No surprises in the writer, no surprises in the reader – Robert Frost
I first wrote this article for the Inkslingers writing group at the Irish Writers Centre in Dublin. It went down a storm, and caused much discussion in the pub.
“Shocking! Just shocking! Putin rigs US election, Chile, Iraq, Haiti, Libya, Bay of Pigs, Vietnam, Korea”. Why are we not surprised, are not all elections rigged? Why blame poor old Putin? We only get what we deserve, weak governments who couldn’t negotiate their way out of a paper bag. Chilean miners, suppressed, Iraqis – poor old Saddam, he was doing his best. Haiti, don’t know enough about that to comment, Bay of Pigs – American outrage again. Again in Korea and Vietnam. Then of course my old favourite, the good Colonel Gaddafi – summarily bumped off in 2011 as he wouldn’t kow tow to the west. He did his best for his people – education, housing – leadership – not like the shower we have now. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – where is she in this mess called Brexit? Hiding under a cushion somewhere as she has upset the Irish. Never ever upset the Irish. God is on their side. She doesn’t even know the difference between a Protestant and a Catholic. Mrs. May running round like a headless chicken, kow towing to Europe. She has done her best. It wasn’t good enough.
One thing these countries have in common is that they have all apparently breached Human Rights. Their people are suppressed they have no say. Just like the Irish. Sarah Harding, partner of the murdered journalist, Lyra McKee, hit the nail on the head. The British government have never cared about Ireland despite them sacrificing themselves and their country. I digress. Libya, Iraq, Chile, rich in oil and minerals. Let’s not kid ourselves that the British government gets involved for humanitarian reasons. Meanwhile, Libya is being stripped of its gold – shipped out – washing currency. The 500 euro note was the same size as the Libyan dinar – of considerable less value and not tradeable on the world markets. They Libyans “washed” them and took out the metal strip and made 500 euros notes. The European banks withdrew the 500 euro note before it destabilised the whole corrupt set up of the “Union”. Mrs. Merkel has said that there must be a hard border between north an southern Ireland before progress could be made – undercutting the negotiating position. Hang on …. wasn’t it the Berlin wall which was ripped down in the 1980s amongst great celebrations all over the world. Trump wants to build a wall on the Mexican border. What is it with these people. Just as North and South Korea hold out tentative olive branches, Merkel and Trump want to undo all the good that’s been done by building physical obstacles. Next Libya will rall and the Americans and British will go steaming in to rebuild it. Believe me, those guys can do it themselves. They have all the education and the contacts, including the Irish and Spanish, they don’t need the west ripping off their crude at knock down prices in exchange, like the Koreans did in the 1980s. Maepsy cars changed for oil – good cars but not up to the quick sand I inadvertently drove into one day out on the wilds of the outskirts of Benghazi. I had to be rescued by a strapping Swedish chap from Skanska. Life in these places – Iraq, Libya – they were good years for expatriates. They had good lives if you didn’t openly oppose the regime. Who is right? An open society of no democracy and clear corruption, or so called democracy if you toe the line, and a façade of respectability? Learn the systems of both and you will understand that corruption and greed are everywhere. Currently the Scots are planning to build a rocket on peat bog. The environmentalists will have a field day. The French and the Chadians are, according to my sources, taking the Libyan gold – no doubt leaving wide open pits and no remedial environmental work done. Look at the Piper Alpha disaster – a cover up. Try asking the Scots for anything they don’t want to give up, even under FOI and you will soon find Police Scotland at your door. Look at Loughinisland – two journalists arrested for doing their job, and two contraventions of EU regulations on Sustainable Tourism and Climate Change. Who does anything about that?
Who is right – the so called third world and its dictators or those who pretend to uphold the law, but underneath are ten times worse… not upholding the law unless it suits them? Do these countries invade Britain because of its so called democracy? Maybe they do – under cover – look at the nineteen year old girl wanting to come back from Syria after having fought for ISIS? Is she for real. Having lost two children to malnutrition, should she have been allowed back after going out there to fight – or did she come back to undermine the system, followed no doubt by her husband who will call “Human Rights. I have a family here.”
Think about it. Who is right? An overt terrorism / freedom fighter or those who would undermine from the inside.
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