Comments on The Pensive Quill: Death by Committee

Robert, hopefully you will get on top of whatever...

2013-07-11T20:01:29.038+01:00

Robert,

hopefully you will get on top of whatever crises occur. Crisis is the enemy of peace of mind.

Anthony, As always thank you. Consecutive domesti...

2013-07-11T19:54:22.278+01:00

Anthony,

As always thank you. Consecutive domestic rather than constitutional crisis to blame for my absence. Some r&r in Maghaberry is somewhat attractive - what time is the next bus to Ardoyne?

p.s. To avoid confusion the line from my previous ...

2013-07-09T22:43:39.966+01:00

p.s. To avoid confusion the line from my previous comment;

'How the POWs in MagHaberry sould be doing aith a committee on the outside NOW!'

should read;

'How the POWs in MagHaberry could be doing with some form of a committee (for want of a better word!) on the outside NOW!'

Sean, It wan't directed at individual groups...

2013-07-09T20:48:41.781+01:00

Sean,

It wan't directed at individual groups and those working for prisoners.

However, when I mentioned by outside committee, I feel there does need to be some concerted effort to relay to society the collective plight of the POWs and SHOW that there is some form of coherent unity. At the end of the day they see themselves as Irish Freedom fighters for the cause of Irish unity..The perception of dis-unity & infighting isn't helping!!

I tried to compile a list of all POWs a while back and I hit nothing but brick walls. Some lsits on were more tahn 2 years old and I cldn't even get a total headcount of ALL the prisoners.

So we can stick our heads in the sand and say that the Sunday World is MI5 etc etc.But that doesn't fix the public perception that there are issues on the wings etc. The shinners in their time used to put issues on the long finger with similar MI5/6 British brush offs! So this time around we should try not to make the same mistakes twice.

Public perception is key to winning herats & minds, what the Sunday World & it's ilk say just further disuades people from getting involved with the plight of the prisoners..

Sorry for focusing on one part of your comment Fen...

2013-07-09T18:53:28.913+01:00

Sorry for focusing on one part of your comment Fenian but I wouldn't pay much attention to anything that appears in the Sunday World, don't listen to everything Pauline and Bobby concoct to try and keep the pot stirring. And no matter what skews and divisions there may be between republicans on the outside ALL the POWs, of whatever hue, have people working very hard to raise money for their families and to make things as comfortable as possible in a very trying set of circumstances. I have seen this work firsthand and it should never be dismissed as though this disgusting committee could or would somehow do a better job for the POWs. At least these people are trying their best to make sure that prisoners and their dependents are looked after. That shouldn't be forgot about. What the prisoners really need is people to speak out on their behalf in civil society, we need more people, like what Angela Nelson is trying to do in West Belfast, to use their position or office to bring this issue to a wider audience. If I picked that up wrong fair enough but there was too much suggestion in that comment in relation to the prisoners and the work being done - or not being done as it came across to me - on their behalf. As for the Sunday World wouldn't even read that MI5 trash never mind actually take any of it on board

'In war there are no winners or losers, just s...

2013-07-09T10:00:10.386+01:00

'In war there are no winners or losers, just survivors who live to talk about it.'

Another regularly used cliche is 'a week is a long time in politics'. Well the last week in the O6C has only been a perfect summation of the futility of 40 years of struggle (which promised so much!), but more importantly it has also revealed what was it's primary driver, GREED.

AM, yourself, R O'Rawe et al, in arguing your corner, must be commended in the way that you's have attempted to put your argument accross within the context of when the events happened. In dicussing the 'Struggle' these days far too many commentators tend to cherry pick events and put their own spin on them.

Over the last week the political headlines can split be split between both camps as follows;
On the 'Taig' side:
1. Gerry Kelly being taken for a spin on the front of a Paddy Wagon,

2. screens errected for contentious marches,

3. Marty being awarded for his efforts for services to Lizzie & Partition with 'MLA of the Year' for keeping the good ship Stormont HQ afloat,

4. HET not fit for purpose. The Sunday Politics debate between Kelly & Elliott was DOUBLE confirmation (following Allister's shallow vicotry on Ann's Bill) that we have are now at the stage where the 'victims' are mere political pawns.

The Sunday World revealtions on the crisis within Republican dissent. How the POWs in MagHaberry sould be doing aith a committee on the outside NOW!

6. PSNI/RUC siezing the Boston College tapes,

On the 'Hun' side we have had;

1. The Red Sky scandal and will Nelson stay or go? Well PEter wasn't forced to go so why should he!!

2. A TV documentary on the Presbo Mutual fiasco;

3. Yesterday's Stormont debate which detiorated into a slanging match on funding.

In summation, 40+ years on the 'Taigs' are still no further on in achieving the 'Holy grail' of Irish Unity. Even after the sacrifices of the '10 Irish martyrs',hundreds of volunteers murdered, 1000's of deaths and as Gerry Kelly pointed out 100's of 1000's of hours in Prison.

On the 'Hun' side the three points reveal not much has changed in their 'plantation' physce as underlined by yesterday's Stormont debate which descended into a slanging match between Robinson & Allister on party funding.

Whilst Carson is reverred by the UPP it looks like the DUP should be erecting a statue up @ Stormont to addorn their own mentor, Gordon Grekko.

In Norn Iron Lizzie maybe Queen, but Greed is definitely KING!!

Joe Mc Donnell along with those five other men,s d...

2013-07-09T08:09:48.816+01:00

Joe Mc Donnell along with those five other men,s deaths is now no longer conjecture but fact as proven by Richard O Rawe and backed up by agent Duddy,and unfortunately like the dup,s petition of concern yesterday in the Red Sky debacle, no matter how much evidence or how clearly the guilt is shown,fuck all will happen to the guilty ,much the pity .

Robert, good to se you still around. Wondered whe...

2013-07-09T07:04:23.103+01:00

Robert,

good to se you still around. Wondered where you had gone! Thought you might have been in Maghaberry for rioting during the flags protest!!!!!

Robert, the memo written 3 months before she made...

2013-07-09T06:50:09.585+01:00

Robert,

the memo written 3 months before she made the U turn, would at best open up the possibility that she made it for tactical reasons.

The body of evidence shows she made many U turns and masked them with the adage get the name of an early riser and you can sleep to noon

Anthony, 'She made a U turn on the hunger str...

2013-07-08T23:18:41.738+01:00

Anthony,

'She made a U turn on the hunger strike in the days before Joe McDonnell died.'

I'm not so sure that the historical narrative in this regard will stand the test of time. Sir Robert Armstrong's memo, 13th April 1981, opens up the possibility that she bottled it for the optics, effectively appearing to lose in order to win.

Sean, thanks. Nothing stops the abuse from thos...

2013-07-08T22:29:50.322+01:00

Sean,

thanks.

Nothing stops the abuse from those who don't give a toss what happened to Joe or have not the slightest inclination to find out. Look at the abuse Richard got.

'Vile committee' is right

"History will not be" - I hope you are r...

2013-07-08T22:08:57.200+01:00

"History will not be" - I hope you are right Anthony. Brilliant article, been waiting on your thoughts on this and thanks for sharing and putting into words what many of us don't have the standing or the authority to say without being subject to abuse by the likes of those who would still defend this vile committee