Thursday, November 20, 2008
Let’s Talk…
Could be a good one tonight… Slugger hears the line up will include Margaret Ritchie, Jim Allister fresh back from Strasbourg, Finance Minister Nigel Dodds, and David McWilliams… Feel free to comment throughout the programme…
Mick Fealty @ 08:05 PM
I agree with Alister, I think there is a date.
Posted by on Nov 20, 2008 @ 10:49 PMNo shinners on the panel :)
Posted by on Nov 20, 2008 @ 10:51 PMI think the media played a significant part in the economic crisis, they’re already telling people to hold on for as long as they can to get better bargains, and predicting closing down sales in January/February.
Posted by on Nov 20, 2008 @ 11:08 PMFair comment by the Ballyclare business man whose business is failing.
Posted by on Nov 20, 2008 @ 11:18 PMTo Nigel and Jim and other unionist dinosaurs: How is the Irish Language Act detrimental to Unionism? Isn’t protecting the Irish Language as it is spoken in NI merely extending the same rights to Irish as are enjoyed by other British languages such as Welsh and Scots Gaelic? Opposing legislation to protect and promote the Irish language is essentially anti British?
Posted by on Nov 20, 2008 @ 11:33 PMIf a date had been set Sinn Fein would have been shouting from the roof tops but they seem quite and muted on the issue?
Posted by on Nov 20, 2008 @ 11:34 PMSadler and Waldorf, great comment about Jim and Nigel .
Posted by on Nov 20, 2008 @ 11:39 PMAllister retains his ‘world’s most unpleasant man’ crown yet again......
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 12:13 AMAllister needs prozac, fast.
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 12:21 AMConcubhar O Liatháin....
There will be an Irish Language Strategy and an Ulster-Scots strategy but no Act....we cannot afford to have £m spent on having e.g. Irish being used in a court, when the only person able to understand it is the plantiff / defendant / respondent whose first language is English and paying fees for interpreters etc etc.....be pragmatic and agree that we can fund both languages through education, cultural activities etc rather than through putting either on a statutory footing.
There are probably as many people speaking Chinese as use Irish as anything other than a hobby language or politicised as it is by Sinn Fein.
The politicisation of the Irish language is part of the problem; the many dedicated Irish Language enthusiasts are never heard from, it is Sinn Fein [the majority of whom don’t speak the language] who are acting as bully boys in trying to intimidate the majority of people in Northern Ireland into putting an Irish Language Act on the Statute book. It isn’t going to happen, so get used to it !!Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 12:31 AMThat’s logical William. You say we can’t afford an Irish Language Act yet we can afford an Irish Language Strategy and an Ulster Scots Strategy? Who are you trying to kid? Ulster Scots is, at best, a dialect and its been politicised beyond belief by the DUP and the Ulster Scots Agency with the funding of, for example, an entirely English language CD of Orange Order songs....
I am in favour of Ulster Scots being funded if its to encourage its use as a language/dialect but not this farce where money supposedly being spent on US as a language is actually being spent on Orange and Unionist ‘culture’. If the DUP wants such expenditure, it should set up a body to do it and stop linking it with the Irish language.
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 12:39 AMWilliam,
I think you will find an Irish Language Bill will happen as the Shinners wouldn’t have signed up to a deal that didn’t include it. They have rowed back on the P & J date so will have got something back in return i.e. Irish Language Act. To be honest if a deal HAS been worked out and there has been give and take I for one AM GLAD because we need a boost at the minute. This 5 month political vacuum has been a test of the Executive and it has survived without a serious outbreak of violence or disorder. THAT in itself is surely proof that most of us want politics to work. If the Executive can withstand this it can hold up against anything AND that is a total positive. The thirst for violence and confrontation is on the wane because most of us don’t want it. I, like many of you, lived through the dark days and it was shameful and heartbreaking. The Darkley massacre remembrance on the TV would have brought tears to a stone and I don’t won’t our kids going through this again. We ALL disagreed over the last 5 months and is it not great that ALL we did was disagree? NOW that is progress!
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 12:49 AMLets Talk.
Dodsie’s bite has gone the same way as Robbo’s ‘serious consequences’. TUV Jimbo has lost most of his bluster and Dodsie seems to have found it.
TUV Jimbo 2 Dodsie 1.
Dodsie also confirmed the view - which now appears to be the official party line – expressed many times by myself and others and studiously ignored by Peter Baker and Mick Fealty - that the DUP feared “Direct Rule with Dublin” and therefore had to sign up to Stormo Police and Justice with SF - irrespective of the 3 funny locks which were supposed to be so important.
Robbo has (rightly) signed up to movement for exactly the same reasons as Trimble – he had no real fecking choice – better to be in government with SF than have direct rule. Well you just have to hand it to the Englezes.
P.S. True to form the 2 Unionist politicians showed themselves against Obama. Don’t know what the UU say on the subject but expect ordinary members also think Democrats will be pro-Nationalist and were therefore pro McCain.
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 01:03 AMHey Pete, is there any chance of getting a youtube link to lets talk? I can’t get iplayer!!:(
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 03:41 AMOh dear, for some reason I absolutely loved the Allister/Dodds duo. Nothing like relentlessly bad blood staining an otherwise progressive panel of enlightened do-gooders. Long live Statler & Waldorf!
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 10:22 AMOC
“where money supposedly being spent on US as a language”
The US Agency is not and has never been restricted to language. It is not a carbon copy of Foras na Gaelige
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 10:58 AMWilliam,
You say Sinn Féin are politicising the Irish Langauge but it was the SDLP who tabled a private members bill this week calling for such legislation. I don’t see the nay-sayers of unionisn rushing to condemn them. Could it be that the rejectionist wing of unionism, the ones who mysteriously describe an Irish Language Act as anti-British, are guilty of politicing the language by using it as a stick to beat Sinn Féin?Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 12:29 PMThe Boord o’Ulster Scotch is the Ulster Scotch element of the Language Body as the Foras is the Irish language element of same. If its culture that the Boord is about, then they should go somewhere else for their funding....
How are Orange Order songs, in English, part of Ulster Scotch ’culture’. Nationalists/Catholics in north Antrim speak the dialect also..... it seems to me the only language politicisation going on is that being carried out by the Orange Order and their political bretheren and in cahoots with the Boord.....
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 12:59 PMCOL
“The Boord o’Ulster Scotch is the Ulster Scotch element of the Language Body as the Foras is the Irish language element of same. If its culture that the Boord is about, then they should go somewhere else for their funding.... “
While you may wish the situation to be different, the fact remains the comment is inaccurate. An organisation can have a role above and beyond a word in its title. From the legislation about the role of the Agency:
“Ulster Scots — promotion of greater awareness and use of Ullans and of Ulster Scots cultural issues, both within Northern Ireland and throughout the island.”
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 02:29 PMI don’t dispute the ‘cultural’ link but I don’t see how being mandated to promote the greater awareness of Ullands and of Ulster Scots cultural issues, both within Northern Ireland and throughout the island, gives the Boord the authority to fund the Orange Order’s English language song CD? Would not Foras na Gaeilge be justly accused of politicisation of the language/culture if they funded a CD of Irish language rebel songs?
I would also like to know what exactly the Boord does for the promotion of the awareness and use of Ullans, as opposed to Scottish dancing and haggis eating. Promoting awareness of Ullans is among its responsibilities. It would be far better to do that than spend tax payers’ money on follies such as the On Eagles Wing propoganda musical and Orange Order party songs…Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 03:26 PMThe constant snickering and sneers on the faces of Jimbo and Doddsy whenever the other spoke were straight out of 1st form debating society. Dastardly and Muttley.
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 04:09 PMDriftwood
there were signs near the end of the show that the chappies are in fact quite palsy and I think there was even a bit of male touching on the arms - and probably enough to have alarmed Iris.
Watching Marty on the earlier Hearts and Minds he referred to elements in the DUP who were very close to the TUV and who were causing problems for Robbo - I would guess that includes Dodsy and the closeness with Jimbo also relates to their political views.
Posted by on Nov 21, 2008 @ 05:24 PM
