And the award for the most outrageous Lisbon lie.....

[mmrebel]

Marian Harkin MEP questioned the responsibility of the Catholic church in allowing ‘Alive’ Magazine to be distributed when it contains advertising on the Lisbon Treaty that is misleading, false, and disseminates information that is designed to frighten and terrorise people and their families and, in particular, those who have children with special needs or autism.

Marian Harkin said: “The question here is not about a YES or NO to Lisbon – we are all entitled to our different perspectives – the question is about deliberately targeting people in vulnerable situations and printing misleading information. I have had a call from a Carers organisation looking for clarification because carers had been calling expressing great concern about the advertisement.

Irish Election Marian Harkin Hits Catholic Church over Outrageous Lisbon Ads in Alive Magazine


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[FutureTaoiseach]

While an atheist no voter I will say that this publication has a circulation of 300,000 so the elite obviously feel threatened and are trying to close down freedom of speech. The authoritarian way we are being bullied and browbeaten by an elite that has no respect for our no vote is sinister and deeply disturbing to all who believe in a bottom-up democracy where the people are sovereign and where the politicians are there to serve us - not to dictate to us.

[He3]

Looks like a candidate for the National Sabotage Reporting Unit all right.

http://www.politics.ie/lisbon-treaty...read-nsrt.html

It will be hard pressed to win any award though. The competition is tougher than the Rose of Tralee this year.

In the looper group category 'Vote Yes to Lisbon to save the country from swine flu' has its backers.

In the politicians category Micheál Martin's 'We are not asking anybody to vote yes or no' has an early edge.

[mmrebel]

Its still a shocking lie and feeds peoples fears and paranoia its been probably the most untruthful and full of sh1t debate ever had with either side not able to tell the truth and feeding on peoples fears.

[The Red Rose of Cork]

While an atheist no voter I will say that this publication has a circulation of 300,000 so the elite obviously feel threatened and are trying to close down freedom of speech. The authoritarian way we are being bullied and browbeaten by an elite that has no respect for our no vote is sinister and deeply disturbing to all who believe in a bottom-up democracy where the people are sovereign and where the politicians are there to serve us - not to dictate to us.

would you care to coment on the veracity or otherwise of the ad

[Trampas]

While an atheist no voter I will say that this publication has a circulation of 300,000 so the elite obviously feel threatened and are trying to close down freedom of speech. The authoritarian way we are being bullied and browbeaten by an elite that has no respect for our no vote is sinister and deeply disturbing to all who believe in a bottom-up democracy where the people are sovereign and where the politicians are there to serve us - not to dictate to us.

I agree. Clearly the Yes strategy is for all influential persons/media to be isolated, smeared and vilified.

[Newsy]

This kind of campaigning is beyond contempt. Frightening people into voting the way you want them to vote doesn't say much about the individuals behind such a campaign.

[FutureTaoiseach]

I agree. Clearly the Yes strategy is for all influential persons/media to be isolated, smeared and vilified.

It;s like McCartyism. In fact, the European Parliament only narrowly rejected establishing a "Committee for Un-European Activities" last year to try critics of the EU. It is quite literally turning into a dictatorship that will oppress the Irish people and it must be brought to heel.

The EU has stepped back (just) from setting up an Un-European Activities Committee to emulate America’s HUAC glory days of anti-Communist witch hunts.The European Parliament’s Conference of Presidents (a typically pompous euro title for a meeting of senior MEPs) on Thursday debated calls for a Temporary Committee of Inquiry into the Financing of the Irish referendum campaign. During the discussion, comparisons were made between Ireland’s No campaign and past allegations of Irish-American funding for the IRA...The decision not to set up an EU HUAC was narrowly averted, I am told. In the meantime, the Parliament’s delegation to the US Congress are going to raise the issue of Irish-American contributions to the No campaign in Ireland.“It has been acknowledged in the past that has been a problem with Irish-Americans being involved with financing the IRA,” said Graham Watson, a British Lib Dem Euro-MP who leads the Liberals in the EU assembly.

Honestly, the fanaticism of these people is just jawdropping. They are comparing no voters to IRA fundraisers. It's an outrageous insult and we should not bow to it.

[TommyO'Brien]

Honestly, the fanaticism of these people is just jawdropping.

FT - have you looked in the mirror??? Your description describes . . . you!

[TommyO'Brien]

While an atheist no voter I will say that this publication has a circulation of 300,000 so the elite obviously feel threatened and are trying to close down freedom of speech. The authoritarian way we are being bullied and browbeaten by an elite that has no respect for our no vote is sinister and deeply disturbing to all who believe in a bottom-up democracy where the people are sovereign and where the politicians are there to serve us - not to dictate to us.

So you have no problem with a blatant and utterly untrue claim being published that targets those with mental health problems and tries to frighten them through total lies? Because you know very well that that ad in Alive! is total and utter lies, and despicable ones at that, ones that target the vulnerable.

Come on, FT, even you cannot stand over that ad, surely?