Creeping Censorship in Greece

Have you ever heard of Yanis Varoufakis? I have to confess that until recently I certainly hadn't, but I'm glad that I've now found his blog. As a Greek economist, who can clearly see the fundamental flaws of the EU's response to the financial crisis, he provides an insightful analysis of why Europe is fighting a losing battle in shoring up Greek (and Irish and Portuguese and Spanish) debt, and in effect, underlines that we in Ireland are not crazy to question the bail-out - on the contrary, we are insane to go along with it. Additionally, reading his blog is a refreshing antidote to the suggestions emanating from northern Europe that Greece is in the position it is because of the inherent "fecklessness" or "irresponsibility" of its population - on the contrary, the citizens of Greece, like their counterparts in Ireland and indeed throughout the EU, are suffering because feckless or irresponsible investors are not being burned.

Varoufakis's latest blog post is quite disturbing, however, suggesting a creeping censorship developing in Greece that is attempting to hush up those who are suggesting that the EU and the Greek political elites are on a losing path. What is truly worrying, however, is that much of the subtle silencing of dissent that Varoufakis describes is already clearly practised in Ireland. Witness RTE's apology over a report on a jokey portrait of Biffo (understandably - why would the national broadcaster report on a protest against the government! Nothing to see here folks, move on), and we are well used to the media and government teaming up in serious group think (be it regarding the property boom, the banking guarantee, the need for Nama, or the Lisbon Treaty). The trouble is, in a crisis like this dissent is the most valuable commodity you can have. Only by considering every option can you truly decide what path is correct - and in such a time of extraordinary difficulty, the apparently maddest policy might actually turn out to be the best path forward. Don't forget, in 1940 "sane and sensible" voices were urging Britain to make peace with Germany - Churchill was seen as a warmonger for wanting to continue fighting.

Despite the many flaws Europeans see in the American system of government, one area in which the US beats Europe hands down is in freedom of speech. No matter how distasteful your views, whether you want to burn the Koran or protest against homosexuality at the funeral of fallen soldiers, you are allowed to do so. And the inherent competion in the US media ensures that no matter how crazy your beliefs, be they on the far-right or the far-left, you will be heard. Exposure to public opinion acts like natural selection for theories and beliefs - the weakest are killed off, while the strongest are recognised by wider society as having some merit. In Europe, we seem to be intent on developing a plan for dealing with the economic crisis via ideological creationism from on high - only it is very clear that the divine touch is clearly absent.

Paddywhackery and the Death of Irish Ambition

POTUS arrived today - I've just watched Barack Obama land at Dublin airport with an aerial entourage of Chinooks and Blackhawks larger than the Irish Air Corps. This visit, like that of the Queen last week, represents a major opportunity for Ireland to portray itself as a modern nation, and not just the newest, most bankruptiest lander of Germany. But unlike the visit of Her Majesty last week, it seems we are intent on squandering the exposure of Obama's trip on cheap paddywhackery.

Her Majesty's itinerary included a visit to the Tyndall Institute in Cork, a leading research facility in Ireland. She went to the GAA's headquarters, Croke Park, which is the site with great historical resonance of course, but also exhibits the abilities and capabilities of one of Ireland's greatest civic organisations. Even when we did play the old "luck of the Irish" card with Lizzie, we brought her to places like the Guiness Brewery and the National Stud, which while playing up to the national stereotypes of the Irish as hard drinkers who like the races, at least also exhibit Ireland's industrial prowess in two commercial sectors in which we have real form. In Britain, Ireland has been portrayed as a great place to visit - but also a perfect site for investment or research collaboration.

But where will President Obama go? I don't spite the people of Moneygall in Co. Offaly their visit from the leader of the free world - the visit will do great things for their area, and I hope the capitalise on it (I see one entrepreneur is doing great business selling T-Shirts to the US printed with the phrase "Is Feidir Linn" - the Irish for "Yes We Can"!) . But on the way back to Dublin could we not see if Marine One would drop in to Intel? Or maybe into Microsoft in Sandyford? True, I know that a Democratic president might be reluctant to highlight American companies investing in jobs abroad - but such a stop-off on his tour would at least highlight that Ireland offers Amercia more than just pubs and great, great grandfathers.

All the talk around this visit has been about boosting tourism, encouraging American desires to visit Ireland. In the short term that is a laudable goal, and will bring some money into the country - but nations do not get rich on tourism alone. The world leaders in tourist numbers last year were France, the US and China. But, to take China as an example, tourism has not produced that nation's stunning economic performance - rather, the growth in its tourism sector has been fuelled by gains won in other sectors first. Ireland should encourage tourism - but we need to develop all sectors of our exporting economy. After all, we all know what happened the last time our economy became a one-trick property pony.

Ah, maybe I'm just being cranky. I suppose I just don't like the leprechaun cliches too much - especially as the stereotype never seems to extend to the Irish having pots of gold.

Ireland Gets Schooled in International Affairs

One of the most interesting revelations from the article by Dr. Doom (known to mere mortals as Morgan Kelly) in last Saturday's Irish Times was the role played by the United States in "torpedoing" (to use DD's phrase) a plan by the IMF to offer Ireland a bail-out on terms far less onerous than those subsequently secured under the actual ECB/IMF deal.

At first, I was shocked that Treasury Secretary Geithner could stab us in the back so ruthlessly - et tu Timmy? Sinking Ireland's recovery just because you don't like the idea of burning bondholders? Worried about the questions it might raise about your own government's policies?

My emotive gut-reaction was almost to engage in a bout of anti-Americanism - quite a change from a week earlier when I had been tempted to join in with the chants of "USA! USA! USA!" following the events in Abbotabad. I am, for an Irishman, a sufficient right-wing nutjob that America can do little wrong in my eyes. Which makes it all the more painful that the US has tag-teamed with the German's and Brussels to stamp all over us, and pin the poor investments of European bankers on the Irish taxpayer.

Of course, my initial teary-eyed whinging soon gave way to more sober realism - this is what nations, particularly powerful ones, do. They protect their interests. In fact, this is one reason why I admire the United States - it stands up for its interests, and pays heed to the international community only as a means to make to get its ends accomplished. When such international structures get in the way, they are ignored. The SEAL operation in Abbotabad was, at least as a violation of Pakistani sovereignty, illegal. But it was in America's best interests, so international law be damned. It might be brutal, but you have to admire the almost elegant pragmatism.

The problem with our politicians in Ireland is they actually believe this "international community" guff - they think the EU is a happy club of European nations that aims to treat all members equally, rather than a structure for the major European powers to exert their soft power. We have benefited greatly from membership of the European club - but Germany has also done well out of the Union. After all, where would Germany's export economy be now without the wider Eurozone to dampen down the inflationary pressures? How much would a Merc cost if it was manufactured in a Deutschmark economy. Similarly, at the 4th attempt (counting the Franco-Prussian War), Germany is now able to exert real political power throughout Europe, almost unopposed by any of the other formerly great European powers. And without the, eh, unpleasantness of the last few attempts.

Germany is a big country, and big countries like to exert influence; there is nothing inherently wrong with that. The injustice lies in the fact that our political elite feel that there is some moral onus on them to meekly accept this influence. Today, we are witnessing the massive price Ireland has paid for missing out on the Second World War (admittedly, there would have been some downsides to taking part!). Nations of similar size and political weight to us, such as Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands, didn't get to skip the whole "apocalypse made real" thing between 1939 and 1945 - they had to deal with a war, not just an "Emergency". As such, they know that sovereignty and independence are precious, but also fragile. They know that a nation can be here today and Anschlussed tomorrow. What's more, they understand that if you engage in messy governance, wink at corruption, or ignore systemic economic problems, you are increasing the risk that you will lose your say over your own country. Great powers are always looking to gobble up more territories, and will add you to their empire/sphere of influence/bloc or whatever they're calling it these days, if you present them with an opportunity.

But in Ireland, our leaders don't see that. They think the Finns are listening to Timo Soini because of anti-immigrant sentiment. They assume the Danes stayed out of the Euro because of small-minded obstinancy. They think the Dutch Finance Minister is backing Ireland's low, low corporation tax because the Dutch are just nice guys. The simple fact is the Finns don't want to pay for a Euro bailout, and voted accordingly; the Danes realised that their "small, open economy" would be derailed by a common currency, and the Dutch are thinking "hang on, if the Irish aren't allowed set their own taxes, how long till we start getting told how to run the show here?". These countries take their national interests, their sovereignty as states, seriously, because not that long ago they were nearly wiped out. In Ireland, meanwhile, the great and the good want to keep Europe happy, on the off-chance they might be made EU Commissioner for Science and Innovation.

C'mon guys - whip out a copy of "the Prince", learn to bluff, and go give Brussels the "Blazing Saddles" defence. We are going to suffer economic Armageddon regardless - let's see what happens if we play the Big Boys (and Big Girls, Angela) at their own game. Threaten to visit financial hellfire on their heads, and see if they are worthy of the status of "Great Power". Otherwise, get use to being relegated from "national leaders" to "provincial politicians". If you want to lead a nation, get to know how the real world beyond our island actually works.

Time to Saddle Up the Old Blog Burro Once More...

So, there has been a slight, tiny lapse in my blogging. A small gap, of only a wee 6 months or so. A mere blink of an eye! Sure what did I really miss while I was away, distracted by work, ground under yet further by the cruel wheel of capitalism? Well, they caught that fella from Family Guy, anyway, which was good - his cameo in South Park wasn't great. Whether it has any impact on the War on Terror is yet to be seen, but it will certainly help Obama's poll ratings.

Further back, a bunch of gobshites, who no doubt consider themselves "patriots", decided to further the cause of God knows what by murdering a policeman in Northern Ireland. No doubt we can expect more from these fools while Lizzy is over in a week or two.
What else? Well, of course the Irish people visited swift and vicious revenge on the Fianna Fail government, by voting in a Fine Gael/Labour government that seems intent on following the exact same economic plan as their predecessors - ha ha, take that you scoundrels! The people of Japan showed the world how to be calmly dignified in the face of horrific suffering, while their government displayed the sort of denial normally found in Irish property developers.
But did it really matter that I wasn't blogging? Does anything any of us do on this island matter in the wider world? Isn't Ireland, and each one of its citizens, now irrelevance made real?

On the plus side I finally finished a campaign in Empire Total War - take that real world! On my computer, I am a king!