Harry Browne is an ex pat American journalist who lectures in media studies at DIT. His views are often interesting because they are from outside that of the media establishment. In Counterpunch he has an interesting take on the changes in Adams’s strategy in the US, and detects an allignment with Hillary Clinton’s expected bid for the US presidency in 2008.
Adams, who was briefly the IRA chief of staff in the 1970s, is now a bearded visage for the global Clinton brand, an instant signifier of ex-President Bill’s status as an international statesman and totem of racial, ethnic and religious reconciliation. Ten days ago Adams was a guest, speaking on “religion and conflict”, at the inaugural meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. (Funny, republicans always used to insist the Northern struggle was not about religion but about imperialism.)
Adams’s account of the three-day meeting appears in Ireland’s Village magazine, under the fitting headline, “Clinton shows way towards elimination of poverty”. Adams tells readers that the $15,000-a-head “action-orientated” conference was attended mainly by “people committed to multilateralism and collective action in global affairs”. Ah, well, that’s all right then: thanks to Gerry we now know such a (totally meaningless) commitment is apparently shared by Tony Blair, Rupert Murdoch, George Bush Sr, Shimon Peres and Condoleezza Rice, along with Mrs Bill, George Soros and their “liberal” like.
Adams oozes empty anti-poverty platitudes like he’s been sharing a pint with Bono and Bob Geldof. (The only thing remotely edifying about his article is the photograph, from the conference floor, of Angelina Jolie’s intent, collagen-enhanced profile. Let’s hope she’s truly committed to multilateralism and collective action in global affairs.)
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty