Gerry Adams and VIP

mike65

I hav'nt read the feature in question but what do the boards republican wing think of this kind of glossy image making?

Sell out or neccesary evil in the modern world?.

Mike.

BuffyBot

Completely non SF supporting person here....but it definitely made me wonder. That magazine is only one step short of Hello!

What next? An RTE documentary "At Home With Ian Paisley"?

Shazbat

Who gives a rats ass?

Would you rather see him decked out in ammunition belts, sporting a bloodied headband and menacingly brandishing a grenade launcher in an issue of "Soldier of Fortune" or something?

ReefBreak

I find it highly insulting to all victims of all IRA violence.

Shazbat

Originally posted by ReefBreak
I find it highly insulting to all victims of all IRA violence.

I can't see how, since Gerry Adams is not in the IRA (and never was).

You would do well to remember that Sinn Féin does not = IRA.
(getting slightly off topic now)

ReefBreak

I can't see how, since Gerry Adams is not in the IRA (and never was).

You would do well to remember that Sinn Féin does not = IRA.
(getting slightly off topic now)

This post is laughable.
Gerry Adams "never was" in the IRA? Where's your spaceship parked?

Sinn Fein like to be associated/not associated with the 'RA when it suits them. e.g. When an act of decomissioning takes place, they're all over the media taking the praise. But when three men are arrested in Columbia in FARC (the worst of the worst in terms of terrorist scum) territory - they deny any association with the 'RA.

Back on topic, to put Gerry Adams on the front cover of VIP is an insult to victims of IRA violence. But at least they didn't put Martin McGuinness on the cover.

Chaos-Engine

Originally posted by ReefBreak

FARC (the worst of the worst in terms of terrorist scum)

off topic again but

Yes FARC are offically labelled terrorists. But there are 110,000 of them fighting a US backed Dictatorship. Perhaps the term Resistance movement would be more fitting. What in the hell cralled up your ass... the number 911???

ReefBreak

Yes FARC are offically labelled terrorists. But there are 110,000 of them fighting a US backed Dictatorship. Perhaps the term Resistance movement would be more fitting. What in the hell cralled up your ass... the number 911???

Is this the most uninformed, ridiculous, pathetic post I've ever read read on boards.ie? Most definitely. I can only assume you're a teenager with a nice new Che Guevera poster on your wall that you bought from Easons.

There's actually 17,000 in FARC. A Revolutionary Movement? A cocaine-backed terrorist army that have been resonsible for countless civilian deaths over the course of the civil war. But of course, no matter what you do, it won't matter a damn if you call yourself a "Marxist" army. You can always bet on having the support of a bunch of naive fellow marxists around the world.

US backed Dictatorship? Alvaro Uribe Velez was recently elected President of Columbia by a 53.1% majority on a mandate to (hopefully) wipe out the terrorists groups in the country.

So, don't hide behind ridiculous politics to pretend they're anything other than murderous, drug-dealing scum.

Shazbat

Originally posted by ReefBreak


This post is laughable.
Gerry Adams "never was" in the IRA? Where's your spaceship parked?

..blah...blah...

But when three men are arrested in Columbia in FARC (the worst of the worst in terms of terrorist scum) territory - they deny any association with the 'RA.

Gerry Adams never was in the IRA. Whats laughable about that? You have taken what I said, twisted it, and then attacked your twisted version of what I said.

It is the likes of you who breeds bigotry, dragging up all the negative things, what about all Sinn Feins recent efforts in preventing rioting in their communities?. To give but one recent example

You and you ilk by constantly dragging up columbia, are using something that, in reality, has sweet fúck all to do with Irish politics to bash Sinn Fein with, who are one of the few political parties who are intent on keeping the peace process alive.

It is people like you with your destructive, negative views that help to drag the peace process down.

On the other hand Martin McGuinness was in the IRA, he isn't anymore and thats what really matters isn't it? But you, in your little fairy tale land probably believe he still is. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Gerry Adams was never in the IRA so laugh all you want, and while you're at it laugh at your own spoon-fed opinions.

Chaos-Engine

What would be wrong with Ian Paisley, Gerry Adams, Michael Flatley, Osama Bin Laden, hell even Hitler being in VIP/HELLO????


They all had/have personal lives too... Even arguably the most evil man of the 20th century(Hitler) had a personal life that didn't involve killing millions and dominating all. Perhaps he liked to read poetry in a Bravarian forrest???

Everyone is entitled to be biographed in all aspects. You can never truely know the person from just focusing on their negative attributes solely....

So Gerry isn't accustomed to a photoshoot. Perhaps he can retire as a model or something after some trainging ?????



Monty Python - "Always look on the Bright Side of Life"
Quark - "Always keep you friends close and your enemies even closer"

Gerry

It is pretty laughable ok Shazbat, you aren't going to get anywhere with that particular stance. And I say this as someone who used to be quite a strong republican.

Lets face it, he was in the IRA. However I think that he may have been active at one stage, but certainly not recently. What is quite certain is that he would have had influence within the IRA ok, perhaps being somewhere on its army council ( or just an unofficial position outside that ). I don't think he would have planned operations, more he would have been involved in overall direction and strategy. He was never involved in operations the way Marteen was, but he was still involved. Don't kid yourself.

However, I would say that he has much less to do with the IRA these days. It is the very nature of these things that he cannot openly admit he is in the IRA, but he has managed to bring the IRA a long way onto the political road, so is it such a bad thing that he is in it?

Shazbat, you need to do a lot more research, and lose some of your blind faith. Its doing you no favours.

I've no interest in VIP normally since it is full of dull Irish celebrities who have nothing to say, but it would be interesting to get a different perspective on Mr Gerry Adams.

Bateman

I am sure the prospect of an interview that does not feature questions that the interviewer should know full well Mr Adams is not going to answer is appealing to Adams, and maybe thats why he went for it.

Showing another side of him, I suppose, a side that people rarely if ever see.

Speaking of murders in Colombia, the policy of state murder of prominent student activists in classrooms and bars has done little to further any notion of a worthwhile cause that any recent Colombian government could have been purporting to fight. I suppose its back to the old one of how do you fight "terrorism" without defining it satisfactorily, and its a discussion thats been done to death here.

The policy of "cleansing" the streets of Bogota of the homeless once or twice a month has done little to endear democratic Colombia to the rest of the world either.

Shazbat

Originally posted by Gerry
Lets face it, he was in the IRA.

But being involved, as you say, is not quite the same as being a member. I would consider a member of the IRA to be directly involved in planning/planting/making bombs or shootings. I don't know the extent of his involvement (with not in the IRA) and it would be foolish and futile to speculate. Because we just wouldn't know.

Nobody has proved he was a member. And lets face it, if there was the smallest iota of proof it would have been paraded around the media circus long ago.

This is a stupid argument anyway, nobody has any proof he was in the IRA yet most of the contributors to this thread are frenziedly convinced that he was.

I give up.

mike65

Good grief! Lads "calm down, calm down!" What I'm interesting is the way two, on the surface, utterly disperate bodies
find a use for one another, Adams no doubt reckoned a soft-focus chat in his kitchen would do him no harm while VIP will be expecting higher sales than usual if only because of curosity.

If I were a republican of a ceratin sort I'd proberly be both
shocked yet also resigned to this sort of thing happening as
the march towards the mainstream continues full steam ahead.

Would Padraic Pearse have done likewise?

Mike.

Gerry

He is playing the PR game, theres no other way to survive. The march towards the mainstream continues, but I think the republican movement are doing the right thing, apart from getting peace in the north, they are improving their reputation in many peoples eyes. They will never be forgiven for the murder of innocent people, and rightly so, but they have shown themselves to be flexible, and this is earning peoples respect. One of the benefits for republicans is that the political wing is gaining momentum as an All-Ireland party.

Unionism is doing itself no favours, with its laughable politics, irrational fear, and embarrassing loyalist thug element, which has to be the least political paramilitary group in the world. It has few friends really. The tide is turning against it, and if republicanism can stay peaceful, this will increase unionist frustration and anger, as time goes on republicans will win more positions of power. I think a lot of republicans see this, and so are content to play the waiting game. There are a lot more dissident elements who have to cop onto this also, lets hope that they do.

Shazbat

The VIP write up would not be the first time he has had that kind of media exposure. I remember a year or two ago there was an interview with him in the RTE guide (I'm pretty sure it was the RTE guide) it wasn't entirely a political interview but rather it showed some insight into Gerry Adams the man rather than the political figure.

I remember being quite amused by an admission by him in the write-up/interview that he hugs trees. (I kid you not!)

Click on this link if you don't believe me!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/northern_ireland/1424096.stm

Turnip

Originally posted by ReefBreak
There's actually 17,000 in FARC. A Revolutionary Movement? A cocaine-backed terrorist army that have been resonsible for countless civilian deaths over the course of the civil war. But of course, no matter what you do, it won't matter a damn if you call yourself a "Marxist" army. You can always bet on having the support of a bunch of naive fellow marxists around the world.

US backed Dictatorship? Alvaro Uribe Velez was recently elected President of Columbia by a 53.1% majority on a mandate to (hopefully) wipe out the terrorists groups in the country.

So, don't hide behind ridiculous politics to pretend they're anything other than murderous, drug-dealing scum.

Alvaro Uribe Velez has had links with Pablo Escobar, the notorious drug baron. FARC are bullying murdering scum - typical Marxists, but I assure you their enemy - the wealthy landowners backed by their private army the AUC who I presume you support- are, on balance, worse.

Informative BBC article here.

But Ingrid Betancourt - Now there's a woman who could save Colombia.

Jake

Originally posted by ReefBreak


This post is laughable.
Gerry Adams "never was" in the IRA? Where's your spaceship parked?

Sinn Fein like to be associated/not associated with the 'RA when it suits them. e.g. When an act of decomissioning takes place, they're all over the media taking the praise. But when three men are arrested in Columbia in FARC (the worst of the worst in terms of terrorist scum) territory - they deny any association with the 'RA.

Back on topic, to put Gerry Adams on the front cover of VIP is an insult to victims of IRA violence. But at least they didn't put Martin McGuinness on the cover.

Jasus Reefbreak! you really have swallowed the mainstream corporate media's line on this!
You seriously believe that the American backed Columbian government are clean in all this?

As for Gerry Adams...... laughed me nuts off when I saw his face on the cover, dunno what republicans think of this (some have told me they are pissed off with the softening of the parties image in general, prefering a more hardline marxist approach) so cant imagen their to pleased with this either.
But I do know this kind of stunt annoys the **** out of the Irish middle class and for that alone Im happy to see his bearded face on the cover!
I remember reading papers like the Independent and the Times for about two weeks after the general election just to read the ****e they were comming out with regarding the shinners.
Fantastic stuff, five bloody seats and the feathers are ruffled
Bring on the next election I say

Turnip

Originally posted by ReefBreak

FARC (the worst of the worst in terms of terrorist scum) territory - they deny any association with the 'RA.

Interesting bit from the BBC site:

The FARC did briefly flirt with a political route to power, establishing a political party, the Patriotic Union (UP), in the late 1980s. But the UP was decimated by right-wing death squads, sponsored by drug traffickers and with links to government security forces. Some 3,000 UP members were murdered, including the UP's 1990 presidential candidate, Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa.

I don't mind people having opinions but I do wish they'd try to look at both sides and deal with facts before commenting. They look less ignorant that way. By all means, condemn the left wing terrorists but have a look at what passes for law order and democracy there as well and tell us if it's acceptable. If it's not, what could be done to root out the corruption and human rights abuses?

Adams on cover of VIP? Don't care. No interest in celebrity magazines or two bit pseudo left wing politicians.

Gerry

Originally posted by Jake

dunno what republicans think of this (some have told me they are pissed off with the softening of the parties image in general, prefering a more hardline marxist approach) so cant imagen their to pleased with this either.

They will be weighing this against how good SF look now compared to the unionists, so they will be prepared to overlook it I'd say.

Originally posted by Jake
But I do know this kind of stunt annoys the **** out of the Irish middle class and for that alone Im happy to see his bearded face on the cover!

Just as a matter of interest, what class do you consider yourself to be?

Jake

ok, maybe "middle class" is an outdated term then, but Ill tell you what I would generally and this is only a generalisation mind you class as middle class (confused? I am)
The majority within urban areas, particularly along the east coast who tend to bend over and take it up the ass for the simple reason they now have no choice in the matter!
Theyv been to college, got the degree, bought the car and house amid all the hype within the Irish celtic tiger about getting on the property ladder and now find that they are slaves to the bank and pray **** that the econemy doesnt go belly up!

This leaves them in a position that they are afraid to question anything, "cant make waves, got repayments to meet" and so they become yes men for the D4 media, who made a few bob in the 1970's bought their own home, the car, take two holidays a year and who now are afraid to give a different opinion from their Fianna Fail/catholic church masters as they have to much to loose so cant make waves.


What class am I?
Dunno really, but not that.
Why interested?

Brian Bennette

<Mod edit: no name calling> a lot of that Rubbish in the Media turned out to be false.

Originally posted by ReefBreak


When an act of decomissioning takes place, they're all over the media taking the praise. But when three men are arrested in Columbia in FARC (the worst of the worst in terms of terrorist scum) territory - they deny any association with the 'RA.

.

Channel 4
did an investigation into the alleged connection but came up with nothing except that the men had false passports and are being held illegaly, The supposed tapes, evidence and film of them making bombs never existed, and they have been beaten and abused by the Drug Lord Colombian police. Except now nobody gives a sh1t about their condition or their human rights.

ReefBreak

They were in FARC controlled territory with false passports. And one of them was Sinn Féin's representative in Columbia. Brian, they weren't there checking out some previously unseen birds or unknown flora. If they are guilty of assisting one of the most vicious terrorist organisations in the world - FARC, then I hope they rot in a squalid Columbian jail.

<Mod edit: again, no namecalling>

spongebob

Now the previous post has been modded out the riposte is exquota methinks.

swiss

*sigh*

<rhetorical question>Why didn't I see this thread till now?</rhetorical question>

I'm locking this thread to clean up some of the insults and incivilities that have been spewed. If we can get some rational and civil conversation on this issue and not one that just generates into an IRA is bad/good thread I might consider unlocking it.

Brian Bennette I see you've been banned. I'm going to pop over to admin after this to see why.

Locked.

swiss

Thread re-opened. If anyone wants to post, please do so in a civil manner. That is all

swiss

spongebob

where did all these Stickies come from all of a sudden?

M

Shazbat

<Mod edit: more suited to admin methinks>

ReefBreak

Re-open all the other threads to and stop removing posts that are not Pro-English

Eh? What? Crikey. Being anti-IRA does not mean being pro-English. Personally, I believe that being anti-IRA is pro-Irish due to the atrocities committed by the 'RA in our name. Also,during the "Troubles" about 98% of Irish people were anti-IRA, so by your reasoning, that's a lot of pro-English people in Ireland.

I have a feeling this thread will get locked....again.

gandalf

Naw Muck all our stickie friends seem to be coming from NUI Galway. Infact they are all probably the same person. I am closing certain threads because they are old and they are been reguritated mainly by one person who just posts cut & pasted articles or one worded responses.

Gandalf.

spongebob

Thanks Gandalf

It is a concerted effort all right....very like a Kale Barroka or a sticky campaign from the 70's...

Get me IP's and times and if you want me to have a 'word' with Iggy I will. Iggy was my Math prof once.

Iggy hates intellectual fascists....mindya so does Gearóid his sidekick but Iggy will give me access all areas whiel Gearóid turns a blind eye!

M