Comments on The Pensive Quill: Statement by Ed Moloney and Anthony McIntyre on th...

Frankie spot on about Sutton/Cain – how we catego...

2013-06-21T08:51:11.762+01:00

Frankie

spot on about Sutton/Cain – how we categorise and attribute responsibility is in need of a radical reappraisal.

Marty, for everybody there is a wake up and smell...

2013-02-24T00:25:32.038Z

Marty,

for everybody there is a wake up and smell the coffee moment and it doesn't occur at the same time. And rather than criticises them for the sake of it I prefer to go along with the dimension of your critique which focused on the ability to lead and the foresight required. It will take an exceptional ability if anything republican is to be salvaged from the collapse, which unfortunately has not been evident in the past.

Marty a cara, at the Sinn Fein Ard-feish, 161 com...

2013-02-23T22:44:13.584Z

Marty a cara,

at the Sinn Fein Ard-feish, 161 comrades walked ot, 287 could not get in, SF rigged everything, That was Eirigi's chance of jumping on the band wagon, But, there are those who have, but they are in silent mode, and, for a reason, They will be heard off in the not to distance future.
Our future lies in the Education of our Youth.

"what good is in youth when its aging
what joy is in eyes that can't see
when there's sorrow in sunshine and flowers
and still only our rivers run free"

Anthony you have hit the nail on the head re Eirí...

2013-02-23T20:10:16.578Z

Anthony you have hit the nail on the head re Eirígi,s biggest recruitment flaw,the fact that some in the leadership left q$£ at a late stage makes people wonder just what their real agenda is," and while its pointless getting into should have left when I did " scenario but it is also important that people who claimed to be principled republicans explain why they allowed themselves to go as far down the Q$£ cul desac that they did ,,it may say a lot about their ability to lead and foresight required of those who would assume political leadership,we have the example of a now independent republican councillor becoming involved in the various ongoing campaigns yet not so long ago this person and her party were calling the very same people traitors and criminals,this q$£ behaviour is what we expect from that party but to tell us that because Mc Guinness shaking the queens hand was the last straw and expect people to accept that as a reasonable excuse is akin to pissing down my back and telling me that its raining, its a problem Eirígi has to deal with it needs to get its or some of its past sorted before we can really move forward .

Belfast Bookworm, I think one problem that might ...

2013-02-23T19:12:10.906Z

Belfast Bookworm,

I think one problem that might hamper eirigi is the past strategic orientation of some of its key people. I guess that virtually everybody that left the Provisionals probably feels they should have left earlier but many eirigi members left after they had pushed through and in some cases forced through the defeat of the republican dimension of the Provisionals.

This without doubt made it difficult for those trying to highlight what was happening in the Provisionals but also put the SF leadership in a virtually unassailable position. They were allowed to slaughter every sacred cow and when the last one was slaughtered some began to say let’s save the cows and took up with eirigi. Their acknowledgement of the problem is to be welcome but I think it was probably too late in the day to salvage anything.

And while it is pointless getting into a ‘everybody should have left when I did’ basket this sort of problem needs some reflection even if for no reason other than the type of structures of communication that are needed in terms of internal discussion. It would be a disaster to have another 'leadership led' republican body.

“an invitation to engage in deep moral reflection on the consequences of war”

Listen to the radio interview. I still hope 'common sense' prevails and dust takes care of the project..

BB, I think the argument can be made that he has ...

2013-02-03T11:00:59.095Z

BB,

I think the argument can be made that he has tried to do both. He has tried to undermine the project. But he has not left it at that. He has consciously made the argument that the British police want made and has made virtually no argument against the British police.

I would live to be proved wrong in my misgivings about him but I see nothing that would make that likely.

Frankie, You are right, and no one is interested ...

2013-02-03T10:34:31.219Z

Frankie,

You are right, and no one is interested in enlightening him one way or the other.

Frankie: exactly. No one knows who was intervie...

2013-02-03T10:23:04.061Z

Frankie: exactly.

No one knows who was interviewed for the BP, I'm quite sure even interviewees don't know who else participated but common sense tells us that some participants may well have already passed on.

I don't think DM is supporting the return of the tapes, more trying to undermine the project.

I don't want to keep harping on about Danny Mo...

2013-02-03T01:06:52.763Z

I don't want to keep harping on about Danny Morrison's opposition to the Belfast project (I think he's wrong in supporting the return of the tapes).

But he said this last year on his blog..

Had a few more of the participants who Anthony interviewed had died, prior to the issuing of the subpoena, nothing would have prevented the fearless and courageous Ed from publishing Volume II of ‘Voices From The Grave’, just as he did with Volume 1

Last Sunday on RTE's This week show Ed. Moloney said several of the interviewees had passed away. He didn't say when or if they were republican or loyalist. The more I read about it, the more I am coming to the conclusion that Danny 'Bangers' Morrison doesn't know as much about the project and who was involved as he thinks..

Congressman Brian Higgins’ Letter Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Attorney General Eric Holder

I hadn't even thought of this tbh but I can se...

2013-01-29T18:46:03.596Z

I hadn't even thought of this tbh but I can see Dee's point of view. If anything, the fleg protests have demonstrated how fragile 'peace' here is and how little can turn it on it's head.

On another note., John Kerry Jewish? Whodda thunk it?

Anthony: Just read that piece. I doubt if Hillary...

2013-01-29T13:14:53.500Z

Anthony:

Just read that piece. I doubt if Hillary Clinton will do anything to upset the apple cart in regards to the tapes, and , as the piece states, "The Flag Protests" In my opinion they are in Your's and Eds Favour. Lets keep Kerry to his word.

Flag row could impact on Boston College tapes saga

Larry; I've been curious about them for a long...

2013-01-28T21:49:18.313Z

Larry; I've been curious about them for a long time and have kind of watched them from a distance, they're pulling in a lot of young people from all over the whole island, who together with the 'oul hands' who've been knocking around the RM for years, are emerging as quite a dynamic group. Their statements are well-thought out and articulate and they pulled a blinder at the council elections in west Belfast. I've heard Shinners running them down and that can only mean they're threatened by them.

I'm not one for joining parties myself but if I was, they'd be my party of choice.

Belfast bookworm high praise indeed. They caught ...

2013-01-28T20:56:26.309Z

Belfast bookworm

high praise indeed. They caught my attention some time ago but then seemed to dip under the radar (though that's likely media self censorship). I'll keep an eye out for them a bit more determinedly.

Larry; I honestly think eirigi are making good hea...

2013-01-27T13:55:30.866Z

Larry; I honestly think eirigi are making good headway in building themselves up from scratch. Theyre not aligned to any military group either.

I was reading through some of their stuff - policies etc, and there's not much to complain about. Their activists are out on the streets hammering away at real issues, very often on the quiet.

I've spoken to a few of them too and what surprised me with them is that there appears to be no malice or bad vibes towards SF, they just seem focussed on their own business and don't appear to be bothered about who's doing what, just concentrating on their own work.

Of those I spoke to, they readily admitted that they didn't have all the answers. They were only certain that what's passing today for government, equality, justice etc isnt working & have decided to put their shoulder to the wheel and change it.

I think they're a party to watch out for.

International Sharing Of Evidence: A 2-Way Street

Think the problem is SF have been organising so lo...

2013-01-27T11:25:44.864Z

Think the problem is SF have been organising so long and people are 'tired'. No-matter how foul the leadership smells, SF is well rooted in. A new party from scratch would be a monumental undertaking... most people just go zzzzzzzzzzzzzz 'over-it'.

mackers 'supposedly because when they started...

2013-01-27T10:56:19.078Z

mackers

'supposedly because when they started debugging it the house sounded like Tubular Bells'.

this had me in fits laughing, then the nightmares and cold sweats began.

Honestly, would you want anyones kids exposed to the likes of that for any cause? New political party with some sort of integrity long overdue. NO MILITARY wing.

Itsjustmackers Scap had apparently been at it sinc...

2013-01-27T01:42:35.312Z

Itsjustmackers
Scap had apparently been at it since the 70s so he was well versed in cover up and espionage.
Turned apparently because he was disappointed by low moral standards in the IRA which sounds quite bizarre.
I did not think you were running her down , i was just trying to give a clearer picture.

Mackers got a fourth name so is there a fifth?

Why didn't the RUC/PNSI simply issue a Europea...

2013-01-27T00:03:54.323Z

Why didn't the RUC/PNSI simply issue a European arrest warrant for Dolours Price when she was alive and question her about the interviews she gave?

It would have made more sense to me and cheaper for them, than to go through a legal battle..

Frankie: "I'd hazzard a guess that so...

2013-01-26T23:05:39.898Z
Frankie:

"I'd hazzard a guess that someone either in PSF leadership or someone within the then Army Council knew too and deflected suspicion away from him."

Well, we know who took over the Army council so as they could call their own ceasefire's! and get into power. But they seem to think they are untouchable, as you stated; Anthony said, ".Historians, investigative journalists and researchers will uncover the truth one day." In my opinion, Scap wasn't hit because he threatened to expose the real stakeknife and stated that he had tapes and docs left with someone just in case, Its just my way of thinking.

It is not those who can inflict the most, but thos...

2013-01-26T22:25:49.121Z
It is not those who can inflict the most, but those that can suffer the most who will conquer.
My utmost respect to someone, who I never knew personally, who remained tenacious, unbroken, courageous and principled to the end despite many around her who abandoned purity in their hearts, strength in their arms and truthfulness in their actions to match their empty speeches and political duplicity. Rest in peace Dolours.

How did Scap. get away with it 'itsjustmackers...

2013-01-26T22:16:52.147Z
How did Scap. get away with it 'itsjustmackers', probably because he was a protect species. I'd hazzard a guess that someone either in PSF leadership or someone within the then Army Council knew too and deflected suspicion away from him.

But as you said, we'll never know unless like Anthony pointed out a few weeks back..Historians, investigative journalists and researchers will uncover the truth one day.