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Notes from a visit to Shannon and Ireland national |
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 Tuesday January 21, 2003 21:23 by Irish American
 I'm back from the west of Ireland. First, I was disappointed with the "Peace Camp." A few sorry tents and barely legible banners low to the ground. C'mon, can't you do better than that? I wanted to visit, but I never saw anyone outside - even at 11:00 a.m. when I drove in to SNN to board my flight. I didn't want to wake anyone from their sleep. I watched TV coverage of the demonstration on RTE and TG4. The usual lot of hate-America banners. What was that backwards American flag supposed to mean? I also read the press coverage on the Sunday Independent and the Irish Times. Geez, who was the columnist who desscribed the Labor Party as the party of the "smugly satisfied middle class?" I was pleased that the columnists also called John Gormley and the protestors to task on the contemptible exaggeration of the terrorist threat to Ireland as a result of the use of Shannon. One of the Sunday Independent columnists said it was "scaring old biddies under their beds" and a plea - "Don't hurt us Osama, we hate Americans, too." This columnist asked where all the "Bold Fenian Men" had gone. When I was leaving, I was lucky enough to share the Shannon departure lodge with a few score American soldiers. I talked to a couple, wished them well. They were black and white, male and female, all ethnicities reflected in the names on their uniform name tapes. I saw a black female colonel, medical corps, and a black male infantry lieutenant colonel, reminding me that with all its faults, my country has given more people a fair chance at success and personal expression than any country in history. If moral or physical courage were needed in any tough fight, I would trade the whole lot of protestors at Shannon for any squad of ten of those soldiers. In conclusion, I would direct you to Christopher Hitchens, who as usual makes the true moral case: 'Wake Up, Peaceniks!' The swelling protests against war on Iraq forget that the US was impelled into war by an attack on its territory, against enemies that target innocents and include the worst human rights violators on the planet. For whom is this insufficient justification to choose sides? Ever since the morning of 11 September 2001, the United States has been at war with the forces of reaction. May I entreat you to re-read the sentence? The government and people of the United States are now at war with the forces of reaction. And this was not willed, on the American side. Everybody knows how to dilute the statement. Isn’t Saudi Arabia reactionary? What about Pakistani nukes? Do we bomb Sharon for his negation of Palestinian rights? Weren’t we on Saddam’s side when he was at his worst? But however compromised and shameful the American starting-point was – and I believe I could make this point stick with greater venom and better evidence than most people can muster – the above point remains untouched. The United States finds itself at war with the forces of reaction. Do I have to demonstrate this? The Taliban’s annihilation of music and culture? The enslavement of women? The massacre of Shi’a Muslims and Hazaras in Afghanistan? Or what about the latest boast of al-Qaida – that the bomb in Bali, massacring so many Australian holidaymakers, was a deliberate revenge for Australia’s belated help in securing independence for East Timor? (Never forget that the Muslim fundamentalists are not against ‘empire’. They fight proudly for the restoration of their own lost Caliphate.) To these people, the concept of a civilian casualty is meaningless if the civilian is an unbeliever or a heretic. For the rest, see: http://www.opendemocracy.net/debates/article.jsp?id=6&debateId=33&articleId=896
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Comments (9 of 9)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9As an American, I do not share the criticisms by the 'Irish American' - I think the Shannon protest is one of the most important happening anywhere in the world today.
Seriously.
Ireland is a Partnership for Peace country, Ireland is historically, culturally, and even genetically tied to the US of A.
If the Irish people somehow get their government to withdraw the use of Shannon, and even better, pull out of PfP, it will be a symbolic but important chapter in America's mad rush towards war.
The American media will note that Ireland does not back up America in its stupid war(s).
There are 44 million 'Irish-Americans' - they look at Ireland with fondness and respect.
Point is, the statement would be symbolic (let's face it, the US of A does not *need* Ireland to wage war on Iraq or anyone else) but it would be a powerful symbol that would probably inspire other nations to the same.
And, conversely, the US government has pointed to Ireland and said: Even Neutral Ireland is joining NATO. Ireland is a small but powerful symbol for America.
One thing I have noticed about the Irish is that they are cynical bunch and don't think Ireland counts for anything in this world. It is a nation with a low sense of self-esteem.
I say, Ireland *can* make a difference, and after seeing the energy against the war in this country, I think Ireland will make the difference in this world.
The small but growing numbers at Shannon have an enthusiasm that is catching on.
Hang in there Shannonistas!!
redJaDe
Good post Irish American thank you for having the guts to post it. All the best.
First, thank you Maguire.
Second, with regard to the alleged American who posted, nonsense.
I've never found the Irish to lack self-esteem about their country's role in the world.
While I've taken shots at Irish neutrality, the Irish do have a proud role in UN peacekeeping and definately "punch above their weight" in international affairs.
Some might remember "the best Irish government the Congo ever had" - the UN mission with Conor Cruise O'B as the Secretary General's Special Rep., and the Irish general in command of the UN force in Katanga.
Mary Robinson as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, etc.
Not to mention world-wide cultural and political impact of Bono, Geldof.
Ireland and Israel are the biggest little countries in the world.
I am surprised "Irish American" that at a time when your country is on the brink of war that you have taken a holiday. Are you not aware that there are WMD out there in Iraq,(some of them supplied by uncle sam), shame on you. You must get back to Washington and volunteer. WARNING, WARNING, those nasty Iraqi use real bullets, hope you managed to visit duty free. There are still some Iraqi children alive and besides think of all that oil. Of course, Dubya will have to give a cup or two to Tony.
iraq is run by a nasty regime.
but...
IRAQ HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SEPT 11th!!!!!
why echo back this nonsense no-one but Bush would have us believe?
option 1. Leave Iraq to suffer the indignity of continual inspections by the UN. Bring charges against the present regime and start dragging high level Baath officials off to the Hague for trial. See Saddam's power base erode away.
option2. Bomb the country for a couple of weeks. Kill a bunch of people. Roll tanks into the country and kill more people. Leave an unholy mess, and a puppet regime to clean up the mess you've made. Highlight the 'might is right' philosophy for all the world's discontented to see, and make it clear where the buck stops in economic international aggression. Further destabilise those countries that provided the lifeblood of motivation for Sept 11 (clue: they weren't Iraqis)
I'm sure Shannon peace camp is a hopeless kip full of late sleeping crusties, and that the troops are decent people, provided with opportunity by Uncle Sam. These things are just an irrelevence. Protesting the move towards war IS partially an anti american protest, but that's with good reason. I like many aspects of the US. I'm just not on board this particular train.
Looking at this and previous IRISH AMERICAN posts, I feel that this individual is sadly misinformed, dillusional or is in fact some form of Indymedia Spook - an increasing feature of free media.
Australia liberating EAST TIMOR! What a joke! I suggest you look into Australia's brutal (and Oil loving) relating with Indonesia and East Timor. They helped cause the horrors!
Irish American, he say...
"The swelling protests against war on Iraq forget that the US was impelled into war by an attack on its territory, against enemies that target innocents and include the worst human rights violators on the planet. For whom is this insufficient justification to choose sides? "
When did Iraq ever attack US territory? It never happened! Unless the US considers the oil-fields of Kuwait its territory... Or maybe Israel...
But of course, you're talking about the twin-tower/pentagon bombing, as you imply in your next paragraph.
That was done by Al Qaeda who are not only *not allied* with Saddam Hussein, but in fact are enemies with him!
This post typifies the ignorant "Well them dang towelheads are all the same to me!" mentality of your average American (be it Irish or not)
Secondly, it isn't necessarily sufficient justification to choose sides. Some might argue that Al Qaeda's attack was justified, or at least, a long time coming.
Or do I have to remind you of Guatemala, Grenada, Cuba, Vietnam, Iraq... They've certainly killed far more than the 3,000 people killed by those attacks.
Besides, anyone who would choose to side with George Bush defies all reason.
In conclusion... Americans should educate themselves, quickly and before the next election.
(Also, America should get a new election system - the current one's a joke. Greatest democracy in the world my arse... But that's another story)
Hey 'Irish American' if I was you I'd stop worrying about 'anti-americans' in Ireland and look in your own backyard. Conservative estimates are that 200,000 marched in Washington, 150,000 in San Fransico and 20,000 in Portland just hours after our Shannon demonstration. And there were lots more demos across the US (presumably of anti-american Americans!).
Anyone interested in the details check out the US indymedias, in particular San Fran.
The whole world is against your war, you want to have it both ways, you want an empire and to control the world but you also want to be thanked for it. A million came out in florence against your war and millions more will come out on the 15th. You can't attack and invade and be the "good guys" at the same time. What churchill called "the price of empire". No one anywhere believes any of it the people are against your war everywhere so you better get used to it.