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“Unionism Decayed 1997-2007″ by David Vance: book review
I initially wrote this when the book was first published three years ago; whilst certain elements of it now sound dated, its basic premise that the period of 1997-2007 was a period of irreversible decay for Northern Irish Unionism can still be argued as a valid opinion. My own feeling is that it did indeed [...] read our review » -
Books: Listening to Van Morrison…
Great little review of Listening to Van Morrison by Griel Marcus… It’s a short book, not a biography or a career survey, but an attempt to follow those moments in Morrison’s music, as he’s made it from his first records with Them, from Belfast in 1965 to the present day, when something happens that breaks [...] read our review »
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Is Fianna Fail the new Woolworths of Irish politics?
It’s not published until 3rd March, but one book I recommend you place an advance order for from Slugger’s Bookstore is James Harkin’s Niche. Belfast émigré Harkin examines a number of stories from business, culture and politics and comes to a single insight: everywhere the broad middle is collapsing. He offers Woolworths as an iconic exemplar [...] read our review »
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FD surely you didn’t think all the financial crooks were in Washington?
They’re political prisoners who were protesting against the rise in fuel prices using performance art. The money and fuel was only props. The Brit forces were heavy handed, Free them!!!
Glad to see some good cross community work going on.
Good police work so far, now let see will the judicial system follow through with any effectiveness.
Also, what about those purchasing this fuel? If the facility was under such surveillaince, then surely the authorities know who was purchasing it? If a few people were prosecuted for using illegal fuel, then maybe the market would dry up.
How dangerous could these gangs become with the broad range of expertise that they have.
This news of the arrest of citizens is deeply upsetting to me. Like many people, and indeed perhaps like most people who ever lived closed to a border or a sea port, I have fond memories of smugglers who brought only bounty and fun in their wake. I still remember a night just after the war when my father returned from Dundalk races, obviously having won, with butter, chocolate, sugar, hams, confectionery, cigarettes and nylon stockings and perfumes. For more than a week we lived like pirate aristocrats. Indeed there are small pleasures in life today that government has put so far beyond the reach of the ordinary citizen that life itself would be unbearable without the great sacrifice the smuggler undertakes on society’s behalf.
I salute the smuggler and sing his praise. I now anticipate a flurry of dissent from the mealy-mouthed friends of old Laura Norder asking if am I not aware how many hospitals, schools, replacement hips for oldies and replacement Trident missiles that all that revenue lost through smuggling would fund. My riposte is as ever, to hell with you!. If you are that concerned about funding these things let us all hear your calls for increased higher rate income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax (and why not a tax on capital itself?), a clamp-down on tax evasion schemes and generally hanging the indolent rich and confiscating all they owned. Which would also be a sort of blessing as the rich become lovely when they’re dead. For the first time they demand nothing and we, in our common kindness, must demand on their behalf that they be interred for decency’s sake.
In the meantime I shall, with a clear conscience, roll up any decent tobacco that comes my way and hope that the fat cats and their puppet government stooges choke on whatever measures for oral gratification they choose for their pleasure.
Coincidentally I’m reading Misha Glenny’s McMafia which is an account of how the former communists from Eastern Europe quickly learned how to profit from the transit across ‘new ‘borders of fuel , cigarettes, drugs , women , stolen cars etc etc . Many of the former Yugoslav , Bulgarian , Serbs , Croats politicians who were by day profiting ‘politically’ by hyping their ethnic solidarity were at the same time hand in glove by night with their ethnic ‘enemies ‘ in making vast profits from illicit trade. Oddly enough Glenny traces much of the illicit trade back to the imposition of sanctions on Serbia which gave birth to the ‘mess’ .
It’s ‘refreshing’ to learn that we have such cooperation between South Armagh and Loyalist West Belfast . Who would have thought it
They need to rename NI as North West Balkania:(
Mcgrath
those purchasing this sort of fuel are usually unaware of that fact and pay the full or very close to full price. Diesel launderers cannot be classified as ‘smugglers’. Even in Sth Armagh when we buy fuel on the northern side of the border we are lucky to get a couple of pence off the price except for 1 or 2 dealers. Some dealers even charge the full price! Leaving laundering aside, smuggling is now an organised, big business and has all the trappings of such including little regard for the ‘customer.’
Co-operation between Sth Armagh and Loyalism is nothing new and hopefully the truth of their disgusting alliances will come out sooner rather than later.
those purchasing this sort of fuel are usually unaware of that fact and pay the full or very close to full price.
Posted by dunreavynomore on Sep 26, 2008 @ 11:18 PM
I was referring to the filling stations and such where the fuel is retailed, or are you suggesting that the retailers are unaware of where they are purchasing their supplies from? That I would find hard to believe, part of the deal with the lower cost supply is not asking too many questions about where it came from.
depriving the government of 1m in taxes. Sounds good to me. And I’m glad loyalists are seeing it as a good thing to starve the british machine.
that’s 1m less for the criminals in westminister to spend on wars in the middle east.
Silly question maybe, but why weren’t there any arrests in south Armagh?
“[i]why weren’t there any arrests in south Armagh?”[/i]
Would love to hear Gerry’s reaction to such arrests, ” these men are good republicans”
McGrath,
fair enough, the filling stations know full well, I thought you were referring to the customers.
Yes Heck and A million less for them to spend on public services and possibly another reason that it would be interesting to see how a local minister for P&J;would take on the criminals.