The Other Side of the Anti-EU Coin: Justin Barrett on Tour
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Friday March 19, 2004 14:29
by Indymedia Ireland Editorial Group
Outed Fascist tours small-town Ireland with ex-Provo supporting cast & anti- EU message
Here at Indymedia, we like to encourage a DIY attitude. The slogan "Be the media" would be a reasonable distillation of our ethos. As such, we've picked out this particular report as a good example of someone getting out there and doing it themselves. The writer gives the impression of one who was driven by a sense of curiousity and took the time to write a lively and descriptive report of a meeting he attended.
No reporter is completely objective in their writing and this particular reporter clarifies his subjectiveness by clearly stating from the outset his perspective and reason for being there. Nevertheless, he proceeds to give a detailed account of the meeting and the views and opinions expressed by the speakers.
Regular readers may not like the content of the article. They may prefer that Mr. Barrett did not get any publicity for his views (on Indymedia or other media) but this article still qualifies as a fine piece of original reporting. Indymedia as a quality source of original news depends on the willingness of people to do the same.
Original report by Alois Vincenzo
With just a few hours' notice of the Wexford stop on Justin Barrett's 'Public Information Tour', I had had little time to prepare slurs or even to reacquaint myself with the politics of Ireland's most notorious far-right wannabe. I arrived at the talk venue fearing raised eyebrows at what I supposed might seem my lefty youth appearance; unshaven and bedraggled from my day's work I sauntered into the fashionable quay-side hotel foyer, to be met by the derisive chuckle of the young worker on the desk when I enquired which way to the Barrett talk. Embarassing but reassuring.
Once I knew where I was headed, I corrected the apologetic air I had adopted for the benefit of the porter and got into character, ready to size up Barrett's set-up and evaluate my prospects for the evening: whether to make a scene, to politely challenge Barrett over Q & A ,or to keep my gob shut.
After taking my seat and my Justin propaganda (including a touching paean to the Irish language and its criminal neglect in the pantheon of official operational EU languages), I experienced the room slowly fill up around me, largely with the kind of aged misfits that fall prey to fringe ultra-conservative political practicioners.
I had anticipated there might be some genuine punters there, justifiably pissed off with the fallout of the neoliberal project that EU heads are working to implement. This supposition on my part had been the principal reason for my attending the meeting, believing that decent and disgruntled people deserved to hear from a sane outsider that they had every right to distrust the EU and its institutions, but that playing into the hands of Barrett and the likes was a bad idea.
Perhaps, in light of the revelations aired in the mainstream media not so long ago about Barrett, it was naiive on my part to imagine innocent punters might just wander along to one of his meetings. This began to dawn on me as I struggled to imagine any of the old Blueshirts around me proving responsive to libertarian critiques of Fortress Europe. Oh well.
When the attendance began to ebb around the twenty mark, the silver-haired chair ushered on the support speaker for the event, an ex-Provo from East Tyrone turned 'Irish Catholic' cover boy, Gerry McGeough. Clearly proud to have a gunman of such 'colourful' republican credentials at their podium, Justin and his chair sat back smugly and let Gerry, with his boring UTV mid-Ulster features let rip on a rosary bead nationalist tirade more unsettling than anything Justin himself would utter that night.
The dregs of an audience that populated the conference room were not on the whole the note-taking type, and accordingly I likewise refrained, figuring I already stuck out enough without inviting a Bill Hicks-style scenario on myself ('What you readin' for? What you writin' for?). As such this reporter will not attempt to reproduce in any thorough fashion the content of McGeough, or indeed Barrett's, spoutings.
Suffice to say that the Northerner expounded on the marriage of Catholic and patriotic values that are key to Ireland's dignity, and that have spearheaded the nation's quest for freedom from the British colonial jackboot since 1169. In McGeough's world view these values now face down the no doubt vaguely afiliated twin evils of post-Schmeltic Tiger vice and European bureaucatic imperialism. The fellow's a teacher.
With the crowd softened up by McGeough's stirring evocations of comely maidens and men with pikes, Barrett's talk drew less on romantic nationalist imagery in favour of a considered right-wing conservative appraisal of the perceived erosion of national sovereignty ready to be served up in the form of the EU Constitution. No qualms here about privatisation or harsh immigration policy; only alarm bells warning of an imminent challenge to the very institution of the nation-state in Europe. Nothing rankles more with Justin than the prospect of shared sovereignty throughout the Union.
'We are told that what we will lose as a nation in terms of sovereignty, we will in turn gain, in the form of a shared European sovereignty..
but I, as an Irishman, do not want any measure of sovereignty over Warsaw or the Ardennes; I wish exclusively for sovereignty over my own nation!'
Proceeding on at length about the threat to the nation-state encapsulated in proposals for the Constitution, Barrett stopped short of making inflammatory references to the host of Eastern European peoples set to accede to the rank of second-class EU citizenship on May 1st. What reference he did make to these peoples fell more, if anything, on the side of mild sympathy. In fact, there was little evidence on display at the meeting of deep or pathological xenophobia toward the accession countries.
Nonetheless, the ideological thrust of the meeting would leave any conscientous observer disturbed. As I lack notes and quotes from the meeting, I refer to the Irish Catholic feature on the support speaker, Gerry McGeough. Perhaps the sentiments expressed therein should serve as an adequate taster for what the ex-Ra man, a character who left the SF Ard-Comhairle because it was too PC, and the Youth Defencer are cooking up:
'We need to renew this country not only in terms of culture and nationalism but also in faith. It is time for a new spiritual and cultural revival..
You would never get a leader of Sinn Fein condemning abortion, homosexual 'marriage' or anything of that nature..
Looking around there is no political grouping willing to take a stance against that. I sense there is a feeling of disenfranchisement out there among a large section of Irish society who are not being represented..
I feel people are crying out for a new political movement which will represent their views.'
Barrett was well prepared for my charges of hyper-nationalism and far-right leanings when I challenged him over Q & A. The less than credible excuse was trotted out that he had frequented and addressed events of far-right groupings on the continent, such as those of the NDP in Germany, in his capacity as pro-life ambassador, all done in a spirit of innocent outreach. Presumably, that is, in the spirit that one would address the remnants of the Khmer Rouge on the finer points of the pro-choice argument. And presumably done in the belief that the boys doing the straight-arm salute had a thing for 1950's Hollywood Roman epics.
It is undeniable that those who turned up to the meeting hardly looked like the kind to get out on the streets for their ideals. And judging by the age profile, it's questionable whether most of the attendees' offspring would be up to it either. But the very fact that the likes of Barrett can pull twenty plus bodies to a meeting in an average-sized Irish town must raise questions. I am unsure whether a Grassroots anti-EU 'Public Information Tour' would achieve the same level of interest.
Whatever, the presence of right-wing tricksters like Barrett and co. plying their propaganda on the sleepy streets of small-town Ireland underlines, if nothing else, the need for progressive groups to put forward their messages in a manner that is clear, accessible, unambiguous and pervasive. Nowhere does this guideline apply more than in the context of forthcoming confrontations with Ireland's EU presidency, a campaign of great importance, but nagged by the vagueness that marks the Union's image and the indifference it inspires in the hearts and minds of many ordinary people.
See www.justinbarrett.org for details on ongoing tour etc.
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Comments (85 of 85)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85While living in New York City a few years ago McGeough was a regular on Radio Free Eireann spewing his right wing vomit. He was, and is, a great favorite of the A.O.H., who control NYC's St. Pat's day parade. The A.O.H. , said James Connolly were the 'foulest brood ever to come into Ireland'. McGeough has much more in common with the fascist priest Fr. Coughlin than with any Irish republican. The people who run Radio Free Eireann are the New York representatives of Republican Sinn Fein. That they gave a platform for so many years to McGeough raises the question: Is Republican Sinn Fein in the tradition of James Connolly or do they represent the Irish fascist tendency?
Justin Barrett is a true Irish Patriot and deserves our support.
I say Justin Rock on!
Alois:
Why the sneering tone ? And why the ageism ? You continually mention that the crowd were well up in years. Does that make them bad ? If they were all under 30 would that make them radical ? Get real.
As to the numbers present, I doubt that a lot of the groups which post here would get as many to show up for a meeting in Wexford.
But thanks anyway for letting me know that Barrett is on the move, I suspect he'll run in the European Elections. I would consider voting for him, or at least giving him a preference. Not because he's particularly likeable or charismatic, but just because all the other anti-government candidates are so anemic and unimpresive.
wow paud, i have to hand it to you, that's the first time
anybody's ever referred to me as 'PC', or insinuated that's
how
i see myself. as it happens I don't. but that doesn't stop me
seeing a smidgen of humour in a rabid right-winger like
mcgeough leaving SF cos they're too PC. I think it's kind of
funny.
as for my attitude towards the aged, sorry, chronologically
challenged, attendees of the meeting, the fact that they were
elderly doesn't make them any better or worse as people. it's
just what they were, and what I considered to be a
characteristic worthy of mentioning in a serious appraisal of
barrett's meeting and all that goes with it. after all, if an
organisation I was aligned to called a public meeting that
ended up being attended by 90% elderly people, I'd be worried
about just how relevant the politics in question were.
i also called them misfits. that's because, to me, they seemed
like people out of step and out of touch with the world around
them. perhaps their agedness might have been a contributing
factor to this. i don't say that flipantly, I say it because a lot of
elderly people inhabit a fairly shitty, marginalised and isolated
lot in contemporary ireland.
The first is an extremist right wing fascist and the other is an extremist left wing wing communist.
They are both extremists nutters and both equally dangerous to Irish society.
The bastards even look the same.
Are they related?
RBB is not that much of a threat to Irish society, he just likes to think he is.
". McGeough has much more in common with the fascist priest Fr. Coughlin than with any Irish republican."
Coughlin was proNazi and was anti-semitic. McGeoughs politics are to the right but did he ever make any pro Fascist or anti Jewish,or anti Black commemtsd?
I would remind you people if you are looking for Nazi comparisons then look no further than our beighbouring Isle. British Imperialism, they slaughtered millions and carried on Ethnic Cleansing world wide. Even in living memory, look at what they did in Malaysia.
In Brunei when they left they put all power in the hands of a genocidal psychotic Sultan. The people of Brunei obviously didnt deserve democracy. This was in the 1970s under a Labour Government!
Read Barrett's book , The National Way Forward, and you will see that McGeogh and Barett are clearly in the Fascist camp.
Yes Barrett is a fascist. But what evidence is there that McGeough is? If you are going to compare him to an anti semitic and pro nazi priest then you should produce evidence to back it up.
Anthony Coughlan also fellow travelled with Barrett. Does that mean Coughlan is a Fascist?
It has to be admitted that the website is pretty excellent. BEst i've seen from an prospective lection candidate.
Ugh!
is this news? nothing written but commentary about Barrett.
Barrett is scum, he deserve more than mere commentary. Is some actual reporting and investigation too much to ask for from indymedia?
This site runs on the contributions from users.
Well Alois, top of the class!!
This isn't news reporting. This is an opinion peice written by someone who is clear about their agenda. It is not news reporting.
On top of that, it's badly writen, self centred and self serving.
Journalism? I think not.
Just goes to prove Indymedia is the pet project of a select in-group who are so far stuck up their own arses that they have lost sight of what the broader indymedia project is about, and who never had any journalistic talent to begin with. Which is a real pity on both counts.
Mandy, If you can do any better then go ahead, if you think you have the talent. Prove yourself. Don't expect everyone else to produce, just so you can slag them off.
mandy, this one's for you:
so this isn't news reporting, eh? maybe that's why I submitted it to indymedia in the 'opinion/analysis' categorification..
oh yeah, and you don't like my writing? well why don't you just leave indymedia to the genuine users, not right -wing lurkers like you looking to cause trouble; if you don't lke that then tough shit.
Radio Free Éireann is not officially connected to AOH or Republican Sinn Féin. It is simply a radio programme. I would like to point out that Radio Free Éireann interviews people from many walks of life, with varying beliefs - this does not mean the interviewees represent the radio programme.
I hope the readers of this forum are intelligent enough not to believe the comments made by Con Lehane without investigating such allegations themselves.
Congratulations on an interesting and well-written piece of investigative editorial journalism. Hopefully, others will have a go now as well.
It would be very interesting to have a series of reports on Justin Barrett's national tour, with all the different writing perspectives this would imply.
Well done!
John McDonough, the producer of Radio Free Eireann, also leads the U.S. support group for Republican Sinn Fein. Listed as a contributor on the Radio Free Eireann web site is Bill Hughes-a fascist who has praised the work of English fascist Nesta Webster, and he has also recommended 'Imperium' by Francis Yockey, a book dedicated to Adolf Hitler.
The name on the website for Radio Free Éireann is BRENDAN Hughes and he's listed not as "a contributor" but as a frequent guest.
Does anyone on Indymedia bother checking facts before posting? Or is this simply a place to spread lies, rumours and disinformation?
Right-wing nutters. Left-wing nutters. Whats the difference? They're still nutters.
Right wing? Dont be silly. I'm sorry if I offended your ego, but that is what indymedia.ie appears to be all about.
The point I wanted to make is that the indymedia project desrves beter than what the current ".ie" content, and more importantly editorial voice, delievers.
And in my opinion that's an issue that won't be addressed while the perception that indymedia.ie is run by an elite clique of anarchist students pervails.
Or also think calling comment contributors 'right wing' when they make a non-polical points is not in the best interests of anyone.
actually mandy, I am not that interested in your political leanings. perhaps I was hastey to lump you in with the breed of rightists constantly on the prowl on this website, looking to abuse its open nature to damage Indymedia and propagate their shite.
incidentally I was a little worse for wear when I posted that comment (if you inspect the time of posting you will see it's from the wee hours of sunday morning; I would not usually coin such a word as 'categorification') - but I think my point about leaving Indymedia to genuine users still stands.
if we take a genuine user of Indymedia to be one with the best interests of the project at heart, then surely you, despite your claims to the contrary, cannot fit under this heading. I say this because I assume you are intelligent enough to grasp that, as already pointed out on this thread by I.M.C.'ers and others, Indymedia depends on the voluntary contributions of its users, as well as on the important voluntary work put in by its editorial collective.
therefore if you truly did yearn for a higher writing and editorial standard, you would surely recognise that the only way to affect positive change in this direction would be to get involved yourself. with this in mind it is hard to imagine how simply posting comments bashing contributors and editors could seem, even to you, like a means to bettering the low standards you complain of.
therefore your comments are disingenuous, therefore you cannot have Indymedia's best interests at heart, therefore... see my last comment about what non-bona fide users should do.
as for Indymedia being dominated by a clique of anarchist students, I'm afraid I'm not privy to any such clique; this is my first time publishing an article on Indymedia or on any website for that matter, and apart from literally one or two individuals, I have no idea of the identities of those on the editorial collective.
You were up late, so fair enough ;)
How about approaching it this way, and its only an idea at this stage: gather some links that have helpful hints and ideas on writting articles, or even, ahead of May 1, hold some intensive work shops on writting for indymedia?
Maybe a little preperation could go a long way....nobody wants the repitition of the word 'chilling' Mrror style, but reading (and writing) news/features is meant to stir the soul and be evocative, descriptive and be hard hitting.
(Im trying to make a proactive suggestion here not just criticise or complain - which I think your comment about bona fide users is about?)
well mandy, though it's a shame you think the above article and Indymedia in general are of such a poor standard, I guess it's a good thing you are at least thinking about ways to go about making things better.
my point about genuine users arose out of my feelings towards comment contributors who engage in criticism that I do not consider to be in any way constructive. often these people purport to be lefties/ progressives etc., disgruntled with the way Indymedia is being run. however, through their contributions, I suspect many, for whatever reason, are merely engaging in a ruse to discredit and pollute the website.
so maybe you aren't one of these people. maybe you just genuinely thought the article was crap! which is fair enough.
maybe you should start working on some of those proposals you listed, you might find it rewarding and empowering!
they're just wasting your time.
"the perception that indymedia.ie is run by an elite clique of anarchist students pervails."
Is a very ill-informed perception that can only be based on accepting the smears that various people like to throw at indymedia - as if it will protect them from any criticism they might receive on it. If truth be told, the average age of the editors is much closer to 40 than it is to 20.
ignoring trolls is the policy I would usually advocate chekov.. I guess this time I started off taking that line and moved towards giving the benefit of the doubt.
but fuck it, yeah, I do have better things to do!
Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to lodge a complaint with Indymedia.ie about your
standards (or lack thereof) in permissive, ultra-liberal journalism, especially
in your treatment of Mr. Justin Barrett.
Since it is clear that you all embrace some perverse form of extreme
Marxism, you would think that the capitalist European Union would fly in
the face of your agenda. But since you Red types are far more obsessed
with the elimination of any form of nationalism, religion or indigenous
culture, it is not surprising that you have chosen to turn on Justin
Barrett.
Mr. Barrett, like myself and other Irish nationalists, will have
something "Alois Vincenzo" and your type will never have. Pride in one's
Irishness, and the determination to defend it from the snares of an EU
superstate which can only be described as having the arrogance of
neo-Sovietism and the jackboot of Fascism. Yes, Fascism - that word you in the
liberal 'media' like to bandy about with gusto when attacking national
pride and Irishness. As you put it, a "rosary bead nationalist tirade",
similar to the ones which won Irish freedom in the 1920s, has no place
in either the E.U. or the "lefty youth... unshaven and bedraggled"
vision for Ireland.
The E.U. is bad news for Ireland. Even when you extreme Marxists manage
to push aside all your cares for Irish sovereignty and culture, you can
still drum up some facts to realise that Brussels means slavery. But by
putting across your not-so-intellectual tirade against Justin Barrett,
you only serve to weaken resistance to Brussels. YOUR opposition to
Brussels is lukewarm, weak and baseless. I'm sure you all think you have
the funky, hip but morally defunct high ground when you jeer Mr.
Barrett's nationalism. But you are all empty and soulless. Once you satisfy
your 'intellectual' fancies with the E.U., you would return to your
pro-abortion, pro-drug and anti-Irish heaven.
The only reason Mr. Vincenzo (who, I'm sure, adds a very international
flavour to a solely Irish subject) and the Red press thrive on
murdering Irish nationalism is that you fear it will usher in a return to
justice and moral fortitude. You fear that it will break your power to
uphold the permissive and the amoral. But as long as you people keep
peddling this anti-Irish, liberal guff, Brussels will ALWAYS win. You people
are the star writers for the Eurosoviet you claim to oppose on such a
heightened intellectual basis.
You may not print this; if not, I don't care. You are lost to the PC
parade, stamping out Irishness and Irish patriotism wherever it emerges.
I'm sure you'll all have wonderful careers in the controlled press of
the future.
God bless,
P.S. In response to Vincenzo's statement that "You would never get a
leader of Sinn Fein condemning abortion, homosexual 'marriage' or
anything of that nature", don't make me laugh. Everyone knows that the Sinn
Fein of today, especially the youth setup, is an anti-Catholic,
anti-nationalist extension of the far left. All you have to do is look at the
Che Guevara posters. Mr Vincenzo, before you make such sweeping comments
about Ireland, learn a bit about it first. This is so typical of the
left. You people make me sick.
You people are so poisoned by political correctness it's not right...
Paul
if you are looking for fascistts then look no furthrer than Justin Barret. Read the info below, theres more at the link.
"Extreme-right group confirms Barrett link
By Derek Scally, in Berlin, and Deaglán de Bréadún, in Dublin
Mr Justin Barrett, the chief spokesman of the No to Nice campaign and a leading figure in the Youth Defence anti-abortion group, has close contacts with an extreme right-wing party in Germany which the authorities there believe has "Nazi characteristics".
Mr Barrett has attended conferences and spoken at an event organised by Germany's National Democratic Party (NPD). Two years ago he attended an NPD rally in the Bavarian city of Passau as a representative of Youth Defence. His name appears as one of the "honorary guests" at the event in Die Deutsche Stimme (The German Voice), the NPD party newspaper. The NPD described the rally, the largest by the party to date, as a day of national resistance. It was held in May 2000, and over 6,000 party members attended."
I have seen this article a million times. Can you liberal and far-left types find anything else than the Irish Times, the Irish elitist and Masonic journal of record, or the Irish AFA (or should I say, CCCP) website?
You people make me sick. You continue to churn out this ridiculously insignificant meeting in Passau. If the people in the photos were wearing Hawaiian hula shirts, I'm sure you would have called them some radical Fascist Hawaiian separatists. But I bet when all you SWP types have your little rallies and prepare your red-fist, red star posters emblazoned with the word 'Revolution', you forget to think of the past. You may bandy the word fascism about in an attempt to destroy nationalism.
But just remember this - you're so-called socialist utopia, last time I checked, resulted in purely materialistic outlook on life, suppression of religion, ignorance towards nationality and culture, increase in crime rates. It was in a little place called the SOVIET UNION, where TENS OF MILLIONS of people DIED in Soviet camps because they didn't embrace this 'utopia.'
Justin Barrett, and any sane individual who has a little bit of respect for their country (and not the anti-Irish 'intellectualism' of this site), can see where the European Union is going. It is merely an arrogant, toned-down style of Soviet-style collectivism. YOU people may not care about religion. YOU people may not care about Irish culture and sovereignty. But there are tens of thousands of people who do, and Justin Barrett is one of them.
He is a NATIONALIST. I know that is a big, scary word for all you lefties to stomach, but there you go. And if you want to continue throwing the "racist" and "Fascist" slur at anyone who is proud of their nation and culture, or their Catholicism, then shame on you and you're so-called outlook on freedom.
That is the funny thing about you left-wing types. You rant on about freedom to such an extent that it transmutes into petty political correctness - in such an approach, one freedom cancels out another. Your open-minded approach to doctrines and systems which will destroy this country forever is a disgrace to those who fought to free Ireland. Shame on you all - not that you care. Left-wing radicalism will fade away late in life, when you all wind down and become the jackboot press of the Eurosoviet.
To those who resorted to attacks on Justin Barrett's appearance, grow up. You call Barrett a Nazi? Who are the ones poking fun at people who are different? Again, shame on you all. Grow up and start loving your country. You may think all this debate is clever, but its not. In a world becoming more unequal every day, you Red whiners are becoming non-issues - and meanwhile, people in real need become marginalised while the crowd in control of the world becomes smaller. Wake up.
God bless you all at Easter,
Paul Hughes.
And those insults against JB's appearance were not attached to this article, but another one on this site.
mmm, McDowell is that you rantin n' ravin after a few jars at 2.30am on Good Friday mornin!
go on ya mad yoke!
You Indymedia people are ridiculous. Can't you see what you're doing? The self-important, self-righteous tone you carry in your articles is about as far as you can get from independent reporting. I came here expecting even-handed reporting on the issues of the day but all I get is the usual leftist clap-trap.
You cannot berate someone on their religious beliefs. That's too personal. Even if those beliefs dictate their social and moral standpoints you have no right to say your way is better. It's just different. This is exactly what's going on in Iraq. I don't personally believe in some of the teachings and guidelines of the Koran but I'm not about to say my view is more relevant than theirs and they need to be 'enlightened'. People like JB offer a viewpoint. Simply that. It might contain opinions that I totally disagree with but petty name calling and cliched stereotyping is hardly progressive. Extreme political views always lead to the same place whether left or right.
the religion is besides the point, it's all the racist, sexist, homophobic, 'Ireland belongs to the white middle class catholics only' buzz that's the bad bit
Not sure if it is McD (the other inedible one). McD always used to be against nationalism (at least while there was resistence against the British occupation of the six counties), though he does seem to be trying to lay some kind of claim to "republicanism" - but thats probably only to wind up the shinners.
I find it odd though, that someone would include the words "sane individual" in the same sentence as the words "Justin Barrett". That would appear to be writen by someone who is not in touch with reality, so there is an outside chance that it just might be McD after all.
cos on here he's only trying to piss off those elitist studenty anarchisty heads, he goes on RTE to deal with the Shinners, and Barett he propbably likes in a gimpy kinda way!
Which "elitist studenty anarchisty heads"? All the anarchists I know are workers, and aged between 25 and 60, so I cant really buy into that nonsensical stereotyping. Still, if McD believes those stereotypes I guess he would do as you are suggesting.
Don't know how *anyone* could like Barrett. Very strange.
TT, you and you're fellow permissive, anti-nationalist Red ilk don't "like Barrett" because he stands for everything you and those other idiots who make personal attacks are terrified of.
That is truth, morals, national pride, and a fear of not spending at least one bloody day in your life not sucking up to political correctness. Again, you Reds make me sick.
you didn't respond to the article re his facist links
"anti-nationalist" ??
I assure you, my record on the national question is solid, you don't know who you are talking to.
Barrett and the rest of the nazi-lovers are not in a position to present themselves as pro-Irish. His BNP friends have always promoted the interests of British imperialism.
JH - in response to your message: JB, as any twit could see past media spin, was invited to speak at that meeting, plus thousands of other meetings, on the subject of abortion. Get your facts straight.
And from a personal point of view, your definition of "fascism", that is the umbrella word for any of you Red types who find honest, non-PC nationalism frightening and uncomfortable....... the kind of ideological windbags who only see the Palestinians as an 'oppressed working class', not crushed under the jackboot of Israeli ethnic cleansing and racist policy. In fact, you people are so "radical" in the defense of the Palestinian people one minute, and then simultaneously scream "ANTI-SEMITISM" at anyone who criticises Israeli policy.
As for you TT, I know all about peoples' positions on the National Question. Lets do a resume of current positions on the National Question:
Sinn Fein - Extreme left-wing, no longer Catholic. Pro abortion. Pro EU integration.
Fianna Fail - Pro EU, leading us to servitude.
Fine Gael - Pro EU.
Labour - Pro EU, pro abortion.
So where are the nationalists? In the Fascist heap. It's always going to be that way because of the media, and this political correctness crap infecting the world.
Justin Barrett is a Catholic. He is anti-abortion, and he is a patriot. And therefore he is a Fascist? Remember that most if not all of the Nazis were occultists - so again, don't bandy words. I feel like I'm wasting valuable energy trying to get my point across, because at the end of the day, media spin has the upper hand. I don't know if its for the sake of a good story, boredom or general malice, but the media will always continue to brand as "fascists" people who refuse to see Ireland as European, as socialist, or everything but Irish.
I ask you all - put yourselves in Michael Collins' shoes, or Padraig Pearce's. What would they have thought about EU integration, mass immigration from Asia and Africa, abortion, or the acceptance of some form of watered-down socialist bureaucracy? Not a lot... in fact, I think they would be more vocal than Justin Barrett could ever be.
But then again, they died young, victims of persons and institutions who thought their vision of Ireland was, for a better word, unsuitable. And with the EU becoming more bureaucratic and dictatorial every day, who knows how many more TRUE nationalists will be chased into an early grave?
So I ask you all, GIVE UP THE "FASCIST" GIBE. It's old, insulting, but nevertheless an effective weapon for Red scum and lukewarm champagne patriots to bury Irishness under the carpet.
And where, TT, is your proof that Justin Barrett has connections to the BNP??? I know for a fact he would be insulted at the thought. You are completely right - the BNP are sell-out Blueshirt-style nationalists, who DO promote British imperialism and have a backward ideology.
From a political standpoint, I would say that Justin Barrett and the BNP are diametrically opposed to one another.
But as I have said, it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, the Red media, the politically correct and sell-out nationalists will continue to make war on those hoping to bring some degree of sanity to a society becoming less Irish - and less bothered - by the day.
And where is this "Alois Vincenzo" geezer, with his paltry style of journalism? Didn't take notes of the speeches of JB and McGeough at the meeting... a convenient way for him to forge ahead with his Red smear campaign.
And just what kind of "progressive groups" does he have in mind? The Socialist Workers' Party? Irish AFA? The Anarchist Movement? Surely, Mr. Vincenzo, these will be fantastic "progressive" bulwarks against "the E.U. heads."
Alois Vincenzo (is that the Vincenzo's of Knock or the Vincenzo's of Lisdoonvarna?) insulted Ireland and Irishness in at least two ways:
1.) He made little of the Irish language and the fact that the Eurosoviet has cast it aside;
2.) He made fun of patriots and Catholics in his sneering reference to "rosary bead nationalism."
He looks at opposition to the E.U. from a purely Marxist/Leninist viewpoint. How progressive is that, Mr. Gulag? We can all stoop to name-calling. But that militantly atheist and anti-nationalist attitude led many people to their deaths in Siberia, in case you've forgotten.
No the name on the Radio Free Eireann Website is William Hughes. And he has praised Nesta Webster, a well known Englsh fascist and conspiracy theorist. As McDonough is the U.S. representative of Republican Sinn Fein serious questions must be raised about the republican credentials of R.S.F.
Amusing little series of rants about red smear campaigns, red media (Tony O'Reilly the commie!) and dark insinuations about the foreigness of the writer.
What's particularly funny is the fact that you lambast the pinkos for using the 'fascist' term when you are pretty obviously a fash or completely insane. Come to think of it you are probably both which would mean that you are in fact Justin Barrett. Nothing else could explain the crap that you write and there is nobody in the country who is both a fascist and so obviously raving.
Anyway, Justin, you can stick your patriotism up your arse, I'll take Alois any day.
First of all Chekov, I am not Justin Barrett. I don't want to be, nor do I pretend to be... it's quite ok being myself.
"Dark insinuations?" I know nothing about this Alois Vincenzo - only the guts of his anti-Church, anti-Irish journalism - if such tripe could be categorised as journalism.
I am one of thousands of people who are disgusted with the anti-Irishness of you people - people you would undoubtedly like to evaporate into thin air.
The problem with you people is that you have no morals, no patriotism, and nothing to be proud of. Your extreme liberalism stinks of a group of people who wish to live in some lawless, all-embracing anarchy where no person is accountable to law, a higher authority, or even their own consciences. Abortion for instance - you people love the right to kill just in case children become an invasion of your materialistic lives.
Don't think Justin Barrett is standing alone out there. You are mistaken.
But, I suppose there is a small chance that I live in a rose-tinted world where insane fascists like Justin Barrett are rare. If you are really P. Hughes, and not Justin Barrett, how about some evidence? Plenty of people on Indymedia can verify my identity, how about you?
but im not totally sold on the whole abortion pro-choice line?
not nationlist doesn't equal anti-irish
I'm sorry folks, I'm not in the business of impersonating people. My name is Paul Hughes, I am from Co. Westmeath... I am 21 years of age, and a third year Arts student.
You people might want to go round thinking you're little Lenins or Marxs, but thats who I am and I'm proud of it.
''And just what kind of "progressive groups" does he have in mind? The Socialist Workers' Party? Irish AFA? The Anarchist Movement? Surely, Mr. Vincenzo, these will be fantastic "progressive" bulwarks against "the E.U. heads."....
He looks at opposition to the E.U. from a purely Marxist/Leninist viewpoint. How progressive is that, Mr. Gulag? We can all stoop to name-calling. But that militantly atheist and anti-nationalist attitude led many people to their deaths in Siberia, in case you've forgotten....''
So I'm a 'Red', 'ultra-liberal','extreme Marxist', enslaved to political correctness, who may speak for the SWP or the Anarchist Movement; you're not quite sure..?
My god, I had no idea this was still going on, I stopped checking this story a long time ago.
Perhaps you really are just a hick arts student, 'Paul', but there's something about the unhinged nature of your rants that does smack of the Just'.
Your scattergun attacks against all who you lump together as politically degenerate are highly comical, and indicative of what little grasp you have of the political spectrum beyond your narrow ultra-conservative corner.
You might not be Justin, but you might as well be. Your tone, so utterly divorced from reality, is identical to that of Barrett.
You clearly want to get to the bottom of what kind of character I am, and what I stand for. Well, 'Paul', I'm not ashamed to say that I, like many Indymedia users, sometimes use a pseudonym when publishing articles etc. Alois Vincenzo is a pseudonym.
If you truly are a third year arts student from the midlands, then we've got a lot more in common than you might think (leaving sanity aside for a second..).
The article was intended as a piece of journalism palatable to all who see ultra right-wing politics as the malign force that they are, not as a piece of propaganda for whatever groupings I might to be aligned to. So I certainly had no intention of stamping my individual politics all over it, beyond making it fairly obvious I am of a libertarian persuasion. If you had even a superficial grasp of radical politics you would have picked up on this. But you didn't, choosing instead to warn that this kind of journalism and this kind of thinking represented a one-way ticket to some kind of totalitarian neo-Bolshevik nightmare.
I have no intention to get drawn into a defence of my politics; that is not what the article was about. But I will say that for a libertarian, it is amusing to be compared to the worst excesses of the authoritarian and totalitarian regimes which those who love freedom have always been at loggerheads with, and under which libertarians have been amongst the most severely persecuted.
Maybe it is you who should put away your collection of Michael Collins memorabilia