O Captain, my Captain

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Jeremy Corbyn is a sigh from a frustrated and angry people, a sigh that will probably be lost in the vastness and roughness of the eternal sea that is political life. It is also an indicator of a basic decency and goodness that belies the contrived politics of a punditry that tries to explain or bully.

Our politics has become a game with players and commentators who work off each other in an egotistical way which pays homage to the mighty “meedja” Look at our latest new leader Arlene Foster promising Stephen Nolan an interview at the end of January and being reminded that he will bully her if she reneges. Never mind the Ulster fry you weedled Arlene just say NO. Say you have more important things to be concerned about, which you do.

Professionalism, intelligence and vision are the qualities that a good leader should have and they should be well above the petty terrors of the media.The only opinion that counts is the one expressed in the little wooden cubicle with the paper and the heavy, dark leaden pencil. Heavy and dark being the operative words.

I like Jeremy Corbyn, the people in the labour party have chosen Jeremy Corbyn. I hope he becomes Prime Minister. I hope.

 

Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf

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Sinn Fein, the largest nationalist party in the north and a pretender to power in the south are under attack for their links to the Provisional IRA who are supposed to have left the stage. The recent murders in Belfast and ongoing criminality plus cover-ups of sexual abuse within the movement are further evidence of an organization mired in its own past and the collective and individual choices of its members. There were many in the southern establishment and in its Northern counterpart present at the birth of this organization which, though never necessary, by “accident” of history and circumstance became sadly inevitable.

The fire was always burning, or at least left smoldering, and as any good fireman will tell you, dampening down the aftermath is essential to prevent any recurrence of the conflagration. No-one needs a history of the troubles according to any-ones “da” though there are plenty of learned men who will happily provide an alibi, or an excuse. The Provisional IRA did nothing to promote unity in Ireland and their demise cannot come too soon. May the likes of them never be seen again.

That said, and notwithstanding recent assertions by Martin McGuinness regarding his past in an interview with Eamonn Maille, Sinn Fein are on a journey that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have already taken. Whether they get into government or not remains to be seen but the panic in the southern press regarding this is hypocritical. Speculation as to what Sinn Fein in government will do and how they will relate to unionism is idle nonsense as it is likely to be tempered by whoever they are in coalition with. My guess is that they will never be in government in the south