On Obama in Dublin and London and special relationships

What do you suppose “equality” means in relations between States?  Last week much was made of the newfound equality between the UK and Ireland. But this week, if anybody claimed equality between the UK and US, they’d be laughed out of court. Is this a case of double standards?  Part of the answer lies in our old friend “parity of esteem.”  Nobody in their right mind can believe there can be any innate superiority of an Irish over a British …

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A St Patrick’s Day Blogburst…

Okay, here’s my response to Mark’s call… – I was at the Irish Embassy in London last night, at a gathering addressed by Joan Burton. Not sure many in the room shared Joan’s optimism. So, we kick off with some grim Scots Tory realism from Alex Massie: …growth is Ireland’s only chance. That means wholesale reform of the public sector to assist deficit reduction but that won’t be enough either. Many of the things that the French and Germans most …

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Peace Processing: “…people often didn’t know when to claim victory and move on”

Interesting little piece from Trina Vargo who says support in the US Houses of Congress for the International Fund for Ireland is coming to an end now budget cutting Republicans have taken over the lower house. Trina makes an interesting general point, not least about some of the functions of the Peace Process™ years: The Republicans control the House now and a House staffer just told me that the IFI is ‘on the chopping block’. Republicans in the House introduced …

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Four US views on whether Wikileaks is a force for good?

Four American views on Wikileaks from Reason TV… Mostly sceptical… Mick FealtyMick 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

Leak lists Irish companies vital to US security…

WIKILEAKS’ latest instalment contains a list of facilities around the world the US believes is vital to its national security. There are just two Irish entries. The first is the Hibernia Atlantic undersea cable landing – one of a number of fast transatlantic communications links listed – while the other is Genzyme Ireland Ltd. (filling), Waterford, which supplies Thymoglobulin, a drug to help prevent donor organ rejection. Publication of the leak has been criticised, as it could be used as …

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Clinton: “I think I’ll serve as secretary of state as my last public position”

As noted by the Telegraph’s Nile Gardiner, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has told an audience in Bahrain that the post will likely be her last in public office. Clinton was speaking at a town hall meeting in Bahrain, where she’s attending a Gulf security summit hosted by Bahrain’s International Institute for Strategic Studies, where Yemen and Iran are expected to dominate the agenda. “I think I’ll serve as secretary of state as my last public position, and then probably …

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So Dubya that’s all right then

“Their interrogations helped break up plots to attack American diplomatic facilities abroad, Heathrow airport and Canary Wharf in London, and multiple targets in the United States,” George W Bush has told the Times in a media blitz  to publish his ghosted memoirs  “Decision Points“. What is the British reply? Nothing from the government yet – or from Tony Blair for that matter.   David Davis libertarian former shadow Home Secretary has just said on Radio 4: If you come by information you have to …

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Obama’s faces a rocky road to 2012…

Okay, so John was first to the off on the US mid terms. I’m not sure I agree that the Tea Party failed to define itself as a party (thus providing Dems with a visible target). By which I mean, its intention was never to become another party but rather to break up the long term romance within the Republican party between its Ivy League and corporate elite and the Christian right for the small government, fiscal conservatives. According to …

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Date set for one-day US economic forum on Northern Ireland

The US Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland, Declan Kelly, has announced the date for a one-day economic forum on Northern Ireland to be held in Washington. The US-NI Economic Conference will be held on October 19, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton overseeing the event at the State Department in Washington DC. Political leaders had already made a commitment to holding the conference, but today’s announcement fixed a date for the one-day event and confirmed that it will bring together leading executives …

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“I don’t know what to say..”

Yesterday a meeting of the European Parliament Committee on International Trade (INTA) had an exchange of views with US Ambassador William Kennard on EU-US Trade relations. Joe Higgins, Irish Socialist Party MEP, confronted the American Ambassador over his country’s trading relationship with Israel: Is trade still a value-free activity that must not involve human rights and other rights? Or what has significantly changed in the new administration? And if something has significantly changed, why does your administration still continue to …

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Dollar crisis : Meltup

In the midst of a European sovereign debt crisis analysts stateside are worried about their future. Produced by the National Inflation Association the video splices contributions from Marc Faber, Jim Rogers, Ron Paul, Peter Schiff and others to make the case that the United States is staring into the face of a future currency crisis and hyperinflation. Hat tip to Gerard O’Neill for this particular horror movie He also linked to an interesting presentation with Niall Ferguson US Flag http://www.flickr.com/photos/jiazi/ …

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US economy grows, Greek Government agrees to deeper austerity, citizens riot

Bloomberg report that – The U.S. economy expanded at a 3.2 percent annual rate in the first quarter as households spent more freely, setting the stage for gains in employment that may help the recovery broaden and accelerate. and the Wall Street Journal note that Greece has agreed with the International Monetary Fund and the European Union to take additional austerity measures expected to yield “around €23 billion” ($30 billion) as a precondition for financial assistance, a Greek official familiar …

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