Hello Mary - give the lies and propaganda a rest - they cut no Ice

by MG Fri Feb 21, 2003 14:39

http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/news/200301/harney003.html

by Eamonn Crudden Fri Feb 21, 2003 14:44

Maggie harney mary thatcher maggie harney mary thatcher

Maggie Harney is a cold war warrior and she is repeating the standard sindo line

Headline: Peace Protesters

Body of text: IRA IRA IRA IRA IRA IRA IRA IRA IRA IRA IRA IRA IRA IRA

by kokomero Fri Feb 21, 2003 15:01

Mary-quite-contrary describes "crude" anti-British and anti-US sentiment being stoked up by the left.

This could not be further from the truth, as the the anti-war protest gathers support from every part of the political and social spectrum. What is crude is the way Ms. Harney insults the intelligence of the Irish electorate with her outburst.

What's crude is her attempt to have it both ways, ie to be "civilised" by promoting a war which is morally wrong and without any basis other than the desire of the "civilised" world to maintain the current standard of living of the rich west by stealing oil and other resources from the poor, and to behave in an "uncivilised" way by attempting to stifle debate by attempting crudely to discredit the opposition.

Obviously she and her ilk do not understand what is meant by democracy, ie listening to the people and carrying out their wishes, or do not want to understand and prefer to hope that our memories will have faded by the next general election!

Mary you have failed on both counts, we see through you and Bertie. I encourage you to reflect on your course of action in backing the new crusade unreservedly if for no other reason than that you will otherwise pay for it with a thrashing at the polls ... we will remember!

by Andrew Fri Feb 21, 2003 15:35

Michael Hardt has got an article on anti-americanism and its anti-europeanism counterpart appernetly in todays Guardian that has some sensible things to say on this subject. It's reporduced at http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=03/02/20/8540232

by ugly cow Fri Feb 21, 2003 15:58

So what is the silly person blathering about? Remmember her closer to Boston than Berlin speech? What does she think about the (for once) principled anti war stance of 2 of her beloved EU partners, namely France and Germany?

by MG Fri Feb 21, 2003 16:36

Labour Party TD Michael D Higgins, who took part in last Saturday's 100,000-strong anti-war march in Dublin, said the Tanaiste's comments were outrageous.

"They indicate a profound irresponsibility and ignorance and a mischievous attempt to misconstrue a genuinely expressed humanitarian concern by 100,000 people last weekend," he said.

by Ray - editor Fri Feb 21, 2003 16:53

Harney's Doktors !
by LD Fri, Feb 21 2003, 3:38pm
I have the Anti-Harneys!
I wonder how much Mary paid her Doktor today for the cheap propaganda they just spun! I urge you all to contact your Tanaiste and explain to her the difference between- Anti-Americanism V Anti-Bush Admin, Anti-British V Anti-Blair/Straw, Anti-European v Anti-Nato. You will be greeted by her P.A. Nua Talbot, be nice to this lady I suspect she has one of the nastiest jobs in Irish politricks, serving our very own 'Iron Lady'. Call- (01) 6312188

by Ray - editor Fri Feb 21, 2003 16:54

Harney speech on Iraq narrow-minded and out of touch
by Brett - LY Fri, Feb 21 2003, 3:31pm
Michael D. Higgins TD
It is remarkable that the Tanaiste’s first significant intervention in the debate over Iraq should be to attack those who are desperately trying to avert a war that according to the United Nations’ own figures would lead to half a million direct or indirect casualties among the Iraqi population.

In her comments today, Mary Harney has shown herself to be out of touch not just with public opinion, but with the views of her own supporters as expressed in the recent MRBI poll.

The Tanaiste throws out the predictable charge that the 100,000 people who marched in Dublin last week to support peace and oppose war are ‘anti-American’. How then does Ms. Harney characterise the hundreds of thousands of American citizens who have been demonstrating in the United States in support of similar objectives? Are these too, ‘anti-American’?

Her cheap attempts to smear those who took part in the march are to be despised as is her view of the connection between Ireland’s foreign and economic policy. She has through her narrow-minded attempt at ingratiation damaged both.

And finally, if the Tanaiste and the government attach such importance to upholding the UN and international law, why can she not say clearly that the government will oppose a unilateral attack on Iraq that would clearly be outside international law and that would do enormous damage to the UN?

related link: www.labour.ie/stopthewar/

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COMMENTS
Bitter woman
by Mags Fri, Feb 21 2003, 3:53pm

I heard Harney on the radio and it sounded sad and bitter and also as if she had been sent out to bat for the government.

Going on about 'left wing elements' and 'No to Nice' people and 'Agendas'. Well No to Nice was supported by one third of the electorate - considerably more than support the Thatcherite PD party. I doubt if very many of the anti-war 100,000 marchers were PDs either.

edit this comment | delete this comment

by NoWar Fri Feb 21, 2003 17:17

Tell them your now definetely ANTI-HARNEY!

by Gaillimhed Fri Feb 21, 2003 17:52

That sound... hear it? ...its the sound of a government falling. Harney and Bertie et al., are presently commiting suicide en masse, listen out for the 'pop' of the political vacuum to follow, and if you want to really have nightmares tonight, cast your mind forward and imagine just who's preparing to fill that vacuum.

by Graham - Green Party Fri Feb 21, 2003 19:30

Reacting today to Tánaiste Mary Harney's comments at lunchtime, Green Party Chairman, John Gormley TD, said: "The Green Party is totally opposed to war against Iraq but we are certainly not anti American. The majority of US citizens do not support a war without an UN mandate, does this make them anti ? American?"

"Similarly, we have supported the stance taken by Joschka Fischer and 'old Europe', how does this make us anti ? European? It is Mary Harney and her party that have always claimed that they were closer to Boston than Berlin. They have certainly proved this in the last few weeks. It is time now that they got closer to the people who marched last Saturday," concluded Deputy Gormley.

by MG Fri Feb 21, 2003 19:52

The NGO Peace Alliance has added its voice to criticism of the Tanaiste, Mary Harney, for comments she made earlier today about anti-war protestors.

Ms Harney accused the protestors, particularly those associated with left-wing politics, of stoking up anti-Americanism and of threatening Ireland’s economic ties to the US and Britain.

The NGO Peace Alliance has demanded that Ms Harney apologise for the remarks, which were made at a Progressive Democrats function in Limerick.

Spokesman Brendan Butler defended the anti-war protestors and said the Tanaiste’s comments were “a slur both on their actions for peace and their integrity as thinking Irish people”.

by Des Fri Feb 21, 2003 21:12

It is not at all surprising that Mary Harney, leader of a political party who could not unfairly be described as a Thatcherite clone, would deliver unquestioning support to the war about to be inflicted on the Iraqi people by U.S. imperialism. Her “speech” was a crude but futile attempt to smear the anti-war movement. Her comment that the U.N. must be respected is cynical in the extreme, how on earth can one respect an organisation where some member countries are been bribed to obtain their support for an imperialist resource war. The support of the ruling elite in Ireland for a war to obtain control over the oil resources of Iraq is obvious. Ahern has refused to state whether the “government” would support aggression without a second U.N. resolution, I am in no doubt that given the bribes being given, (6 billion to the Turks), and other members of the “security council” are also looking for their share, that a second resolution will be obtained. The antics of Chirac and Schroeder are an indication of concern for their economic interests, not for the Iraqi people and if they get their piece of the action, they will vote for war via a second resolution. Putin’s vote will no doubt be influenced by Saddam’s cancelling oil contracts with Russia. The aggression is sadly, going to take place, and the anti war movement must ensure that the perpetrators of the aggression pay the maximum political price.

by kev Fri Feb 21, 2003 21:15

in the ongoing debate over press releases on the newswire - may i suggest that this is how we try and use them - as replies to relevant comments?

Harney’s rant: A deliberate diversion to cover chasm between people and Government
Joe Higgins

The rant by Tánaiste Mary Harney alleging “Anti-Americanism” among “hard left elements” in the anti war movement is a deliberate attempt to divert the attention of the public from the Government’s slavish policy of support for the war mongering of President Bush and Prime Minister Blair.

The term “Anti-Americanism” is meaningless. The anti war movement distinguishes between the American people and the rabid pro-war element grouped in the Bush Administration.

The anti war movement in Ireland is in complete solidarity with the tens of millions of American citizens who are utterly opposed to the Bush policy.

The fact is that the real policy of the Government is of craven subservience to the foreign policy of the Bush Government.

In order to cover the chasm between the large majority of the population in this State and the Government’s policy on Iraq, we are being subjected to the inane and vacuous insults such as the Tánaiste uttered in Limerick.

by ipsiphi Sat Feb 22, 2003 14:54

easier to keep it all on the same thread.
so PD woman and Green Party and SP.
and oodles of others have their say.
a raspberry from me. She has chosen a policy which is anti-european and anti-american.
It is also anti-irish. Mrs Harney is anti-almost everyone. And the most impressive thing she has ever done on a world stage is invite a splinter second rate WEF meeting to Dublin.
Big Big raspberry!
with spittle on top.

by Markos - adhoc Sat Feb 22, 2003 15:12

According to the Irish Times poll of a week ago, 59% of Harney's own supporters are against unilateral action against Iraq. Higher even than the supporters of FG, Labour and Sinn Fein. Not only is she out of touch with the electorate, but also with her own supporters.

This is the party leader that claimed the electorate would have forgotten all about the controversy surrounding the appointment of Judge O'Flaherty to the European Investment Bank within a month. Her capacity for breathtaking cynicism and low opinion towards Irish voters is just as much in evidence here.

Ultimately this is a positive development as the electorate gets to see Harney unmasked in her disregard for the will of her own party and of the people. We will wait for her and hers in the long grass.

by ipsiphi Sun Feb 23, 2003 13:07

can I give her a raspberry before?
(with spittle on top?) I´ll wait for permission dont want to be intefering with local strategy or anything.

by aunty harney Sun Feb 23, 2003 20:03

the secretis out! witchfinder harney has discovered that those activists who opposed the Nice referendum are opposed to this war! I would be suprised if it was otherwise. As for being aunty american, mostof us are opposed to the wars and dictators that they sponsor