I’m Privileged

Posted on July 30, 2014 by johnkilleagh

I am privileged. This morning I woke up in my own bed, and was able to make breakfast with fresh water and food.

I am privileged. Nobody took my land and forced me to live in a camp, behind walls of wire and guns.

I am privileged. Today nobody tried to kill my children. Nobody tried to kill me or my wife.

I am privileged. I can go to a doctor when needed, I can go to school without the risk of it being shelled, I can go to work without having to go through a checkpoint.

I am privileged. I can go to the shops in safety.

I am privileged. I don’t live in Gaza.

We all know that Israel is currently attacking the political group, Hamas. Hamas, in turn, has been attacking Israel for years. Hamas’ charter apparently includes the wish to destroy the state of Israel.

I believe that the state of Israel has the right to exist, and obviously, this implies that it has the right to defend itself.

However, if we look at the extent of the rocket attacks by Hamas, they don’t seem to be anywhere near as deadly as propaganda would suggest. Some research here shows that, up until the attacks by Israel 3 weeks ago, 35 Israelis had been killed by these rockets in 10 years.

In the past few weeks over 1,300 Palestinians have been killed by the the IDF. The vast majority of the dead have been civilians, many of them children.

Schools, mosques, refugee centres, hospitals have all been targeted by the IDF. This is not an attack on Hamas. It is an attack on civilians. It is brutal, it is one sided, and it is murder.

Solutions

Hamas should not be launching rockets as Israel, and it should be willing to pursue a peaceful solution.

However, Israel should not be pursing a solution that is disturbingly close to the solution that was inflicted upon the Jewish people 70 years ago.

The Irish Answer?

To my shame, the government I voted for have taken the coward’s route. When the United Nations had a vote to investigate potential war crimes in Gaza, we abstained.

Our country had a good record of standing up for human rights around the globe. Maybe it has something to do with our history , or the fact that Ireland is a small country in the global scheme of things. This record has now been sullied.

Yes, I know that the defence of this decision is that the UN resolution does not cover crimes committed by Hamas, but really, with hundreds of civilians being killed weekly, everything possible should be done to stop the killing.

The future?

I don’t know how or when this conflict will be resolved. The only thing that is sure is that any militant organisation in Gaza or any of the Palestinian territories will easily find more recruits after this. May people are justifiable angry. Israel has just guaranteed many more years of conflict.

After an attack today on a marketplace, wounded children were among those taken to the Al-Shifa hospital

Embed from Getty Images

Dear Joan, or Alex

Posted on June 19, 2014 by johnkilleagh

On July 4th the Labour Party will begin counting votes on who will get to be the new leader of the party. This will hopefully be a fairly straightforward and quick poll, and we will know who will lead the party from its worst electoral defeat.

Add to the new leadership in Labour is the likelihood that there will be a cabinet reshuffle during the Summer. This, I once hoped would be a cause for joy, but I’m beginning to get a bit cynical now.

You see, Joan (or Alex), people who had previously believed that Labour would stand up for them are sadly disillusioned. Cutbacks and austerity in health, education and social welfare are being touted as achievements. Surely they are the exact opposite? Labour ministers have led the charge to cut back in their own departments in the name of keeping the Troika happy, in the cause of shoring up the gambling debts of Ireland’s elite from the Tiger Era. Is not keeping rich investors happy the very antithesis of what Labour stood for?

And here’s the thing. The Troika recently called for the government to keep on track with a further 2 Billion Euro in cutbacks this year. They announced this in the middle of your leadership campaign. This, to me, is a clear signal as to who really calls the shots.

To take a note from Minister Quinn’s playbook, it seems that the Troika think Labour’s job is to consult on the cutbacks, not to negotiate them. So I wonder how much will actually change.

From a teacher’s point of view, I used to hope that a cabinet re-shuffle would rid education of Ruairi Quinn, and that we would have a minister who would listen to teachers, rather than his own fabled advisers. I hoped that we could get a minister who would listen to concerns around Special Needs Provision, around concerns with the JCSA, around concerns with Pupil Teacher ratios; around management of schools, around the proper resourcing of education. Now I doubt that much would actually change. Yes, we may get a minster who talks a better talk, but I’m beginning to think that nothing will actually change.

You see, Joan, or Alex. I think you have forgotten the marginalised in this country. I think that you have forgotten about just how much hardship has been endured by normal people.

I really hope that I’m wrong. I really hope that you heard the very clear message given by the Irish Electorate in May. I really hope that you will finally realise that Austerity has run its course. Ireland should not be just about balancing the books. Ireland should also be about the quality of life of all its citizens. More so for the most vulnerable among us.

Or, to quote Gandhi: “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”

In very many cases recently Joan or Alex, we have failed this test of greatness. What are you going to do about it?

The Local Elections

Posted on May 8, 2014 by johnkilleagh

In two weeks time we’re heading for the poles to elect our next round of county Councillors and Members of the European Parliament.

There are a few big changes this year.

Town councils are being abolished, and some councils are being amalgamated. (from 114 local authorities to 31)
The total number of Councillors in Ireland will reduce from 1,627 to 950 (a drop of 677 seats)
With the property tax being earmarked to go to the local councils, they will have their own funding for the first time in about 40 years.

And what do our Councillors do?

Make decisions about how the local budget is spent.
This may be on Housing, Roads, Libraries, Amenities (playgrounds, etc)
Make policy decisions around various local issues
Help people dealing with the bureaucracy of a council

Local councillors can’t make any decision regarding national issues, for example in Education, Health, etc.

So, when we go to the polls on Friday 23rd, what are we voting for?

Well, a lot of us are angry at the way the country has gone, and the narrative goes like this:

‘Fianna Fail fiddled while the whole thing exploded, we voted for Fine Gael and Labour to fix it. Fine Gael because they promised political reform and Labour because we believed they would keep Fine Gael in check (Just in case too much of the blue-shirt gene started showing)

‘Unfortunately, Fine Gael haven’t reformed politics, there were no report cards on under-performing politicians, and very, very few resignations. Labour have supported FEMPI and seem to be a bit too enthusiastic in cutting some areas and I don’t trust the shinners I’ve heard there’s a Green Party, but haven’t seen of them recently, they’ve gone extinct, I think.’

The question now becomes what does this have to do with the Local Elections?

For each of us it is this. Do I vote for the person who will work for my local community/needs/interests or do I work to support a party or a political ideal? And in this case the political ideal may be to shout to the government that ‘enough is enough’. Do I vote against the government candidates just to prove a point? And if so, who do I vote for then?

But, if all politics are local, then is it also important to look at the candidates who have served their communities well, and ask them to keep on doing the same?

I haven’t figured out my own answer to that question yet, but I do need to look at it. The only thing I am sure of is that Saturday 24th will be a very busy day for the pundits.

Russia vows no Invasion?

Posted on March 29, 2014 by johnkilleagh

Apparently the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov has promised that Russia has no intention of sending troops into Ukraine.

Hmmm.

I’d be inclined to take that one with a grain of salt. You see, Mr. Lavrov may be speaking English, but it’s not as we know it.

When the first signs of troops started spreading around strategic installations in the Crimea they were wearing no insignia. Moscow went as far as to deny its having any troops in the Crimea (apart from those on Russian bases there).

Those troops were, helpfully, a ‘local militia’ who just happened to be very organised, disciplined and pro-Russian.

Russia then offered all help to the Crimea as the Russian ethnic group there was under attack. Next came the political maneuverings, create a new parliament while the militia guards it, elect a new president, and vote for a referendum to take place 10 days later. 10 days.

Only after the referendum was passed by the incredible majority of 95.6% (Wiki here), did the Russian parliament ratify the result and move in. By this time, according to Russian Law, the Crimea was Russian territory.

So, you see, Russia never invaded the Crimea. It was, by their logic, all voluntary, all above board.

So, when Mr. Lavrov says Russia has no intention of invading, I’d be inclined to take that one with a pinch of salt.

Trouble at the Russian Airport

Posted on March 29, 2014 by johnkilleagh

Wayy back I used to work in Russia in a city called Novosibirsk. To get into, and out of, Russia, you need to have the correct paperwork. Visas etc.

So, my first time in Russia I didn’t get to travel home for about 10 months. My visa was up and I had to go home for a while to get a new visa. Flying at the time was a bit different, this was pre- 9-11, so you could take all kinds of things on-board. I had a guitar tucked in by the crew quarters, and I was flying Aeroflot. The service was – nice. Proper cutlery with the meal, and after the meal an air steward came through with steamed towels to refresh oneself.

And then we landed in Sheremetevo. If you ever get the chance to visit it – don’t. Terminal 2 is chaos, and Terminal 1 (local flights) is worse. There’s minimal sinage in English, there is no queueing system (you just push into the crowd and hope you don’t get your pockets picked). Terminal 1 is a relic of the 50s. Cramped, and full of bad-tempered officials. Terminal 2 was probably supposed to be a tribute to the industry of the Soviet Union. The ceiling consists of thousands of brass cylinders each containing a lightbulb. The effect is grim, cold and dark. Of course T2 also contains the bad-tempered officials. The trip from Terminal 1 to T2 is about 30 minutes by cranky old bus, and then you try to check in. That’s when the trouble began.

Turned out that I didn’t have the correct exit visa stamped into my passport. “what can I do?” <non smiley guy shrugs shoulders>. It turned out that I could go up to the second floor and pick up a phone just to the left of the escalator. That I did and a grey suited guy came out, looked at the passport and said I could have the visa for US$200. I probably started sweating at this point. I had (barely) the cash, luckily I had been working for an American company and they paid well enough. (by the way US$200 was probably 30 weeks wages for a Russian teacher at the time). But the anonymous man (no ID, no uniform) didn’t inspire confidence.

I didn’t really have too much of a choice, so I coughed up and got my passport. Without any fuss he disappeared and returned with the correct visa.

A year later I was back in my favourite airport <ahem>, and came across two Irish girls very upset. Turns out that they had been travelling to Belarus, and had left the passport control area. So they were now on Russian soil without the correct visas, and couldn’t find out what to do. This time I didn’t have the money for 2 sets of bribes. I phoned the Irish embassy and one of the officials came out and paid for the girls exit visas. By the way, this is one reason why it’s good to know where the embassy is in whatever country you’re visiting.

A happy ending for them, but you have to wonder how many people this happens to in just one airport in Russia.

It’s just funny how something that happened 15 years ago can still be so clear in the memory.

Why Putin will win at home

Posted on March 2, 2014 by johnkilleagh

Only the terminally uninterested in the world around them are currently unaware of what’s happening in the Ukraine at the moment. Following the ousting of President Yanukovych last week Russia has moved troops into the Crimea, and now the world is on a brink wondering how far this game will go.

How did thing get to this point? And what does Putin stand to gain?

The Rise of Putin

I lived in Russia from late 1998 to 2000, and for part of that time, Boris Yeltsin was president. When he first became president, Yeltsin was a hero. he, after all, was the man who stood on a tank to defend democracy. However, later in his Presidency Russia defaulted on foreign debt, and the currency crashed by a factor of 4 in August 2008. Things were grim. Yeltsin, by now was a joke. The man who would dance on stage with a girl-band; fail to get off a plane in Shannon; the man who lost respect on the world stage.

Enter Vladimir Putin.

Yeltsin appointed Putin as his Prime Minister in August 1999. On 31st December 1999 Yeltsin resigned unexpectedly, leaving Putin as acting president.

So, Putin takes power at a time when Russia was in a bad way. At the time many states there were receiving emergency food aid from the United States. Bribery & corruption were rampant, the head of the country had been a joke.

The economy was a shambles. For example, the wage for teachers at the time was about 200 roubles per week, or about €6. To add insult to that injury teachers wages were often months overdue.

Add to all of this the belief of many Russians that ‘Russia Needs A Strong Leader’. When I was there you would see the occasional march in memory of Stalin. They conveniently forget that Stalin managed to kill more Russians than Hitler did.

In his time in power Putin has changed a lot for normal Russians. Wages there are pretty good now. People have access to the benefits of having a good economy. People have pride in their country. Also, they have a president who potrays the image of the Real Russian Man. he swims in ice, he practices Judo, he’s sober.

It’s Never That Simple, Really.

Under Putin democracy has suffered. He has been in effective control since 2000. He now controls the media, and that brings a lot of power. Think about it. State only media in your own language. People don’t go so much for the foreign news outlets because of the language barrier.

So Russian people only get an approved version of what’s happening. Anywhere.

Many of Putin’s actions can be understood if you look at his view of what Russia is. His dream is of a strong and proud Russia. And I think that for him ‘Respect‘ can equate to ‘Fear of’. So:

Russia standing up for President Bashir in Syria? Russia gains by having a friendly regime in the area, as well as being seen as a player on the world stage.
Russia having the most expensive Olympics ever? Pride on the world stage.
Russia banning homosexuality? Doesn’t fit into Putin’s image of a proud & pure Russia.

How does this relate to The Ukraine?

When the Ukraine tried to forge closer ties with Europe last year this offended Putin’s vision. He wanted an alliance centred around Russia. Here was a country with a large Russian speaking population turning their backs on Mother Russia. Cue the Russian Speaking President Yanukovych from near the Russian border. The president cut the move towards Europe and went for the Russian offer of cheap gas.

This led to the protests that eventually led to his overthrow last week.

In Russia the people get a different story to what we get in the West.

Ethnic Russians are being attacked
There was a revolution
Our bases in the Crimea are under threat
There is chaos on our doorstep and we must move to stabilise the situation

And the West?

Well. There’s not a lot really that the West can do. Nobody wants to see an all-out war between Russia and the West. Even sanctions will have limited effect. Yes, the G8 members may boycott Sochi. Yes, the paralympics could even be boycotted. Yes there could be all sorts of diplomatic messages sent.

Putin will ignore the lot. And why? Because he chooses what the people at home will be told.

When this is over, however it ends, Putin believes he will have strengthened the image of a strong and proud Russia. And that is just the message that the Russian people will hear. Will they believe it? Absolutely. After all, this is the man who has brought them more wealth and stability.

Pocket Money

Posted on January 17, 2014 by johnkilleagh

When I was in college, (waay back in the 20th Century) I remember very clearly visiting a friend one day in Blarney. Nice visit, but as I was going his dad gave me £20. A load of money to me at the time. I tried to refuse his generosity, but he said “take it, you can do a lot more with than than I can”.

The words have stayed with me a long time, because what he said is quite true. As a student £20 was a lot. It could keep me fed and on the bus for 2 days or so. For a businessman, £20 probably wouldn’t even have filled his car with petrol. So from his perspective, it was pocket money, yet I have never forgotten his generosity.

Fast forward to last week, and the revelation that Irish Water spent €50,000,000 on consultancy in one year. The amount as it stands is staggering. Then, we also hear that bonuses in the region of €7,000 are being handed out to the staff. In the middle of the financial crisis (my pay cheque doesn’t believe we’re out of it), it’s hard to believe that there’s this amount of spare cash available.

But don’t worry about the amount. Shur, didn’t the minister for the Environment declare that he wasn’t aware of the amounts involved because he doesn’t “micro-manage” his department. In what world is being aware of €50,000,000 micro-managing? In what world is the minister living? Does Mr. Hogan not realise the arrogance of that statement?

One morning this week Ray Darcy was discussing the whole thing on the radio and he began to defend the bonuses. His rationale is that the incentive drives the workers to achieve more. Well, that is what are they being paid for in the first place.

You see, the thing is, depending on how much you earn, certain values can seem like pocket money. If you are a top-level DJ or a government minister on over €100,000 then certain values can seem small. However, for most of the rest of us, we see money being spent and we don’t see the value of it.

The problem is that those with plenty of money are divorced from the rest of us. They live in a world apart. If they get sick they can pay for a doctor. If the car breaks down, they can pay to get it fixed, and not wonder what needs to be unpaid in order to cover the cost of that car. And, with time, no matter how good your intentions, you forget just what it’s like to struggle with money.

And that’s part of our problem. The people making the decisions are all on the €100,000 salary bracket. And they have expenses. Not the type of expenses you and I have, but the type of expenses that put money into your pocket.

So the people making the decisions have forgotten that some of us have to live on their pocket money. That, however, does not give them the right to treat us as children and ignore the concerns that we raise.

John Hurley

A few rambling thoughts

Category Archives: Politics