The Catholic church has taken some beating in the last ten years with news of scandal after scandal. Even the most fervent of believers are struggling to explain the disgrace of their church. Often it is like what happens when one meets a Fianna Fail supporter they just go quiet and sit in the corner muttering to themselves.
Its a harsh world we live in full of people who will not only throw stones but might run you down with a steam roller whilst their at it. I wonder does the comparison to Fianna Fail really stand up? Well at least Fianna Fail have mentioned somewhat unconvincingly mind you but they have said it you know the word 'radical'. That dangerous word that can mean just about anything and in Fianna Fail's case it could be anything from Marx-to Hitler but let us leave them alone.
Now the idea I now have of the Catholic church is simple. There has been a change like a small change in the way they do business. The practise of moving serial child rapists from one parish to another is now gone. These offenders will now be handed over to the civil power for trial and punishment if convicted. Very good and what else is new? Well priests are very thin on the ground and in rural areas one priest may have to serve two or three parishes and a couple of off-shore Islands to boot. Good people empathise with may good hard working priest's because by association they are tarred with the stigma of child abuse and cover ups etc.
The Vatican who oversee our clergy have been strangely silent about the demise of our once flourishing national religion. I suspect we are but a drop in the ocean and they have bigger fish to fry in far off third world countries. In these places the church if still flourishing due to low standards of education and indeed deep poverty. So little fat recession plagued Ireland will be allowed to plod along with its ageing clergy. Perhaps as they die off they will be replaced by foreign priests who will eventually customise themselves to this society a bad plan maybe but this must be the Vatican's plan as they have not offered anything else.
What do you suggest I hear my readers ask I mean the church is doomed, doomed I say and many would say good riddance. Alright so just for a moment pretend that I am some big noise ecclesiastical nut who has total freedom to reform the Irish Catholic church what would I do? Right let us address the issues in order with simple ones first, on the issue of ageing priests etc one has to come up with the obvious. Priests must be allowed to marry. Also we will welcome applications from women with open arms as you will see this is a total radical manifesto. Now I would hope that the inclusion of women and married clergy would openly invite some lapsed Catholics back into the fold. There is more, my new church would take up a position like a political position. No more will the emphasis be on liturgy and doctrine but on the political welfare of the flock. I explain one of the main duties of my new Catholicism will be to educate people on the effects that politics has on their daily lives. It goes without saying of course that my churches new found radical politics would put Karl Marx to shame. We will insist that our flock should understand this. Well you see they need to understand what kind of battle is raging now. It is not like in the past when it concerned people's souls and hell and brimstone an all of that.
Today the problems are different entirely people need to know that they are living in a capitalistic fantasy. This world in which inequality thrives the battle is for your heart more so than your soul. People are born into a consumer spending stupor- that is fed by media and business interests. This stupor convinces us individuals that there is no place for equality. That the state and society is without responsibility to its citizen's, never mind it having a moral duty to its weakest.
There could be a few votes in this if the church was willing to grab this radical approach. After all for once the church would be teaching the true message of the greatest socialist of all Jesus Christ. Perhaps if they adopted his radical plan the true message of Catholicism might live on.
Monday, 4 July 2011
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Where have all the real people gone? Update
Why are we subjected to it to day after day, political show after political show. Countless newspaper articles and the new online super mouth that breaks the news faster than we break.....! The it I refer to is the economy, you know the ECB and the IMF and Fianna Fail and Fianna gael. The whole thing adds up to a bad dream poisoned by the presence of some malignant infection. I guess the sad part of all of this really is that some people get off on it. Media types and political correspondents, bland journalists and university educated producers, this is real time for them and they love every minute of it.
Caught up in all the mayhem is the stark reality that the backbone of this society ie- the voting public elected their peers to deal with the mess, yet all I hear are people cribbing and moaning about austerity and many seem to lack any positives regarding politicians or politics in general. One ends up unable to sleep asking the relentless question who actually did vote for these people, come on hands up. Of course the reality is that if you did vote for any of these middle right parties you more or less deserve everything you get.
The people I feel most sorry for are those who voted for Independents, the left wing alliance, or Sinn Fein, they are most unlikely to see the fruits of their labours within their life time. Now trouble sleeping is one thing but how about waking in a cold sweat trying to come to terms with the actual awful truth that capitalism just doesn't work for the majority of the people. The sudden realisation that we are sold the lines again and again. I will list a few of the lines we here in Ireland are sold every day and evaluate their truth level.
'The Atm's will run out of money and we will have no money to pay our Doctors and nurses!' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- there is no proof to sustain this argument.Can you really imagine the EU allowing this to happen?
'If we higher Corporation tax foreign multi-nationals will leave immediately!' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- Foreign multi-nationals come to Ireland for tax breaks in the main but also for a strategic position to service European and world markets using our highly educated work force etc. They also pay very little taxes here and indeed repatriate most of their profits. If the strategy of inviting and in forming a dependence on foreign multi-nationals works for Ireland how come we have ended up in the trouble we are in. It must also be stated that we pay billions on the bureaucracy we have created with the knock them out with a mallet and bring them to Ireland doctrine.
'All left wing economic thinking is for the birds!' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- Most left wing economic thinking comes from the same area used by the main political parties they all consult economists for example some of the Sinn Fein economic policy in the last election was straight from the David Mc Williams school of economics. In television debates the right wing politicians usually start to shout down their opponent screaming the now standard,'where on earth the money is going to come from?' As soon as answer is attempted they shout down their opponent again.
'Fianna Fail will come up with some radical policies' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- Fianna Fail are fast becoming the rural party- they have a new support comprised of mainly middle aged rural women.Many of these women are from families that have been favoured by association with Fianna Fail. Does this explain the shift to the right since the new leader sat on the throne, lots of anti-social welfare talk in the pubs where I live from people I know to be Fianna Fail supporters.
Now am I glad to get nagging thoughts off my chest so early in the day, I might even sleep better tonight. Before I nod off I promise myself I wont restart the whole bandwagon effect by wondering where have all the real people gone? The people who know we are been hoodwinked- people who know for example Irish people can actually control our natural resources. We can also control health, education, maybe even a bank or two. Hark I hear a voice sweeping over the Atlantic telling me that the dumb Irish are not capable of manufacturing a generic version of Lipitor, or that we cant make Stents for Angioplasty cheaply and supply them to our hospitals. No we need a multi-national to come in and make them sell them into our public health service at enormous cost before eventually going to India or Poland because the labour costs are lower. Verdict total nonsense and I never mentioned Vincent Browne once, the father of the Irish poor will sleep peacefully this night.
Caught up in all the mayhem is the stark reality that the backbone of this society ie- the voting public elected their peers to deal with the mess, yet all I hear are people cribbing and moaning about austerity and many seem to lack any positives regarding politicians or politics in general. One ends up unable to sleep asking the relentless question who actually did vote for these people, come on hands up. Of course the reality is that if you did vote for any of these middle right parties you more or less deserve everything you get.
The people I feel most sorry for are those who voted for Independents, the left wing alliance, or Sinn Fein, they are most unlikely to see the fruits of their labours within their life time. Now trouble sleeping is one thing but how about waking in a cold sweat trying to come to terms with the actual awful truth that capitalism just doesn't work for the majority of the people. The sudden realisation that we are sold the lines again and again. I will list a few of the lines we here in Ireland are sold every day and evaluate their truth level.
'The Atm's will run out of money and we will have no money to pay our Doctors and nurses!' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- there is no proof to sustain this argument.Can you really imagine the EU allowing this to happen?
'If we higher Corporation tax foreign multi-nationals will leave immediately!' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- Foreign multi-nationals come to Ireland for tax breaks in the main but also for a strategic position to service European and world markets using our highly educated work force etc. They also pay very little taxes here and indeed repatriate most of their profits. If the strategy of inviting and in forming a dependence on foreign multi-nationals works for Ireland how come we have ended up in the trouble we are in. It must also be stated that we pay billions on the bureaucracy we have created with the knock them out with a mallet and bring them to Ireland doctrine.
'All left wing economic thinking is for the birds!' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- Most left wing economic thinking comes from the same area used by the main political parties they all consult economists for example some of the Sinn Fein economic policy in the last election was straight from the David Mc Williams school of economics. In television debates the right wing politicians usually start to shout down their opponent screaming the now standard,'where on earth the money is going to come from?' As soon as answer is attempted they shout down their opponent again.
'Fianna Fail will come up with some radical policies' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- Fianna Fail are fast becoming the rural party- they have a new support comprised of mainly middle aged rural women.Many of these women are from families that have been favoured by association with Fianna Fail. Does this explain the shift to the right since the new leader sat on the throne, lots of anti-social welfare talk in the pubs where I live from people I know to be Fianna Fail supporters.
Now am I glad to get nagging thoughts off my chest so early in the day, I might even sleep better tonight. Before I nod off I promise myself I wont restart the whole bandwagon effect by wondering where have all the real people gone? The people who know we are been hoodwinked- people who know for example Irish people can actually control our natural resources. We can also control health, education, maybe even a bank or two. Hark I hear a voice sweeping over the Atlantic telling me that the dumb Irish are not capable of manufacturing a generic version of Lipitor, or that we cant make Stents for Angioplasty cheaply and supply them to our hospitals. No we need a multi-national to come in and make them sell them into our public health service at enormous cost before eventually going to India or Poland because the labour costs are lower. Verdict total nonsense and I never mentioned Vincent Browne once, the father of the Irish poor will sleep peacefully this night.
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
'Vincent Brane,' Update
I have decided that this will be my final Vincent Browne [Brane] blog, one could spend a lifetime on him and the various subjects he covers and drops with such abandon, safe to say that the only subject sure to stay on the agenda is anything to do with the economy. I sit up nights worrying about this but I console myself in the knowledge that it is money that makes the world go round and indeed capitalism by it's very nature is the only true ideology befitting a human race that really doesn't care for their fellow time travellers.
You see I find it hard to empathise with people who agree to live in a system which allows limitless potential in return for a small select group hoarding all the wealth, this thesis survives on the notion that those privileged few hold all the power. Does anyone else worry that our sole mission at present is to return to gamblers and bookies in order to regulate our finances, does nobody else care that we are constantly fed lies and inaccuracies in order to retain this system that has served us so badly since the foundation of the state?
This system that has failed the poor and the needy for years it has stifled development where people from working class backgrounds didn't make university and if they had work it was generally manual in nature, so our patriots who fought for Irish freedom gave their lives so that the British upper class left this Island to be replaced with our own merchant class who in effect just continued the working doctrine of our colonists.
Well you may wonder what has Vincent Brane got to do with all of this, the answer just watch his show very carefully and listen and it will become apparent, last night he had three suits discussing a bland interview given by the very smug governor of the central bank Patrick Honohan. The very cheerful Patrick basically told us nothing and revealed only that the then minister of finance Brian Lenihan was disturbed by the whole process and that events eventually wore down his natural enthusiasm and certainly it would appear his naivety. Vincent then discussed this with his panel and introduced a panellist as one of TV3'S innovative new panel of guests which by the way judging from last night still does not trust the working classes.
Why does Vincent Brane not tell the truth , well if his whole handling of the Brian Lenihan's sad death is to be examined we will see. I for one have great sympathy for Brian Lenihan and his family and even though he was ill he kept up the brave fight, and I have no doubt worked very hard during the financial crisis that led to the bank guarantee and the eventual deal with the IMF and the ECB. However Vincent has made no attempt to discuss or properly analyse Brian Lenihan's role in all of this, instead he has patronisingly referred to the human side of the former minister and felt it un-important that we should get any closer to the truth as to why a sovereign country should sign away it's independence.
Perhaps in years to come the Irish media will examine the truth about this period of Irish history, but the influence of our elitist media will probably dictate that such discussion will be brushed aside so we can eulogise those responsible and seek to lay the blame elsewhere. Am I the only person that actually thinks that Brian Lenihan was out of his depth, if Brian Lenihan was English he would have been at Oxford or Eton, he came from the Irish privileged classes. He was born to govern rather than be governed his people are steeped in political blood. I am hearing that he was one of our brightest and possessed a great intellect, perhaps this is true but he didn't show this in any of the political interviews he gave during this crucial period of negotiations with our overlord's. As I said I have great sympathy for Mr Lenihan and his family on a personal basis but how many lives are affected by the economic mess we find ourselves in, how many people will actually die prematurely because of cutbacks in our health service etc.
I think me and Vincent Brane will part on a sound note, his show is different to the usual spoof journalism practised by RTE, where Miriam O' Callaghan calls people minister in her reverent dart accent, at least Vincent Brane gets at the odd gobshite. In my view he did the people of Dun Laoghaire a great favour by exposing Mary Hanifin as the political reptile she is, in the week of the election thus costing her a seat. Alright Vincent this is the end of the road my final comment will you ever get rid of the solicitor's suit, and learn how to use the autocue, and also will you practise the ending of your show like try to say good night to us all properly.
You see I find it hard to empathise with people who agree to live in a system which allows limitless potential in return for a small select group hoarding all the wealth, this thesis survives on the notion that those privileged few hold all the power. Does anyone else worry that our sole mission at present is to return to gamblers and bookies in order to regulate our finances, does nobody else care that we are constantly fed lies and inaccuracies in order to retain this system that has served us so badly since the foundation of the state?
This system that has failed the poor and the needy for years it has stifled development where people from working class backgrounds didn't make university and if they had work it was generally manual in nature, so our patriots who fought for Irish freedom gave their lives so that the British upper class left this Island to be replaced with our own merchant class who in effect just continued the working doctrine of our colonists.
Well you may wonder what has Vincent Brane got to do with all of this, the answer just watch his show very carefully and listen and it will become apparent, last night he had three suits discussing a bland interview given by the very smug governor of the central bank Patrick Honohan. The very cheerful Patrick basically told us nothing and revealed only that the then minister of finance Brian Lenihan was disturbed by the whole process and that events eventually wore down his natural enthusiasm and certainly it would appear his naivety. Vincent then discussed this with his panel and introduced a panellist as one of TV3'S innovative new panel of guests which by the way judging from last night still does not trust the working classes.
Why does Vincent Brane not tell the truth , well if his whole handling of the Brian Lenihan's sad death is to be examined we will see. I for one have great sympathy for Brian Lenihan and his family and even though he was ill he kept up the brave fight, and I have no doubt worked very hard during the financial crisis that led to the bank guarantee and the eventual deal with the IMF and the ECB. However Vincent has made no attempt to discuss or properly analyse Brian Lenihan's role in all of this, instead he has patronisingly referred to the human side of the former minister and felt it un-important that we should get any closer to the truth as to why a sovereign country should sign away it's independence.
Perhaps in years to come the Irish media will examine the truth about this period of Irish history, but the influence of our elitist media will probably dictate that such discussion will be brushed aside so we can eulogise those responsible and seek to lay the blame elsewhere. Am I the only person that actually thinks that Brian Lenihan was out of his depth, if Brian Lenihan was English he would have been at Oxford or Eton, he came from the Irish privileged classes. He was born to govern rather than be governed his people are steeped in political blood. I am hearing that he was one of our brightest and possessed a great intellect, perhaps this is true but he didn't show this in any of the political interviews he gave during this crucial period of negotiations with our overlord's. As I said I have great sympathy for Mr Lenihan and his family on a personal basis but how many lives are affected by the economic mess we find ourselves in, how many people will actually die prematurely because of cutbacks in our health service etc.
I think me and Vincent Brane will part on a sound note, his show is different to the usual spoof journalism practised by RTE, where Miriam O' Callaghan calls people minister in her reverent dart accent, at least Vincent Brane gets at the odd gobshite. In my view he did the people of Dun Laoghaire a great favour by exposing Mary Hanifin as the political reptile she is, in the week of the election thus costing her a seat. Alright Vincent this is the end of the road my final comment will you ever get rid of the solicitor's suit, and learn how to use the autocue, and also will you practise the ending of your show like try to say good night to us all properly.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
How did Vincent Browne get God on his show?
Well Vincent really brought the house down last night, I was expecting the usual bland Tuesday night guests when to my amazement he introduced God as a guest explaining how he had just written this great book about statistics and how he really cared about our attitudes to things.
God came complete with white beard and saintly expression and he informed us that we were much better off in general now than we used to be with women taking their rightful place in society, and that our standards had improved so much since God last checked us out in 1989. However Vincent was only tolerating God in his generalisation of the state of our nation he was far more interested the plight of our travelling community and as he put it more than once, 'they really are the most discriminated people you know.'
Now I have great sympathy for God and am a sucker for statistics but to see my favourite Fianna Fail politician Éamon Ó Cuív lord it archangel like promoting travellers rights was a bit hard to take, as as recently as the last budget this guy wanted to reduce disability benefit and more recently in a snippet from one of those new breed of TV3 shows he explained that if we get the dole cheats we will basically clear the national debt. This man is in favour of travellers rights? Perhaps there may be some votes in this for him but if Vincent can find a more right wing voice from west of the Shannon please let me know.
God sort of faded a little in the discussion once we got the statistics out of the way, and we found ourselves in Vincent territory he is very good on statistics and also he can conjure the odd obscure and even deleted word that nobody in the pub ever uses and more to the point he probably doesn't use himself that often. Vincent spoke and the chap from the travellers group spoke very well and suddenly the Irish audience were not just faced with God but with an articulate traveller.
It all faded out without much of a sting and my friend Éamon reminded us much to Vincent's annoyance about Francis Barrett and the Olympic games, Vincent went on to read some texts and tweets which were offensive but not much more than you hear on the average bar stool, you know when the orator is absolutely sure you agree with him and you don't but are quiet for the sake of peace. Now to the issue of travellers in general, people are wary of the subject as it is one of the no win scenarios common in Irish society, and to my mind it is an issue for which political correctness will not contribute to a solution.
In the main people are people and if some people choose to live a life by the side of the road or moving from place to place well there isn't much I can do about it, and children in Ireland from all backgrounds can suffer, and many from poor and disadvantaged area's are discriminated against all their lives. I sometimes wonder about shows of this nature, the debate will hardly change what is a cultural issue, we are a people who are mortally wounded by chronic indifference this is a society which has lost it's moral soul. I was all set for my my bed when I remembered that God had said that he himself lived with the travellers for a while, then I was reminded of time in my first life when an traveller girl was fitted out for her confirmation by my mother, she called regularly to our door for clothes-and I see her now as a jolly polite girl who thanked my mother profusely for her kindness. She called on us many times but then it stopped abruptly and we never saw her again.
God came complete with white beard and saintly expression and he informed us that we were much better off in general now than we used to be with women taking their rightful place in society, and that our standards had improved so much since God last checked us out in 1989. However Vincent was only tolerating God in his generalisation of the state of our nation he was far more interested the plight of our travelling community and as he put it more than once, 'they really are the most discriminated people you know.'
Now I have great sympathy for God and am a sucker for statistics but to see my favourite Fianna Fail politician Éamon Ó Cuív lord it archangel like promoting travellers rights was a bit hard to take, as as recently as the last budget this guy wanted to reduce disability benefit and more recently in a snippet from one of those new breed of TV3 shows he explained that if we get the dole cheats we will basically clear the national debt. This man is in favour of travellers rights? Perhaps there may be some votes in this for him but if Vincent can find a more right wing voice from west of the Shannon please let me know.
God sort of faded a little in the discussion once we got the statistics out of the way, and we found ourselves in Vincent territory he is very good on statistics and also he can conjure the odd obscure and even deleted word that nobody in the pub ever uses and more to the point he probably doesn't use himself that often. Vincent spoke and the chap from the travellers group spoke very well and suddenly the Irish audience were not just faced with God but with an articulate traveller.
It all faded out without much of a sting and my friend Éamon reminded us much to Vincent's annoyance about Francis Barrett and the Olympic games, Vincent went on to read some texts and tweets which were offensive but not much more than you hear on the average bar stool, you know when the orator is absolutely sure you agree with him and you don't but are quiet for the sake of peace. Now to the issue of travellers in general, people are wary of the subject as it is one of the no win scenarios common in Irish society, and to my mind it is an issue for which political correctness will not contribute to a solution.
In the main people are people and if some people choose to live a life by the side of the road or moving from place to place well there isn't much I can do about it, and children in Ireland from all backgrounds can suffer, and many from poor and disadvantaged area's are discriminated against all their lives. I sometimes wonder about shows of this nature, the debate will hardly change what is a cultural issue, we are a people who are mortally wounded by chronic indifference this is a society which has lost it's moral soul. I was all set for my my bed when I remembered that God had said that he himself lived with the travellers for a while, then I was reminded of time in my first life when an traveller girl was fitted out for her confirmation by my mother, she called regularly to our door for clothes-and I see her now as a jolly polite girl who thanked my mother profusely for her kindness. She called on us many times but then it stopped abruptly and we never saw her again.
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Vincent Browne Uncovered
Now we have said goodbye to the monarch and the President the Vincent Browne show retuned to more domestic issue's the panel four woman and one man discussed various matters in relation to sexual crime. The discussion on New York justice and the arrogance of some powerful males holding power to presume they could select sexual targets with impunity.
All very well till Vincent allowed his male panellist conclude 'that visiting a prostitute was akin to paying to rape somebody's daughter,' then we were informed that brilliant Ireland the very people who presided over the most corrupt and abusive prostitution system in the world, was about to adopt the Swedish system, which in effect decriminalises the sale of sex but criminalises the purchase of same. This system evidently has been a popular success in Sweden reducing the numbers of prostitutes and Pimps, and also reducing the number of violent crimes associated with this back street industry.
That is all fine and well indeed if not raising a few eyebrows, as Sweden has a long association with sexual liberalism and indeed the famous Swedish Pornography industry, I wonder if Ireland follows their lead on the prostitution front will we create a load of jobs with our new porno industry, Irish Porn now there is something we can be proud of.
I presume if I try to make a case for legalising prostitution I will be accused of supporting the paying to rape somebody's daughter school of thought, but I seriously don't agree with that point of view, because it presumes that all men and women seeking sexual comfort are of like mind and of one cast as it were. Nothing could be further from the truth, people seek sexual services for all sorts of reasons, and people provide them for multiple reasons as well. Yes many women are trafficked into what is slavery and a life of violence and drugs, many women are endangered by thugs and crime lords all this is true. Yet in countries like Germany for example where prostitution is legal they have strict controls over these operations and many sex workers are legalised.
In order to follow the Swedish model this is what we are proposing, we are in effect saying as a society that sexual relations should only be legal among consenting adults with no payment of any kind exchanged, this then confines sexual activity to those who are married, or in a relationship whether straight or gay, it discriminates against single people, the old and the infirm and also those who are disabled, if as in many cases they do not have a partner for sexual fulfilment.
Society has now placed the moral emphasis on one side of the argument and I can say with equal surety, 'tough luck Mr or Miss lonely no sexual engagements for you, why don't you go out and secure a girlfriend a wife, or husband or boyfriend etc.... be normal for God sake.'
I place some data from both Germany and Sweden for your perusal I am surprised Vincent didn't go for balance here but sometimes he looks tired so late at night.
Legislative reform (2002)
In 2002 a one page law sponsored by the Green Party was passed by the ruling coalition of Social Democrats and Greens in the Bundestag. The law removed the general prohibition on furthering prostitution and allowed prostitutes to obtain regular work contracts. The law's rationale stated that prostitution should not be considered as immoral anymore.
The law has been criticized as having not effectively changed the situation of the prostitutes, often because the prostitutes themselves don't want to change their working conditions and contracts.[14] The German government issued a report on the law's impact in January 2007, concluding that few prostitutes had taken advantage of regular work contracts and that work conditions had improved only slightly, if at all.[15]
In addition to the two pronged legal strategy, a third and essential element of Sweden's prostitution legislation provides for ample and comprehensive social service funds aimed at helping any prostitute who wants to get out, and additional funds to educate the public. As such, Sweden's unique strategy treats prostitution as a form of violence against women in which the men who exploit by buying sex are criminalized, the mostly female prostitutes are treated as victims who need help, and the public is educated in order to counteract the historical male bias that has long stultified thinking on prostitution. To securely anchor their view in firm legal ground, Sweden's prostitution legislation was passed as part and parcel of the country's 1999 omnibus violence against women legislation.
Paul Kestell lives in Co. Cork and is author of the novel 'Viaréggio,' his new novel 'Wood Point,' will be published by Thorn Island books in September 2011.
All very well till Vincent allowed his male panellist conclude 'that visiting a prostitute was akin to paying to rape somebody's daughter,' then we were informed that brilliant Ireland the very people who presided over the most corrupt and abusive prostitution system in the world, was about to adopt the Swedish system, which in effect decriminalises the sale of sex but criminalises the purchase of same. This system evidently has been a popular success in Sweden reducing the numbers of prostitutes and Pimps, and also reducing the number of violent crimes associated with this back street industry.
That is all fine and well indeed if not raising a few eyebrows, as Sweden has a long association with sexual liberalism and indeed the famous Swedish Pornography industry, I wonder if Ireland follows their lead on the prostitution front will we create a load of jobs with our new porno industry, Irish Porn now there is something we can be proud of.
I presume if I try to make a case for legalising prostitution I will be accused of supporting the paying to rape somebody's daughter school of thought, but I seriously don't agree with that point of view, because it presumes that all men and women seeking sexual comfort are of like mind and of one cast as it were. Nothing could be further from the truth, people seek sexual services for all sorts of reasons, and people provide them for multiple reasons as well. Yes many women are trafficked into what is slavery and a life of violence and drugs, many women are endangered by thugs and crime lords all this is true. Yet in countries like Germany for example where prostitution is legal they have strict controls over these operations and many sex workers are legalised.
In order to follow the Swedish model this is what we are proposing, we are in effect saying as a society that sexual relations should only be legal among consenting adults with no payment of any kind exchanged, this then confines sexual activity to those who are married, or in a relationship whether straight or gay, it discriminates against single people, the old and the infirm and also those who are disabled, if as in many cases they do not have a partner for sexual fulfilment.
Society has now placed the moral emphasis on one side of the argument and I can say with equal surety, 'tough luck Mr or Miss lonely no sexual engagements for you, why don't you go out and secure a girlfriend a wife, or husband or boyfriend etc.... be normal for God sake.'
I place some data from both Germany and Sweden for your perusal I am surprised Vincent didn't go for balance here but sometimes he looks tired so late at night.
Legislative reform (2002)
In 2002 a one page law sponsored by the Green Party was passed by the ruling coalition of Social Democrats and Greens in the Bundestag. The law removed the general prohibition on furthering prostitution and allowed prostitutes to obtain regular work contracts. The law's rationale stated that prostitution should not be considered as immoral anymore.
The law has been criticized as having not effectively changed the situation of the prostitutes, often because the prostitutes themselves don't want to change their working conditions and contracts.[14] The German government issued a report on the law's impact in January 2007, concluding that few prostitutes had taken advantage of regular work contracts and that work conditions had improved only slightly, if at all.[15]
In addition to the two pronged legal strategy, a third and essential element of Sweden's prostitution legislation provides for ample and comprehensive social service funds aimed at helping any prostitute who wants to get out, and additional funds to educate the public. As such, Sweden's unique strategy treats prostitution as a form of violence against women in which the men who exploit by buying sex are criminalized, the mostly female prostitutes are treated as victims who need help, and the public is educated in order to counteract the historical male bias that has long stultified thinking on prostitution. To securely anchor their view in firm legal ground, Sweden's prostitution legislation was passed as part and parcel of the country's 1999 omnibus violence against women legislation.
Paul Kestell lives in Co. Cork and is author of the novel 'Viaréggio,' his new novel 'Wood Point,' will be published by Thorn Island books in September 2011.
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
May 17th 1974
I watch the Queen with president McAleese laying wreaths in the garden of remembrance, they do so stoic women they are, so much of what they do is driven by respect for the fallen, men and women who fell in the cause of securing Irelands freedom and today they are stoic once more as they visit Islandbridge and remember our war dead, men and women who fought on foreign fields in foreign armies.
Whatever about the ideology behind these sad individual stories, the truth is in many cases young men went to fight to secure their econimic survival, and to this day the working classes are still the foot soldiers across the world.
I turned sixteen in the summer of 1974, and I can remember May 17th of that year like it was yesterday. I had my first offical date that evening and when I met the beautiful young girl we strolled the streets of Killiney, and Ballybrack, knowing somehow that the world had changed forever that afternoon, Dublin was a war zone with bodies strewn along the footpaths cars incinerated where they were parked, shop fronts blown away and twenty seven innocent people murdered.
How innocent we were walking the safe steets of South Dublin. How innocent the relatives of the dead and injured were to place their faith in the false promises made by offical Ireland, that the perpetrators would be hunted down and brought to justice.
Nobody has ever been charged in connection with this atrocity or the terrible explosions in Monaghan on the same day.
We are a tired country we create our own myths we select the usual voices to comment people we are comfortable with, media freaks like Eamonn Dunphy, and Ryan Tubridy, it is like we round up the usual suspects, our national broadcaster has a short list and a long list.
The short list is made up of people like the forementioned add in a few smart politicians some senior pain in the ass journalists or image consultants the odd posh sounding professor etc and we are grand, the long list is all of the above plus anyone with an effective middle-class accent or who hails from some faculty in one of our wonderful third level institutions.
These people have one thing in common they tend to enjoy life and the privileges it bestows on them so they will never seriously rock the boat their crime is in pretending to do so. Eammon Dunphy wants us to move on from the terrible events of 1974, pretend it didnt happen get over it, his thesis is that British people are honest and decent, and sure doesnt the Queen like a gin and tonic and horse racing.
We then have that idiot Martin Mansergh telling us that the files the bereaved families are seeking may not exist despite evidence to contrary, and is he for real how does he know has he seen them, has somebody told him this over a pint in the dail bar.
It is no wonder we find ourselves on the brink of financial ruin the standards we as a people accept in both politics and in our media are scandalous.
I want to commend Vincent Browne for bringing this issue to the fore midst all the blandness and avoidance that surrounds us. I thought his chat with the female victim on the very street where she was maimed and he and his brother tried valiantly to save the wounded and the dying, deeply moving in its simplicity and impact, as we were looking at live witnesses to the largest single atrocity to fall upon this country since the civil war.
What do the media want us to do? In general they want us to forget move on what does it matter what a few British intelligence files might say? Those people died nearly forty years ago what is the point of dragging it all up now that the Queen is visiting?
These people were not soldiers fighting against imperial oppressors or on the great battle fields of France, they were innocent men, women, and children going about their daily lives when they were taken out, with the possible collusion of a sovereign state.
Where are the wreaths, for them?
Whatever about the ideology behind these sad individual stories, the truth is in many cases young men went to fight to secure their econimic survival, and to this day the working classes are still the foot soldiers across the world.
I turned sixteen in the summer of 1974, and I can remember May 17th of that year like it was yesterday. I had my first offical date that evening and when I met the beautiful young girl we strolled the streets of Killiney, and Ballybrack, knowing somehow that the world had changed forever that afternoon, Dublin was a war zone with bodies strewn along the footpaths cars incinerated where they were parked, shop fronts blown away and twenty seven innocent people murdered.
How innocent we were walking the safe steets of South Dublin. How innocent the relatives of the dead and injured were to place their faith in the false promises made by offical Ireland, that the perpetrators would be hunted down and brought to justice.
Nobody has ever been charged in connection with this atrocity or the terrible explosions in Monaghan on the same day.
We are a tired country we create our own myths we select the usual voices to comment people we are comfortable with, media freaks like Eamonn Dunphy, and Ryan Tubridy, it is like we round up the usual suspects, our national broadcaster has a short list and a long list.
The short list is made up of people like the forementioned add in a few smart politicians some senior pain in the ass journalists or image consultants the odd posh sounding professor etc and we are grand, the long list is all of the above plus anyone with an effective middle-class accent or who hails from some faculty in one of our wonderful third level institutions.
These people have one thing in common they tend to enjoy life and the privileges it bestows on them so they will never seriously rock the boat their crime is in pretending to do so. Eammon Dunphy wants us to move on from the terrible events of 1974, pretend it didnt happen get over it, his thesis is that British people are honest and decent, and sure doesnt the Queen like a gin and tonic and horse racing.
We then have that idiot Martin Mansergh telling us that the files the bereaved families are seeking may not exist despite evidence to contrary, and is he for real how does he know has he seen them, has somebody told him this over a pint in the dail bar.
It is no wonder we find ourselves on the brink of financial ruin the standards we as a people accept in both politics and in our media are scandalous.
I want to commend Vincent Browne for bringing this issue to the fore midst all the blandness and avoidance that surrounds us. I thought his chat with the female victim on the very street where she was maimed and he and his brother tried valiantly to save the wounded and the dying, deeply moving in its simplicity and impact, as we were looking at live witnesses to the largest single atrocity to fall upon this country since the civil war.
What do the media want us to do? In general they want us to forget move on what does it matter what a few British intelligence files might say? Those people died nearly forty years ago what is the point of dragging it all up now that the Queen is visiting?
These people were not soldiers fighting against imperial oppressors or on the great battle fields of France, they were innocent men, women, and children going about their daily lives when they were taken out, with the possible collusion of a sovereign state.
Where are the wreaths, for them?
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
The Queen has Arrived
I for one share the mis-conception as it is easy to do, since I was a kid I have always viewed stuff like Britain and the Queen as an entity. When someone talks about the UK I automaticly see the map populated by flea like citizens with the Queen waving out the window of her palace.
France would be the same just add the Beret's and so on the further I go towards the Med just add some olive oil and stir gently.
Now I am aghast as the Queen has arrived and there is great excitment and consternation for some it beckons them to celebrate, lifting the faded easter lillies out of the drawer to find great granddad's union Jack, they will wave them on the streets of Dublin and Cork I can tell you.
Others of course will take a different view holding up the history of colonization and oppression, citing her role as the commander and chief of the British armed forces who have a dubious record all around the world!
Yet I have to admit to holding a different view on the Queen and her visit, as a committed socialist come anarchist and so on I dont do Royalty as such but to even pretend that the Queen is actually the head of the British armed forces is nonsense, they are in reality only short of using her in the next please visit Britain television advertisement.
In truth the Queen is not important in a political sense at all, she is a media guru's dream with all the trappings of wealth the castles and the horses and dogs, but in truth if you can show me a more boring and captive lifestyle let me know.
So who is the commander in chief of the British armed forces if the Queen spends her time locked away. Why the British public of course you thought I was going to let them away Scott free didn't you? You know what I am going to say next well the British people vote for the people who make the policy blah blah, so they are ultimatly responsible for what Britain gets up to on foreign fields not the poor old lady with the handbag.
I close my eyes now to see the map and the fleas jumping in places as diverse as Coventry and London ah yes there is Liz cleaning her windows and remarking on the weather, now I am in Paris gay prosperous, next image is Germany and Frankfurt, and I am suddenly mad as hell.
France would be the same just add the Beret's and so on the further I go towards the Med just add some olive oil and stir gently.
Now I am aghast as the Queen has arrived and there is great excitment and consternation for some it beckons them to celebrate, lifting the faded easter lillies out of the drawer to find great granddad's union Jack, they will wave them on the streets of Dublin and Cork I can tell you.
Others of course will take a different view holding up the history of colonization and oppression, citing her role as the commander and chief of the British armed forces who have a dubious record all around the world!
Yet I have to admit to holding a different view on the Queen and her visit, as a committed socialist come anarchist and so on I dont do Royalty as such but to even pretend that the Queen is actually the head of the British armed forces is nonsense, they are in reality only short of using her in the next please visit Britain television advertisement.
In truth the Queen is not important in a political sense at all, she is a media guru's dream with all the trappings of wealth the castles and the horses and dogs, but in truth if you can show me a more boring and captive lifestyle let me know.
So who is the commander in chief of the British armed forces if the Queen spends her time locked away. Why the British public of course you thought I was going to let them away Scott free didn't you? You know what I am going to say next well the British people vote for the people who make the policy blah blah, so they are ultimatly responsible for what Britain gets up to on foreign fields not the poor old lady with the handbag.
I close my eyes now to see the map and the fleas jumping in places as diverse as Coventry and London ah yes there is Liz cleaning her windows and remarking on the weather, now I am in Paris gay prosperous, next image is Germany and Frankfurt, and I am suddenly mad as hell.
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