Veggie Hitler

Hitler was a vegetarian. That tells you where vegetarianism is at as a moral position. Really? No it doesn’t. Most people can recognise this as pure argumentum ad hominem, or playing the man not the ball. Here in Ireland though it seems to be the only argument we know or the one we find most effective. It goes after this fashion. First characterise moral opposition to abortion as Catholic doctrine. Then point to the moral failings of the hierarchy and say ‘who are these people to tell you what to do’. Above all do not discuss the intrinsic evil or otherwise of abortion. Slather on words like compassion, care, and trust. Good, fine, splendid; it worked and the solemn incantation of ‘no woman takes abortion lightly’ was belied by the celebrations in the square of Dublin Castle as though ‘our team’ had won a cup.

Enlightened Progressives 2 : Recidivist Troglodytes 1

Why now after all the almost daily stories about Mother & Baby Homes, Magdalen Laundries, and buggering Bishops have achieved their goal do we continue to be treated to their continuous repetition? It is I believe a mopping up operation now that conscientious objection by doctors who will not refer on women,and the likelihood of picketing of abortionist doctors’ surgeries are issues. Demonisation must continue so that repressive measures will be accepted. One in three people voted NO and in a proportional representational electoral system that is a significant minority. If they go too far it could affect those final seats in a 5i seat constituency.

Mary McAleese Moral Miles Award

Tell-truths in the service of falsehood we find everywhere, of various names and various occupations, from the elderly young women that discuss the love affairs of their friends and acquaintances at the village tea-tables, to the anonymous calumniators of literary merit in reviews, and the more daring malignants who dole out discontent, innovation, and panic, in political journals: and a most pernicious race of liars they are ! 

(from The Friend - Essay VI. Vol1 by S.T. Coleridge)

Mary McAleese (ex-president of Ireland) is essentially a media person who likes being the story herself. She worked in RTE for years. Leadership roles come naturally to her which makes her position as a professional Catholic frustrating. At the very least she should be a Bishop. Her mission of the moment is changing the Church’s mind on homosexuality, the active sort. Her son is homosexual and like the mother watching the passing out parade said ‘everyone is out of step except my Johnny’. That’s understandable and it got her barred from the Vatican - not the name of a pub. Why though did she vote Yes in the abortion referendum; ‘with a heart and a half’? It was the Savita case, a lie that is impervious to evidence. If it was a clear case of the Eight having a ‘chilling effect’ then why were nine doctors disciplined?

I’m living near Galway and I was on a what’s app chat of a No canvas crew. They met two Indian nurses, presumably citizens, who work in the hospital where Savita died. They were going to vote No. Maybe they know more than the media about the mismanagement of Savita’s sepsis: Maybe Katie Holland of the Irish Times who put out the Savita story originally is not a reliable witness? She herself has had two abortions one of which she regrets.

I think McAleese gets the most moral miles award. ( from the journey metaphor that pols used to describe how they had evolved from a pro-life position) You can see her pro-life videos from 1983 on youtube. Will that make any difference to her credibility or will the liberal media nurture her as a useful idiot until she is no longer handy? Why am I asking so many rhetorical questions?

Keeping It

You’ve heard it too in tv dramas and comedy shows – ‘are you going to keep it’? In Gavin and Stacey on Netflix the obese pregnant woman decided to ‘keep it’. She had watched Vera Drake (pre ’67 abortionist film) twice before coming to her decision. The story formula then :- I’m pregnant – Who’s the father – Smithy (an obese man) – Are you going to keep it?

In the latest series of the Scandanavian show The Bridge Saga Noren (autustic genius detective) tells her partner and lover that she is pregnant with his child and that she is going to take it out. He asks – do I have any say in this? Dark Scando irony there.

These questions and assumptions hang in the air like an evil mist that we daily breathe in to prepare us for the reality that is prowling about in the careless shrubbery of our lives. It was then easy for the Repeal the Eight campaign to pit the mother against the child in the womb. An argument in the past against abortion was that things would be different if women’s stomachs were made of glass and the activity of the child could be seen. There were scan photos on innumerable utility poles during the campaign but they seem not to have made much difference. Obviously they were of somebody else’s baby.

Hard cases dominated the YES campaign. In an inversion of trolley triage 97 would be sacrificed to ‘save’ 3. Yes we are now in a different country where the increase in abortions that is certain to follow this result is greeted with jubilation in the square at Dublin Castle.

On Sunday we walked up Mamin to St. Patrick’s Well, a place of pilgrimage. It’s peaceful there at the top of the hill. The stations of the cross are simple with the titles in the Irish language. An interesting difference between them and the English is the present tense reflexive which is used which seems to me stronger than the continuous present. Leagtar Iosa – Jesus is knocked down not Jesus Falls for the First Time.

Google interference in Irish Referendum

Google has radically interfered in the conduct of the Referendum to change the Irish Constitution concerning the right to life of the unborn child. How has it done this? It is now not accepting any ads for its youtube channel promoting either side of the issue i.e. pro or anti repeal of the Eight Amendment. Well doesn’t that leave a level playing field, both parties being equally affected? No because of the overwhelming bias of the rest of the media against retaining the Eight. Youtube was an important avenue of communication with undecided voters. Now Google could have done what Facebook did and simply ban only foreign funded ads. This is acceptable and correct. However it seems that the Repeal side were getting worried that sentiment was going against them and lobbied for this total ban. Given that Google has its HQ in Dublin and is the recipient of a very favourable company tax rate a word from the government could be quite effective. It is absolutely plain that if there had been no fear of defeat in the referendum this would not have happened. Here is no mystery Russian bots and Macedonian mischief. To call it sinister implies occult uncertainty or politics of the left hand path. It is rather good old brute force and even normal reliable liberals see it for that.

Colum Kenny Irish Times