Letters: 24 - 30 Sept 2008

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Letters from Irish Voice readers

Letters: 24 - 30 Sept 2008

September 25, 2008

McCain’s Irish Slur

I WATCHED a live John McCain rally this morning, from Media, Pennsylvania.

Speaking before a veterans’ group, McCain told the stale, old joke about the two twin drunk Irish brothers questioning each other about their Dublin origins. They were so blind drunk that, from opposite ends of a long bar, they couldn’t tell they were speaking with their own sibling. So they marveled at how near they lived to each other growing up.

It didn’t make much sense as a joke. But it is, perhaps, a good indication of McCain’s real sensitivities on matters Irish.

It’s an insulting negative stereotype. Those who delude themselves that McCain’s in our camp and has “got a great position on Irish immigration” have another good reason to think again.

Joe Jamison
Bayside, New York

Tyrone Fooled ‘Em All!

I WAS in Ireland this year while the All-Ireland was reaching the provincial deciders. I was lucky enough to get to a few matches in Ulster and Croke Park.

After Wexford eliminated Ulster champions Armagh in the quarterfinals, it left Tyrone as the province’s lone survivor, and they faced the mighty Dubs, as the media referred to them.

Reading the papers on a daily basis, it was as if both Dublin and Kerry were already in the final. The Irish Independent actually had an article with the headline “What’s Gone Wrong With Ulster Football?’’

They went on to say that while Tyrone manager Mickey Harte’s intimidating tactics might have worked a few years back, those days were long gone. One so called expert on an RTE GAA preview show with Pat Spillane, a Kerryman (who incidentally, referred to Tyrone as “puke football’’ a couple of seasons ago) said that Tyrone is not a patch of the team they were in 2005 and have in fact gone backwards.

Well, as we all now know, the rumors of Tyrone’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Not only did they destroy the Dubs at headquarters, they put manners once more on a Kerry team going for three in-a-row, beating them for the third time this decade with an incredible display of football, guts, determination and — Mr. Spillane may I add — no shortage of skill.

By the way, is it true that Christmas has been cancelled in Kerry and Dublin this year? They can’t face anyone wearing a beard, and dressed in red and white!

Sean McPhillips
College Point, New York

Out of Line

CORMAC MacConnell, big mouth from 3,000 miles away, is at it again.

He watches the news on RTE and thinks he’s an expert on American affairs. How dare he criticize Sarah Palin, and what makes him think that we give a you know what about what he thinks, anyway?

It’s so typical snotty Irish. They always know better than Americans, what’s best for our country.

There are plenty of problems in Ireland that Cormac should focus on. Let him stick to those.

I for one would be proud to call Governor Palin the next vice president of the United States. I think she’s wonderful, and so do most of my family members and friends. And we’re not the only ones, Cormac!

Mary A. Dillon
Bellmore, New York

Taxpayers Rise Up!

ON September 16 on a recent trading day on the New York Stock Exchange, AIG (American International Group) stock volume was lose to one billion, an historic number for any shares ever transacted on the NYSE.

Why the monstrous volume?

Perhaps traders are terrified that the company, once the golden boy of the financial sector.

That same day the Fed issued a statement on the ongoing turmoil regarding Bear Stearns collapse, Barclay’s Lehman indigestion and B of A’s gobbling of Merrill Lynch. A snippet of the Fed’s purported wisdom:

“Strains in financial markets have increased significantly and labor markets have weakened further. Economic growth appears to have slowed recently, partly reflecting a softening of household spending.

“Tight credit conditions, the ongoing housing contraction, and some slowing in export growth are likely to weigh on economic growth over the next few quarters.”

Who are these eggheads fooling? What planet are these people on? Strained financial markets — more like financial implosion. Slowing growth — more like economic contraction.

Of course the Fed’s job is to assure the markets that all is well. Its express raison d’être is to ensure inflation is stable, money flows unimpeded through the system in conjunction with the Treasury. And the Treasury’s job is to collect taxes, both corporate and individual.

Lately its duties appear to be veering toward backing up sagging bank balance sheets.

Should the Treasury, in conjunction with the Fed, assist AIG to remain solvent? With 125,000 jobs worldwide and several thousand here in New York City, AIG’s collapse could cause a domino effect all across the financial landscape.

However, why should AIG and several other financially mismanaged institutions engage in privatizing profits but allow the public to take on losses?

Taxpayers and ordinary people in the United States of America should be outraged, as they watch their taxes siphoned off to bail out ridiculous riskiness taken on by foolish and greedy financial engineers, while the CEOs of these entities cash out multi-million dollar bonuses and employees get pink slips.

Taxpayers should wake up and smell the coffee, demanding accountability and responsibility of their elected representatives both locally and in D.C.

Otherwise, like the Roman Empire of old, the system will implode.

A.P. O’Maille
New York, New York

Examine Unionists

THE Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) merely confirmed what everyone has known for years, that the IRA is totally committed to peace and justice.

Ever since it was created the British government, the IMC has submitted false reports about the IRA, intentionally subverting the political process and providing unionists with excuses not to engage in the peace process with Sinn Fein.

But after four years and 19 reports, the IMC has finally gotten it right.

This report should be enough to put pressure on the Democratic Unionists to stop disrupting the Assembly. They’re blocking key issues, including the transfer of responsibility for policing and justice powers from London to the locally elected leaders.

The transfer, which should have taken place in May, is the only way to end the militarized policing and politicized courts that Irish citizens have had to endure for generations.

Currently, there is no official body monitoring the real threats to progress — the unionists who refuse to accept a partnership government and their active paramilitaries. Maybe the IMC, now that it is done scrutinizing Irish Republicans, could devote a little attention to these.

Pat Kempton
Public Relations Officer
Cleveland Irish Northern Aid
Concord, Ohio

Cormac’s a Bore

HOW boring can Cormac MacConnell’s column “West’s Awake” become?

MacConnell finds time to criticize the United States whenever he finds a topic. Like his allies in North Korea, Cuba and Iran, MacConnell is hoping to see an Obama presidency.

His cheap and incorrect snipes at Governor Sarah Palin in last week’s issue were pathetic. Funny how all the enemies of this country think alike.

Why doesn’t the columnist take a real stand and stop taking money from the Americans who buy the Irish Voice? Be a man and quit the paper on principal.

William Doyle
Clark, New Jersey

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