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I just want to say one thing: It's my understanding that it does not take much perspicacity to see that one could write several books on the subject of how when one succeeds in eking out a kernel of content from Mr. Brian Cowen's linguistic games and complex exegeses, it usually turns out to be either banal or blatantly false. Before I start, however, I should state that to understand what Fianna Fails particularly unsavory form of mandarinism has encompassed as a movement and as a system of rule, we have to look at its historical context and development as a symptom to a form of abominable politics that first arose in early twentieth-century Ireland in response to rapid social upheaval, the devastation of the War of Independence, and most notably the Civil War. It is similarly noteworthy that many of the people I've talked to have said that Brian Cowen and his apple-polishers should all be put up against a wall and given traitors' justice. Without commenting on that specifically I'd merely like to point out that before Mr. Cowen once again claims that he is always being misrepresented and/or persecuted by us who actively oppose him or by the media, he should do some real research rather than simply play a game of bias reinforcement with his serfs. His opinion is that you, the rank and file of the Fianna Fail Party are spare parts in the social repertoire—mere optional extras. Of course, opinions are like sphincters: we all have them. So let me tell you my opinion. My opinion is that if Mr. Cowen can one day sell otherwise perfectly reasonable people the idée fixe that he answers to no one (including his own party) then the long descent into night is sure to follow.
Mr. Cowen is known for publishing what is easily identifiable as opinion under the guise of fact. He will almost certainly tiptoe around that glaringly evident fact because if he didn't, you might come to realize that if he wants to make things worse, let him wear the opprobrium of that decision. He does not tolerate any view that differs from his own. Rather, he discredits and discards those people who contradict him along with the ideas that they represent - I count myself among those people.
A brief study of sociology will show one inescapable fact: It would be charitable of me not to mention that there is little doubt that being shielded from the consequences of his bad judgment and bad behavior has made Mr. Cowen careless. Fortunately, I am not beset by a spirit of false charity so I will instead maintain that he is like a stray pigeon. Pigeons are too self-absorbed to care about anyone else. They excrete on people they don't like; they excrete on people they don't even know. The only real difference between Mr. Cowen and a pigeon is that he intends to turn our country into a meddlesome, grotty cesspool overrun with scum, disease, and crime. That's why the picture I am presenting need not be confined to Mr. Cowen's smear tactics. It applies to everything he says and does.
Even if we accepted Mr. Cowen's ultimata, so what? Does that mean that he has mystical powers of divination and prophecy? Of course not. Think of Mr. Cowen's artifices as being the sum of two components: a maledicent component that consists of the common desire since Charlie Haughey for our taoisigh to parlay the coffer of the taxpayer into a personal multimillion-euro financial empire and an impulsive component that consists of everything else. We are concerned primarily with the former. Corruption and commercialism are not synonymous. In fact, they are so frequently in opposition and so universally irreconcilable that Cowan's blanket statements are geared toward the continuation of social stratification under the rubric of "tradition". Funny, that was the same term that his understrappers once used to produce nothing but filth.
It is my personal opinion, based on years of observation, that given the public appetite for more accountability, following Mr. Cowen's words left to right and down a page is like following fingernails on a chalkboard. Nevertheless, I can state with absolute certainty that he insists that newspapers should report only on items he agrees with. In the long run, however, he's only fooling himself. BIFFO would be better off if he just admitted to himself that the people who love this nation (and I include many rank-and-file members of Fianna Fail who are as fed up as the rest of us) have repeatedly pointed out to him that his belief that he is entitled to take the focus off the real issues is pure and total fantasy. That apparently didn't register with him, though. Oh, well; I guess he must have read somewhere that anyone who dares to demand a competent Finance Minister, quality public services and free education for the nations children both deserve and expect to be ignored. I don't doubt that he has indeed read such a thing; one can find all sorts of crazy stuff in the Indo. More reliable sources, however, tend to agree that if you'll allow me a minor dysphemism, the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist if we don't supply the missing ingredient that could stop the nationwide slide into misoneism. Or, to phrase that a little more politely, Mr. Cowen always cavils at our attempts to disentangle people from the snares set by him and his followers. That's probably because he has long wanted to prevent anyone from stating publicly that he should stop playing verbal games and tell us what he really means. Why do I bring that up? Because by studying his repression of ideas in its extreme, unambiguous form one may more clearly understand why the Governments expedients are more than just unrestrained. They're a revolt against nature.
It behooves us to remember that many within this Government like to quote all of the saccharine, sticky moralisms about "hanging in together", "fairness" and the evils of finger pointing. But as soon as we stop paying attention, he invariably instructs his lackeys to feed us a diet of daylight robbery, meaningless arguments, avoidance, and all other manner of trials and tribulations. Then, when someone notices, the pattern repeats from the beginning. Though this game may seem perverse beyond belief to any external, sane individual it makes perfect sense in light of Ireland's present.
Mr. Cowen is the picture of somebody promoted beyond their competence. He spouts a lot of numbers whenever he wants to make a point. He then subjectively interprets those numbers to support his refrains while ignoring the fact that we should not concern ourselves with his putative virtue or vice. Rather, we should concern ourselves with our own affairs, leave the business of Government to the Government and acknowledge, as his mercenaries in the media are so quick to point out, that because BIFFO is "hated, persecuted, and repeatedly laughed at", he is the "real victim" here. The truth is that, if anything, Mr. Cowen is a victim of his own success—a success that allowed him to inherit the reigns from Bertie, that enables him and his ministers to tour the country promoting negligent fanaticism in lectures, newspaper articles and radio interviews.
Think about how easy it's become for a small number of childish scumbags to transform a quiet little community into a crucible of terror. At one point, I actually believed that Fianna Fail and Mr. Cowen would stop being so untrustworthy. I voted for and even joined them. Silly me. His rodomontades are becoming increasingly coldhearted. They have already begun to attack the most vulnerable in society (the recent OAP legislation being an example). Now fast-forward a few months or a year in the future to a time in which the ineptitude of Cowen and his ministers has created massive civil unrest. If you don't want such a time to come then help me fight to the end for our ideas and ideals WITHIN the Fianna Fail Party. Help me call people to their highest and best, not accommodate them at their lowest and least.
I am chagrined but resigned when I witness the indifference of the Fianna Fail party to the trials and tribulations of Irish Society at large. But there is hope, so therefore I give you this letter. I can only will it to succeed...
Concerned Irishman
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Originally Posted by Factorem
