resources have been cut to such an extent that it has become nigh impossible for them to carry out their duties. The Force has become depressed as a result and the Citizen is the one suffering the brunt of the actions of the politicians. This begs the question… ‘In whose interest are the Garda Siochana acting?’ Well, they are there to protect the State. They take their orders from the political classes, those same people who have sold out our sovereignty to others whose interests are not in line with those of the Irish Citizens.

Who is benefiting from the cutbacks? Well as shown, clearly not the Citizen or indeed the Garda Siochana themselves. Who then benefits? Well I suggest the Drug Lords, Corrupt Bankers, White Collar Crime etc.  One could suggest they are one and the same people ! The Gardai, despite their misuse on picket lines are our protectors. We should listen to them when they tell us they are suffering. When the old and vulnerable in our society are being brutalised by thugs and gangsters who operate now freely in our society.  Is it not time to call an immediate halt to the disastrous policies on policing currently being imposed by our current Government ?  Or is it now fact that they really control nothing and that policy is being dictated solely by a Higher Force which is blind to the needs of the ordinary citizen. If the same mentality existed today as in the 1970’s as regards the protection of the interests of the State, things would be very different. Or would they? In those dark days as today, maybe the interests of the political classes are still being served. Maybe the Gardai have been used all along to protect the Elites among us, not the ordinary citizen. Today the Gardai rank and file are not happy being used and abused in this way. But, will anything change ?

LegalEagleStar , Friday , 22 nd. June , 2012 .

Referendum in Ireland, 31st.May 2012, the End of the Journey

English: James Larkin Statue and The Monument of Light The Monument of Light is 120m of stainless steel. The Larkin statue was erected in 1981. James Larkin was leader of the general strike in 1913. The building on the left is the General Post Office which was seized on Easter Monday, 1916 by members of the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a democracy, such as ours, we elect politicians for a term of years to look after the Rights of Citizens and to, as it were, ‘run’ the country in their best interests. That is the theory. The practice has been somewhat different, unfortunately. For years Fianna Fail were the champions of business and in particular, the construction industry. Over time, mainly due to corrupt practices, in my opinion, the interests of the citizen became somewhat overlooked. Fianna Fail became too close to the Bankers and the European Elites and began to strive to promote themselves to be rubbing shoulders with these people who were to become their Masters.

There were meetings, before meetings, if you get my drift and the power shifted to unelected Bankers and Businessmen whose sole concern was profit. The control of the Country was in effect handed over to these people with no regard whatsoever to the interests of the Irish Citizens. We became a land of would-be elites and the policies pursued by Government lost sight of what really mattered. The interests of the citizen took second place and so upon the advice of the Bankers and their fellow travellers decisions were made on another agenda altogether. Dishonestly so, in my opinion.

Fianna Fail were not alone in pursuing their agenda. Both Fine Gael and Labour played their part in this deception. So in effect, all parties in the Dail, who each made their policies clear come election time, had no intention of carrying out their promises once elected. When a Fine Gael/Labour coalition took power, the emphasis shifted in a small way to their own people who took over jobs previously held by Fianna Fail. The construction industry, while primarily Fianna Fail people, lost out to some degree. Fine Gael looked after their more rural supporters in the alternative. That is the way Ireland has been ruled for decades.

So, come the proposal to join in with Europe and the European Economic Community, all of the parties enthusiastically joined forces and urged the Irish Citizen to Vote Yes as it would be good for jobs, among other often repeated slogans. Ireland entered on its European journey and while some disagree, we have certainly developed as a nation to a degree of prosperity as a result. This is probably a good thing as when I was young, the abject poverty of some was shocking. A walk around Dublin’s inner city was an eye-opener. Today a walk around Dublin is a somewhat different experience. The horrible slums have been replaced by modern buildings which by and large, have improved the living conditions of the citizens. So our journey into Europe, encouraged by almost all of the political parties has not been such a bad experience. Yes, but at what cost? We joined an economic community based on open border trade. The citizen worked hard to bring about this change but as time has gone on, those that prospered were primarily the multinationals and the banks. Peoples lives were becoming controlled, not by themselves but by institutions whose agenda was solely based on profit. The trade unions, once a powerful force in looking after the rights and working conditions of their members, began to take up seats on the boards of companies. There was an age of new industrial relations. No longer had you the James Larkin types running the unions. They were a training ground for future politicians who slowly but surely positioned themselves into positions of power.

From an e economic union we have been steamrolled into the European Community. Sovereignty, while once a powerful emotive term is now a dirty word. We are, after Maastricht, on the slippery slope to what we didn’t vote for i.e. The United States of Europe. When did that happen? Well, over time the Irish Citizen have voted for a little change here, a little change there and now it is past the time to turn back. Still the three major political parties are singing from the same hymn sheet. Vote Yes for Jobs, is still their mantra. Yes, there is now a slight change in the makeup of the Dail. Independents and Sinn Fein have emerged onto the scene but as yet cannot exercise any real power in their arguments. Their time will be another day, somewhat into the future. By then it’ll be too late to undo the wrongs perpetrated on the citizens of Ireland by unscrupulous individuals, both elected but in the main unelected, who have imposed dreadful austerity on the citizen in pursuit of their own selfish agenda.

On Thursday the Citizen has the opportunity to Vote. That is their right. But is it just an exercise in democracy for the sake of it, or is it an opportunity to try to stop the runaway train which is delivering us to a destination that we know not where? The United States of Europe is upon us. It will be a brave man or woman who stands on the line to try to stop this train. Sadly, it appears we cannot stop this train regardless of where it’s true destination lies.

As I’ve stated in a previous Blog, I encourage all citizens to exercise their right to vote. Sadly it may be the only chance you have for some time as in the last General Election the citizen voted for change which has clearly been denied them. The present Fine Gael/Labour Coalition has continued to implement the same policies as Fianna Fail despite the citizens mainly anti-Fianna Fail Vote. I believe it was not a vote for Fine Gael and Labour but primarily anti-Fianna Fail , a point which seems to be lost on current Government politicians. The importance of steering us into the United States of Europe now takes on a greater urgency as to slow the process now would only allow the Irish Citizen to say No, enough is enough. Now, you couldn’t have the Citizen daring to change direction, could you? No, clearly that would be disastrous to the bankers whose interests we are now told, come first. Bail out the banks, not the citizens. That way you keep the citizen powerless in this New Europe. Irish citizens have lost their individual identity. They are now only citizens of a country called Europe.

LegalEagleStar , Tuesday , 29th. May , 2012

Fascism+Euro Federalism here we come. Did Hitler actually die in that Bunker?

Image via Wikipedia

Over the past few days  I have been somewhat taken aback by the blatant disregard of the Citizen by our political establishment. Anyone who knows me would be aware of my lack of respect for those who govern us. This has been brought about by the almost daily degradation of the rights of the Citizen by those they elected to govern and protect them.

I listened the other morning to an interview with Michael Noonan TD, our Minister for Finance. I respect his right to talk about his family and those he may personally know concerning emigration for career purposes but take grave exception to him passing off the current wave of young people and some not so young, having to leave these shores in search of employment abroad. How dare he. I have met with so many families over the last few years who are devastated and heartbroken as their loved ones depart. Does Minister Noonan really believe what he said or has he no idea of the suffering of the citizen in these obscene times.

While Pat Rabitt dreams up yet another scheme to further fleece the citizen by way of a revamped TV Licence supposedly to assist with public broadcasting, Minister Howlin tells us that The Troika have agreed to the use of monies from the sell off of our family silver to enable some employment initiatives. Surprisingly, or maybe not, The Troika did not mirror what our esteemed Labour Party Minister had said.

So it was left to journalist Vincent Browne to ask the Troika at their press conference yesterday as to their awareness of the plight of the beleaguered Citizen and the insistence by the ECB on our Government paying unsecured junior Anglo Bondholders next week an obscene sum of circa Euro 1.2 Billion. After an evasive answer by the ECB Representative Mr Browne asked him to answer the question. On viewing a video of the press conference I was appalled with the attitude displayed by the Troika and was fearful that Mr Browne was going to be ejected from the Press Conference. Isn’t it sad that we have to rely on a small band of journalists to put the real issues to the Troika while our elected politicians appear to be tipping their caps to these inhumane bankers. The arrogance displayed reminded me of The Third Reich and the domination of the citizenry. Quite clearly the Elites are insisting on their banks being stacked up with the assets of the Citizen with absolutely no regard to the hardship this is causing. To think that our politicians and most noticeably Minister Noonan, are quite happy with ‘our progress’,  shows how removed they are from what is actually happening to our little country.

On top of all these attacks on the Irish Citizen the same Minister Noonan has declared that he and his Fine Gael Government do not want to refer any matter regarding the proposed Euro Zone changes to the Citizens for a decision. He and his Government know better. Sure wouldn’t it only divide the people and he doesn’t want that. Maybe he fears a backlash from the Irish people who may well say enough is enough. Of course, he knows the possibility of civil unrest is much lesser now as those who would take to the streets have had to take action already to survive. They emigrated ! Does the junior partner in Government, the Labour Party, really support their Fine Gael partners in the rape of the Citizen ?  While hard to comprehend, it would sadly appear so. God help Ireland !

LegalEagleStar Friday, 20th. January, 2012.

Germany Calling …..Maybe this is World War 3. Collaborators beware!

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Today Enda Kenny told the Dáil that the European Central Bank refused to listen to him and demanded that the Irish Citizen repay Unsecured Bond Holders in Anglo Irish Bank. Yesterday, the Greek Prime Minister decided to ask his Citizens what they thought as regards the IMF/EU/ECB Bailout for Greece. He was then summoned to answer for his defiance by the German and French Leaders. Last week the Irish Citizen did not follow the Government’s direction to Vote Yes to give them the right to Set Up Kangaroo Courts, bypassing the Courts.  The Government went on to criticise the Irish People on their decision. While Brendan Howlin later apologised for his words, noting the backlash they caused, Minister Shatter is up in arms as his plan to succumb to European Dictates has made him look weak at a time that he was in the ascendancy in leading the country into a United States of Europe where the Irish Citizen would be powerless to oppose this new form of dictatorship.

Over the past number of years there has been a steady erosion of the rights of the Irish Citizen who now find themselves being the targets of austerity, while those Elites that caused the current economic problems seem to be getting more powerful and indeed richer at their expense. One wonders whether the current Crises was indeed caused by the Elites to enable them gain the power they required to conquer the unworthy Citizen once and for all. The lack of representation of the Citizen, in my opinion is not the first step, but practically the final step in realigning our Country in line with the dictates of the European Elites, who like Adolf Hitler plan to dominate Europe. They are achieving what the Germans failed to achieve on a military level and it would appear they haven’t ‘Gone Away’ ; just regrouped and continued their push on another front. Before I’m accused of Racism, please let me separate the Citizens of Europe from their Elites. It is quite clear to see that the Agendas being followed by the IMF,EU and ECB are in line with policies to make the Rich richer and in control of the wealth while the austerity measures being imposed on the Citizens of Europe are directed solely to keep the Citizen in their lowly place and to ensure a measure of control of the people never before exercised, except by Adolf Hitler and other such dictators in the recent past.

Minister Shatter and his Fine Gael dominated Government do not want an independent Ireland as this would not be in line with the dictates of the Elites. On the back of the failure of the Fianna Fail Government to protect the rights and welfare of the Irish Citizen in favour of the Elites, we were lied to by Enda Kenny prior to the General Election earlier this year who rose to power in as much a protest by the Irish Citizens than a pro-Fine Gael Vote. Nonetheless promises were made which secured this Vote in order to ensure a sweeping majority in the Dáil. This domination of the Parliament with the use of the Party Whip System, which is undemocratic by its very nature, ensures that our Government does not have to compromise on their policies or indeed can change such policies on a whim when it suits them. This is not democracy as we were taught in school. Neither is the economic system we are suffering under capitalism. Take one example. The Citizen can invest money in Banks and Institutions and can go for a higher rate of interest on the ‘riskier investments’. Many have done so but have lost money as a result. Not so for the Elites who have manipulated matters so that they never lose out. They will be repaid their investment as Irish and indeed European Citizens now have guaranteed that they face no risk. And if not actually guaranteed, sure it makes no difference. They’ll profit from their investment as the Elites through the ECB will ensure this happens regardless. This policy is not capitalism as we were taught or maybe those rules just apply to the ordinary citizen who tries to work hard to put a roof over his/her family and put food on the table. This obscene scenario is being played out and will continue with the support of our current Government who are exactly the same as the previous Government but with a change of jerseys.

Where are we all heading? More than likely we are now firmly in the grasp of the New Order where the Elites have taken control of Europe and Countries like Ireland will have no say in the direction our Country is heading. Sadly our Government is happy to go along in this direction as to do otherwise, would be so Un-European.

LegalEagleStar ,  Wednesday ,  2nd. November ,  2011 .

EU Elites do what Hitler failed to achieve…

Image by Abode of Chaos via Flickr

Well now it’s official. Germany, with the collusion of France has determined that our future lies within the United States of Europe. Ireland, once a proud Independent Nation will now lose it’s sovereignty, obtained by the blood of generations, to the Elites who control the Banks and the Multinational Business Community. Some of us saw this coming but many trusted our Politicians and their Political Parties to lead us out of economic stagnation and depravity. Those who lead us into this mess have, in my view, done so deliberately and in such a fashion as to let us think that they were so doing to help us. Guarantee the Banks, the late Brian Lenihan determined. This would save us. Sure how could we survive without them. Like a long-lost child who has returned to the fold. By so doing, he made the Citizens of Ireland responsible for the debts of the Elite who ravaged this little country for their own personal gain. We are just left with their gambling debts. They are now though, the sovereign debts of us all. We are the ones who must pay off debts which we didn’t even know existed, and more come to light on a daily basis.

I remember many years ago the Irish Labour Party joining with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in a determined drive to join the EEC  i.e. the European Economic Community. We were told it would give us many more trading options and would be good for the country. It would take us out of an economically depressed state into an open market. And we were told, on more than one occasion, that it would prevent wars in Europe. We really had no other option but to join. No thought was given to actually trading with countries we had more in common with. The thought of dealing with the Super Powers was too much to miss out on. The Irish people believed in our politicians and openly embraced the EEC.  Over time, we have been asked to Vote in Referendum after Referendum to approve the latest Treaty. When we got it wrong, in their determination, sure just get us to vote again. What would us ignorant people know about such International matters. Again and again we trusted our political Elites and look where it has got us.

Where we are today is, just maybe, where the Elites want us to be.  Down on our knees, in the worst depression ever contemplated and most importantly, subservient to the Elites for our very existence. Not so many years ago our sovereignty was, we were told, assured. Nothing to worry about. But behind the scenes the Elites just smiled as they knew that as time went on, it would only be academic. Their view of our world is somewhat different to what you and me view as ideal. They demand control of the wealth of the Citizen and God help anyone who stands in their way. The example of Iraq should not be discounted. When Saddam Hussein stood up to his heretofore masters and decided on a course of action without their approval, he was deposed and his country ravaged. Control of the oil was paramount and a subservient nation an essential element in their plan. Those who stand up for social justice are now being targeted as Opponents to the plans of the Elite and will be targeted as Opposition. Those who stand up to protect the rights of the Citizen will also be restrained as it would not be right to let the Citizen act in any way to opposed the onward and upward match of these Elites.

Our Political Parties have in effect been bought off and it is clear for all to see that our Puppet Government has no power to act in the interests of the Irish Citizen and must do the will of the IMF/EU without any option but to say ‘Yes Sir’.  I was listening to the Radio over the last few days about the Nazi occupation of Europe. Is this any different? Maybe War is now fought in the Boardroom instead of the battlefield, unless of course you are talking about the Middle East or in some far away poor African State where the people are fed drugs deemed unfit for consumption within the European Community. In such cases, it would appear that the use of chemical and other such obscene weapons which massacre people but do minimum damage to property are preferable. Precision strikes are lauded while peripheral damage is tolerable.

What type of obscene world do we live in today? We can debate on Vincent Browne’s TV3 Programme weeknights and on Primetime on RTE until we are blue in the face, but in our joke of a Democracy it amounts to nothing. It lets us get some ‘stuff’ off our chests but in the end it only acts, as it is meant to do i.e. provide a safety value for the Citizen to let off some steam. That suits our Political Elites who can then continue to plan the total domination of the Citizen for generations to come. Unless someone, somewhere, is prepared to stand up and indeed suffer the wrath of these self-styled Elites, then our collective futures seem doomed to oppression. Are our politicians just naive or are they in collusion with these obscene Elites. The Irish people are fast running out of time if they want to halt this torrent of oppression. With the Church in disarray following scandal after scandal who is to give succour to those who would stand up for us? Is it too late to realistically do anything for the Citizen or do we just continue to lie down and trust in those who clearly have another Agenda.

LegalEagleStar  Wednesday , 17th. August , 2011