Bakker Bugle Blog » politics

SOPA/PIPA blackout today

Will — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:42:38 +0000

We shy away from politics here at the Bugle Blog, although our editors are quite politically active. Today, we must speak out here, because too many members of the US Congress want to give control of the internet to copyright lawyers and those who stand against free speech.

This boring, little, family-friendly blog has been harassed, repeatedly, under the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998. Big copyright-holders like Viacom and FOX have issued unilateral takedown notices against our homespun videos. For example, the Bugle is forever considered suspect by YouTube due to our legally legitimate use of a snippet of TV coverage of the 2008 Olympics, simply because the IOC issued an indiscriminate legal action against tens of thousands of ordinary people.

We have also had our content — photos and text — stolen by businesses that made money from our work. (Yes, we have a hard time believing it, too.) Illegitimate use of copyrighted material is a problem for some people who earn their daily bread by creating things that are easily duplicated. Those people make some wonderful things, and we should do what we can to protect their hard work.

But there are two bills in the US Congress (SOPA and PIPA, in the House and Senate respectively) that are, as The Oatmeal puts it, “like dealing with a lion that escaped from the zoo by blasting some kittens with a flamethrower.” These bills take the most abused aspects of the DMCA and enlarge them a thousand-fold. The impact of these bills are astonishingly broad. For more information, we recommend:

A great summary of the issues from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Another summary, in video form, from Fight for the Future.
A more academic account from Marvin Ammori
A much less academic take, in animated form, from The Oatmeal.

So today we join the Strike against SOPA. We will resume our usual tripe tomorrow.

What was behind the big protest?

Will — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:32:34 +0000

Why did thousands of people come to Place Clairefontaine last Thursday? As always, there is a simple answer that glosses a complex situation.

The simple answer is that Luxembourg’s government changed the laws in a way that many consider unfair to people who work in Luxembourg but live across its borders.

Not satisfied with that?

The full story begins decades ago, but you only really need to know one thing to get started: about 160,000 people commute from France, Belgium and Germany, to work in Luxembourg — frontaliers, as we call them. (Consider that Luxembourg has just barely 500,000 residents, including children and the retired.)

The worldwide recession had much less impact here than it did in the US. Still, the threat of a budget deficit led the government, this spring, to reform Luxembourg’s system of social benefits with an eye toward reducing expenditures.

One measure was Law 6148, which eliminated the government’s support for students over age 18. This program was an important part of Luxembourg’s commitment to education.

Cutting this benefit would have caused immediate unrest in Luxembourg, were it not for a simultaneous increase in the support of those same students through government grants and loans. The net effect, for Luxembourgish families, is that there is no need to change the household’s financial plans. The money comes under different names, but it still money enough to provide higher education for one’s children.

Frontaliers, however, are not eligible for the increased program of grants and loans. Thus, the net effect of Law 6148 was to take a pillar of social support, formerly universally available, and turn it into a residents-only benefit.

The Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, make a symbolic attempt to negotiate with unions and business interests (the Tripartite), but the talks broke down. It was the first time that Tripartite talks have failed in more than thirty years.

Not long after that, the unions called for protests and began organizing one against Law 6148. And according to them, last week was just the beginning.

This was written in large part from articles in the French-language newspapers L’essentiel and La Voix, and also Tageblatt.

A little late to the big protest

Will — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:45:23 +0000

I tell you what, let’s forget the fact that you’re coming a little late to the party and embrace the fact that you showed up at all. *

I like a good protest as much as your average expat — much more, probably. Yesterday’s demonstration in Luxembourg’s center promised to be a big one. At the end of July, after Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker announced his intention to go ahead with budget reforms over the protests of unions and other groups, those disregarded organizations announced the September protest. So I noted 16 September, 5:30pm, on my calendar and started reading the politics section of the newspaper more carefully.

Protests in Dublin, while I was there, could be large or small, but they were always long. As in the US, they usually took about an hour to get warmed up. So, at about 6:15 yesterday, I walked to Place Clairefontaine to snap a few photos and to learn how to dissent publicly in the Luxembourgish style. I wanted to met Anita for the walk back home, so I thought, “Boy, this timing worked out perfectly!”

Here’s what I found on Place Clairefontaine.

There were enough barricades for a big protest — but no people at all. A mobile stage was already pulling away from the square near the government buildings. Had I really missed the most anticipated manifestation of the year? I checked the time: alright, the event was to start at 5:00pm, not 5:30. Still, thousands of people were expected to come — was it even possible, in ninety minutes, to move that many people into the small space and out again?

In a word, yes. At the nearest major road, I found buses pulling away from the curb, filled with people wear green and red ponchos and hats.

Here’s what I missed, from a photo courtesy the competent photographers of L’essentiel:

Luxembourgers clearly prefer their demonstrations “short and far between.”** From the newspapers this morning, it looks like I missed a large, colorful, and incredibly well-organized protest. Four to five thousand people, several speeches, a radical fringe, and vuvuzelas. But I saw the most remarkable feature of the event: there were hardly any stray fliers or trash. At worst, the nearest refuse bins were full.

Maybe they didn’t stick around because of the rain. It was sunny at 5:00pm (the scheduled start of the protest), but it started to rain by 7:00.

But wait, the BUSES! They planned to be out of the city center by 6:30. They could be home in time for dinner and a quiet evening, apparently the true passions of those who live and work in Luxembourg.

Clearly, I have a lot to learn here. For now, I’ll wait to see whether this mass of efficient and tidy dissidents will have any short-term impact.

What do they want? I’ll tell you in my next post, tomorrow. To the impatiently curious, have a look at the English-language news this morning.

Notes:
1. “coming a little late to the party”: The West Wing, Episode 6. Sam to C.J., explaining the census.

2. from The Grave by Robert Blair:

The good he scorn’d
Stalk’d off reluctant, like an ill-used ghost,
Not to return; or if it did, in visits
Like those of angels, short and far between.

Luxembourg News Update: 18 Sept ’09

Will — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:24:01 +0000

From the annals of local news, as brought to the attention of the Bugle staff by ARA City Radio, here is your probably-soon-to-be weekly Luxembourg update:

SAMURAI WARRIOR: Police arrested a man in Fennange, near Bettembourg with a samurai sword in his car. He was on his way back to a bar where he’d had an argument with another of the customers. He’d told the other man he would be back with his samurai sword to sort out the matter. But the police were able to stop him before he could get into the bar, and confiscated the sword. He also lost his driving license on the spot after failing a breath test.
FIGHTS NATIONWIDE: Police had to intervene in no fewer than 6 fights on Saturday night. Two men and a woman came to blows in Schouweiler, with one of them ending up in hospital. A larger group starting fighting in Grevenmacher after residents tracked down two men who had thrown stones through a window. There was a punch-up in a pub in Troisvierges, a melee at a meeting in Ell, and neighbours in dispute in Wiltz. And rounding off a busy night for the police, a worker beat up his boss in Dudelange.
WHETHER TO LAUGH OR CRY….: A policeman had his professional mettle tested on Monday night in Howald. He and his colleague came across a car parked across the middle of the road, with a door open and its engine running. Not far away there was a drunk woman, running and dancing around in the street. When the policeman approached her, she gave him a great big hug. He asked her to take a breath test, but she refused several times before sitting down and bursting into tears. Showing no mercy, the officer confiscated her driving license.
DAIRY FARMERS: Dairy farmers are planning a day of action in the capital today (Friday). This time they’re pouring away 150 000 liters of milk into the ground in fields in Gasperich and Bettembrourg. At 3 o’clock this afternoon they’re coming into the city centre, and demanding to meet the prime minister. They’ll also be distributing free milk on the Place Guillaume. The protests are being organised the LDB union, which is the most militant of the dairy farmers’ unions, representing 1 in 8 of the country’s milk producers.
FAKE POLICE: Thieves disguised as police officers are operating in the Grand Duchy. On Wednesday two gained access to the apartment of an elderly lady and robbed her of cash and jewellery. They told her they were investigating a man who had helped her carry her shopping earlier that morning. Crucially, both of the fake police only spoke French to the woman. The real police here can all speak fluent Luxembourgish. Even if the police officer claims to be from the French, German or Belgian police, if they are in the Grand Duchy, they must be accompanied by a local officer who can speak Luxembourgish.

I am a Dublin voter!

Will — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:46:21 +0000

I almost missed the deadline to apply for the Register of Electors for Friday’s election. You can imagine my delight when I found my reminder card in the mail last week. It said that I should vote at the primary school on Lower Baggot Street.

With a firm sense of civic duty, I walked the short distance to my polling place on Friday morning. I followed a few of my fellow walking voters down the lane to the rear of the school. So far, it looked quite similar to polling places in Illinois.

I don’t know if there are state or city regulations prohibiting posters and electioneering close to the polling place; the location was deep on private property, so there wasn’t an opportunity for the parties to hang signs.

I entered the small gym to find a familiar system: two bored teenagers behind a table labeled with my district’s number, and an older man behind a second table for a different district. The young men were solicitous and quickly found my name on the Supplemental Register. I received one ballot, for the city councillors of Dublin. (Alas, only citizens of the EU could vote for Ireland’s Members of the European Parliament.)

Ireland uses proportional representation for almost all elections; techincally, I voted in a single transferable vote system. That means that my ballot consisted of a list of all the candidates for the office, and I could number them in my order of preference. On this ballot, each candidate’s box included the candidate’s party’s logo, area of residence, occupation and other professional information — but no face-photo, to my surprise!

I chose to rank my four preferred candidates, numbering them from 1 to 4 and leaving the rest blank. Ireland uses a secret ballot, so I folded my sheet in half and dropped it in an old-fashioned ballot box. The teenagers bade me farewell, and I was done!

Ballot-counting takes a little longer with proportional representation, but not by much in the digital age. The results were final in most areas by Saturday afternoon. As expected, the political establishment was thoroughly shaken, including the Dublin City Council.

Finally, what you’ve been waiting for — the final set of Face-Poster Trading Cards!

Face Posters: Set #3

Will — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:47:50 +0000

Here comes another set of trading cards in the famous series: Face Posters of Ireland 2009

Set Three: Download the PDF today!

Face Posters: Set #2

staff — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:13:53 +0000

Are you ready to get another set of your very own trading cards of the best Face Posters of Ireland 2009?

Set Two: Download the PDF today!

Now that Set Two is available, it won’t be long before Set One is gone forever!

Face Posters: Trading Cards #1

staff — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:22:48 +0000

For a very limited time

Download and print out your very own trading cards of the best Face Posters of Ireland 2009! Each PDF will be available for just a day or two, so be sure to check in frequently, so that you can…

COLLECT THE WHOLE SET!

Set One: Download the PDF today!

Dublin Politics = Face Posters

Will — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:33:03 +0000

This week brought the return of Anita’s beloved “face posters,” the primary form of campaigning that we’ve noticed. These posters, of uniform size and a standard design, are attached to nearly every pole in the neighbourhood. Here are two examples near Baggot Street:

The upcoming election (in Dublin) is for two levels of government: representatives to the local councils and to the European parliament. The newspapers lead me to believe that there is a close parallel between these elections and mid-term Congressional elections in the US. In both cases, the media and the parties take the results to indicate the popularity of the parties at the national level.

White House Diplomacy and the American Idea

Will — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:46:29 +0000

No, this isn’t a very late endorsement for Barack Obama. (Will and Anita made personal endorsements during the 2008 campaign. Like The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Bugle’s noble influence will not be tainted by political endorsements.) This is about Gordon Brown’s visit to the White House last week.

As usual, some background first. PM Brown brought a sublimely thoughtful gift to Obama. It is no exaggeration to say that it approaches the ideal gift. President Obama gave Brown a box set of DVDs. A box set especially created by the American Film Institute for such occasions, but it still seems perfunctory.

We heard the American media’s ridicule of Obama’s gift way across the Pond. The British tabloids hyperventilated, of course. (See this American overview.) The Guardian had a more sober take. The Irish press had an article or two — not much more than its usual coverage of American diplomacy.

While Brown addressed the US Congress, I was catching up on American magazines. Serendipity handed me the November 2007 issue of The Atlantic Monthly, with a cover story entitled “The Future of the American Idea”. And lo, Tom Wolfe’s contribution gave me a sudden insight — the kind that makes thinking about history delightful at times (at least in the hands of a master like Wolfe). Here’s the first paragraph:

Since you asked … the American idea was born at approximately 5 p.m. on Friday, December 2, 1803, the moment Thomas Jefferson sprang the so-called pell-mell on the new British ambassador, Anthony Merry, at dinner in the White House. Oh, this was no inadvertent faux pas. This was faux pas aforethought. Jefferson obviously loved the prospect of dumbfounding the great Brit and leaving him speechless, furious, seething, so burned up that smoke would start coming out of his ears. And all that the pell-mell did.

It gets much more comical from there, but I don’t want to spoil it. I recommend that you read the whole story, for free, online. (Thank you, The Atlantic.) I hope that it enriches your perspective on American diplomacy. At the very least, I’m sure that you’ll think it’s a good yarn.

As for whether Obama was pulling a T.J. — well, I’ll leave that to the comments.

In the papers: Major Irish political parties stumbling

Will — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:43:33 +0000

The falling popularity of two major political parties in Ireland would be no surprise to anyone who regularly reads the Irish daily newspapers. A recent poll covered by the Irish Independent gives the gist of the situation nicely, so I’ll link to four of the relevant articles here — along with some key quotes for those who want the shorter story.

First, a tiny bit of background information. The Irish government is parliamentary, with the nation’s legislative and executive functions fulfilled by a majority of Dáil representatives in a formal coalition. Occasionally, a single party can form a Government on its own. The ministers of the government work, among other places, from offices in the Government Building, pictured at right. There are (currently) three major parties: Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Labour. The first two have been major parties for decades, but Labour’s fortunes are more variable. For example, the Labour party was marginalised in the May 2007 election, but were elections held today, it might be the second largest party in the Dáil. Elections for the Dáil are held on an irregular basis, like the British parliament.

A note for those who read the articles (which are all from Friday’s paper):

The literal translation of Fianna Fáil is “Soldiers of Destiny” which may seem grandiose to non-Irish readers. But consider, US residents, that the Democrats and Republicans have similarly pompous names when taken literally. The phrase “Soldiers of Destiny” has (relatively recent) historical relevance as one of the Irish names for the Irish Volunteers — the army of the Irish War of Independence. By the way, Fine Gael, another major party, can be translated as “Family of the Irish”. Its name originates in the merging of three parties in 1933.

Fianna Fáil faces meltdown at polls

According to the poll, Fianna Fail are no longer the biggest party in the country. … [T]hey could be relegated to third unless Mr Cowen can stem the rising tide of public dissatisfaction with the Government. … According to the poll, Fianna Fail would lose anything up to 30 Dail seats if an election was called today. The findings are stark: just over one-in-five voters think their leader is doing a good job; one-in-10 are satisfied with the Government.

Fine Gael ahead but Kenny can’t land killer blow

Fine Gael is the best supported party, but party leader Enda Kenny can’t claim credit for it. … After almost seven years as leader, Mr Kenny ought to be gaining traction. His satisfaction rating was last this low in autumn 2003, when the Government was still embroiled in controversy over public finances and shortfalls in tax returns. … While a majority of 52pc want an election [now], when it comes to Fine Gael supporters, a less than resounding 56pc want to go to the country. Either Fine Gael supporters don’t want to get landed with current crisis or they are not confident about actually getting into power because Mr Kenny’s inadequacies will be highlighted yet again.

Gilmore capitalises on FF decline as support doubles

Labour Party supporters are gung-ho about a general election, with the party support doubling since the last run out. Labour’s support — at 22pc — is a full 12pc ahead of the last general election, an Irish Independent / Millward Brown IMS poll shows. Capitalising on Fianna Fail’s decline, party leader Eamon Gilmore has become by far the most popular party leader. Mr Gilmore’s satisfaction rating — at 52pc — is well ahead of his contemporaries. … The Labour Party’s rise in support is not solely based on a public-sector worker backlash either. Right across the social classes, Labour’s vote is evenly distributed. And Mr Gilmore is picking up votes from right across the political spectrum — from Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party.

Little appetite for Sinn Féin option as Greens escape the backlash

DESPITE seeing its coalition partner obliterated in the polls, it appears the Green Party is holding its own in government. The junior Government party has come in for stinging criticism from the Opposition in recent months, during which time it has endured a series of high-profile defections from its ranks. However, support for the party remains steady at 5pc — the exact same as the party vote in 2007 general election.

Ninetieth Anniversary of The First Dáil Éireann

Will — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:44:27 +0000

The Bugle is a bit tardy in reporting the 90th anniversary of the first independent parliament of Ireland. The celebrations in Dublin were understated and mostly for the political elite, but the pivotal moment, ninety years ago, is too important to let pass.

The idea of forming a government apart from the British Parliament was promoted for 15 years by Arthur Griffith, the founder of Sinn Féin. According to Michael Laffan of the Irish Times, many Irish voters at the time saw their representatives at British Parliament as lobbyists who could occasionally bring home pork projects (to put it in American terms). Why give up those lobbyists for the sake of an improbable ideal?

The equation changed when the three years after the Easter Rising added new factors. Ready for the list?

the threat of conscription
the Ulster unionists’ paramilitary mobilisation
the British Parliament’s signals that it would renege on its promise to re-establish an Irish Parliament
the Irish Members of Parliament (MPs) loss of status as swing voters on many bills, and
the harsh treatment of the heroes of the Easter Rising.

In the election of the British Parliament in 1918, the Irish people chose Sinn Féin overwhelmingly over those moderate lobbyists.

Sinn Féin led the anti-conscription campaign and ran for election on an explicit policy of “absentionism” — they would refuse to take their seats in Westminster’s Parliament. Soon after the election, the number of absentionist MPs, and their popular support, made it feasible to convene the first independent Irish legislature. The Sinn Féin leaders reserved space at the Mansion House, the residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, and they sent invitations to all the Irish MPs (who were supposed to be sitting in Westminster, serving the British Empire). The First Dáil Éireann met on Tuesday, 21 January 1919.

Americans may want to think of the first meeting of the Dáil as something closer to the second meeting of the British colonies of America’s Continental Congress in the 1770s. It was held in defiance of the internationally-recognised sovereign at the time, and its very existence constituted a threat to the legitimacy of that government. Like the Continental Congress, the First Dáil set the program for the establishment of an independent state, while hoping for the military and diplomatic success that would make that possible. (A small dissimilarity is that the First Dáil did it all at once.) To put it simply: each of these two meetings moved a people from widespread revolts to a coordinated revolution.

It would be wrong to push the analogy any further, of course. Imagine that the Continental Congress had no control of General Washington or any other member of the American military. Imagine that Washington and other generals raised their own funds from all over the world, making promises about the future policies of the United States, and never reported to the Congress at all. In fact, the Continental Congress exercised tight control over the Continental Army.

In addition, the delegates at the Congress were beholden to the states and they were mostly held in check by political entities in each of the former colonies. The members of the First Dáil did not act as representatives of geographical or ideological constituents. From my perspective, they seem more like a 1960s convention of the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) — big personalities vying for charismatic leadership over a group of idealistic intellectuals.

The story of the First Dáil is all the more interesting for those personalities and ideals. And, unlike the stuffed shirts of the Continental Congress (Ben Franklin excepted), the members of the First Dáil aspired to modern democratic ideals. You can expect to read more about the Irish men and women of 1919 in the next few days.

If you can’t wait, take a look at the collection of articles on First Dáil published online by the Irish Times.

And just one more thing: it’s pronounced a lot like the common American last name “Doyle”. But, as with most words in Gaelic, that pronunciation is not quite right.

One request regarding Blago

Will — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:39:29 +0000

Our Illinois friends and family asked us: “Did you hear about the Governor?” The short answer is “Yes.” I’d like your help in getting the long answer just right.

It’s no surprise that Ireland’s news-media pays more attention to world events than the big media of the USA. What occasionally surprises Anita and me is how much attention Irish news outlets pay specifically to US political news. For example:this spring, during the debate regarding the delegates from Michigan’s Democratic primary, the standard three-minute news update on an Irish pop radio station included a detailed explanation of how the primary system worked (and didn’t work in this case).

Illinois Governor Blagojevich wasn’t mentioned by name at first (and who could blame the announcers). Neither was Patrick Fitzgerald: we simply heard that the Governor of the State of Illinois was arrested by federal authorities. The newspapers went into more detail, and later radio reports did too. I haven’t yet noticed any analysis or editorial comments (beyond inane radio-personality chatter).

So here’s my request regarding Blagojevich: Can you help me find the right word to describe what I feel?

About six years ago, I embarked on a search for a word that described the attitude of politicians that engage in a certain style of corruption, blithe ignorance, and conceit. I arrived at “gall”, a word closely related to “temerity” and “effrontery”. (The built-in MacOS dictionary application — which appears to be the New American Oxford Dictionary — has a nice discussion of this family of words. Here’s a page that appears to be lifted from that application.)

When one hasn’t paid attention to a corrupt politician, one can be surprised by that politician’s gall. One may, thus, react with disgust or disillusionment. (If one has some temerity oneself, one may react with self-righteousness or superciliousness.)

But what about when you know that such a politician is corrupt, ignorant, and/or conceited? Sometimes, the only surprising thing about a federal case is the depth of the politician’s gall.

Here’s what I have in mind. Everyone who (a) talked with me, and (b) took any interesting in state-level politics — everyone knew that Blagojevich had plenty of insolence and temerity. So I wasn’t quite surprised by the news of his arrest. But I was still amazed by just how reckless and flagrant his actions were.

Well, not quite amazed. Not exactly astonished, either. There is an element of disgust or contempt that isn’t conveyed by those words. “Flabbergasted” and “astounded” make it sound like I was incapacitated in some way, and that’s not true. “Boggled” is just silly.

I’m looking a word to describe the reaction that I feel when confronted (but not surprised) by another person’s gall. It’s something that I feel with increasing frequency, alas, and I believe that others feel the same way. I believe that I’ve had conversations where everyone struggled to articulate a common feeling.

So, help me out here. Surely there’s a good word — or maybe an apt phrase. Maybe I need to borrow a word from another language — as with schadenfreude or agitprop. I’d be delighted to discuss all of this with y’all in the comments. Do you ever feel this way yourself?

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 60 years

Will — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:17:00 +0000

I hope that your news source of choice has a piece on the 60th anniversary of adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This statement is almost certainly the most important text of the 20th Century.

The Irish Times brought together a remarkable group of writers to reflect on the UDHR, so I recommend the web version of their project.

One welcome aspect of living in Ireland is the amount of attention paid to the big questions facing the whole world. It is now the International Year of Human Rights Learning, and so Ireland’s institutions have programmes that actually affect people. In the US, if such declarations are noted at all, it is usually either co-opted as a partisan rallying cry, or treated as political frivolity, like Particle Accelerator Day or Uno the Beagle Day. Some circles do take it seriously, but did you hear about the UDHR’s anniversay until just now?

I humbly suggest that you take interest in your humanity today, for 10-15 minutes. If you’ve never read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, do it today. If you have, take a look at that Irish Times website, or for an American perspective, read (or listen to) Eleanor Roosevelt’s speech from sixty years ago. (The inspiring stuff starts about one-third in, but the political context is interesting too.)

And you’re welcome, as always, to add your own reflections here.

Protest against Budget 2009

Will — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:02:28 +0000

Last week, Ireland’s Government presented its budget for 2009 with the theme, “solidarity and patriotic action in most difficult and uncertain times.” The prevailing response to the the Fianna Fail party, in particular its Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, was that they chose the right tune but played too many notes off-key. To put it in terms from the US election: Lenihan used a hatchet rather than a scalpel.

The proposal that generated the loudest outcry was the introduction of means-testing for medical cards for those over 70 years old. For the past several years, persons over 70 received a card that entitled them to free health care. With budget deficits looming, the Government chose to limit spending on health care for the growing number of Irish people living a longer time. The proposal was a means-test which would eliminate free care for those able to pay their own way, thereby introducing a tiered system of benefits.

The specific extent of means testing was more than a small step away from universal health care — according to the Irish Independent, more than 50% seniors would not qualify for full coverage. The response was immediate outrage. A protest was called for this past Wednesday, to bring that outrage to the door of the Dail on Kildare Street, just a few blocks from our home.

I attended the protest. These elders know how to protest: an impressive mass of people (from all ages and walks of life)…

…fiery speeches from all parts of the political spectrum…

…and creative banners and picket signs.

The assembly was orderly but forceful. What I found most remarkable was the protesters’ common expectation that the demonstration would have a profound effect. One group discussed how the legislators’ response would “make or break their careers.” I have never been to a protest that exhibited such confidence — including other protests in Dublin.

The Government has already changed the details of the proposal, but the controversy continues hotting up. Disputes within the ruling coalition and the Fianna Fail party itself are more intense than any time since we moved to Dublin. The next few weeks will bring some political upheaval to Ireland after a quiet summer.

For more photos and descriptions of the event, take a look at my set of photos on Flickr.

Recommended Listening: Looking at the US

Will — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:40:31 +0000

Ordinary Dubliners want to talk about the coming election for the US Presidency, given any excuse. In fact, the Europeans we meet want to talk about the coming election, given any excuse.

And everybody talks about the American economy, but especially Americans.

All that is by way of introduction to two podcast episodes that I found fascinating and accurate in representing the mainstream of English-speaking European thought about the US.

Open Source: “As Others See Us” (direct link to mp3): An Open Source podcast episode, produced by Brown University (in the US), featuring Godfrey Hodgson from Oxford. Within the theme of Nixon’s campaign in 1968, Hodgson articulates a dominant, moderate, intellectual view of US politics from Ireland, the UK, and most of the Continent.
BBC Radio Ulster: Everyday Ethics, 21 Sept 2008 (direct link to mp3): An episode of Everyday Ethics, a podcast from BBC Radio Ulster that is far broader than its title suggests. The episode contains three stories, and the first and third are interesting perspectives on current American issues. The first story is a panel discussion of the root causes of the international credit crisis. In the third story, the BBC’s North America editor “makes the case for giving America a second chance.” The second story is about near-death experiences. It’s nice enough, but not relevant to the theme of this post.

Constitution Day already?

Will — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:28:51 +0000

It seems like just a few months ago that we celebrated Constitution Day 2007. Today, it’s Constitution Day again for the United States of America, commemorating the signing of the new country’s constitution, 221 years ago, by the members of the Constitutional Convention.

Other countries also commemorate their constitutions — on appropriate dates, naturally. In the US, Constitution Day ranks well below most other patriotic holidays. (Unlike Norway!)

If you’ve been reading our posts on recent Irish history, you won’t be surprised to learn that the Republic of Ireland has a hesitant relationship with its constitution. The problems start with the contested progression from the UK-imposed Constitution of the Free State, which more or less initiated a civil war, to the current Constitution of 1937, which was more or less written by Éamon de Valera, and formally declared the independent Republic of Ireland. And don’t forget that Ireland’s constitution is the sole reason why the Irish electorate was allowed to vote on the Lisbon Treaty!

Ireland’s constitution sets it apart from the British tradition of common law — and much closer to the American commitment to a supreme founding document. It took decades for the British-trained lawyers of Ireland to develop their own idea of judicial review, but like the US, Ireland still struggles to apply a constitutional ideal of the rule of law.

Ireland’s recent constitutional history diverges from the United States on the matter of amendments. There are relatively few amendments to the US Constitution compared to other national constitutions from the last two centuries. For example, Ireland saw twenty-one amendments added to its constitution since 1972. (Five referenda to amend the Constitution of Ireland failed since that year.)

I don’t remember the passage of the twenty-seventh amendment in 1992. Maybe that is because it was trivial; here’s the entire text:

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.

Hopefully what passed for reform in the early 1990s won’t satisfy my generation. Wait — that’s a contentious statement, isn’t it? Does the US really need more constitutional amendments?

The meaningful American proposals in recent history were the Equal Rights Amendment and the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment. Those failed to attain the approval of enough states. Meanwhile, American politicians introduce hundreds of amendments each year as a form of political speech. In the past few years, the US media paid attention to proposals regarding the definition of marriage, the requirement of balanced budgets, and the prohibition of flag desecration.

If there were a serious way for you to propose an amendment to your constitution, what would you put forth?

By the way, the State of Illinois may hold a constitutional convention in the near future. More on that later…

Message to the USA: Register to Vote!

Will — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:08:58 +0000

Our absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 election in the US arrived today. Happy Day!

The Bugle would like to use this occasion to remind you that we are approaching the registration deadlines for most localities. (Illinois is Tues, Oct. 7; Missouri is Wed, Oct. 8; New York is Fri, Oct. 10; Iowa is Fri, Oct. 24; and in Wisconsin you can register on Election Day.)

If you’re not registered to vote at your current address, right now is the best time to do it. There are several organizations that will to help you register with online resources. Here are three; pick any one — just do it today!

Obama’s Voter Registration Tools
McCain’s Voter Registration Tools
The venerable League of Women Voters are the best at it

I believe that the election of the US President is sometimes not the most important one, because your local authorities affect your day-to-day life more immediately. They often determine the policies of zoning, development, traffic, and policing that make your community what it will be tomorrow. If you’re tired of hearing about Obama, McCain, Palin and Biden, look into the issues at stake in your local elections.

Links, 16 July 2008

Will — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:18:21 +0000

Links to peruse at your leisure, presented in no particular order.

French Prez Sarkozy will visit Dublin Monday: After the defeat of the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland, Sarkozy has been downright intimidating about Ireland’s role in the EU. His visit to Dublin to meet with government officials (and possibly representatives of the opposition to Lisbon) should make my neighbourhood fairly exciting on Monday.
Don’t miss this tourism survey: This report is essential reading. Its findings are substantiated by BBB&B’s own data.
Rumours flying that Obama will visit Ireland: Anita heard, on the radio, that Obama would/could/might visit Ireland during his European trip. I can’t find any solid information on this, except that some political grandstanding may have started the buzz.
Our recession can beat up your recession: Do the following news reports sound familiar? A credit crunch is contributing to crashing home values. Massive numbers going unemployed. A civil service that seems unprepared for any of it. There is little confidence in the current government’s ability to handle the economic crisis.
Oxegen festival a great success: Dublin was dead quiet this past weekend — most people between the ages of 18 and 30 were at the Oxegen festival. The lineup was so amazing that Anita and I were tempted to camp with the young’uns — but only tempted. Good news in the aftermath, too: young folks know better than to drive home drunk.
Oregon cop causes outrage in Ireland: A young Irish man was killed by a police officer in Oregon on 30 June. His mother, living in Dublin, can’t get information about the shooting. This is causing some outrage in Ireland, especially after the officer was charged with child sex abuse as well. As far as I know, neither national government has taken notice yet.
Immigration laws create extraordinary problems for families: I visit the US embassy a lot, and I see many families trying to work out visas, passports, etc, for their children or themselves. A Galway family had a particularly hard time of it, since it took a complex lawsuit to move back home.
Independent: Americans still not visiting: “The number of wealthy US tourists travelling to Ireland has dropped by almost 15pc — and those who do travel are spending less.” Come on! What will it take to get you to enjoy our glorious Irish summer?
Can’t get enough Lisbon Treaty?: Look into the anguish of a thoughtful Irish voter just before the vote. Observe the contempt engendered by the campaigns. Nod sagely as Germany’s Spiegel analyzes the vote.
Another Irish lawyer on the run: Is it that these cases don’t make the papers in the US, or is it something about this time and place? First Michael Lynn and now this Thomas Byrne guy — up millions of euros, and on the lam.

Books Report: Ireland and the Whole World

Will — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:09:04 +0000

During a few rainy, cold days in June, I devoured two books: Jared Diamond’s Collapse, and John Waters’s Jiving at the Crossroads. It’s been years since I read an entire book in a day or two, so this was sheer joy for me. Plus, the fact that both of them were non-fiction makes the books themselves even more remarkable.

I read Waters’s book on Irish politics in the 1980s in one sitting. I was completely absorbed by it because it spoke to my experience and then it offered so much depth and insight beyond my own awareness. Here’s a passage that resonated with my exposure to Irish society so far (pages 31 and 32):

The nature of our political ‘beliefs’ was always difficult to explain to outsiders. Your ‘politics’ were a bit like the colour of your eyes: you picked them up from one or both parents, you did not question or even think about them very much, and yet they became part of what other people perceived you to be.

…The process is complex to the outsider, but second nature to the individual member of the community in question. When two of the town’s inhabitants meet in the street, a process occurs in which both are able to flash up in some part of their brains a ‘description’, a social image, of the other. This unwritten description will include such data as the person’s address, occupation, … their mode of dress, speech and general physical demeanour, and of course, the person’s political ‘persuasion’. This information will enable both of them to define the nature of their relationship.

…Both the individual in question, in that instant, will have come to the same conclusion as to their relationship. Other than by leaving, it is almost impossible, within the ordinary activity of one’s life, significantly to alter one’ own position in the pecking order.

…If one were to take, say, five people from various part and backgrounds in such a town and, having dosed them with some form of truth serum, ask each of them to draw up a list placing themselves and the other four in the correct order of their ‘importance’ in the town, all five lists would be the same. Deep down, everybody knows where they stand.

Waters was a columnist for the Irish Times, and I have the impression that he was a bit of an outsider to the world of Irish journalism. For me, he filled many of the gaps in my conception of Ireland that persisted after reading thousands of newspaper articles. I’d like to share more of his work with you, and I believe his book is currently out-of-print in the US. I’ll look into the copyright issues, etc, involved in sharing more of Jiving at the Crossroads with you.

I couldn’t read the other book, Jared Diamond’s Collapse, in one sitting. It is a much longer book! The massive popularity of this book a few years ago means that I have little new to say about it. It is very well-written and presents fair-minded analyses of the collapses of societies from pre-history to the present day.

I was enthralled by his vivid descriptions of civilizations that I’ve heard about in snippets about throughout my life: Anasazi, Maya, Easter Island, Greenland Vikings. The book’s arguments are unsettling when he turns to present-day societies, but he is not scare-mongering in any way. In fact, I found him unduly optimistic!