I have noted with dismay the lack of effective political journalism challenging the SDLP as they have embraced the use of the term ‘Northern Ireland’ throughout their recent election manifesto – trumpeting the assertion that they want to “make Northern Ireland work”. In political terms this would be equivalent to Mike Nesbitt calling for additional funding to be allocated to cross-border bodies to strengthen the all-Ireland economy.
However, SDLP’s declaration of love for ‘Northern Ireland’ has gone largely unreported by the media, the press and most political commentators?
SDLP have effectively capitulated to the shared British establishment/unionist objective to manufacture a broad-based consent to the acceptance of the permanence of the northern state, that is undermining the possibility of the reunification of Ireland in the generations to come.
This is a textbook case of what Noam Chomsky, the American political scientist, referred to as the ‘manufacture of consent’ where the established media and the political establishment align themselves to a ‘societal purpose’ to suppress potential dissent against what they define as the greater good – in this case, reinforcing the ‘Northern Ireland’ identity in order to preserve the political status quo.
Mainstream press, television and radio bombard the public with millions of ‘Northern Ireland’ references from morning to night and unionist politicians try to out-do each other to repeat ‘Northern Ireland’ as many times as possible in every television or radio interview. The BBC, UTV and commercial radio stations, together with virtually all of the mainstream press, condition us to accept ‘Northern Ireland’ as a place apart, ‘our wee country’.
All aimed at conditioning us to subscribe to a banal, quasi-British cultural construct that seeks at every opportunity to completely detach northernIrishness from any sense of Irish cultural identity.
The fact that many nationalists and republicans take objection to the use of terms like ‘Northern Ireland’, ‘the Mainland’, ‘the Province’ are debates that are never up for discussion just in case it might derail the establishment’s/unionism’s well managed socio-political control of terminology. Effectively the BBC and others are sanitising the topics that are up for discussion and controlling the use of terminology.
Gradually this control, conditions and brain washes the centre-ground of nationalism to become politically semi-conscious. The SDLP’s embracing of ‘Northern Ireland’ is a symptom of this political semi-consciousness in middle ground nationalism that has seeped into its political leadership and represents a significant victory for unionism.
PROINSIAS MacUIGINN
Ballinascreen, Co Derry
Nothing positive about Ireland’s EU membership
I believe it is fair to assume that when a member of the public forwards a letter to the press expressing his/her opinion on whatever subject they choose the contents of their letter is sincere of their belief.
On June 23 the British government is holding a referendum offering the British people to decide if they wish to terminate their present EU membership or to remain in the EU.
As one who believes that the Mafia has more morals than politicians I prefer to read the letters page of newspapers from other EU member countries to see what they think of their EU membership.
Thankfully I have easy access to the newspapers of the Republic, where this fits the bill for seeing what the people believe. Almost without exception never a day passes that some person unloads their opinion to the press of what they think of the EU.
To date I have never yet read anything complimentary, encouraging or positive, regarding their view of Ireland’s membership of the European Union.
With regard to the Republic what I find most puzzling, particularly so, in Ireland’s commemoration year of 2016, that Sinn Féin, as well as other nationalist-minded politicians, are pledging to vote for Ireland to remain governed by 27 foreign countries.
In conclusion, I say for any nationalist-minded person of these small islands, be they English, Irish, Scottish or Welsh, believe that a dolly-mixture collection, of domineering, billionaire, bandwagon, politicians will have any interest or concern for the people of these island they are living in cloud cuckoo land.
HARRY STEPHENSON
Kircubbin, Co Down
Time people voted in the interest of society
Since the Assembly Elections were called we have had a daily dose of TV and radio programmes devoted to the campaigns and outcomes. At a time when our health service is in crisis, our education problems continue to grow, our talented tradesmen are to be found working in Australia, America and Canada, farming is no longer a profitable business (our family is only too aware of this fact) and the condition of many of our rural roads are the worst in living memory yet none of these issues get any great deal of attention.
Sinn Féin members are totally engrossed promoting same-sex marriage; they are almost paranoid about it while the DUP is equally engrossed on the issue, with the issues of flags and parades occasionally slotted in to the debate. Both parties behave as if there is nothing else to worry about. Where else in the world would the voters continue to vote for parties that are unable to address the real issues?
I say to the voters for the sake of the coming generations stop and think what good is being made of your precious vote.
C McGEOUGH
Crumlin, Co Antrim
Hankering for good old days
There seems to be a growing vibe among some of the political parties, a kind of hankering after the good old days when there was an opposition facing the government in Stormont. Democracy. The government held to account by a feisty opposition, hmm.
Those practising this nostalgia fail to mention that in a permanent one-party government the opposition can be as feisty as it likes but in reality they can affect no change – that is after all why the civil rights protesters took to the streets.
Let’s say there is an opposition after this set of elections what would it look like? Would it be a voluntary coalition of those parties that don’t maximise their MLAs? Would unionists from a broad spectrum run with a nationalist or a republican party? Could TUV form an opposition with SF?
I’m sure readers could think of other questions to put to those advocating a coalition of the willing to oppose. They might look at how little effect past opposition had in the big white sepulchre.
PATRICK J DORRIAN
Belfast BT15
Liberal unionism
It is sad to reflect that in the forthcoming Assembly Elections the majority of the Ulster Unionist Party candidates are described as being moderate and liberal in their political views.
These liberal views mean that they support abortion which in reality is the murder of young babies and they also support the introduction of gay marriage which the majority of decent people in Northern Ireland clearly are opposed to.
I wonder how the founding fathers of that great party would feel with these candidates and their non- traditional unionist views.
At this election time it is the duty of every Christian to go out and vote and when voting to vote for people who hold to Godly and Christian values and principles.
It is important that Stormont is packed with those who oppose abortion and gay marriage.
JIM SANDS
County Antrim Christian Watch
