International – Page 5 – Slugger O'Toole

What’s the matter with Hillary?

Brian Walker on June 5, 2016, 12:11 am

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At last two pieces which go to the heart of why Donald Trump is rampant and Hillary Clinton is faltering. The plain fact is that people like their politicians to inspire or at least identify with their problem and fears. Mrs Clinton is a poor speaker and comes across as an over-calculating policy wonk who does neither. Remember those visits to Belfast showing support for the peace process which continued even after we were thrown off the international news agenda? …

“The bullshitter is indifferent to the truth; he will say anything to suit his purpose…”

Pete Baker on June 4, 2016, 3:13 pm

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From Friday’s Irish Times, Brian Boyd with a timely reminder [for any number of reasons… – Ed] of a topic noted in the Slugger archive back in February 2005 – “On Bullshit“. From the Irish Times article – “Bullshit can be more dangerous than lies in politics” …as Dr Frankfurt explains himself: “Bullshit is trying to impress the listener and the reader with words that communicate an impression in a way that obscures the fact of the matter.” And it’s …

If Brexit happens, Ireland may be united for the purpose of entering Great Britain

Brian Walker on May 30, 2016, 10:53 am

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In the Brexit propaganda battle the hare is now being raised not of imposing controls on the Irish border but of geographically more convenient checks between the island or Ireland and the island of Great Britain. While the Irish Times quotes “official sources” in Dublin bringing up the issue again, the piece invokes a report by the House of Commons’ Northern Ireland Committee that discusses it. The Commons committee warned in a report entitled Northern Ireland and the EU Referendum …

The Ultimate Eurovision Song Contest Winner…

Pete Baker on May 16, 2016, 2:56 pm

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With Russia discovering the joys of the politics of the Eurovision Song Contest this year, here’s the undoubted highlight from Saturday’s Grand Final in Stockholm – the interval act! Just in case anyone from the BBC, or from RTÉ, are looking for any tips for next year. Let’s face it, on recent form they could do with some. All together now! Love, Love, Peace, Peace… Pete Baker

Mercury in motion

Pete Baker on May 10, 2016, 4:23 pm

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If you missed yesterday’s rare Mercury transit across the Sun – the last was in 2006, the next in 2019 – then where were you! [Busy… – Ed] But even if you were paying attention you’re unlikely to have had as wondrous a view as that of Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. They’ve helpfully released a stunning time-lapse video compressing the entire 7 hour spectacle into a digestible couple of minutes. I recommend switching to full screen mode and cranking up the volume. Enjoy! [Video …

Another view…

Pete Baker on May 4, 2016, 10:33 pm

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Vote… don’t vote… In the meantime, here’s another in an occasional series of wondrous views from the International Space Station, via the Nasa Crew Earth Observations videos – Sunglint over the Ocean. [Video courtesy of the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center] This video was taken by the Expedition 47 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on March 25, 2016 from 11:45:02 to 11:57:17 GMT on a pass over …

President Obama jumps the Sinn Féin shark…

Pete Baker on April 23, 2016, 4:14 pm

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One of the benefits of being a US President in your final year in office, as well as getting to decide who can and can’t come to your party, is the freedom to say what you really think – even if President Obama continues to appear to be mis-briefed on shared, as opposed to integrated, education here… ANYhoo… As the BBC report notes, US President Barack Obama was speaking in London to an audience of young people when he responded to …

Mark Cousins: “In the middle of the joy, modernity and new tolerance that we have, we have to allow a bit of space to acknowledge that creature from the Black Lagoon, that sense of, ‘Wow, did we really do that? Were we that inhuman?’ Yes, we were.”

Pete Baker on April 9, 2016, 4:05 pm

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The Guardian’s eminent film critic Peter Bradshaw, briefly and favourably, reviews film-maker Mark Cousins’ “meditative tribute” to his hometown, “I am Belfast”- a “valuable, heartfelt tribute to a city”. …there is much food for thought. He notes the fact that images of the Titanic, created at Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyard, are everywhere in the city since the movie, creating a veritable tourist icon. Cousins indirectly and interestingly suggests that the catastrophe of its sinking in 1912 may have fed, or even …

The Brexit debate showed how for once, it’s not really about us.

Brian Walker on April 5, 2016, 1:32 pm

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While all involved should be congratulated for staging it, goodness knows what the public made of the streamed Brexit debate. The horrible truth is that we are required to say yes or no to a question which admits of no clear answer. No one knows the cost of “uncertainty,” or the advantages of going it alone Dunkirk style. The Leave campaign is Panglossian, Remain is perilously like Mr Micawber. Call me parochial but the lack of a full time Northern …

The Michaella McCollum interview: big mistake by the broadcasters

Brian Walker on April 5, 2016, 9:48 am

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The Irish Times joins the Belfast Telegraph in criticising the soft focus treatment of drugs smuggler Michaella McCollum. She was interviewed for RTE Features by independent film maker Trevor Birnie of Below the Radar films, an outfit that is usually associated with investigative journalism. As the Irish Times’ Hugh Linehan points out.. Given the circumstances, one might have expected a few hard questions. How much were you going to be paid for the job? Did you get money in advance? …

“as head of British intelligence, you would be derelict in your duty if you did not do everything in your power to assist that process…”

Pete Baker on April 4, 2016, 2:09 pm

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Via the Pensive Quill. In this transcript of a discussion on Radio Free Éireann in New York, with John McDonagh (JM) and Martin Galvin (MG), veteran journalist Ed Moloney (EM) has some “stupid” questions for the leadership of Sinn Féin, British Intelligence Services, and the local media. From the transcript EM: There’s a whole untold story of the peace process in the latter years of the IRA’s existence in relation to the influence of British intelligence – to what extent that was …

“The report’s Canadian authors made their numbers add up by using a ‘Tory island’ model of small government, low taxes, free markets and no debt…”

Pete Baker on March 26, 2016, 6:50 pm

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In the Irish News, Newton Emerson has fun with the recent Sinn Féin re-launch [and re-re-launch! – Ed] of the report they commissioned, under cover of the “Knights of the Red Branch Inc”, of the benefits of an economically right-wing united Ireland. From the Irish News An academic study showing Northern Ireland would be better off in a united Ireland, commissioned last year by Friends of Sinn Féin in San Francisco, has been re-launched in Dublin and Belfast to immediate denunciations …

Gulf War 25 years on

Turgon on March 19, 2016, 10:28 pm

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It is now twenty five years since the First Gulf War. I remember being woken by my radio alarm clock on the first morning of the air campaign. There was a roaring sound which I thought was static on my analogue radio. Actually it was the planes taking off on bombing raids: the harsh sound of low bypass ratio military turbofans. Now twenty five years later we can see that the world changed yet remained very much the same. At …

Gerry Adams’ White House ‘controversy’: “Quite apart from being bumptious, paranoid and absurdly self-pitying…”

Pete Baker on March 19, 2016, 7:51 pm

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In the Irish News Newton Emerson highlights the unintended consequences of Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams’ intemperate outburst following his recent misunderstanding with security at the White House. From the Irish News GERRY Adams could have been pragmatic and diplomatic about being locked out of President Obama’s St Patrick’s Day reception and simply laughed it off. It is all too believable that the White House has the same hapless jobsworths in its security hut as everywhere else – and that has …

ICC World Twenty20: Bangladesh v Ireland

Pete Baker on March 11, 2016, 1:00 pm

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After defeat in their opening game against ICC World Twenty20 newcomers Oman, Ireland’s cricketers now face group favourites Bangladesh in a must-win match if they are to stay in the running for the Super10 stage. Despite that favourite status, Bangladesh had a scare against the Netherlands in a narrow 8 run win and two of its bowlers’ actions have been called into question by ICC officials. Apparently the Ireland coach, John Bracewell, doesn’t anticipate making many changes to the starting eleven from the first …

ICC World Twenty20: Ireland v Oman

Pete Baker on March 9, 2016, 2:03 pm

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The 2016 ICC World Twenty20 got under way yesterday in the host country, India. The initial groups see the associate teams battle with lower ranked test nations for two slots in the Super 10 stage. The opening matches saw Zimbabwe defeat Hong Kong by 14 runs and Afghanistan overcame a spirited Scotland performance by the same margin. Earlier today, Bangladesh squeaked past the Netherlands by 8 runs. Ireland are about to open their account against the relatively unknown Oman at Dharamsala. Cricinfo has a preview …

US President Bill Clinton: “We’ve all taken our licks for Gerry”.

Pete Baker on January 7, 2016, 4:06 pm

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The BBC’s freedom of information specialist, Martin Rosenbaum, has been reading through transcripts of calls and meetings between US President Bill Clinton and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, between 1997 and 2000, which were released following a BBC freedom of information request to the Clinton Presidential Library. As he notes, [The transcripts] contain substantial redactions, especially of Mr Blair’s remarks… From the BBC report Much of their discussion was about the Northern Ireland peace process, in which President Clinton played a significant part. …

“It will be so loud that if we move in next door to you, your lawn will die”

Pete Baker on December 29, 2015, 2:06 am

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RIP Lemmy, who has died, aged 70, two days after cancer diagnosis. BBC obituary here. Adds Great quote from Lemmy in 2015, from the Guardian’s Lemmy: a life in quotes. To Michael Hann, the Guardian, 2015 “In your twenties, you think you are immortal. In your thirties, you hope you are immortal. In your forties, you just pray it doesn’t hurt too much, and by the time you reach my age, you become convinced that, well, it could be just …

When is “an independent study” on Irish unification not independent?

Pete Baker on November 21, 2015, 7:54 pm

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When it has been commissioned, under cover, by Friends of Sinn Féin USA, perhaps… Sinn Féin were quick to welcome the recent announcement of the “first-ever economic modeling [of the] economic benefits Of Irish unification” at the Harvard Club in Manhattan. Twice, in fact. An Phoblacht were too. The press release from Sinn Féin MEP, Matt Carthy, “party spokesperson on the campaign for Irish Unity”, welcomed the “independent study which shows that Irish Unity would be economically beneficial for both jurisdictions …

Terrorist attacks in Paris

Pete Baker on November 13, 2015, 10:54 pm

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PARIS ATTACKS: At least 40 people are reported to have been killed. There have been shootings at, at least, two bars or restaurants, including a Cambodian restaurant, and there have been explosions reported near the Stade de France where the French national football side were playing Germany.