I write letters - internet censorship

Minister Sherlock et al,

I wrote endless letters to members of the former government expressing my opinion on their lack of governance and thought when I voted in a Labour / Fine Gael government, I could focus on growing my small business and would not have to put so much effort into communicating with ministers. Alas I was wrong. I probably should not be surprised.

However, your move to introduce a Statutory Instrument and respond with legislation to the High Court Judgment in the case of EMI and Others Vs UPC. is misguided to say the least. Last week several international websites blacked themselves out because of the same sort of censorship that you are trying to cast over this country. You are on Twitter so I expect you know about it already. If not, do the research. The worldwide protest paused the political moves for the moment. I am bewildered that a Labour minister for innovation would pull such a backward move, especially someone who appears to be able to use a computer.

Let's look at your press release:

could not grant an injunction to prevent infringement of copyright against an information service provider in the context of a transient communication

Because it is against the law. IRMA has already forced one ISP to ban a peer to peer site which was deemed unlawful in another court in the EU and you wish to open the floodgates and support their tiny complaints at the expense of our economy, knowledge, civil and human rights.

the Government is proposing to introduce a Statutory Instrument, to redress the situation highlighted by Justice Charleton, by providing for injunctions for copyright owners against intermediaries whose services are used to infringe their copyright.

Except that's not the whole truth. It is not only those copyrighted items that your Instrument will block but all the tetrabytes of open source and legal material that are free to share. Will judges decide that Twitter is treasonous? Will Green Tea be taken as libel? I find it difficult to credit that you do not see the problem here.

In granting such injunctions the Courts must take account of Court of Justice of the European Union Judgements. They require that a fair balance be struck between the various fundamental rights protected by the Community legal order and the principle of proportionality. That would include, inter alia, the protection of the fundamental rights of individuals who are affected by such measures, the freedom to conduct a business enjoyed by operators such as Internet Service Providers, the protection of private data and right of freedom of expression and information'.

People said it was a terrible day when the troika forced Ireland to accept reality but I was grateful. At last there would be oversight and the government of the day would not get away with the foreign bank transfers and swiss bank accounts that had been the norm up till then. There was no trust in ministers that saved anglo for their personal investments and those of the grassroots of their party. For the same reasons, I am glad that the EU forces this country to uphold its citizens rights when you and your government would trample all over them just as Fianna Fáil always did.

Putting in place immense censorship to protect a minority of business interests is abhorrent. And if the government will do that for the few, what will it do when people want a change. The police already beat seated peaceful demonstrators bloody and repeated and continuously violate international human rights laws for an oil company. Additional overwhelming powers is the last thing we should be giving to the state.

I thought this government was supposed to be to our country's benefit. That you would work for the good of society but "In the Thick of it" you act like your predecessors, rail at them in an empty Dáil and drink with them afterwards in a subsidised bar. What fools we citizens are to believe you could be different. We voted you in and you played us for fools. You will be known as a shortsighted, reactionary, right wing government if you go ahead with this instrument. Aside from the serious issues of civil liberties and the violation of human rights, you will cost us employment, jobs and investment for a law that will not change anything. Anyone with tech savvy can bypass Eircom's supposed block of The Pirate Bay and anyone with google can find out how. You will make life mildly inconvenient for some and at such a price.

Read some legal documents and rulings before you stunt all technological development and innovation


Mór Rígan
Voter and citizen

morrigan.reborn@gmail.com
http://morrigan-reborn.blogspot.com

Is this really our country?

Is there no end to the crimes committed by the Church and State? The horror of the institutionalised rape, slavery and crimes against children carried out in Ireland is almost too much. Few read the reports of the investigations finally carried out on what actually happened to survivors of child abuse and the children interned in industrial schools. Since the foundation of the Republic of Ireland in 1921, Church and State have treated certain children as disposable, as less than human.

Since the publication of the Ryan report on industrial schools and the Murphy report on child sexual abuse within the diocese of Dublin, revelations on the treatment of Irish citizens in the twentieth century by the Church and State have undermined everything we believed about ourselves. And the revelations keep coming.

The Primate of All Ireland Sean Brady covered up the rape of children by paedophile Brendan Smyth allowing him to continue raping children for a further nineteen years. The publication of this information has not led to his resignation but rather to his adopting the persona of a “wounded healer”. This persona allows him to continue in his position and treat survivors of the Catholic Church’s brutality with utter contempt. His "wounding" is the discovery of his coverup.

Then there is the systematic mutilation of women by doctors both through symphysiotomy and corrupt individuals wielding a scalpel. There was no oversight because doctors were “self-regulating”. And the medical scandals have not ceased - unread x rays, trolleys, cancer misdiagnosis, surgeons removing the wrong kidney.

Now, we find out that children were used in medical experiments. These children were not those living at home with parents. These were children in mother and baby homes and industrial schools. Members of religious orders gave "consent", violating numerous ethical codes including that of Nuremberg, which was drawn up in the aftermath of the Nazi behaviour in concentration camps.

All of this was done by Irish people, ordinary Joe and Jane Soap. Our uncles, aunts, friends, parents participated or knew what was going on. We are all complicit. What sort of a fucked up country is this? The human rights violations continue on - children in care left on the street, rat infested schools, children in adult psychiatric wards and the children in care disappearing by the hundreds.

Something has to be done. The Murphy inquiry needs to be expanded to cover all dioeses. Victims who did not survive the industrial schools need to be identified and cause of death established. Serious reform or possible abolition of the HSE. The state needs to acknowledge ALL the human rights violations. Offering resignations is not enough. Firing, followed by criminal charges is a beginning.

Ireland has been a republic for less than 100 years and already we have violated human rights on an unprecedented scale. What sort of people are we?

Power corrupts

I've written before on the Shell to the sea campaign and the possible use of terrorist tactics by Shell to control the protesters in Westport. How can a government turn against its people like this, in a democratic country? Watch this



Eamon Ryan used to campaign for Shell to the sea. Now he is overseeing the process. It didn't take him long to sell out his principles when power beckoned.

It's really no wonder that the green parliamentary party manipulated its members into voting their continuing in government. Considering the string of broken promises, expenses revelations, green betrayal and putting their self-interest above the interest of the country, they will never get elected again. Although maybe Ryan will, when he joins the maFFia. Short term gains all. Foolish strategy. Seriously, read The Altruist in Politics or Politics: A Treatise on Government or even a first year text book or buy a clue.

"Mothers are selfish bitches" according to Jane Kirby of the Sindo

Isn't it amazing in this modern 21st century world that mothers still bear total responsibility for raising children. Those working hussies should feel guilty for abandoning their children, according to Irish Independent reporter Jane Kirby:

Mothers who work raise unhealthier children than those who stay at home, researchers said yesterday

Mothers not parents. What about the other parent? Fathers caring for children is not taken into account. Despite the increasing number of fathers who take the primary caregiving role, and the equal caregiving by both parents, the Sindo decides to take a blast from the past and attempt to shame working mothers. It is an old tactic but pulls nicely on the Catholic guilt that most schools succeed in infusing in their charges.

Do men have no influence or responsibility for their offspring? How about children of a gay couple or a poly couple or any other non traditional family unit? Should single mothers give up work, draw social welfare, require social housing and basically become the stimatised straw dole-queen that middle class conservatives have railed against for decades?

Won't somebody please think of the children?



And the British Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health considers this a mother's responsibility, not a parent's responsibility. As usual, total heteronormative bullshit.

Mothers who worked full-time had the unhealthiest children, followed by those who worked part-time. They typically worked 21 hours per week (with a range of 16 to 30 hours) and for 45 months (with a range of 25 to 55 months). Overall, many children had habits that could lead to them becoming overweight. For example, 37pc of children mostly ate crisps or sweets between meals and 41pc mostly drank sweetened drinks.A total of 61pc watched television or used the computer for at least two hours a day.

Ah everything becomes clearer, some children have habits that could led to the dreaded obesity. Apart from the conditionals, the invocation of the sin of fat, and the lack of any sort of empirical research, correlation is not causation.

I have a couple of questions for the Sindo, as they dive into the goldmine that is the "obesity crisis". It sure does sell papers but is devoid of fact.

• Do you know that children need fat and sugar to grow?
• Do you know that the person who invented BMI (standard medical measurement) totally rejected its use to determine health of adults and never for children?
• Do you know that medical insurance companies arbitrarily changed BMI in the 80s and millions became overweight overnight?
• Do you know that BMI has been proved to be bullshit?
  
• Do you know what "overweight" looks like?
• Do you know that being "overweight" makes you more likely to survive a heart attack?
  

You cannot tell the health of a person by looking at them or what they eat. The current obsession with fat as unhealthy is dangerous.

Children know when they are being discussed and the shame gets a hold. I am fat now but I wasn't when I was a kid. Adults told me I was fat and I saw my body as hideous. That is a learned behaviour. I grew up to be fat and healthy. The emotional damage took a lot longer. I visited anorexia and bulimia until I accepted myself as I am through plenty of fat acceptance reading. Publicly worrying about children's weight is dangerous. I was not the only child that was deeply affected by adults' comments to me or about me.

In the second last paragraph of this sexist, heteronormative, homophobic piece of tripe, there is the standard classism. The Sindo says:

But when the researchers took away factors that might influence the results, such as socio-economic background, they found a definite link between a mother working and the child's health.

Yes, those mothers are so selfish as to work when we live in the Irish socialist paradise. Mothers who are the sole earners who consider the "health" of their children and give up their aul jobs.

Forget about the mortgage or rent, food on the table and luxuries like school uniforms or heat. Forget the notion of an equal partnership. Forget about equal responsibility. Forget that the definition of what constitutes a family has changed. Forget the undervaluation of mothers' work. Forget all the progress that women have made to achieve equal rights.

Because the article basically boils down to nuclear two hetero parents, in which Daddy earns and Mummy gets belittled for doing likewise. Stupid bitch, get back in the kitchen and think of the children because you cannot have a life or work outside the home without being accused of selfishness and neglect. It's all your fault for not slaving over a hot stove and feeding your children three home-cooked meals a day.

Jane Kirby is sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, heteronormative, conservative and has written a piece full of hyperbolic sensationalist lies. It's hard to believe that this piece was cleared by three Sindo editors. But then again, what can be expected from a paper that pays and gives an platform to a racist, misogynistic asshole.

Another non-apology apology from the Irish Government

Batt O Keeffe has given a non apology apology in classic politician's doublespeak

In a letter to Dublin South TD Tom Kitt he expressed deep regret for “any offence caused by my use of the term ‘employees’ when referring to these women”. He added: “I fully acknowledge that the word ‘workers’ would have been more appropriate.”

As if it is not extremely offensive to refer to a group of women who were treated by slaves as employees. It is a gutless non-apology from a Minister who should resign immediately. However, I am sure that it will take a general election to remove his ass from the ministerial seat.

I am offended by his "apology" and by his use of "those women" to refer to the survivors of the Magdalene laundries. It is othering and when seen in context shows his contempt.

If Cowen had any ethics, he would fire this despicable Minister for Education.


Other posts on abuse in the Irish Catholic church and the Irish state


Church of evil
I write letters
The savage reality of our darkest days
Indemnity and the Catholic Church
The Irish Catholic church and child abuse: it's not about bad apples
Pride - the Catholic church's deadly sin
In his own words
Ratzi distressed over Ryan report
Survivors of Institutional Abuse Ireland Petition
The Magdalene Laundries
How to evade responsibility for your actions by giving a non-apology apology

Batt O'Keeffe proves his cruelty

NAMA, good banks and Biffo reappears

Yesterday Fine Gael came out with a new financial alternative to NAMA and while I am no financial wizard, on the surface it seems better.

It seems to me that NAMA is a get out of jail free card for the banks and developers that financed and developed such risky projects. I do not see why the taxpayer should be penalised for others pursuit of profit. They rolled the dice and now they must pay the piper for their tune is over. There was no intention of contributing to the state coffers if their gamble had had an alternative ending. That would have been their profit.

The next thing is the pricing of the assets. They are not worth anything like their stated prices. The market needs to readjust and the government cannot prevent this by artificially inflating prices to pay off developer buddies.

This government thought the boom would last forever, which just goes to show that a qualification in history and applied basic common sense should be a required course to govern in a modern society.

Even within the past 20 years, in the personal experience of several cabinet members, there have been boom and bust cycles coupled with risky bank ventures and highly indebted financial institutions. While it is true that the public suffered in the 80s the property moguls were killing city centres and tearing down historical building. All of this has happened before and will happen again unless those in power change the system. Reform or you will be reformed.

The Greens, also in government lest we forget, are having a special party conference on the issue of NAMA. No exactly a united government but it is easier to get a consensus without taking the electorate into account. The Greens don't have that option unlike their governing partners.

On the other side of the house, Fine Gael propose a good bank instead of the state paying off the bad debts of developers. Richard Bruton outlined the plan on the Last Word yesterday and while their are kinks to be worked out, it seems a fairer plan.

Naturally this is controversial because there is no solidarity. The government knows they are out in the next election so they are on some kind of Bushian destructo mission to leave the opposition to clean up their mess. As a PR strategy, it is completely unethical and totally in line with Fianna Fáil's history.

Commenting on Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny’s declaration earlier yesterday that his party would vote against Nama, which he described as a “double or quits” gamble by Fianna Fáil, the Taoiseach said: “Glib one-liners aren’t the way to deal with what are very difficult and complex questions.

This is the first time since the summer recess that the Taoiseach has spoken out in public. He's been missing, presumably resting have a difficult year of denials, dithering and procrastinating.

Way to go Biffo.

How to evade responsibility for your actions by giving a non-apology apology

Fr Tom Coonan is a bit of a thicko, to say the least.

He called children sent to Daingean reformatory school unwanted ruffians while saying Sunday's mass. Now aside from the insensitivity required to sermonise about this topic in such a derogatory way only weeks after the publication of Ryan report containing accounts of the rape and torture that happened to the children at Daingean and the proximity of the former prison camp to the church, Coonan believes he eat his words by "not remembering" them.

If he genuinely doesn't remember then perhaps it is time for retirement, to say the least. On the other hand, the more likely scenario, is that he is trying to weasel his way out of a political awkward situation.

It baffles me why Coonan, in common with politicians and other public figures, think that the public believes them for a second. Nah you can't retcon the public. Epic fail.

“And in an aside I said not all the boys sent there were angels. Now if that caused offence to people I regret it and I withdraw. And I totally and utterly condemn all the abuse that happened.”

Then was the unkindest cut of all. Coonan gave a non-apology apology - the ultimate in false rhetoric and refusal to take responsibility for one's actions. It's the rhetorical equivalent of stealing a wallet and saying upon capture, "I'm sorry if you felt you were inconvenienced".



Classic use of the conditional in your apology, father. It gives the perfect tone of insincerity - Now if that caused offence to people I regret it and I withdraw. The use of if puts the responsibility on the offended party rather than on the offending because it implies that the offended party is making a big deal over nothing, being too sensitive, "hysterical" or a special little snowflake. To paraphrase Coonan

"if YOU were offended then I regret that you heard me using that word"

It's mealy-mouthed, dishonest, insincere, shows poor judgment and a lack of sensitivity that is almost beyond belief.

Another classic for the Catholic church!

Church of evil

Everybody knows that the Catholic Church ruled the roost in Ireland. Everybody knows that children in school were beaten. Everybody knows that there was child sexual abuse. But until a few days ago the vast majority of the people of Ireland did not know how widespread the sexual abuse and violence were and that children were enslaved, raped, tortured and abused systematically in both residential and day schools and institutions.

Witness reports (trigger-warning)

Female

The forms of physical abuse reported by witnesses ranged from being smacked on the hand to being beaten naked in front of others. They described being hit, slapped, beaten, kicked, pushed, pinched, burned, bitten, shaken violently, physically restrained, and force fed. The Committee also heard reports of witnesses having their heads knocked against walls, desks and window ledges, being beaten on the soles of their feet, the backs of their hands, around their heads and ears, having their hair pulled, being swung off the ground by their hair, and made to perform tasks that they stated put them at risk of harm and danger. The locations where physical abuse was most frequently reported to have occurred included dormitories, refectories, landings, corridors, classrooms, churches, offices, kitchens, work areas and recreation halls.

(We were)... beaten everywhere, bang your head off the wall, pinch your cheeks, beat you with a cane.... She ...(Sr X)... would grab you and hit you.

I remember once I got a big yellow blister on my hand, it was really painful.... Normally when you got a beating from someone you had to hold your hand out for a slap like that ... (demonstrated outstretched palm)... not always of course, some of them would hit you anywhere on the legs or anywhere. ... She ... (Sr X)... said “Why are you holding your hand out like that? Give me the other hand”....You have to have 10 on that hand and 10 on the other. I couldn’t part with this hand, it was yellow and throbbing it was, and she forced it open and slapped it. The blister burst, I’ll never forget the pain.

Further forms of physical abuse described by witnesses involved being made to kneel for hours on hard surfaces, both indoors and in outside yards, being locked in confined and dark areas such as coal houses, furnace rooms, animal sheds, broom cupboards and fridges, made to stand for lengthy periods and being doused and immersed in cold water.

Having objects such as a wooden statue, metal tray and knives thrown at them was reported as a physical abuse by a small number of witnesses.

In addition to being hit, witnesses reported that, at times they were burned, had water thrown over them or were held under water, as described:

• Nineteen (19) witnesses reported being put into cold or scalding baths or showers.
• Twelve (12) witnesses reported having water thrown over them, five of whom were scalded with hot tea or water.
• Eight (8) witnesses reported having their heads held under water, including two whose heads were held under a cold running tap.
• Five (5) witnesses reported being burned with hot pokers or by having their hands held to a fire or on a hot stove.
• Two (2) witnesses reported having their fingers held to electric sockets.

One of the girls she was very sick. I let her come into my bed one morning, she was very, very ill. They brought me down to the shoe room, they stripped me off, they threw cold water over me ... (prior to severe beating).... It was the shoe room you know where all the shoes were, even now if I get the smell of shoe polish, the feeling of enclosement, it was awful.

Six (6) witnesses gave accounts of nettles being used by nuns when punishing residents. They described being pushed into patches of nettles, hit on the legs with them, and, in one instance, their bed being full of nettles. ‘Sr ...X... put nettles in the bed of the girls who wet the bed.’ Other witnesses described being pinched with pliers, jabbed with a knitting needle, hit with shoes, a shovel, wet dishcloths, bunches of keys, serving spoons, scissors, electric cord and the treadle belt from a sewing machine.

Male

Witnesses described a daily existence that involved the possibility of being hit by a staff member at any time, for any reason or for no reason. Witnesses also reported being physically abused by co-residents. It is notable that witnesses at times described daily, casual and random physical abuse as normal and wished to report only the times when the frequency and severity of the abuse was such that they were injured or in fear for their lives. Three hundred and forty six (346) of the 403 witnesses reported that they were subjected to frequent physical violence; they described a climate of pervasive fear in the Schools and provided consistent reports of generally not knowing why they were being beaten.

The forms of physical abuse reported by witnesses to the Committee included punching, flogging, assault and bodily attacks, hitting with the hand, kicking, ear pulling, hair pulling, head shaving, beating on the soles of the feet, burning, scalding, stabbing, severe beatings with or without clothes, being made to kneel and stand in fixed positions for lengthy periods, made to sleep outside overnight, being forced into cold or excessively hot baths and showers, hosed down with cold water before being beaten, beaten while hanging from hooks on the wall, being set upon by dogs, being restrained in order to be beaten, physical assaults by more than one person, and having objects thrown at them.

The locations where physical abuse was reported to have taken place included: classrooms, offices, cloakrooms, dormitories, showers, infirmaries, refectories, the bedrooms of staff members, churches, work areas and trade shops, fields, farmyards, play/sports areas and outdoor sheds.

I had a hiding in the boot room, you had to take your shirt off, you were completely naked and he ...(Br X)... beat me with a strap and a hurley stick on the behind and the legs and that.

I was beaten up quite a few times for not making the bed right, I had to go to the boot room. We used have long night shirts then you know, he ...(Br X)... dragged it off me, naked and whop, he knocked hell out of me, he knocked the shit out of me ... he hit with a leather strap with coins in it. One Brother ... he used a tyre he did, a bicycle tyre, it used to wrap around your arm. That was for wiping my nose in my sleeve, he didn’t like that, it “wasn’t a nice thing” he said.

A small number of witnesses stated that Brothers were trained to beat residents and reports were heard of religious Brothers demonstrating the exercise of discipline to trainee Brothers.

One day it was ...visitor’s day... they used to pick about half a dozen lads. You would be called to the hall. I was picked once and they would actually show the ...visiting student Brothers... how to do the hiding. The Brother who was in charge of the playground, mostly Br ...X... or Br ...Y... would show them how it’s done, they would give you a hiding to show them and then they would have a go, with the black jack ...(leather)... with loops of lead in it or steel.

Witnesses reported being introduced to a strict regime from the moment of their arrival in the School.

We were met by Br ...X... he ruled the roost, he told us about the rules, said if we ran away there was severe punishment, the second time our head would be shaved and the third time we would be sent to ...named School.... He then stripped us off, told us to bend over the desk; he hit the desk with a leather strap and said, “Say the Our Father”. I could not say it. He hit me across the legs and warned me not to step out of line. He told us to get in the shower, cold water, “to scrub away your sins”, with carbolic soap. He then left and came back with clothes, comb ... he hit me with the strap when I had the clothes on because I should be in pyjamas. We went to the dormitory, the boys were asleep, he said, “This will always be your bed unless you wet the bed, then you will end up with the smellies with Mr ...Y...”. It was dark, there was no food. I was very upset and frightened. Then that night Mr ...Y... came walking down with his walking stick, he touched my penis with the stick and said, “Don’t ever let me catch you”. Later I could hear kids crying as he lashed kids with a stick, getting them up for the toilet. That was my first night in ...named School....

The day I arrived there, I was in the yard and there was all these boys, they all seemed like giants. I remember running up to this man and saying “hello Father” he laid into me, he was a very cruel man, I thought he was a priest, he said “don’t call me Father”. He laid me on the ground, he gave me a few terrible clatters and I was terrified from that moment. He was Br ...X... I was terrified of him, oh Lord! ...distressed... he was just cruel.

These accounts cover just one of the four aspects of abuse. See the reports for more detail.


The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse has published its five volume report on 20 May and this report has examined in detail the accusations and evidence presented to it.

The Commission was established on 23 May, 2000, pursuant to the “Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Act 2000” and given three primary functions:

• to hear evidence of abuse from persons who allege they suffered abuse in childhood, in institutions, during the period from 1940 or earlier, to the present day;
• to conduct an inquiry into abuse of children in institutions during that period and, where satisfied that abuse occurred, to determine the causes, nature, circumstances and extent of such abuse; and
• to prepare and publish reports on the results of the inquiry and on its recommendations in relation to dealing with the effects of such abuse.

The reports are damning, and the acts uncovered are criminal.

The reports make for horrific reading. The vast majority of children were committed to industrial or reformatory schools from 1936 to 1970 because they were ‘needy’. Other reasons of commitment were involvement in a criminal offense or school nonattendance. Involvement in a criminal offense included girls who had been ‘morally corrupted’. In fact, girls as young as eight who had been raped or abused, or even those children in contact with such girls, were considered unsuitable for an ordinary industrial school and were sent to reformatories instead.

It took little to be committed. Orphans, poor children, abused children and children who skipped school were committed.

Once the child's time was served, their parents could get them out but parents' weren't informed nor educted and the procedure was complicated.

The children were tortured and enslaved by the Catholic Church in Ireland.

The state failed to supervise.

The state indemnified the Church.

The state is still fighting survivors in the courts.

The violence, torture, rape, abuse and slavery that happened is obscene. Those who directly enslaved, raped, tortured, abused and violated children have been indemnified against civil prosecution. Those who stood by and let it happen are just as guilty.

The words of President McAleese "it was an atrocious betrayal of love" are mealy-mouthed and underplay the obscene treatment of children.

The state and the various congregations have gone along with the "few bad apples" argument which as been disproved time after time. (Philip Zimbardo The Lucifer Effect: understanding how good people turn evil)

The Irish Times reported on 22 May

None of the 18 religious congregations that were party to the redress agreement with the Government seven years ago has any plans to look again at its terms, the Conference of Religious in Ireland (Cori) said last night.

The 18 congregations involved were those which managed residential institutions where children were physically, emotionally and sexually abused, as well as neglected, according to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse report, published on Wednesday.

In a statement to The Irish Times , following a query on the matter, Cori said: “In 2002 the Conference of Religious in Ireland facilitated 18 of its members in entering into an agreement with the Government on a Redress Scheme for victims of institutional abuse. This agreement included an indemnity clause that lapsed after three years.

“An agreement was made between the congregations concerned and the Government that a contribution of € 128 million (cash and property) be made to the Redress Scheme, which was established by Government. As far as we are aware none of the congregations concerned plan to revisit the terms of the agreement made in good faith.”

It makes me sick to my stomach to know that such crimes were widespread. The mealy-mouthed "apologies" and shocked expressions is not enough. Firstly we have to name what happened. These acts by religious congregations were crimes against children and crimes against humanity.

The Catholic church has to own up to its criminal responsibilities and convictions must be sought. Then all assets should be frozen and confiscated. Then we remove any mention of the church from our constitution and public life. Once they have repaid financially and served time for their crimes, the named congregations forced to leave the country.

About the Times' latest hachet job

On the last post I wrote about Pamela Izevbekhai, a troll posted the following

Basically Pamela Izevbekhai made it all up. I eagerly await your retraction and apology for misleading your readers.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article5993330.ece

Fuckwit was not even classy enough to use a pseudonym. Coward.

Anyway back to the point. This weekend allegations, declarations et al have come out about what a lying bitch Izevbekhai is. Most of the discourse is around her alleged lies and it is generally polite enough for people to tut-tut around talking about immigrants are cheating the system. The newspapers don't come out and basically say that we have taken back our Céad Míle Fáilte and that the only foreigners welcome here are whites from other rich countries, but it is the undercurrent in all the discussions. The facade is dropped on bulletin boards where racism and petty self interest dominate the conversation. Ireland has become a nation of spineless right wing bigots. It's disgusting. We are now officially exempt for playing the "Irish" card.



This rag revealed the shocking "truth"

Izevbekhai said she only discovered the documents were fake on Friday when her husband, who is living in Nigeria, admitted they were bogus.

He said he had been forced to obtain fake documents because Dr Joseph Unokanjo, an obstetrician, had refused to supply papers and medical reports without a substantial payment. Unokanjo has denied this.

The documents, including a death certificate and “statements” from Izevbekhai’s family doctor in Nigeria, were obtained from a counterfeiter.

“They were sent to me by my husband after I arrived in Ireland,” she said. “If I had known the documents were fake, I would have done things differently. I wouldn’t have put myself or the children through this kind of thing. I now regret taking the case. I am so sorry.”

Firstly, to this

Nigeria's minister for justice has offered to testify in an Irish court against Nigerian citizens who claim political asylum on the grounds they will be forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) if deported.

I call bullshit. There are plenty of child rights and human rights organisations that have research to show that between 20 to 45% of female children are subjected to FGC (region dependent). There are no clear statistics but various sources cite one third of cases are fatal and an additional 40% have serious long term consequences. There is a real threat to Izevbekhai's two daughters

Then there is the "they only want to sponge of the Irish welfare system" argument, which fails on two counts. The first is difficulty of travel to Ireland with two daughters.

She says she paid criminals to smuggle her to Ireland via the Netherlands. Immigration officials suspect that she travelled to Britain on a holiday visa before coming to Dublin to claim political asylum.

aka human traffickers who literally make money out of other people's misery. Parents are not in the habit of exposing their children to exploitation and physical danger without a damn good reason.

The other aspect is the financial component. According the UN Human Rights Office

Gender inequalities play a key role in the persistent poverty levels of women in Nigeria. Statistics show that the incidence of poverty using the rate of US $1 per day increased from 28.1 percent in 1980 to 46.3 percent in 1985 and declined to 42.7 percent in 1992 but increased again to 65.6 percent in 1996. The incidence increased to 69.2 percent in 1997. The 2004 report by the National Planning Commission indicates that poverty has decreased to 54.4 percent. Nigeria fares very poorly in all development indices. The average annual percentage growth of GDP in Nigeria from 1990 -2000 was 2.4. This is very poor. Poverty in Nigeria is in the midst of plenty. Although there has been steady economic growth in the last few years, the benefits have not been evenly distributed amongst men and women.

Nigeria is a developing country. Most women are poor - very poor. Pamela Izevbekhai was not poor. She is in fact the Nigerian equivalent of middle class D4 (roysh).

She worked hard from the time she left her Irish convent school, until she left her position in a major bank to flee to Ireland. Leaving behind her pretty comfortable and spacious home, complete with house keeper, as well as her beloved husband Tony and her only son Adrian. She speaks to both all the time on the phone, yet has not been allowed to see them for the three years she has been seeking protection in Ireland.

Izevbekhai had a job, a stable family and a nice house. She left her home, husband and son to save her daughters. This is not a decision that anyone takes lightly. She is not here to "sponge" off our welfare system. She is protecting her daughters.

And now we come to what Fuckwit was referring too, the "shocking" newspaper article that revealed her documentation was forged. All I can say is "no shit Sherlock". I've actually lived in a developing country much like Nigeria. It can take six months to get a piece of paper. It takes less that $1 to bribe a policeman. You can a driving licence, a diploma or a gun in the fucking market for fuck sake. If you think our bureaucracy is bad, go to a developing country and queue up for three damn days to get a stamp on a piece of paper and take at least a $20 in your pocket. This is the reality. Also it would be damn easy to get an official to testify that genuine papers are forged - just slip hir a $20. The FFers and their brown envelops have nothing on developing world bureaucracy in a supposedly democratic state that is actually run by crooked natural resource pillagers.

Philip Boucher Hayes, head of RTÉ's Radio Investigative Unit, was on the Gerry Ryan show on 2FM on Friday because of his investigation of the case.

Philip Boucher-Hayes, the RTE broadcaster who conducted the radio interview, said he had no doubt that he spoke to an obstetrician. “I got the number independently and was put through by the switchboard to Dr Unokanjo,” he said.

Asked whether he has any doubts about the identity of the interviewee, he said: “It wasn’t a face-to-face interview so you can never say 100%. But when I rang back after the interview one of the hospital staff warned me not to call again as the doctor had been visited by a Nigerian army captain.

“I have no doubt the dread hand of the Nigerian authorities intervened in this.”

Boucher-Hayes has sworn an affidavit supporting Izevbekhai’s claims for her legal case. The Department of Justice may be forced to grant Izevbekhai permission to remain in Ireland anyway as she could face danger if deported to Nigeria, whose government has taken a dim view of the attention her case has attracted.

... Unokanjo denied yesterday that he was ever interviewed by RTE Radio, and gardai are satisfied that the “Nigerian doctor” who featured in the RTE interviews is not him.

“Nobody has interviewed me. I never gave an interview to a radio or television organisation in Dublin, Ireland, or outside Nigeria,” Unokanjo said. He refused to answer any further questions unless a fee of €5,000 was paid.

Wow, who to believe? The gardaí who travelled to Lagos and believed the politicial who told they that there is no FGC in Nigeria or the journalist with the experience in gathering information in difficult places like Kosovo, Israel, Iran and Iraq.

The UN have this to say about human rights in Nigeria.

In Nigeria, extra judicial killings are still perpetrated by security officials with impunity. There are reports of many unexplained disappearances of persons held in police detention. The police authorities hardly take disciplinary action against officers who perpetrate these crimes and this has helped to perpetuate it. Apart from instances such as the celebrated Apo six extrajudicial- killings in Abuja which was initially refuted by the police, cases of extra-judicial, summary and arbitrary executions are hardly documented, investigated and prosecuted by the police.

... The consequence has been increasing use of torture by law enforcement agents as official means of investigation of offences. Most cases in court are prosecuted by the police based on 'confessions' obtained under circumstances of torture from accused persons. The only thing the court can do in such circumstances is to conduct a 'trial within a trial' to find out whether such evidence was obtained by torture to enable it decide whether to admit or reject the evidence. However, incidents of torture also take place at the domestic sphere, leading to life threatening outcomes against vulnerable groups such as women, children and the physically challenged. Such inhuman and degrading treatments are as a result of obnoxious cultural practices that are still practiced to date in society.

... In discharging th[eir] responsibilities the police very often, infringe on the right to liberty of persons, by arresting and detaining them longer than is allowed by law. In many cases, suspects are detained under inhuman conditions at poorly maintained detention facilities.

... At independence, successive Nigerian governments, (especially during the long military era) adopted the old colonial style of repressing the press. This frequently involved severe measures such as the arbitrary closure of newspaper houses as well as unlawful arrests and detention of media practitioners. There are cases of unresolved murder of prominent journalists, while some were forced to go on exile by governments who felt they were a threat to them.

... Competition for allocation of political and scarce national economic resources has often led to violent clashes. Most communal conflicts always occur along ethnic and religious fault -lines. Sometimes, there is a convergence of ethnicity and religion.

... The government, except in few cases, does not prosecute perpetrators of communal violence, though sometimes, it pays compensation to victims. Where security officers fall victims of communal clashes, such security agencies often carry out revenge killings against the community (ies) where such incidents occur, as happened in Odi (Bayelsa State) and Zaki-Biam (Benue State)during the last administration. Erring officers who perpetrate revenge killings and destruction are hardly investigated or prosecuted

Oh yeah that's a government who could intimidate a doctor into silence. That's a government that can assure the gardaí that there is no FGC in Nigeria. That's a government that murders civilians. That's the government Times hack believes. That's the government that the Irish government believe.

I don't know what her situation is but I do know that Nigeria has a repressive dictatorial government. I know that FGC is widespread in Nigeria. I know that Izevbekhai left a comfortable middle class life to come to a country where she knew no one and was subjected to daily racism. I am inclined to believe her

The hypocrisy of a dying church

The Catholic Church continues to show its contempt and misogyny last week when two people in Brazil were excommunicated. The Vatican has endorsed the recent decision.

A senior Vatican cleric has defended the excommunication in Brazil of the mother and doctors of a young girl who had an abortion with their help.

The nine-year-old had conceived twins after alleged abuse by her stepfather.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re told Italian paper La Stampa that the twins "had the right to live" and attacks on Brazil's Catholic Church were unfair.

Because that's what's unfair in this scenario! Poor RCC is being attacked!

The callousness of the Church's treatment of a 9 year old rape survivor is almost beyond belief. It would be beyond belief if it wasn't for the revelations of the past twenty years showing that there was a clear policy of non disclosure of abusive and pedophile priests. Instead rape and sexual abuse survivors are ostracized.

This is that same organisation that would shame pregnant and unmarried women and girls from the pulpit, announcing their sins to the congregation. This was nicely followed by locking them up, physically abusing them and separating mother and child after delivery.

This is the same organisation that reputedly colluded with Nazi Germany and blessed Mussolini on his way to commit genocide.

This is the organisation that reassigned pedophile and abusive priests.

This is the organisation that forgives murderers, rapists, torturers and mass murderers

This is the organisation that excommunicated a doctor and a mother for providing and allowing an abortion to a 9 year old child pregnant with twins through incestuous rape.

The rapist has not been excommunicated.

Natalia is absolutely right in her assertion that abortion is not the issue

Here’s a fact: abortion has always existed. It wasn’t particularly safe and it certainly wasn’t something you spoke about in mixed company, but the truth is - women have been choosing to end their pregnancies for thousands of years. For as long as it was done secretly, for as long as the sluts stood a good chance of bleeding to death - few people actually worried about the so-called moral implications of abortion.

Of course, the minute a rape victim or anyone else can have access to a safe abortion, it becomes an issue of BUT WHAT ABOUT THE INNOCENT BABY???

Deborah at the Hand Mirror is absolutely right

This is just appalling on so many grounds: a child was raped and impregnated, in such a way that her own life is seriously at risk, and even then, some celibate man in a dress thinks that she shouldn't have an abortion.

I was born and bred and educated in the Catholic church, and I had always understood that from the church's point of view, while abortion was a great evil, that if the mother's life was in danger, then abortion was permissible, even if regrettable. I guess even that's too much for women-hating bishops. And they've moved on from hating women. Now they hate girl children too.

There is commenter, ZenTiger, at Deborah's place who is asserting among other misogynist crap, that he knows of two girls ages 8 and 9 who survived pregnancy. My answer is so what? The fact that this person had to go digging to find justification is horrible but that doesn't change the fact that a 9 year old girl's body cannot bring twins to term without significant danger. In all probability all three children would die. This is all beside the point anyway.

Why should a person be forcibly pregnant? Why should a mother be excommunicated for upholding her daughter's wishes and acting in her best interest? What should a doctor be excommunicated for saving the life of his patient? What business does the RCC have interfering in a private medical matter. Shame

This is an attempt by a rapidly declining church to regain control. This is an attempt to stand in moral judgement over a legal matter.

As Matthew 7:5 states

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Rape is cheaper than bullets

The words sound like an advert, promoting rape. The article in the Guardian makes the argument that

if it's offensive then that is nothing compared to what hundreds of thousands of women and girls are suffering in conflict zones around the world.

But what good is throwing a third of women who see that poster under the bus to raise awareness? What is the good in advertising rape? It doesn't help the girls and women suffering in conflict zones. Presumably this is a donate campaign. But the willingness of Amnesty to trample of the feelings of the 1 in 3 women who have been raped, makes me less inclined to donate.

As for the poster itself it is offensive yes but not offensive in a manner that would change attitudes. If I thought that the poster could do something, anything to relieve the suffering of women and girls in the conflict zone I would shout it from the rooftops. I'm all about ending violence towards women. I am all for ending rape (been raped twice myself) but this campaign looks like it is offering a viable alternative to purchasing bullets. Not many people read the fine print.

Amnesty is willing to trigger a third of the female population to advertise what appears to be monetary saving for arms dealers. Doesn't sound like much of a human rights organisation to me.

I was a communications professional before depression and I worked in a developing world country in Asia with high incidence of rape and domestic abuse. This campaign would have contributed less than nothing to those women and girls. I'm all for raising awareness and pouring money into campaigns but this is irresponsible and offensive.

h/t Cara

Everybody knows

Everybody knows that the dice are loaded

Two days later, the Government announced it wouldn't put €1.5bn into Anglo. It would instead nationalise the bank, at even greater potential cost to the taxpayer.

Why? Because Anglo is the country's "third-biggest bank". Well, it's not.

Yes, in money terms it's huge. But Anglo isn't a high street bank. It's a casino within which rich people -- speculators, developers, builders -- gambled on the property bubble.

Yes, it's huge in money terms, but not because it's embedded in the Irish economy -- only because it borrowed and loaned to reckless extremes, for gambling purposes.

Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed

No Irish citizen has any interest in Lenihan's great gamble failing, but the unknown, unknowns make the chances of failure extremely high. If we don't know how much the bad debts will be how can we, with any certainty, say that the €7bn figure will be enough?

Everybody knows that the war is over

Mr Kenny instanced the case of a public servant on €15,000 who would have a net reduction in take-home pay of €450, a decline of 3 per cent. Somebody on €19,500 would have a net reduction of €105 because he or she paid 0.5 per cent due to the taxation system.

A single public servant earning €36,400 would have pay reduced by €1,769, while another single person on €40,000 would suffer a reduction of €1,649. A married person earning €45,400 would have take-home pay reduced by €2,537, but somebody earning €55,000 would have €2,403 deducted. “These are clearly anomalous situations,” said Mr Kenny.

Everybody knows the good guys lost

Flare ups in the Dail today as Labour staged a walkout over questions to Brian Lenihan on the recapitalisation package

Everybody knows the fight was fixed

He chose this morning to announce that he was closing the classrooms of over 500 special needs children

The poor stay poor, the rich get rich

people expressing anger at how the bankers, builders, stockbrokers etc who got us into this mess were getting away Scot free. There is an expectation at the few dozen people who contributed greatly to the rapid descent in our economy must pay the price.

That's how it goes

All over the world, governments are being destabilised by the consequences of dealing with the economic trauma. As jobs are lost and incomes cut, disgruntled workers are taking to the streets to vent their anger. The years of plenty are over.

Everybody knows

HE might not be able to bring himself to say sorry to the people of Ireland, or even to his former shareholders, but Sean FitzPatrick will one day admit that he was wrong.

That's what millionaire businessman Ben Dunne believes the former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank will have to do if he is to overcome his "addiction to money".

Everybody knows that the boat is leaking

“I have behaved in a competent manner as Minister for Finance.”

Everybody knows that the captain lied

The circular mechanism used to transfer the temporary deposit enabled Anglo Irish to categorise the money as a customer deposit, enabling the bank to prop up its deposit levels and disguise the dramatic levels of withdrawals suffered by the bank during the unprecedented financial upheaval last September.

Everybody got this broken feeling

No-one has any cash and companies without cash-flow are going bust. This week alone three friends of mine told me they are going out of business.

Like their father or their dog just died

Deflation takes hold and it causes people and companies to go bankrupt which leads to the banking system imploding and the economy moves into a depression. As people feel that deflation is around the corner, they put off spending until the future when they feel they will get a lower price.

Everybody talking to their pockets

There could not be a worse time to announce the investment of €7bn of public money into AIB and Bank of Ireland - or into any bank.

Everybody wants a box of chocolates

The owners said last night it will continue in business under direction of the liquidator, with no loss of the 40 full- and part-time staff jobs. “The existing management and staff will continue with the Sandhouse and it will remain open for business as usual.” The hotel, closed for the winter, reopens on St Valentine’s weekend.

And a long stem rose

Public sector unions have given notice that they intend to stage a day of action next Saturday, St Valentine’s Day, demonstrating at TDs’ offices. It will be followed by other demonstrations. There will be bells, whistles, drums and speeches vowing to fight the pension levy to the end.

Everybody knows

Unlike the previous recession in Ireland, this time there is little point emigrating as other countries such as the UK and the US are also experiencing jobs crises.

Kevin Myers - now available in racist and sexist!

Kevin Myers is out again in fine form adding sexism to his standard racism. Why is this guy still getting published? It's amazing that once again this piece was approved by the Sindo editors. Aren't there laws against this kinda thing? This piece is almost a year old but the fate of Pamela Izevbekhai's daughters still hangs in the balance.

Myers begins by comparing male circumcision and female genital mutilation

I will give you the background to this column in the presumption that you do not know it, and the reason you don't is that the victim at its centre did not possess a vulva.

Instead, he owned a penis, and so neither our media, nor our political classes, took any interest in his fate. Had he been a girl, you know that the mob of the usual suspects -- Amnesty International, the Council for the Status of Women, the Equality Commission, Aunt Thomasina and all -- would have been trumpeting condemnations of the affair.

Is Myers making the point that "the mob of the usual suspects" are wrong in seeking justice for victims of torture? Sounds like a classic "what about the menz" argument. Taking a single example of a horrific crime and comparing it to a systematic abuse of millions of women is abhorrent. Myers is forgetting perhaps, that one in three women is a victim of gender based violence, that rapists in this country are given light sentences and that in the case of rape the female survivor's character is assassinated.

Two-and-half-years ago, a Nigerian idiot named Osagie Igbinidion was found not guilty of the reckless endangerment of life, after a little boy he circumcised, 29-day-old Callis Osajhae, bled to death. The trial judge, Kevin Haugh, told the jury not to bring their "white, western values" to bear upon their deliberations. Describing the case as a clash between two cultures, he added: "This is a relatively recent matter that Ireland will have to deal with now that we have a significant migrant population. You are not asked whether this form of procedure is acceptable in Ireland. If you start thinking on those lines, you are doing Mr Igbinidion a great injustice."

Just one commentator in the media remarked upon this extraordinary case, in which a man walked free from a court having sexually mutilated and mortally wounded a little boy. Me. I wrote: " . . . had the dead child been female, I believe that no jury would have been told not to bring their white, western values to bear on the case -- or if they had been, we may equally be sure that the judge would not be dangling from the nearest lamp-post . . ."

I do not know what that fine fellow Osagie Igbinidion is doing today.

He has not, to my knowledge, and considerable regret, been deported -- nor has he been issued with a court order compelling him to desist from his merry trade (he is a fourth generation circumciser; ah the joys of multiculturalism). So it is as legal to chop little boys' penises off today as it was then, and if they die as a consequence, the judicial advice rings down the years, not to bring our "white western values" into the case.

But when the infant in question is a girl, then those white, western values are suddenly all we care about; hence the uproar over Pamela Izevbekhai and her two daughters. She is challenging a deportation order to Nigeria, for fear that the girls might be circumcised upon their return, and alleges that another daughter, Elizabeth, aged 18 months, died in 1994 from blood loss after being circumcised.

What happened to Callis Osajhae is tragic. That baby is an innocent victim. Osagie Igbinidion should obviously be in prison since he killed a child. Why is Myers not blaming the judge? Why is Myers not campaigning for justice for Callis? Why is Myers making a horrific comparison between a tragic fuckup and the systematic mutilation of female babies? Why has Myers not pointing out that male circumcision is part of western culture too and that the "it's Nigerian culture" excuse doesn't fly? Why doesn't Myers get his head out of his arse?

It is vital to make the distinction. Male circumcision is the removal of the foreskin that is normally not life threatening and circumcised men enjoy a fully functional sex life post operation. Many Irish male babies are circumcised. It does not impede normal bodily functions or cause lifelong pain.

Female genital mutilation is an attempt to cut a girl so severely that she can never enjoy sex. It is designed to enforce chastity. It is traumatic, painful and defined as torture. There are four types of mutilation

• Type I is the excision of the clitoral hood with or without removal of all or part of the clitoris.
• Type II is the excision of the clitoris together with part or all of the labia minora
• Type III is the excision of part or all of the external genitalia and stitching or narrowing of the vaginal opening, leaving a very small opening, about the size of a matchstick, to allow for the flow of urine and menstrual blood. The girl or woman’s legs are generally bound together from the hip to the ankle so she remains immobile for approximately 40 days to allow for the formation of scar tissue.
• Type IV includes the introduction of corrosive substances into the vagina.

All this is done without anesthesia. It is a violation of human rights and is done without consent.

Well, allegedly; a court hearing earlier this year was told that the attending doctor had diagnosed the death "as being possibly the result of the traditional female circumcision" which had been performed on the girl. Possibly, eh? And that girl was 18 months old, 14 years ago. But her two surviving daughters had not been circumcised by the time they left Nigeria in 2005, when they were aged approximately two and four years of age, respectively.

Girls are systematically cut between the ages of 4 and 8 but it can happen at any time from infancy to puberty. Calling it circumcision is disingenuous. It is not circumcision as our "white, western values" define it. For more information watch this but it does contain disturbing images.

Female circumcision is very common in Nigeria, but it is not mandatory, and is usually done at the mother's instigation -- which is unlikely to be the case here. Either way, our "white, western values" are properly affronted and appalled by the very notion of removing a girl's vulva; so these may be invoked to protect a girl from genital mutilation. They cannot, however, be invoked to protect a boy either from genital mutilation, or from the death which results when the bugling Nigerian cretin with the knife accidentally kills him.

Done at the mother's instigation? Pamela Izevbekhai is trying to prevent it from happening to her daughters, Naomi and Jemima. She has already lost one daughter to this practice.

There are many ancillary questions to this little affair. How did Pamela Izevbekhai manage to get from Nigeria to Ireland? En route, how many countries did she pass through where they don't have female circumcision? Why did she choose here as a refuge from the barbaric circumcisers of Nigeria, and not somewhere closer to home?

Irrelevant.

As for my own opinions on the matter, well, on the one hand the family has settled in Sligo, so a large part of me thinks they should be allowed to stay. But what if we are being duped? What if a baseless threat of circumcision is being falsely used to enable the Izevbekhais to stay?

And even if it's not, are we to be the refuge for every single Nigerian or Somalia or Chadean or Kuwaiti woman who wants to avoid genital mutilation? So all they have to do is get here, allege that if they go home they'll be circumcised, and then we must give them asylum: is that it? And if we don't, are we then to get the self-appointed cranks from Residents Against Racism accusing us of being racist, and then RAR will be rewarded with their usual quota of headlines?

Is Myers trying to float the idea that torturing girls is a baseless threat? That we should not be doing everything we can for people who are under threat of mutilation? That is truly disgusting.

As someone who has repeatedly suffered from gender based violence I say fuck you Myers.

Meanwhile, the asylum-seekers' little sons can still lawfully be genitally mutilated, right here in Ireland-of-the-Sisters, and maybe even die, because apparently that's part of Nigerian culture. And naturally, not one of our feminist-dominated quangos will utter a word of condemnation.

Marvellous, bloody marvellous.

Myers compares a judge's decision to a feminist takeover perhaps because it's the only way for him to stand up for the son of one asylum seeker and condemn the daughters of another. Truly classless Myers.

Banking crisis - the Lenihan edition

How does a country go from the Celtic Tiger to almost bankrupt? How can the ruling political party disavow responsibility when they have been continuously in power since 1997? Fianna Fáil has been in power for twelve years. That political party has presided over public spending during the boom years.

Charlie McCreevy, Brian Cowen and Brian Lenihan have been Ministers for Finance during the good years. Now Charlie is shipped off to Europe, Cowen is the Dear Leader and Lenihan is stuck in finance and, god knows, it's not his strong suit.

At least he's in a prime position to help out his buddies, even if he has to throw the country under a bus to do so. It is truly amazing that housing developments lie empty across the country yet the property developers don't seem that affected.

With water cascades, a Japanese garden, triplex penthouses and a chance to live in Ireland’s tallest residential building, a €2m Leeside penthouse in Cork city’s Elysian apartment complex was billed as the ultimate in Celtic tiger living. But four months after units in the 17-storey development officially came on the market, just one person has taken up residence in the €150m complex.

The Elysian was backed by a considerable marketing campaign. It featured in TV3’s The Apprentice, in which contestants competed to design a television commercial for Michael O’Flynn, the complex’s developer. However, even that publicity did not help to shift units.

This is the story all over the country. Vast property developments stand finished but empty. These must be costing the developers a pretty penny. And yet four of the five major property developers have not got bust. How is this possible? Could it be that the developers have friends in high places? Friends that are willing to nationalise banks to ensure the financial security of property developers?

The Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has told the Dáil the nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank is necessary to address a 'systemic threat' in the banking sector.

TDs and Senators are debating the legislation to nationalise Anglo Irish this afternoon. The Government wants the bill passed into law by this evening.

Introducing the Bill, Mr Lenihan said Anglo Irish presented a 'particular problem'. He said concerns about corporate governance and the concentration of its lending to the building sector exposed the bank.

The Minister said taking Anglo into state ownership would have no immediate impact on the general Government debt or current deficit. He said there was enough money - €7 billion - within Anglo Irish to take the strain of loan losses over the next three or four years.

Oh right, Anglo Irish is a 'particular problem'. What is that problem, again? Is is that we might bankrupt the poor developers who have finished picking the last of the meat from the carcass of the Celtic Tiger?

Anglo Irish wasn't picky with its loans either. It lent to developers outside Ireland and even outside the EU. Why were Israelis getting property loans from Anglo Irish to buy apartments in New York? Why is the Irish economy now dependent on the decision of a foreign, religious court? Was it corruption or incompetence?

Our Minister for Finance just put the cost of the developers excesses and the moronic financial decisions of the corrupt administrators of Anglo Irish on my back, on your back, on the bank of every taxpayer in the country.

However, not content with leaving the taxpaying population of Ireland to bail out the rich, Anglo Irish aka the government and their idiotic guarantees must now loan these same developers billions,

Anglo Irish Bank looks set to give up to €6.3bn in new loans to property developers and other customers for pending deals, despite the weakened funding position that forced the government to nationalise the bank last Thursday.

If drawn down in full, the loans will force Anglo – and now the government – either to raise more money in deposits or source new funding on the capital markets to cover the commitments.

Industry sources also said it wasn't certain how much of the €6.3bn could get called down, as many of Anglo's customers – especially property developers – have been putting deals on hold or pulling out entirely due to cash problems.

What are the odds that the public will never know the full extent of the wheeling and dealing? I'm writing to all my TDs to get information. And I'm thinking of asking the EU to provide some oversight.

Why couldn't the government just liquidise Anglo Irish? If developers fucked up then they should have to pay the piper. Morgan Kelly has the right idea,

YESTERDAY’S CATASTROPHIC collapse of Irish bank shares stems directly from the Government’s proposal to nationalise Anglo Irish Bank. With the Government’s finances already buckling under the collapse of our bubble economy, financial markets began to fear that with the added burden of Anglo’s debt, the Irish State cannot afford to finance itself, let alone support the remaining national banks.

Facing the imminent collapse of the national financial system, the Government needs to perform a ruthless triage. The worthwhile banks need to be maintained by any means necessary, including nationalisation, while Anglo Irish and Irish Nationwide must be allowed to collapse.

Today Lenihan declared that AIB and BOI would not be nationalised in the event of a crisis.

The Government will ensure AIB and Bank of Ireland are not nationalised and will proceed with a planned recapitalisation, the Minister for Finance told the Dáil this afternoon.

During a debate on legislation to provide for the nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank, Brian Lenihan said the Government’s “firm intention is that both banks [AIB and Bank of Ireland] remain in private ownership”.

Shares in Irish banking stocks have suffered further heavy falls today with AIB losing a third of its value following a 60 per cent fall in the value of its share price yesterday.

Mr Lenihan said the decision to nationalise Anglo Irish was taken because of the very serious disruption its collapse would have caused the financial system, due to its “systematic importance”.

Well the developers don't bank in AIB or BOI so sure let them collapse.

Journalism ethics

While Sean Dunne might be a financial scumbag who screwed the country to maximise his profits, it seems wrong to publish what he said at 3am in a pub after getting totally hammered. I think it's related to the issue of consent. Did the alcohol affect Dunne's discretion? Does Dunne have any discretion? Is it ok to quote someone under the influence? The NYT seems to think so. I think it's a scumbag move.

It’s 3 a.m. at Doheny & Nesbitt, a favorite watering hole of Dublin’s political and business elite, and the property tycoon Sean Dunne stoops to retrieve a penny from the pub’s grimy floor.

One would think that Mr. Dunne, Ireland’s best-known building developer, would be in bed at this hour. It’s a weeknight, after all, and he has meetings that begin before first light.

What’s more, the Irish economy, pummeled by the most severe housing bust in Europe, has collapsed. And the gossip around town is that Mr. Dunne, whose brazen deal-making and Donald Trump-like lifestyle epitomized the country’s euphoric boom, might be going bankrupt.

But, no matter, a penny is a penny.

“I am never, never too proud to pick a penny up from the floor,” Mr. Dunne said. He is on perhaps his fifth pint of Guinness, capping a rollicking night of Champagne cocktails, followed by a wine-soaked dinner — yet his thick brogue is clear of even the faintest slurring.

“I grew up with nothing and I know the value of money,” he adds. “The Celtic Tiger may be dead and if the banking crisis continues I could be considered insolvent. But the one thing that I have is my wife and children — that they can’t take away from me.”

Stay classy Landon Thomas. Stay classy.