I skim read that yesterday. A lot of posters here could do with fully taking it in.
“Democracy In Chains” by Nancy MacLean is a brilliant read. It traces how “libertarianism” has its roots in 1950s segregationism in America and proceeded from there. What it is, and what it always has been, is that Lee Atwater quote, the one that describes how what “libertarians” really want to say is “nr, nr, n****r”, but they can’t say that, so they’re forced to use creative language which is cloaked in the fake veneer of fake intellectualism. But now that veneer has come off.
One thing I’ll go to my grave with is that “libertarianism” is both the biggest fraud of an idea around and also the most dangerous. It’s also the greatest branding strategy for a monstrous idea ever conceived.
There’s a line in The Simpsons. “A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.”
“Not if they were called scumdrops.”
“Libertarianism” is poison branded as a rose. “Oooh, libertarianism, that sounds good, who could be against that?”
If ever there was a bully’s charter, a bastard’s charter, a fascist’s charter, “libertarianism” is it.
Clonmel and Roscrea have been pretty notorious in certain ways for a long time. I remember those two places – along with Athy and Carrick on Suir and Tipperary Town, say – being spoken about in certain terms back in the mid 1980s, when I started UCD. We all fancied going to Cashel or Dungarvan or Kinsale or Westport for a weekend. There was never a question of heading to Roscrea.
So I would take convincing those two towns’ problems are fundamentally to do with immigration. I think the recent tragedy in Clones put immigration in a rather different light. I also think a preoccupation with sexual assault is a playbook with an exceedingly long history where immigrants are concerned. I would be highly careful in raising that subject and I would want to see the relevant statistics. There are plenty of sexual assault cases involving native Irish males.
I live in Kilkenny and I greatly enjoy doing so. I have lived in plenty of other places. A few months ago, I started to hear people in one of the public houses I most enjoy in the town – people I like without knowing really well, pub friends – having intense conversations about ‘the refugees’ – Syrians, they said – who had been housed in a hotel on Vicar Street. The tenor of those conversations was that these refugees would be intimidating and particularly intimidating to women. There was also a lot of negative comment about ‘the Ukrainians’. I say absolutely nothing when these conversations arise, because public houses in my view are not an appropriate place for airing such topics and because my only aims in a public house are relaxation and mild intoxication.
As it happens, I walk through Vicar Street at least twice a day, because I live out the Freshford Road, in a supposedly salubrious end of town, a factor irrelevant to me. Yet quite a few of my neighbours in the estate appear to be from an Asian or an Arabic background. They are unfailingly friendly and pleasant.
Which or whether, I regularly see those Syrian refugees outside that hotel, smoking and chatting, keeping tightly to themselves. They are reluctant to make eye contact. There have been no reports of intimidating or inappropriate behaviour by them. I am glad to say those conversations in that public house appear to be on the wane. I find reflexive prejudice against immigrants and refugees profoundly depressing. Yes, Ireland cannot take foreign born people willy nilly and anti social behaviour cannot be tolerated. But many of the country’s deepest social problems have nothing whatsoever to do with immigrants. The far right element represented by Justin Barrett, Philip Dwyer, Hermann Kelly, Kilkenny’s Luke O’Connor and others involves toxic moronic scum. Ireland would be far better off if the likes of them were deported to some far distant place.
My dear mother told me a notable story the other week. The homeplace is in a really quiet rural spot, up a sideroad with almost no houses on it. About three months ago, this young man of Arabic appearance – about 19, they reckoned – was walking up and down the road outside. The father asked him, in friendly terms, whether he was lost. “Not really,” he said. “My brother is coming from Dublin to collect me. I am just waiting for him to arrive.”
His English was good. He said he was Iraqi. He insisted on showing phone messages from his brother, understanding the implicit dynamic. The parents are both 78 and now live on their own, this good while, in the house.
The father asked whether he would like a glass of water. The young man was obviously taken by the offer. When inside, he asked the mother whether he might charge his phone. No problem. My dear mother said he was immensely polite and grateful.
Since it is was lunchtime, and they were making food in any case, they offered him some. They could see he was remarkably touched. The mother has a quiet dry observational way and noted that he ate the fry up with enjoyment but left the rashers.
His brother arrived and the father spoke to him outside for a few minutes. My dear mother said the young Iraqi man bowed to her as he left, two hands joined, in remarkably graceful fashion. “I could never thank you enough,” he said. And off they drove to his new life in Dublin.
There is a haulage company not far down the road and the parents’ sense was that he had come in there on one of the trucks. Legally or not, they knew not. His brother presumably used Google Maps to track the location. But they asked neither of them any such questions. They were content with the young man being mannerly and pleasant.
Some of my relations are quite racist and prejudiced in low key but intent manner. They lived for years in London. The parents have never lived anywhere except County Kilkenny. Those relations said the parents were gone mad, inviting that lad into their house for even a second.
When I was in the psychiatric ward in Galway hospital last Christmas, a black young fella came in around the last three or four days of my stay, he was around 18 or 19. He had been living in Clonmel for about three years, before that Dublin, I’m not quite sure what path took him to Galway but anyway he was in Galway. I found him a fascinating fella and we had a few really good conversations over the few days. I talked to him because I got the impression that the other patients were afraid of talking to him and that he was afraid to talk to other people. He also looked cool as fuck with his dreadlocks, the sort of lad you had to engage in conversation.
The impression I got from him was that he hated the culture that is beginning to prevail among some groups of black youths in Ireland, that it was an artificial “gangsta” culture imported from America, a culture almost imported wholesale from rap music. A culture of “everybody is out to get us”. I could sense that that culture of confrontation was being egged on by social media. But that even though he hated this culture, he found himself irrevocably caught up in it. And that the suspicion that an increasing amount of white Irish people, very vocal but usually very stupid white Irish people, reinforced this sort of artificial, imported culture, that it made this culture of confrontation real. An imported artificial American culture of “white” Irishness battling an artificial American culture of how black people should behave. I could sense this lad’s intelligence, that he was caught up in a situation not of his own making, that he was subject to circumstances beyond his control.
He told me how he had learned to hate Ireland largely because of his peer group, that he almost felt it was compulsory. But that he did genuinely feel Ireland was a racist country. And he wanted to get out to go to England. But yet, he felt himself deeply empathising with Irish history and culture. I think I knew what he meant. I agreed with him when he said Ireland was a racist country, but at the same time I wasn’t condemning Ireland. I think all countries are racist to a greater or lesser degree. I said to him that what Ireland had was a high degree of tolerance. But tolerance, unfortunately, is not approval. The gay community have a high degree of tolerance from other sections of society now, but I don’t know if they have a high degree of approval, I still think not. They’re still seen by much of the rest of society, somehow, as lesser. I think that’s the case also with ethnic minorities. And I think that’s sad. I’d like to think that this lad got something from our conversations, because I got something from talking to him - as I did from all the rest of the people I talked to in the ward, well, most of them anyway.
I think we all like familiarity. Ireland has for its whole history up to now been a white country. I don’t think it’s racist to notice an increase in non-white faces. I do think it’s racist to be suspicious of people only on the basis of their skin colour, and to let that suspicion influence your actual behaviour. And I definitely think it’s racist to brand people, to brand entire groups of ethnicities, as a threat. That branding alienates them. It’s sort of a chicken and egg situation. If you brand people without giving them a chance, they’ll dislike you too. It just seems to me that that’s sort of the way it’s going, and that depresses me. I love it when a black Irish sportsperson does well. I hate the way it pisses some people off, and yet I also love the way it pisses them off. I hate the way the camera focussing on some young lad of Arabic background in a Clare jersey at Croke Park pisses these people off, and yet I love it. Why should we give a fuck what bigots think?
Things change. They’ve always changed. Migration is a fact of life and it’s never going to stop. When I used to go London in the 1980s, Kilburn was Irish. Now it isn’t. Are we supposed to be angry about that? That an area in another country we thought was “ours” now isn’t? I just don’t get why people are not willing to give others who don’t look like them a chance. I think it’s very sad how our information environment prioritises the harshest, most extremist voices. Treat others like you would like to be treated, and you can’t go far wrong, and you’ll make those who don’t look you feel like they have an affinity to you, and to this society.
Any kernel of validity that might prompt discussion on valid subjects you raise are completely eviscerated when you come out with absolute claptrap horseshit like.the above.
You strike.me as the type who throws that shit.out and then complains ‘why can’t we just have a rational conversation on immigration?’ I can already heae you thinking 'well,.it’s.true isn’t it? State of the place, tell me I’m wrong 'etc etc
That’s not important. Annoying as fuck but not important.
I really hope for your sake you’re a mid to.late 20s fella who’s angry with the world after a few birds have broken your heart, career speed bumps, familial loss. Basically bumps in life that have knocked.you about. We’ve all been there buddy. Life’s tough. But there’s a cure, it’s not permanent and your anger is understandable.
I hope among hopes you’re.not a.man beyond that age who’s heart has simply hardened and anger is his easiest way to define himself
You’ve lost your connection as to what’s important pal. You’re a very unhappy man and you needn’t be that man. Don’t dedicate your life to.your anger. Nothing wrong with anger but you neednt be defined by it.
I’d wager a whole lot of internet strangers hope it’s not your only suit.
I’m.drunk. I’ve a little.bpy/burgeoning man MIA. it’d kill me.to think my.little.boy walked with the weight and unhappiness you appear to.carry daily. I could be way off the mark man. But even if I am, lighten up brother.
There is a meat factory in Roscrea, possibly two, which is the main employer. Irish people no longer want the jobs of that nature due to the monotony, shitty conditions and probable discomfort of butchering animals for the day, hence there is a high number of Eastern Europeans in the town who will take any work going. The nature of the work involved probably results in high levels of alcoholism and drug taking amongst those working there. Towns with factories like this are going to end up with high migrant populations to work in roles that are no longer seen as “good enough” for the Irish. You are right in saying that Roscrea has always had a reputation as a “tough town”, has had unemployment and drug abuse issues, but the majority there are good, decent people, much like every other town in the country.
I would have thought the road out along the river in Kilkenny (turn left at the Nore Bar as you drive towards the Castlecomer Road), would be the most “well to do” part of the city? Some serious mansions out that way.
Highly sensible comments – and accurate comments – there.
And you are correct on the inference about that road near The Nore Bar. I am told its house prices are the highest in the town. Have a couple of friends who live there. The name of that road is Greenshill. Nice spot, above the Nore, but the houses are a bit higgledy piggedly in style, in aggregate, since built over several decades.
I was only saying to the missus over the weekend about this scenario. And there are still idiots who want restrictions placed on foreigners coming into the country. We should value every single one of these people humble enough to not be bothered by the nature of the work but just want to work.
Sion Road, on the way out to Clara and also right beside the Nore, would be a similar place on the Eastern side of town. Also OLG territory, a lot of the way out. Then hits Clara and eventually Bennettsbridge.
I was thinking Bleach Road was what was meant. Greenshill is still des res in Kilkenny though and is/was the abode of the merchant families of Kilkenny, the Hendys, Goods and Pauls all live(d) there, as did Tom Mahon from Mahon and McPhillips.
It used to be to in Johns Parish, but was moved into St Canice’s along with one side of the 'Comer Road from the New Road roundabout to the Glendine Inn, AKA Brannigans, AKA The Fireside.
My Granny and Grandad lived in Greenshill and my Grandad raged about the realignment and refused to move churches. He never set foot in Canices and was buried out of Johns. After he died, my Granny switched to Canices for mass but was firmly OLG.
The road I’m on about leads to a salvage yard which is based what seems like an old mill beside the river.
Kilkenny in general must have one of the lowest serious crime rates in the country. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a murder in the place, or any major problems regarding drugs or anti social behaviour.
There is a reason why the most aesthetically and atmospherically unappealing places in Ireland typically have high crime rates. Even so, Kilkenny has had its fair share of murders, over the decades – but not so many, I guess, by comparison. The last few years, there have been drug problems and anti social behaviour orbiting the Good Shepherd Hostel down the Western end of town. That hostel, previously a quiet and well run place, saw a severe change in character in recent times, leading to a lot of hassle.
But the town, yes, is generally really friendly and safe. Packed out for the Arts Festival, with a terrific atmosphere as ever.
