Laura Weinstein tracks what she feels is Justin Barrett's hatred for democracy.

Justin Barrett Hates Democracy If You don’t believe me, believe him:

A screenshot from Justin Barrett’s personal Twitter.

Barrett’s language indicates anti-democratic, anti-pluralist tendencies:

Who is Barrett referring to when he says “ancestors”? Daniel O’Connell certainly fought for Ireland’s right to be counted in a representative democracy as he rallied the Irish people for Catholic emancipation. O’Connell fought for “civil rights, elections, a country run by peaceful parliamentary democracy rather than the gun.” Justin Barrett is attempting to shape the reality of history for his own ends. But O’Connell is a towering figure in Irish history, as he literally towers over the main thoroughfare on the north side of the Liffey.

Does O’Connell not count because he didn’t die for this cause? Are the only important Irish patriots the ones who employed violence? If so, this is a very telling aspect of Barrett’s outlook on politics. He is trying to impose his own version of reality on you.

Also problematic and anti-democratic is Barrett’s use of the pronoun “us.” He opposes democratic pluralism and immigration, so the “us” in his rhetoric refers to people he identifies as ethnically Irish, and who also support him. This is the volkish view of the nation. Excluding the majority of the people of Ireland from his definition of “us” is the type of radical populism that opposes traditional democratic politics that rely on political parties as their foundation. Indeed, for Barrett, parties do not matter–only his followers matter. For that reason, I refer to him as Ceannaire Barrett on Twitter.

And yet Barrett and the National Party, as well as O’Doherty’s Anti-Corruption Ireland and the Irish Freedom Party, are all contesting elections. Given his views on democracy, what does Barrett intend to do were his party to win an electoral majority? Given his fascist-type nationalism and his overt rebuke of democracy as a betrayal of the Irish Volk, as well as his opposition to traditional institutions such as political parties and a loyal opposition (you can hear that rhetoric in his speeches), we have a pretty darned good idea.

Mussolini also hated democracy. He thought democracy made states weak–which is part of why fascists fetishized the fit male body and national “virility.” In the words of Il Duce: “We have buried the putrid corpse of liberty!”

That is what the National Party and Gemma O’Doherty/ACI want: to subvert the will of the people, because the people of Ireland are not “the Irish people,” as Barrett explicitly stated in one of his speeches. The majority of Irish people oppose their agenda. They oppose racism. They oppose a reactionary Leave It to Beaver trip back to the 1950s. They voted for abortion rights and same-sex marriage. They support membership in the European Union.

Barrett, O’Doherty and their ilk cannot handle this reality and so they try to blame “fake news” or manipulation by Google for the current state of affairs, rather than acknowledging what the democratic institutions of Ireland have created through the will of the people. Barrett’s Volk supports his vision of Ireland: Catholic, ethnically Irish (whatever that means), and authoritarian.

Take the threat of Ceannaire Barrett seriously; do not laugh at him as ridiculous. He knows what he’s doing.


Laura Weinstein blogs @ Irish Maven. Follow her on Twitter @Irish_Dr_Laura.

Justin Barrett Hates Democracy

Laura Weinstein tracks what she feels is Justin Barrett's hatred for democracy.

Justin Barrett Hates Democracy If You don’t believe me, believe him:

A screenshot from Justin Barrett’s personal Twitter.

Barrett’s language indicates anti-democratic, anti-pluralist tendencies:

Who is Barrett referring to when he says “ancestors”? Daniel O’Connell certainly fought for Ireland’s right to be counted in a representative democracy as he rallied the Irish people for Catholic emancipation. O’Connell fought for “civil rights, elections, a country run by peaceful parliamentary democracy rather than the gun.” Justin Barrett is attempting to shape the reality of history for his own ends. But O’Connell is a towering figure in Irish history, as he literally towers over the main thoroughfare on the north side of the Liffey.

Does O’Connell not count because he didn’t die for this cause? Are the only important Irish patriots the ones who employed violence? If so, this is a very telling aspect of Barrett’s outlook on politics. He is trying to impose his own version of reality on you.

Also problematic and anti-democratic is Barrett’s use of the pronoun “us.” He opposes democratic pluralism and immigration, so the “us” in his rhetoric refers to people he identifies as ethnically Irish, and who also support him. This is the volkish view of the nation. Excluding the majority of the people of Ireland from his definition of “us” is the type of radical populism that opposes traditional democratic politics that rely on political parties as their foundation. Indeed, for Barrett, parties do not matter–only his followers matter. For that reason, I refer to him as Ceannaire Barrett on Twitter.

And yet Barrett and the National Party, as well as O’Doherty’s Anti-Corruption Ireland and the Irish Freedom Party, are all contesting elections. Given his views on democracy, what does Barrett intend to do were his party to win an electoral majority? Given his fascist-type nationalism and his overt rebuke of democracy as a betrayal of the Irish Volk, as well as his opposition to traditional institutions such as political parties and a loyal opposition (you can hear that rhetoric in his speeches), we have a pretty darned good idea.

Mussolini also hated democracy. He thought democracy made states weak–which is part of why fascists fetishized the fit male body and national “virility.” In the words of Il Duce: “We have buried the putrid corpse of liberty!”

That is what the National Party and Gemma O’Doherty/ACI want: to subvert the will of the people, because the people of Ireland are not “the Irish people,” as Barrett explicitly stated in one of his speeches. The majority of Irish people oppose their agenda. They oppose racism. They oppose a reactionary Leave It to Beaver trip back to the 1950s. They voted for abortion rights and same-sex marriage. They support membership in the European Union.

Barrett, O’Doherty and their ilk cannot handle this reality and so they try to blame “fake news” or manipulation by Google for the current state of affairs, rather than acknowledging what the democratic institutions of Ireland have created through the will of the people. Barrett’s Volk supports his vision of Ireland: Catholic, ethnically Irish (whatever that means), and authoritarian.

Take the threat of Ceannaire Barrett seriously; do not laugh at him as ridiculous. He knows what he’s doing.


Laura Weinstein blogs @ Irish Maven. Follow her on Twitter @Irish_Dr_Laura.

33 comments:

  1. “...Barrett’s Volk supports his vision of Ireland: Catholic, ethnically Irish (whatever that means), and authoritarian...”

    Isn’t his critique of democracy, at least in the above examples, that it has failed to stop authoritarian designs by the State? And isn’t it getting lazy to automatically dismiss everything he articulates as hate?

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    1. but if people want to impose authoritarian regimes themselves, then their criticism of democracy as being weak against authoritarianism doesn't really hold up other than as an observation. Authoritarianism is not the solution to authoritarianism.

      Where laziness creeps in is not in the above piece but in a tendency to dismiss concern as fascist. The people in Oughterard who were treated with contempt by the state are lazily accused of being fascist and racist. No doubt some in the mix are both but neither fascism nor racism explains the response. And how is the question posed by Niamh UĂ­ Bhriain to be answered - why not build a DPC in Dalkey? Are we to dismiss her on the grounds that she is some Catholic anti-abortion activist? People need to be much more eclectic than ideological in their approach to ideas.

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    2. It’s ok Anthony, BG has chipped in to explain what fascist really means, If I wasn’t so hungover I’d go back through his previous posts to see if he ever used to “win” the comment section.

      I saw the Oughterard protests, I feel doubly sorry for those people, They will be presented as future mosque attackers unless they accept DP

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    3. There is an interesting debate developing around Oughterard. I watched a community spokesperson last night stating very clearly that refugees are more than welcome but Direct Provision Centres are not as they are inhumane and a typical government aversion to home provision. The Anti-Racist Network also opposed inhumane direct provision but hit out at the racism.
      In my view the government rather than the community is at fault here. It is using Oughterard as a dumping site for people it has little respect for and then does nothing to discourage charges of racism against people who seek to call them to account. The racists are jumping on the bandwagon but they are not the ballast sustaining the opposition.

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    4. Start them in Dalkey . It’s only right the social group with the broadest shoulders, and apparently most welcoming to outsiders get the enrichment first.

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    5. I think there is much to be said for that. If you take the amount of wealth that exists in Dalkey which could be used to help the refugees in terms of proper provision, then it seems a reasonable suggestion. The problem is that the wealthy want to feel good about themselves while contributing nothing of their wealth to a feel good situation. It is a spectator sport to them. I think the first principle should be one of welcoming refugees into the country followed by a democratic decision where best to house them. The government should not be free to arbitrarily parachute refuges into communities. If 250 Irish people were to be booted out by Trump and arrived in need of a home, the response should be the same: they are to be housed not dumped on a community which does not have the infrastructure to support the influx.

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  2. Laura,

    Why do you write about subjects you haven't a clue about yet give talks about other subjects you claim to know next to nothing about?

    I will refresh your memory, on your piece about fascist intimidation on twitter you claimed to know sweet fcuk all (or not very much about Palestine etc), yet if you or anyone clicks the link Henryjoy, Frank Dub and myself all sourced and linked some of your works were you give talks to kids and others about WW2 and the holocaust...Why say you know next to nothing about a subject you give talks on?


    On the blog Irish Maven you state that what the British allowed to happen in Ireland in 1845/49 was not a genocide because the UN said it wasn't or didn't fit their definition of what genocide is...? Do you understand what really happened and do you only read British versions of Irish history....? Do yourself a favour and open this link and educate yourself on Irish history or open this link for a fuller explanation. Then come back and tell me it was not genocide.

    You talk a lot about democracy on the island....I will remind you Ireland has 32 counties and in the north eastern part (the part still under British rule), there is fcuk all democratic about it....You also throw the word fascist about a lot. Have a close look at the EU and come back again and we will have a very in depth conversation about fascism.

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  3. "Barrett’s Volk supports his vision of Ireland: Catholic, ethnically Irish (whatever that means), and authoritarian."

    I wonder would Ms Weinstein ask what "ethnically Jewish" means? Somehow I doubt it.

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  4. Laura

    In the week that has seen the lengths that those who use the language of right wing nationalist populism to secure or hold onto the highest public offices in modern democracies (Johnson and Trump in case you didn't know) will go to hold onto their ill-gotten gains, Laura is performing an excellent service in warning about now an Irish version of the Alt-Right may pan out in the Republic of Ireland. I have no reason to doubt her academic competence to discuss these matters.

    Yes society needs a grown up conversation of immigration and asylum. By no means all concerns about these areas can be dismissed as racist or fascist. But as we have seen with the double disaster of Brexit and Trump; these are productive areas for the political enterpreneurship of liars, charletons and demogogues.

    Laura, do not be put off by the jibes of those on this forum who definitely know fcuk all of what they are talking out e.g. the EU as "fascist", a word that only refers to European ultra-right movements and regimes of the 1930s and 1940s (those of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Salazar, Ante Pavolvic, Fr Tiso, Romanian Iron Guard) or the deliberate conflation of the Holocaust and Palestine.

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  5. Nailbomb told me onetime to re-read an article and look for the strong points, Mackers onetime explained to me how to approach a subject from many sides without losing your own identity in the process.This an article and a subject I will share on FB.

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  6. How to facebook this article in particular.? Have not a clue and there a lot in this piece. from blog to fb. thanks in advance.

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  7. Barry,

    Let Laura speak for herself. On the point about holding on to power, Bojo has offered Corbyn and the rest to go to the public and have a general election and let the people decide. Everytime he made the offer it was declined. My understanding is the people who hold positions of power are afraid of losing their seats and any power they have.

    And don't forget the famous George Carlin line about how Hitler lost but WW2 fascism won.

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  8. There should be no general election until the threat of no deal Brexit has disappeared. Indeed it is my opinion that there should be no general election this side of a confirmatory vote on Brexit.

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  9. The author of this piece has made use of blog policy in respect of comments.

    As it stands the blog allows named authors to decide if they wish unnamed commenters to identify themselves rather than using the shield of a moniker.

    A moniker will be permitted in such pieces only in situations where the person behind the moniker has already made their identity known and does not use the moniker as a shield.

    People are encouraged to stand over their ideas. They are discouraged from hiding behind a moniker for the purpose of abusing those with the temerity to stand over what they say.

    Only one comment has not featured in this piece. It was not abusive but is not approved on the grounds that the author has the right to insist that those who engage her do so on the same terms that she writes here: in full public view.

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  10. Laura/Barry,



    Laura I have just finished reading another of your blog posts here about 9/11 and the more I read your blog the more I am convinced you haven't a clue about you talk about. I have already linked above your claim that Ireland t didn't suffer a genocide (anyone with a basic knowledge of Irish histroy knows there was three genocides on the island). The piece on 9/11 was more a rant at Gemma O''Dochery than anything else and to try discredit James Corbert, who at least sources his finding for anyone to fact check themselves. Where are your sources? As a side note, 5G is a health hazzard, will cause cancer rates to sky rocket among other things.. Do you know much about wifi frequencies and brain activity?

    Barry is your real name Michael? I am asking because here on TPQ you sign off as Barry yet on Laura badly written 9/11 piece you sign off as both.

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  11. Laura

    You do a very good job in taking apart how Alt-Shite (and Alt-Left) conspiracy theorists add two and two to make five.

    My full name is Michael Finbarr Gilheany; I answer mainly to Barry (short for Finbarr) as that is how I have been known for most of my life. Not that it matters to this thread.

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  12. I spoke too soon, Ireland needs to be racist for the purpose of this report , so it is.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/ireland-has-worrying-pattern-of-racism-head-of-eu-agency-warns-1.4032957?mode=amp

    Maybe Dr.Laura could assist us in correcting this piece by a fellow Irishwoman?

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  13. Frankie

    I dont think you're right about Corbyn not wanting an election... it would be too close to Brexit and effectively serve the same function of propagation.

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  14. Christy/Barry/Anthony/Daithi......

    Christy,

    The next UK general election will be a Brexit vote. Whether that is next week, month or next year, it wont matter people will vote along those lines. If Corbyn was sure Labour would win an over all majority, he would have accepted the challenge like he did in 2017.

    My take is simple, if Bojo is forced to stall Brexit until Jan 2020 and in between call an election, Farage will go all out and he will win seats, meaning if there is a 2nd Brexit vote, the outcome will be the same...

    Barry,

    I will let Laura speak for herself. And she done nothing on her 9/11 piece but have another rant at Gemma. Laura backed none of her claims up with any sources to be checked. Like yourself, she is full of hot air and she aspires to be what I am...Irish (at least that is my take on her writings)

    Anthony/Daithi,

    My views on immigration is close the borders and don't let anyone in until there is a head count. While most people who seek asylum are genuine, there is a sizable minority who are not. What is the point of letting people to come to the island when people here can't afford to feed their families and are forced to go to food banks, already live in housing that is unfit for a dog never mind a human, having to wait months or in the six counties years to be treated in hospital, class rooms being over , can't get employment because someone else takes a lower wage (we all know the list is endless). Basically isn't it better to sort out are own back yard first before tending to someone else's..Charity begins at home after all

    As you both pointed out people who live in glorified concentration camps aren't getting a great deal. And when they get a house while a single mother or family living in a hostel or over crowed house don't, is it any wonder people are pissed off. While some people will try and integrate, the fact is most don't..They wont even call themselves Irish but Irish Muslim, Irish African, Irish American.. While living in France I had a head from the RDC throwing down an Irish passport saying he is as Irish as me and laughed about screwing the place while sending all his money back to the RDC to build a big house...

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  15. Frankie, Ive said it before, and people thought it might have been hyperbole, they want to abolish the Irish as a people. They don’t often come out and announce it as that, you can see it euphemistically from this articles “…ethnically Irish (whatever that means)…” comment. She is very clear to claim her own distinctive heritage though, and it is an ethnic one as well as a religious one, which ive no concern with I should add.

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    1. who wants to abolish the Irish people as a whole? What if the Irish people want a more fluid identity, a large degree of cultural interpenetration, a broader identity, even to dissolve their own national identity? If you have read Marisa's book by this point, you might conclude as I did that the more bizarre suggestions were linked to the question of who or what defines the nation.

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  16. Who indeed ? The same people that think it’s our turn to be humiliated. Make no mistake, they aren’t solely open borders advocates, they want to humiliate the Irish to prove a point , and call us racist or xenophobic for objecting. What Irish do you think Bobby Sands wrote about ? Serious question. Was he just for that age, inappropriate for modern Ireland’s configuration?

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    1. But who are they? Who are the people that think it is our turn to be humiliated to make a point? If this group exists who are they? If they have a plan where is it? You might be right but you have not demonstrated it yet.
      Bobby was as enamoured to romantic nationalism and its myths as the rest of us back in the day. He was much more into it than I ever was. It would be difficult to see him standing with Nationalists Ireland although we should balk at recruting the dead for whatever argument we wish to make. Those who knew him better than I ever did regarded him as an internationalist.

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  17. They are a loose configuration of academics, politicians and NGO’s who repeat different parts of the same scheme, who force countless humiliations on a people just to break them. They don’t care about refugees, why would they advocate for wars abroad, and somehow only care about the same people if they are in transit?

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    1. That sounds like him and her, this and that, those and them. If your suggestion is to be taken seriously (and it may well be a serious suggestion) it has to be backed up with something less amorphous. I am open to every idea but a religious one. But this sounds unconvincing.

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  18. Ps I didn’t ask Sands political affiliations, I asked did he write with a people in mind? His people. Are we all gone ?

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    1. A real people or an imagined people? Who were his people? How did he identify and categorise them?

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  19. Anthony, its akin to asking the definition of a puddle. We could have endless qualifications, but ultimately we know when we see one.

    To me the details of how Bobby distinguished Irish men and women from others is not as important as the implicit assumption that either exist. I play with the idea of a people that have their genetics expressed as a response to successive generations adapting to their local environment. This should not be used as the basis to exclude anyone from civic participation who does not fit the criteria.

    As an aside, you will be aware that Palestinians are challenged to prove their distinct people hood, as a precursor to refuting their claim to their lands too.

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    1. So there is a puddle out there planning the humiliation of the Irish nation and planning its obliteration!

      When you sit back and reflect, you must see how tenuous your belief is.

      Ideationally play with the genetics all you wish. I play with Scandinavian crime fiction quite a bit but I never get to the point where I actually believe it to be true.

      I could see something to your suggestion were you to say that you see cultural traits but not genetics.

      Can you show us the genetic criteria for being Irish that you refer to?

      I think the green gene is bull.

      The Palestinians can demonstrate a cultural and political history to base their claim on. I haven't yet seen an argument made for their being a biological claim.

      Those who think there is a biological gene that makes people nationalists should at least demonstrate it rather than merely assert it. And if they demonstrate it they should not be shouted down as racist.


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  20. It is much nobler to let in refugees, people who are fleeing persecution or death for one reason or another than whine about how they are destroying Ireland particularly since deep down I suspect, you know that the people who destroy the country are not the most vulnerable people on the planet but those who propogate unhindered, unshackled and unregulated capitalism.

    Those who bring in multinationals like Apple and refuse to take court ordered billions from their big business buddies.

    Those, like Varadkar, who say they'd prefer to bail out large corporations as it's paying for people's wages rather than the dole. It's also funding huge bonuses.

    The housing crisis is through the roof. Landlordism is to blame not those without a state never mind a home.

    The trickle down economy doesn't work but the give a hand up economy does. Disregarding the ethical onus on Ireland who, through Shannon airport are fueling the wars that these people flee there is also an economic onus on an aging population to get a younger, keen workforce to drive the economy.

    Looks like the Conservatives are closing the borders. Birds of a feather flock together. Talk about a conspiracy of a ruined Ireland. Look to the evidence.

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    1. Simon - I agree with that.

      I don't think however that open borders work from an organisational perspective. I think Angela Nagel made a great case as to why they suit exploitation and capitalist greed, reducing people to commodities in a free market. If all of Irish America wanted to arrive in Ireland tomorrow, the problem would be no less real.

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  21. AM, I agree, I wasn't reducing people to commodities merely pointing out the economic benefit as a response to those who blame immigrants for the state of the economy.

    I wouldn't be in favour of open borders, due to practicalities. However, I am a firm believer in accepting more refugees. More so refugees as opposed to economic migrants who may have a damaging brain drain effect on their own countries. Not that I am against economic migrants, but believe we should be mindful of the vacuum they can leave behind. The Irish diaspora covers every country on the globe yet we have a cheek to complain when people make their home here.

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  22. Simon, nothing to argue with there.

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