My Auntie Sheila was right. If you mock something ….it happens to you. “Mocking is catching”. So I have kinda been skeptical about Stratagem O’Toole’s Digital Lunch. You’d never get me doing that. Cept that around 2am, I was on my webcam with three Americans, two of whom are good friends. And we were discussing Norn Iron in the 1960s……..and (oh God no!!!) conflict Resolution. It is actually all part of a bigger plan, about which I cant say much at the moment.
I suppose this is not a Digital Lunch….more a Digital Candlelight Supper.
But here is the odd thing. We talked some about Rich Hall’s documentary on the Southern States of the USA (see yesterday’s blog) and “rednecks”. And we were talking about the similarities with Norn Iron. And today I was writing a piece for an American website on the Ulster American Folk Park in County Tyrone. Id just written 298 words when…….I clicked on Slugger/Stratagem and there is a thread (a good one) on Southern Rednecks and Norn Iron types.
I am reminded of the song “I am proud to be an Okie from Muskogee” and the parody “I am proud to be a pockill from Ahoghill”.
But it looks like I am becoming……just like…….Slugger O’Toole.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
I see you’ve aroused the pro zionistas on P.ie. That said, I often think of the wonderful threesome of international solidarity and co-operation of Apartheid South Africa, Israel and NI unionists/loyalists.
Id forgotten about Seth Effrikka.
But they too had their GOD thing.
where have I annoyed the zionists?
Yet another group I have annoyed. Which thread?
Slugger thread. Former Wesleyan is a passionate zionist and Pippa, who gave his comment a “like” aint’t no Allah fan, in general.
Yeap, the old Affrikaners did have that chosen people thing, a la Nelson Mc Causland and his lost tribe of israel .
The “Lost tribe” narrative is actually very interesting, it is used as a justification by colonisers all over the World and is usually accompanied by nonsense about a superior civilisation and religious evangelism.
It is, of course, revealed as nonsense by the very fact that the same narrative is used every time with suitable adjustments for the particular circumstances. The correct term for this is “Tailoring”.
By the way, it is not an exclusive preserve of protestantism or judaism.
One common thread is always, however, the linking of Religion to political objectives in my humble opinion
I agree.
The Spanish in South America for example.
Imperialists always justify it on the grounds of bringing Civilisation. Although at this stage I cant be very precise about what exactly I am up to……with a series of papers I am writing….the kernel is perhaps Imperialism and anti-Imperialism.
Aside from Guardian reading lefties…..the British are at ease with Imperialism. Likewise the Spanish, French, Russians, Portuguese…….but the Irish, Bolivians, Algerians, Estonians and Angolans have a different default reaction.
It becomes more complex in the case of United States where there is an emotional link to the “old country” (several old countries) and then these huddled masses become imperialists in the Black Hills of Dakota or 1840s Mexico.
And USA pays a certain lip service to being anti-imperialist (although they DID break up European empires after WW2) but are arguably carrying out an imperialist mission….facilitated by GOD and rhetoric such as “leadership” of the Free World.
You highlight the differing perspectives of the Coloniser and the Colonised. It’s still going on.
I get very nervous when politicians start quoting scriptures and claiming God is on their side, very very nervous
O me thing that holds every wrong act by a state or it’s leader is the conviction that they are right or on the side of right. I always think of that astonishing speech by Pope Benedict in Brazil when he said that the indigenous people’s sought god in their hearts, the crazier bit being when he suggested it was those who rejected god that suffered.
Anyway, I always go back to that old saw: a little doubt, a little wisdom. A lot of doubt, a lot of wisdom.
Just today, David Cameron was on tv justifying selling death
toys to the anti democratic Saudi state. He could only reply with nonsense about some peoples having a different outlook on governance. Oddly, he seems happy enough to militarily impose a western based system on the Afghans, despite the clear evidence of corruption regarding the Karzi election.
It’s worth checking out the clip on BBC. dave jokes as he pretends he
Supports the Arab spring.
Kalista,
Agreed. It is incredible. Even Kipling got it eventually.
“When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An’ go to your Gawd like a soldier.”
150 years ago.
Nice one Dub. I often recall Robert Fisk recalling that he was sitting with a Russian friend when the invasion of Afghanistan was announced and how his friend laughed heartily at the stupidity. Equipped with the very slightest acquaintance of military history, one knows well that Afghanistan is never for the taking.
As the Vietnam war showed, no shiny war toy, save for a nuke, can match the hearts of a colonised people in revolt.
Sorry for going off topic but I find the lack of the ability of the police to intercept these guys and the real lack of coverage the incident got very interesting http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20239483
Perhaps, worthy of a thread?
I will definitely start a conversation piece…but totally snowed under for a day or so.
Thank you. my issue is on how these men can drive around such a wide geographical area, having stabbed someone, without all that technology, CCTV and such, not picking them up, ending with a family that could have lost their lives.
Save for the Beeb and a belated article in the Irish News, that Vivabrigada kindly linked on P.ie, there’s been so little coverage.
Is it that we cannot criticise our police? Remember the mayhem caused earlier by the scum sho murdered Harry Holland?
Who, not sho.