“Win A Weekend Break For Two In London”

Posted on May 4, 2013 by fitzjameshorse

During the week, I saw a competition in a local newspaper and the first prize was a weekend trip to London. Now you are probably thinking that this is something I might have seen every day of my life for forty odd years…and youd be right.

But seemingly a similar competition with ” Londonderry” (sic) as the prize is so amazingly noteworthy that Dimbleby on Slugger O’ Toole has drawn attention to it.

It has been unkindly suggested by commenters that this is merely an exercise in using the word  ” Londonderry”. But I think this cannot be correct.

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Bloggers In Arms…#2 Séamas Ó’Sionnaigh

Posted on May 4, 2013 by fitzjameshorse

Militant Gael, Celtic Nationalist, Progressive Republican, environmentalist, centre-left social-democrat, socially liberal, an atheist with spiritual leanings of a Celtic kind, disciple of An Piarsach with elements of Connolly and Davis, follower of Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Peadar Ó Domhnaill and Earnán Ó Maille.

Lover of indigenous Irish and Celtic mythology and folklore, history, archaeology, architecture, art, photography, technology, Sci-Fi and Geek culture in general and very, very fast cars. Writes bad fiction, worse poetry, draws passable pictures but awful with a paint brush, prefers Linux to Windows, has a habit of rooting old Android phones, known to do power-slides and handbreak turns.

Born Baile Átha Cliath, raised in the rolling sandunes and leafy suburbs of Port Mearnóg and Mullach Íde, no wives, no kids – too many girlfriends ;-)

“Is í slánú na Gaeilge athghabháil na hÉireann agus is í athghabháil na hÉireann slánú na Gaeilge!”

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UKIP : Send In The Clones.

Posted on May 3, 2013 by fitzjameshorse

There is…or at least WAS…something far too cosy about British electoral politics. Seasoned election watchers like myself will recall Richard Dimbleby, David Butler the psephologist and Professor Robert McKenzie and his swingometer on BBC Election nights in 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974(twice) and so on long past the deaths of Dimbleby and McKenzie.

It was all very civilised. The Conservatives had the shires…the rural vote And the commuter vote. Labour had the industrial North, Scotland and Wales…and there was a battleground in county twons such as Carlisle and Peterborough, the Midlands and the posher parts of big cities.

Liberals were confined to the west country and the “celtic fringe”. Scotland and Wales supplied a few nationalists and Norn Iron was just an embarrasing footnote to it all. Indeed Politics was stable thatMcKenzies homemade swingometer merely measured the swing betwen two parties. Realistically it only coped with a two -party system.

But there WAS the Monday Club. A Party within the Conservative Party. Elitist and frankly border line racist….it was formed around 1962 as a Tory reaction to the End of Empire. Particuarly in Africa. Monday Clubbers did the whole kith and kin in Rhodesia ” Good old Smithy…one of us” and of course pro-South Africa. And of course extremely pro-Union.

Indeed Bill Craig the Vanguard Unionist MP for East Belfast was a member. So an unlovely bunch which included Colin “Mad Mitch” Mitchell MP, Rhodes Boyson MP, Teddy Taylor MP, Jill Knight MP, Norman Tebbitt MP, Alan Clark MP were all members. Enoch Powell MP was their guru but he always said he was never actually a member.

Some time in the 1970s the name faded. But not exactly the attitude. Eejits like Andrew Hunter the Tory who joined the DUP and Orange Order ws close to their thinking. As was Teresa Gorman MP and  Harvey Proctor MP. Clearly too right wing to make the Cabinet (Tebbitt and Clark did of course make it) but even Margaret Thatcher knew the Monday Club was far too extreme to be allowed anywhere near real power. A lightening rod to draw the “why oh why…”votes.

Of course to be pro-Empire or more respectably pro-Commonwealth is to be anti-Europe. Of course there is a strong anti-Europe element within the Conservative Party but the leadership is wedded to Europe and merely use anti-European rhetoric to keep their Europhobe back benchers on board.

It is increasingly difficult for the Tories to pull off the trick. Since 2010, the Conservative Party has been in coalition government with the pro-European Liberal Democrats…this means that the Tories cannot really implement a truly Tory agenda.

Enter the United Kingdom Independence Party….who yesterday became the second largest party in the county council elections. Although not having a MP at Westminster, UKIP is firmly established in European and now County Councils, UKIP has at least given itself a platform.

Can anyone name more than two members of the UKIP Party? Nigel Farage MEP and Paul Nuttall and er….thats it. Can that really be a platform to get seats in Westminster? UKIP has two problems..one household name  (Farage) and no policies.

Is that entirely fair? No Policies? Well they want out of Europe. They want Immigration stopped? They are anti-Big Government. So is it just a protest? Are they serious? Should they be taken seriously? Are they clowns and fruit cakes and even closet racists?

It is certainly possible to be concerned about Migration, without being racist. The problem is that racists are attracted to one side of the debate. It is certainly possible to be concerned about Europe and not be xenophobic but it does attract xenophobes to one side of that debate. But is it possible to believe it “small government” without adopting a libertarian, selfish agenda? I doubt that.

I quite like Nigel Farage. He doesnt take himself too seriously Which makes him immune to the jibes of the political Establishment. Despite his Party having more than a fair share of certifiable lunatics and having questionable politics, Farage is a genial buffoon…the inappropriate uncle you meet at a family wedding. But his very lack of professionalism is endearing. Politics is too professional. And the next two years will see the Establishment…the three parties and the media rally against UKIP.

The Tories have much more to worry about with UKIP. They might not win Westminster seats but they will certainly take more Tory votes than Labour votes. Which is good news for socialists. And UKIP is essentially a glorified ENGLISH Party which will have no effect in Scotland and Wales…except to irritate Scots and Welsh people. And thats good news for nationalists. It is only logical that Irish nationalists like myself are supportive of nationalism in Scotland and Wales.

But more importantly UKIP de-stabalises UK politics….and thats just….enjoyable.

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Bloggers In Arms …#1 FitzjamesHorse

Posted on May 2, 2013 by fitzjameshorse

Good to see so many pan-nationalist bloggers out there. Hopefully some of the Word Press Gang will introduce themselves here.

This is Fitzjames Horse.

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FJH is 60 years old, retired and an occasional member of SDLP. He is a socialist, republican, nationalist and civil rights supporter. An opponent of the undemocratic Alliance Party and LetsGetAlongerism in general.

FJH is interested in History…especially the Jacobite period and enjoys walking around battlefields.He collects Toy Soldiers, Postcards, Irish Stamps, Football Programmes and Autographs.

Born in West Belfast, he now does missionary work in County Armagh. He is married over thirty years, has two sons, two daughters-in-law and three surviving grandchildren.

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BBC Man Stuart Hall Guilty Of Sex Abuse

Posted on May 2, 2013 by fitzjameshorse

So……Jimmy Saville was not the only rogue BBC man. Stuart Hall aged 83 the TV presenter and sports reporter and a big BBC man up in the Manchester area will be sentenced next month for sex abuse. The abuse goes back years and although he was loudly protesting his innocence as recently as February……he pleaded guilty in court today.

But the thought occurs that pleading guilty….eventually… and being 83 years old and with the usual “remorseful, broken man, advanced age” mitigation likely to be presented……that could be enough to keep the Manchester City fan out of jail.

I must be frank…I never really liked him. But should he claim “mercy” in respect of his age when he took little notice of the fact that one of the little girls he abused was just 9 years old?

I wonder about the protocol of mentioning that he is a Manchester City fan. He has always been quite open about it. But I take my cue from websites which would mention….and even on occasions dwell on ….the fact that convicted criminals or merely those charged with offences…have connexions to a political party.

I am sure those websites have no agenda for or against a political party and would seek to make political capital out of it. In the same way, I….a Manchester United fan….have no anti Manchester City agenda.

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“Hope I Die Before I Get Old”

Posted on May 1, 2013 by fitzjameshorse

As The Who put it nearly fifty years ago.

My mother was in an old peoples home. She hated it. She referred to it as the ” Work House” . She died aged 90 in 2003. Depressing days as we had to visit her at least once a week and also an elderly and demented aunt who died aged 82 in 2004. Two different homes.

I saw enough in both homes, never to want to be in one. The depressing lounges for smokers and non-smokers. The communal dining rooms, and the green “hospital” crockery. The mens and womens bathrooms. The two budgies in the too-small cage was the perfect metaphor. Oh and the confrontational twice yearly meetings with the social workers. And the…Guilt.

When they moved into the old peoples homes, their “stuff” came to our house. Nearly a decade later and there are still boxes in our loft and in our garage. Someday…maybe we will get round to doing “something”.

I dont want to be in an old peoples home. I saw enough. It is about ….”stuff”. I live with Mrs FJH in a four bedroom house. Just us…and Keano (the cat ) and going into an old peoples home is about LIMITING your life. No cat…just the nice lady who brings her pet labrador in every week so that the old folks can pet it. And of course the budgies.

We have spent thirty years putting a home together. Nearly two decades in this house. We have “stuff”. Ornaments, Photographs. I have “stuff”. My ” Route 66″ Mug, my  ” Alamo” Mug, my “Texas” Mug….my postcards, my football programmes, my books, my autographs, my stamps….and the small matter of three thousand toy soldiers. My Life simply wont fit into one room. And I dont want to sit in a sitting room with a random group of old folks…the only thing we have in common being our age. Sorry…thats not for me. One of them might even be an Alliance Party voter.

I had to watch the Stephen Nolan Show tonight. Not my fault. Keano was lying on the  remote control. It was depressing viewing and an uncomfortable reminder of how things used to be. John Compton ..the top Health Service official was decidedly uncomfortable…talking about his proposals for reform of the retirement home sector. And Edwin Poots in a recorded interview was just as uncomfortable.

When politicians and officials talk about Reform and (worse) a Consultation Process…it is of course a sham. Life for the Elderly and their Carers will just get worse.

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IPSOS Survey

Posted on May 1, 2013 by fitzjameshorse

So this is a bit awkward.

A Telephone Opinion Poll:

What council area do you live in? Well that was easy. Lets have question #2.

And your age? 60… Next question. This is going well.

Im sorry sir…we have already our quota of over 55s in your council area.

Well damn….but just for the record. SDLP number one. Sinn Fein number two. Dont even mention Alliance in my presence.

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Karma Is A Bitch

Posted on April 29, 2013 by fitzjameshorse

I see on another message board, another thread (from the usual source) celebrating that another relative of a high-profile Sinn Fein person has been found guilty of something.

I am not exactly sure of the relevance. After all the same individual did not draw attention to the jailing of a DUP politician for fire-bombing of a house.

Karma is a bit of a bitch so I would certainly hope that nobody would take any pleasure in the jailing of a member of the family of the individual, who so obviously delights in the misfortune of others.

Even for a wind-up merchant it is a foolish game to play. After all I am pretty sure that the Bible says something about “not being my brothers keeper”. Or is it “brother-in-law”?

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Violence Towards The Elderly…And Me

Posted on April 29, 2013 by fitzjameshorse

Violence towards the Elderly concerns me a lot. Violence towards ME concerns me even more.

Or more accurately..the threat of violence. I was in Derry on Saturday. Came back to Belfast on the SDLP minibus…the designated adult “supervising ” the youngsters.

Walked the short distance from SDLP HQ on the Ormeau Road to Kentucky Fried Chicken at Shaftsbury Square. And then walked along Great Victoria Street. Several people about. It was daylight. Around 7.45pm. Crossing the road at Hope Street, I passed a couple of thugs…one of whom took some kinda dislike to me. Best not to look round. Just ignore the insults.

“Hey you are you English….the English are all bastards. I hate the English. You English bastard. The Irish are the friendliest people in the world….You f@@king smurf …I will f@@king stab you and stuff you in your f@@kin handbag (thats my lap top case by the way) …theres no f@@king camera in Belfast that will save you”.

Its less than one hundred metres from Hope Street to the Great Northern Mall and the railway station. An uncomfortable one hundred metres. This type of incident rarely happens to me. I dont usually encounter aggressive behaviour towards me. Its maybe twenty years since something like this happened. I am after all 60 years old and am rarely in situations like crowded bars where something might “kick off”.

Normally I take this kinda thing in a very personal way. Why…me? I tend to over-think things …I dont like to see unpleasantness. Yet oddly walking thru the Great Northern Mall to my train…I felt obviously relieved….that no violence had occurred. But even more oddly I found that I wasnt taking it personally. It could have happened to anyone. It just happened to me.

So…an asshole. And people encounter assholes on a daily basis. And I find myself in the unusual position of not really letting it get to me.

But a few thoughts. The chance of actual bodily harm was probably slim. Hardly more than ten per cent. And even then the “knife” was probably a bluff. More likely a couple of punches and a few kicks…and even then his mate might have been a restraining influence.

So annoying and even frightening…but interesting. Thats the thing about Blogging. I tend to see everything in the context of posting it here.

Although these two guys…probably 30 years old were obviously Irish rather than British, they were exactly the people that Michael Copeland was talking about at the SDLP Youth Conference earlier that day. They are disenfranchised, alienated thugs. They live in a violent drunken world barely noticed by “civilised” people and a sociologist might well say that this was an attempt to be noticed…a demand to be looked at. Yet their casual regard for violence and their indifference to being caught is truly disturbing.

There was always the ninety per cent chance that it was just words. And a ten percent chance of….a black eye…a cracked rib….a night or two in hospital…or…..whatever.

And a day in a PSNI interview room and an identity parade. And a day in court and for them….probably in my view…a short prison sentence. Too short. Whatever…my life would have been disrupted rather more than theirs. To them it was just another day out.

Were they drunk? Certainly. Had they taken drugs? Probably.

And thats maybe what annoys me most….that in their day in court…wearing the suit they keep for their appearances in court….their solicitor will stand before a Judge and say ” my client bitterly regrets the incident. He had taken a lot of alcohol….” But is that actually MITIGATION? Is it not an aggravating circumstance?

If a motorist is spotted speeding and arrested two days later the same solicitor would not seek mitigation from the Judge by saying. ” Go easy on him your honour…he didnt know he was speeding because of the drink”

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What Do Young People Think?

Posted on April 29, 2013 by fitzjameshorse

Over the weekend I was thinking a lot about my trip to Texas three months ago.The very last question put to me was ” What do young people in Norn Iron think? The question was put as we were all packing up and I was relieved that the previous ninety minutes had gone so well.

I replied …far too glibly ….that I am 60 years old and I dont understand anyone under 40 years old. The young man who put the question laughed but actually it deserves a better answer.

Frankly, I dont think that young people are a single homogenous group. At the weekend, speakers at the SDLP Youth Conference highlighted that many young people are disenfranchised without jobs and without hope. And there are young people at university …even Politics students…who feel alienated.

At heart people become interested in Politics when they cannot escape Responsibilty and want to hold politicians accountable….benefits, tuition fees, retirement homes, mortgages, childrens education etc. And of course within Norn Iron, those who develop an “early” interest in politics might support parties across the spectrum…Sinn Fein, SDLP, UUP, DUP, Alliance.

I tend to hear two things from younger people in relation to the Troubles. One is….that the Troubles are ancient history, an irrelevance to their lives and they dont want to hear about it. They believe that it is a new world. And I hear others say that “nothing has changed”.Both attitudes sadden me.

The attitude that disrespects what parents and grandparents went thru….well of course they are entitled to think it was all irrelevant to them. But it is equally disrespectful to think that the very real changes accomplished over forty years did not happen at all. The Young Person who witnesses a lapse in PSNI (Police Service of Norn Iron) standards of policing and says “nothing has changed” will not realise that the abuse of people in Norn Iron by the old Royal Ulster Constabulary was pretty routine.

Where possible in Texas, I tried to point up similarities in the Civil Rights movement or Womens movement in USA with Norn Iron. Without seeing these as entirely apt comparisons.

But I am a 60 year old Catholic who lived thru the Troubles.

I suspect there is a slightly older black man in Selma, Alabama who lived thru Segregation. He might hear two attitudes from younger people there.One attitude is that the whole Struggle is irrelevant to their lives and the other attitude is that nothing has changed.

And I suspect there is a slightly younger feminist who hears two attitudes from younger women. One is that early 1970s Feminism is irrelevant. Or they will hear that nothing has really changed for young women today.

Who is right? Either way any kinda RIGHTS is an ongoing thing. Use it or lose it.

People like me dont really “get” the 21st century. Maybe the 70 year old black man in Selma, Alabama does not really “get” gangsta rap. He probably prefers Tamla Motown. And the 55 year old feminist who listens to Helen Reddy sing ” I Am Woman Hear Me Roar” on YouTube might smile at Cyndi Lauper sing ” Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. But does the 55 year old Feminist even know who sings “Dont You Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me?”.

Perhaps the most obvious thing about Rights issues is that those who fought for them cannot bind new generations. Does a younger generation owe something to the 60 year old Norn Iron Catholic, the 70 year old black man in Selma! Alabama or the 55 year old Feminist?

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