Thursday, May 24th 2012
Paul Ginsborg is Professor of Contemporary European History, University of Florence and a frequent public commentator on politics and life in Italy. His books include A History of Contemporary Italy, Society and Politics 1943 - 1988 , Italy and Its Discontents: Family, Civil Society and the State , 1980-2000, and the bestselling biography Berlusconi: Television, [...]
There will be a variety of slogans on placards on the National Demonstration this Saturday:
There is a Better Way • Bail Out People, Not Banks • Punish the Corrupt, Not the Victims • Workers Unite
All catchy in their own way. But here’s the text for a placard that should be carried by thousands and memorised [...]
‘You do not get it. You are stupid. Do not demonstrate. Do not remonstrate. You are interfering in things you do not understand and you are making matters worse. Go back home. Sit down. Shut up. And let your betters sort things out.’
End communication from your Econo-Overlords VMT (Von Mises Tendency)
I am getting increasingly [...]
Si. Is the Future King of Lyon!
I am watching with disgust and pleasure the vaguely general striking in France yesterday. Did you see it? Was all most very amusing and also a big disgrace.
In general, as you know, I am always opposed to the insurrectioning by members of the lower classes, such [...]
Last weekend, the Sunday Times published an article by Brenda Power entitled: TD’s funeral shamed him about the recent funeral of Independent TD, Tony Gregory. The article has forced me to put together a few words in response, because it demonstrates that in fact her words shamed her.
A system in crisis
There were two remarkable things about the Lisbon Treaty referendum that have been almost completely ignored by the men and women whose job it is to chew over Irish politics on a daily basis. First of all, the result showed that Irish citizens have no confidence in the people they vote for. [...]
Recently on South Belfast Diary I leaked the draft Section 8 of Labour’s 21st Century Commission, dealing with Party organisation in Northern Ireland. Since 2002, the Irish Labour Party has allowed membership in the North. We have actively participated in conferences and have had an NEC co-opted member, Mark Langhammer. More to the [...]
Debate and analysis about the meaning of Ireland’s vote on the Lisbon Treaty continues to tax the commentariat in Ireland and abroad. Next week, the topic will once again become the focus of debate as the Government has suggested today that it is considering putting together a forum where both sides of the campaign can [...]
Bertie Ahern’s socialist conversion occurred around the same time he took up reading Robert Putnam.[1] Putnam was famous for writing Bowling Alone, an appraisal of the erosion of personal connections in modern society. So inspired was Ahern, that he set up the Taskforce on Active Citizenship. Since they reported in 2007, little appears to have [...]
