At the start it is only fair to state that I am opposed to the death penalty. I respect those with a different opinion but I am clear that I do not support capital punishment. No one directly connected to me has ever been murdered so maybe I am naive and could change my mind but currently I think that would be unlikely. The USA has had another problem with an execution. In this case an inmate in Oklahoma started …
Whilst the Northern Ireland media continue to obsess over digest the parting shot from Richard Haass on the political parties’ failure to agree to his proposals (version 7), the co-chair of those talks, Meghan O’Sullivan, appears to have been delegated the task of addressing the media south of the border. [Partitionists! – Ed] ANYhoo.. In the Irish Times, Dan Keenan’s report includes what is, perhaps, the most revealing comment on the failure to agree. The final draft was written by herself and …
The death has been announced in Hanoi of Vo Nguyen Giap, the self-taught general who drove the French out of Vietnam. His generalship at the pivotal battle of Dien Bien Phu, freeing the North from colonial rule and then later forcing the Americans to abandon their support for the various regimes in South Vietnam, was largely responsible for the eventual re-unification of the country under a communist government in Hanoi. Giap is probably not as well known as the events in …
Sponsored by the US Consulate Belfast, the Washington-Ireland Programme and Politics Plus, Chris Lyttle MLA hosted a remembrance event at Parliament Buildings for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, with Martin Luther King Jr’s speech, “I have a dream”. https://soundcloud.com/mrulster/20130828-mlk-nia-01-chris-lyttle-mla Chris recalled his experience as a participant in the Washington-Ireland Programme, including a project that investigated the organisation of the 1963 March for Jobs & Freedom. He was particularly honoured to meet Walter Fauntroy …
Now that the US President is back home across the pond, it’s probably safe to note the latest candidate in an occasional series. From the House of Commons written parliamentary questions 20 June. US White House Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Government plans to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the burning of the White House, Washington DC, US by the British army on 24 August 1814; and if she …
My marriage is a transatlantic union between a Midwesterner and a Belfast-born Northern Irishwoman. Fittingly, my wife and I were delighted to receive tickets to hear another Midwesterner, President Barack Obama, at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall. With DJ Pete Snodden playing music by American artists, and the 2,000+ crowd performing a Mexican wave, one could be forgiven for thinking a pop concert was in the works. https://soundcloud.com/mrulster/20130617-obama-ni-01-hannah Rather, Hannah Nelson, a 16-year-old student from Methodist College, gave an excellent speech on …
The Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers were in a sunny Downing Street garden yesterday, welcoming that suspect package, and extolling the virtues of demonstrating “peacefully, positively, constructively” [Is that with, or without, a Thompson sub-machine gun? – Ed] Without, probably… ANYhoo, on the same day Sinn Féin released the text of what appears to be a different speech to that delivered in Downing Street by the Mid Ulster MP Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness – made at …
At the Big G’s Comment is Free, Glenn Greenwald follows up on his excellent analysis of US President Barack Obama’s recent ‘war on terror’ speech to focus in on one of those domestic political problems I mentioned – “the serious threat posed by the Obama administration to press freedoms”. From Glenn Greenwald’s post Outside of the most hardened Obama media loyalists, it’s virtually impossible to find any defenses or even offers of excuses or mitigation for what the Obama administration has been doing …
With growing domestic political difficulties – the continued fall-out from Benghazi, the IRS caught targeting political opponents, the increased invocation of the 1917 Espionage Act against troublesome journalists, to name but three issues – US President Barack Obama is probably looking forward to his short June break at Lough Erne. In the meantime, though, take the time to read Glenn Greenwald’s excellent analysis of Obama’s recent ‘war on terror’ speech. From Glenn Greenwald’s post But whatever else is true, what should …
After much foot-dragging, the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers have released the cost [to date – Ed] of their 12-day March junket trip to Brazil and the USA to “Develop and promote political, investment, trade, university and tourism links” – an eye-watering £155,509. As Mark Devenport tweeted So were FM and DFM’s recent investment trips value for money? Costs breakdown published here tinyurl.com/c75mymq — Mark Devenport (@markdevenport) May 16, 2013 It’s difficult to answer the ‘value-for-money’ question in the …
The BBC are reporting that there have been two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, three hours after the winners had passed the line. That’s around 5 hours after the race start. Currently the number of people injured is unkown. Live coverage from the BBC here. Adds Guardian live-blog here. Update According to early reports, noted on the Guardian live-blog, 2 people dead and 23 injured after two bombs exploded near the Boston Marathon finish line. And The Guardian notes a holding statement …
At the Guardian, Glenn Greenwald makes a number of important points about the reaction to US Senator Rand Paul’s 13-hour filibuster against John Brennan’s nomination as head of the CIA. From Glenn Greenwald at Comment is Free Last week’s 13-hour filibuster of John Brennan’s confirmation as CIA director by GOP Sen. Rand Paul was one of the first – and, from the perspective of media attention, easily among the most effective -Congressional efforts to dramatize and oppose just how radical …
After US President Barack Obama mangled his sci-fi/popular culture references with his “Jedi mind-meld”, the White House twitter feed doubled down on the confusion… [The Farce is strong with this one – Ed] Meanwhile, also via the Professor, his critics are having fun with the latest in an occasional series of Presidential denials. Heh. Pete Baker
In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and gave his famous “I have a dream” speech. Today, fifty years on, in tribute to the great civil rights leader, the US marks Martin Luther King Jr Day with a federal holiday in his name. Today also sees Barack Obama take to the steps of the city’s Capitol Building for his second public inauguration as President of the United States of America. …
Brian’s noting of the advice from Richard Haass to the Israeli government reminded me that there are other places, and administrations, who have received similar ‘lessons’ from The Process™ here. Afghanistan, for example. Of course, it always helps to have well-placed friends [writing your speeches! – Ed]. And it’s worth noting that Richard Haass’ role here was not without criticism… His successor, Mitchel Reiss, has been more forthright in his recounting at times. ANYhoo… There’s also Iraq. Where the BBC now reports Almost every …
I’ve no idea how this flew under the radar, but the outside world (bar the BBC) has largely ignored the most historic American plebiscite since the 1950s. Obama’s re-election, important though it is in itself, might find itself eclipsed by what just took place in Puerto Rico – a clear popular vote in favour of statehood. If ratified by Congress (there is bipartisan support for the idea, although getting it though today’s cantankerous House may be tricky), PR will become …
Everyone’s favourite Taiwanese animators have neatly summarised last night’s first 2012 US Presidential debate. Ouch! Via the Professor’s stand-in team. And with the incumbent heading for a more comfortable platform on which to revise his debating points after the fact, there’s this for true believers to consider. The fact is that Mr Obama has a talented, cynical team around him who have been successful in constructing a narrative in which Mr Romney is a comic villan who wants to ruin the …
The Onion reports, prematurely it would appear, from the Democratic Party’s National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. From the Onion slice. According to sources, none of the students in attendance appeared to be discussing proposals for college debt-relief with quite the same degree of unthinking, asinine fervor as they did in 2008, nor did the older convention-goers seem quite as transfixed by the magic spell of actually believing they could retire with financial stability. Moreover, not a single woman has …
Reading Glenn Greenwald’s piece in Pete Baker’s previous post will reinforce in the minds of many their negative views of the American political process and the Presidential elections, and that’s even before we start getting personal about US presidents with our own favourite stories about their stupidity and iniquity. This negative coverage will increase exponentially as the election reaches a climax, it always does, and many will sneer and feel superior little realising USA today, UK tomorrow alright at the next …
Something for Mick’s late night panel to consider, perhaps… The Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, had a reasonably successful convention in Tampa by most accounts, and has followed up by stealing a march on the current president. But I’d tend to agree with most of Glenn Greenwald’s take on the US presidential election process. [If not the sub-editor’s? – Ed] Indeed. From Glenn Greenwald’s Comment is Free post But mocking CNN is to pick low-hanging fruit. The real issue is …
