USA – Page 2 – Slugger O'Toole

Letter From America: The Love Affair with the Ten Commandments…

Jon Hatch on May 14, 2017, 11:30 am

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One thing that I see a lot of in America is signs. Advertising billboards are everywhere, a lot more than in Europe. Drive for any distance in a populated area in the US and you’ll see hundreds. However, there’s one particular type of sign that I see a lot of in my area and it’s not (technically, anyway) an advertisement. It’s the Ten Commandments. They’re all the same design and are available from a website (which is also advertised on …

Poison of the American War with Vietnam still lingers over 40 years later…

Terry Maguire on April 5, 2017, 7:28 pm

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With revulsion, confusion and perhaps too much hypocritical moral indignation the World is coming to terms with yet another chemical weapons attack in Syria in the last few days. But toxic chemicals have always been in the arsenals of our armies. It is less acceptable to use them today off course but is there a good, proper or humane way to kill our enemies? Whether it be the typhoid containing cow carcasses of the Middle-Ages, the mustard gas of …

Playing the Long Game – Conservative Evangelicals and the US Supreme Court

Jon Hatch on April 4, 2017, 7:27 am

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Many observers of American politics are utterly befuddled by the reaction of many Republicans, first to the candidacy and then the actual presidency of Donald Trump. Why, so many wonder, do they tolerate, and even defend, a candidate who has so often been openly contemptuous of them and their party? He has belittled, insulted, denigrated, and bullied them, not to mention lied about them at almost every turn. And since he’s not demonstrated any discernible ideological core- other than the …

“if you do that you are going to see a flood of companies leaving Ireland and Canada and Germany and France and they are going to come back to the United States…”

Pete Baker on November 10, 2016, 6:16 pm

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Here’s something for Taoiseach Enda Kenny, and any one else, to keep in mind when they hear that US President-elect Donald Trump “understands Ireland very well. He was complimentary about the decisions made about the economy here.” The Belfast Telegraph reports comments by Stephen Moore, a “senior economic advisor to Mr Trump”, on BBC Radio 4’s World at One today. From the Belfast Telegraph report [Stephen] Moore, senior economic advisor to Mr Trump, said the centrepiece plan of the new Washington …

“Maybe it’s time to consider whether there’s something about shrill self-righteousness…”

Pete Baker on November 9, 2016, 3:05 pm

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At the Guardian, Thomas Frank offers some home truths to a self-styled liberal media [including bloggers! – Ed] in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s victory. From the Guardian Comment is Free article How did the journalists’ crusade fail? The fourth estate came together in an unprecedented professional consensus. They chose insulting the other side over trying to understand what motivated them. They transformed opinion writing into a vehicle for high moral boasting. What could possibly have gone wrong with such …

United to say farewell to Belfast International in 2017

David McCann on November 4, 2016, 12:35 pm

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One of the biggest airlines in the world, United Airlines is set to pull out of its Belfast International to Newark route in January 2017. The Executive had agreed a £9 million aid package to the airline (this is on top of the cuts to APD that are already in place) to help keep the route going. The EU has however, blocked the aid package on state aid grounds. I have used this route many times and my brother brings …

US Consulate: “We anticipate that a US trade and investment delegation will visit Northern Ireland in the first half of 2017”

Pete Baker on July 9, 2016, 8:07 pm

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The Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, has, in effect, called ‘bullshit’ on Martin McGuinness‘ claim that a proposed US investment delegation to Northern Ireland has been postponed “directly as a result of the vote” in the UK-wide EU membership referendum. Unlike the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, echoed by his party colleague, Conor Murphy, the Secretary of State named the source of her information …Theresa Villiers said that the US Special Envoy Gary Hart had blamed the decision of …

Bilderberg 2016: “If I were a member of a technocratic elite that wanted its influence on public policy kept under wraps…”

Pete Baker on June 13, 2016, 3:22 pm

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It’s that time again! The 64th Annual Bilderberg Meeting, “like a corporate cross between Santa Claus and a big friendly squid“, has just ended in Dresden, Germany. Charlie Skelton was there again for the Guardian, and his post on Bilderberg 2016 is well worth reading in full. It’s a “tickle under the chin of the mainstream press” in the hope that the reporters will come. From Charlie Skelton’s Bilderblog I was glad I was able to lighten Bernabè’s day, but …

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 …

“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 …

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 …

A wry view of the US presidential candidates….

Samuel Thompson on January 16, 2016, 8:20 pm

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It seems to have been going on for ever but the truth is, it hasn’t even started yet. I am of course, referring to the greatest political show on earth, the US presidential election. This year’s crop of hopefuls contains demonstrates once again the diversity of America’s millionaire class. In addition to middle-aged white guys, there is an African-American, a Jew, a Latino and a Canadian, who is also a Latino. Why there is even a woman. Let’s take a …

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. …

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 …

The Pope Is Still A Catholic

Gerry Lynch on October 2, 2015, 10:37 pm

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Lefty atheists from North London to Northern California are in outrage today at the latest shock revelations that Pope Francis is, in fact, a Catholic. “The pope played us for fools, trying to have it both ways”, thundered Michaelangelo Signorile in the Huffington Post, outraged that the Pope had (briefly) met Kim Davis. Ms Davis, you’ll remember, is the rather silly Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples on ‘biblical’ grounds while herself being on …

“Still, there are words for the sort of reception meted out, and the most polite are ‘low’ and ‘key’.”

Pete Baker on July 31, 2015, 5:17 pm

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Meanwhile, back at the ranch… or, rather, as far away from the ranch as you can reasonably get… For the benefit of those concerned about accountability and the democratic process… Liam Clarke has some points to make about Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, and the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister Sinn Féin MLA Martin McGuinness’ recent, separate, trips to the US. In that situation, how much priority would you give when tapped on the arm and told that the Northern Ireland …

Gerry Adams: “It is no skin off my nose not to meet the [US] State Department.”

Pete Baker on March 16, 2015, 4:58 pm

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Did the US State Department cancel a planned meeting by a “high-level US state department official” with the Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, TD, after Sinn Féin withdrew support for the welfare reform bill, as the BBC, and others, have been reporting? Gerry Adams’ latest statement would tend to suggest that they did. Here’s what the Sinn Féin press release says [Gerry Adams]: “The State Department’s handling of the issue of a meeting with me is bizarre. It serves no purpose other than …

Ireland you’re exceptional, we should act like it.

David McCann on December 11, 2014, 5:07 pm

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Ireland is an exceptional country, well so I think anyway. I know this is the easiest plug that any person can give a home town crowd “there’s nowhere like …..” and you get your applause. The concept of exceptionalism is more commonly identified with the United States, were the notion of this being a special place is hammered home time and again. My nephews who are all Americans, do have a real sense of civic pride as they are quick …

Blue Plaque unveiled in Aghadowey

Turgon on July 29, 2014, 10:23 pm

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Yesterday the Ulster History Circle unveiled a Blue Plaque at Aghadowey Presbyterian Church in honour of Rev. James McGregor. Aghadowey Presbyterian Church was founded in 1655 making it one of the oldest congregations west of the Bann. It also has amongst the largest Presbyterian church buildings in County Londonderry. Rev. James McGregor was a veteran of the siege of Derry where he is purported by some to have been the first to see the relieving ships. He became minister of …

US death penalty states seek alternatives to lethal injection

Turgon on May 24, 2014, 10:20 am

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I mentioned the debacle surrounding the execution of Clayton Lockett previously. The problem has been that lethal injection was seen as a humane way to end a condemned criminal’s life. It had the appearance of a medical procedure. Unfortuantely a combination of problems with drug choices and doses and more importantly the limited competence of the execution staff at gaining and maintaining intravenous access have led to a number of botched executions where death was not the at least outwardly …