This private citizen will bring with him an entourage of approximately 1,000 people, some no doubt will be armed breaking Irish firearms law, others may not be but a small private army will no doubt be in attendance. The good people of Doonbeg, County Clare, will be delighted this US citizen is visiting and allowing them to see him - what a fucking honour!!
This citizen’s mental state is questionable having a look of lunacy about him and he was “found civilly liable of abusing writer E. Jean Carroll” (Irish Daily Mirror 7th August). The man has a history of legalised kidnapping under his belt and no world leader, including President Connolly, should consider themselves safe! He is also thought to have been a close friend of disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein who reportedly hanged himself in his prison cell.
I wonder if the good people of Doonbeg will still grovel before this man whose best mate, along with a British former Prince who was ‘de-Princed’ (my word), was a convicted child abuser! Had this US citizen been anybody else it is doubtful the twenty-six-county administration would have allowed him into the jurisdiction. The man’s name, if you have not guessed already, is Donald Trump and he is unfortunately the President of the United States but, and this is important, he will be here as a private citizen. This man is on tape saying “women enjoy being touched” going on to say “they love it” (source RTE news bulletin) and this was just before his 2016 election victory. Was this appropriate pre-election talk for a candidate? The US electorate must have thought so!
This visit by Trump is not an official state visit therefore no Red Carpet or guards of honour banquets or any other of the bullshit which accompanies state visits of world leaders is necessary. He is just another US citizen visiting for a game of golf and perhaps taking in the ‘Irish Open’ tournament of golf. There is therefore no protocol, as would be the case with an official state visit, required and no need for a Presidential meeting with Cathrine Connolly, the Irish President. The same applies to the twenty-six-county government who again are under no obligation to meet ‘US Citizen Trump’ but it appears despite being technically relieved of any requirement to roll out the Red Carpet the administration will do just that.
This visit by Trump is not an official state visit therefore no Red Carpet or guards of honour banquets or any other of the bullshit which accompanies state visits of world leaders is necessary. He is just another US citizen visiting for a game of golf and perhaps taking in the ‘Irish Open’ tournament of golf. There is therefore no protocol, as would be the case with an official state visit, required and no need for a Presidential meeting with Cathrine Connolly, the Irish President. The same applies to the twenty-six-county government who again are under no obligation to meet ‘US Citizen Trump’ but it appears despite being technically relieved of any requirement to roll out the Red Carpet the administration will do just that.
The state has earmarked reportedly upwards of €20 million for Garda overtime on security for this private citizen, good job this is not applied to every US citizen visiting the country! Two women who survived sexual abuse, Sophie Brady and Hazel Behan, said; “they are disappointed that the red carpet will be rolled out for Trump” (Irish Daily Mirror 7th August). Speaking of President Connolly and Taoiseach Micheal Martin campaigner Hazel said: “Every public figure has an opportunity to demonstrate the values they stand for”. By this she obviously means the President and Taoiseach have a golden opportunity to show their abhorrence of Trump and his policies to say nothing of his private behaviour including misogyny.
Will they take this opportunity? I doubt it very much but things are not quite as clear cut as they initially appear. It could be easy to fill the Presidents diary with appointments around the time Trump is visiting so she would not have to meet him, Catherine's left-wing credentials are under the spotlight here. It might not be that easy for Micheal Martin and the government. I am not one to let the twenty-six-county administration off the hook and I’m certainly not trying to find a way out of this for them. I am not a parliamentarian in its liberal democracy sense, I believe in true democracy, socialist democracy, but this is not an ideological debate. Micheal Martin and Simon Harris, Taoiseach and Tanaiste respectively, are, as parliamentarians, in a tricky position regards to meeting Trump as a private citizen.
Under liberal democracy and this applies to all countries where this con-trick is practised, most jurisdictions adopt this form of limited democracy. The government, and here is no exception, are elected to manage the affairs of native capitalism and the capitalist class, for the capitalist class and on behalf of the capitalist class. The bourgeoisie who these government lackeys interests, both economic and political, represent are primarily about 1%-10% of the population and t'hey own the lion’s share of the state’s wealth. The top 10% of households own around 50% of the wealth in the state so as can be seen by these figures Micheal Martin and Simon Harris will be jumping through hoops for a handful of people, that’s your fucking liberal democracy! Martin and Harris, and don’t mind the crap you are fed at election times, are there to further benefit the wellbeing and economic interests of the twenty-six-county bourgeoisie. They are not, despite what voters may think, in the Dail to represent the interests of the majority, the working-class, including the ‘neo-proletariat’ or, for that matter, the petit bourgeoisie (small business class, shopkeepers, small builders, solicitors).
Under liberal democracy and this applies to all countries where this con-trick is practised, most jurisdictions adopt this form of limited democracy. The government, and here is no exception, are elected to manage the affairs of native capitalism and the capitalist class, for the capitalist class and on behalf of the capitalist class. The bourgeoisie who these government lackeys interests, both economic and political, represent are primarily about 1%-10% of the population and t'hey own the lion’s share of the state’s wealth. The top 10% of households own around 50% of the wealth in the state so as can be seen by these figures Micheal Martin and Simon Harris will be jumping through hoops for a handful of people, that’s your fucking liberal democracy! Martin and Harris, and don’t mind the crap you are fed at election times, are there to further benefit the wellbeing and economic interests of the twenty-six-county bourgeoisie. They are not, despite what voters may think, in the Dail to represent the interests of the majority, the working-class, including the ‘neo-proletariat’ or, for that matter, the petit bourgeoisie (small business class, shopkeepers, small builders, solicitors).
The opposition parties in the Dail the major opposition being Sinn Fein but the Social Democrats, Labour, and the so-called Greens would do exactly the same if they were in government. Perhaps only people Before Profit may, and I emphasise may, be different if they were to form an administration. Mary Lou McDonald, the Sinn Fein leader, can rant about Trump being a war monger, a murderer of Palestinian women and children, and a kidnapper of foreign leaders, and she would be absolutely correct in her description of the madman. She can shout from the opposite side of the chamber like opposition football fans in the 1970s and 80s in the visitor’s enclosure hurling abuse at the home fans about why Micheal Martin and Simon Harris should not meet this Citizen. She would again be correct no question about that but if she ever gets to be Taoiseach how would she react to the demands of a situation like this? No doubt exactly the same with a few less than convincing explanations.
The fact is every government in the western hemisphere are terrified of Trump, private citizen or otherwise, and have no desire to upset him. He is a very vindictive man and demands total loyalty from his subordinates who he considers other governments, including the administration here, to be part of. He is a man who bears a grudge and would harbour such for many years to come. Like Hitler, argument is not on the agenda: it is do as you are told or else face the consequences. Unlike Hitler he does not yet have total power over the life or death of those who dissent but don’t hold your breath, 2029, the next scheduled presidential election, is a few years away! The Czechoslovakian government of Edvard Benes were terrified of Hitlers tanks, understandably, and Michael Martin is terrified on behalf of twenty-six-county capitalism of Trump's financial penalties should he offend the great man, he brings the terror with him akin to that of a Werewolf (as in An American Werewolf in London)!
The fact is every government in the western hemisphere are terrified of Trump, private citizen or otherwise, and have no desire to upset him. He is a very vindictive man and demands total loyalty from his subordinates who he considers other governments, including the administration here, to be part of. He is a man who bears a grudge and would harbour such for many years to come. Like Hitler, argument is not on the agenda: it is do as you are told or else face the consequences. Unlike Hitler he does not yet have total power over the life or death of those who dissent but don’t hold your breath, 2029, the next scheduled presidential election, is a few years away! The Czechoslovakian government of Edvard Benes were terrified of Hitlers tanks, understandably, and Michael Martin is terrified on behalf of twenty-six-county capitalism of Trump's financial penalties should he offend the great man, he brings the terror with him akin to that of a Werewolf (as in An American Werewolf in London)!
Trump in vindictive mood and if he feels the twenty-six-county government have not grovelled enough before him could take a very hard line on ’undocumented’ (illegal) Irish citizens living in the US. He could order mass deportations in retaliation for Micheal Martin and Simon Harris’s naughty behaviour. Micheal Martin may not particularly like Trump but he, on behalf of the twenty-six-county capitalist class, is duty bound to grovel to him. In fact if Trump ordered Martin and Harris to undress in public and perform circus acts then that is what they must do on behalf of the bourgeoisie! It may be easier for President Catherine Connolly to make her apologies and not meet the US tyrant but would Trump accept any excuse for her not to be present before him? Or would he see such a move by the President of Ireland as a humiliating snub and react accordingly? After all what could possibly be more important than meeting him?
Should the twenty-six-county administration take the avoidance course and refuse to meet Trump, even though they are not obliged to, it is highly unlikely US firms would pull out of the country based on such a rebuff alone. They are here for one reason and one reason only, to make huge profits and low corporation tax and any friction between the administration here and Trump to these companies would be purely academic. That would not be an end to the matter though. In fact it could only be the beginning, as Trump could for badness impose huge tariffs on Irish goods going for sale in the US produced by US companies based here thus making them think twice about remaining in the twenty-six-counties. Officially he would need the support of Congress to do this but there are ways around this inconvenience. For example Trump could use ‘Federal Contracting’ which involves directing agencies to withhold lucrative government controls from ‘non-compliant firms.’ ‘Public Pressure’ is another avenue of retaliation against US companies operating and refusing to pull out of the twenty-six-counties should, in Trump's eyes, the situation demand. This involves utilizing the ‘bully pulpit’ to publicly belittle companies thus affecting their ‘stock prices and reputation’. Irrespective of these avenues open to the US President his party, the Republican Party, control Congress so getting such tariffs through would not pose a great problem. US firms operating here could relocate to a country who have not upset the lunatic should Martin and Harris offend the great man by not meeting him! He could also penalise US firms for continuing to do business here after his humiliation and some of the small to medium size companies may well buckle to any kind of pressure like this. Irish Pharmaceutical companies trading in the US could be hit very hard by a vindictive Trump and all this must be the first consideration of any capitalist lackey government, twenty-six-counties included.
Should the President and government, for whatever reason they may give, refuse to meet Trump and lavish upon him gifts and a banquet it is likely he would hold it against them for the rest of his presidency and beyond! He could do much damage to trade for the twenty-six-county bourgeoisie the top 1% of the population, the ones whose economy it is, the ones who when speaking of the “national interests” it is they who the government speak of. These are the people, not the majority, who constitute ‘the nation’ in real terms though no government would ever admit to that, certainly not publicly, whose interests any government serve. So, even though there is no requirement for the President and government to meet this US private citizen it could cause irreparable damage to the economic interests of the bourgeoisie if they don’t.
Should the President and government, for whatever reason they may give, refuse to meet Trump and lavish upon him gifts and a banquet it is likely he would hold it against them for the rest of his presidency and beyond! He could do much damage to trade for the twenty-six-county bourgeoisie the top 1% of the population, the ones whose economy it is, the ones who when speaking of the “national interests” it is they who the government speak of. These are the people, not the majority, who constitute ‘the nation’ in real terms though no government would ever admit to that, certainly not publicly, whose interests any government serve. So, even though there is no requirement for the President and government to meet this US private citizen it could cause irreparable damage to the economic interests of the bourgeoisie if they don’t.
Personally I think Micheal Martin and Simon Harris along with Catherine Connolly should ignore this private US citizen but I’m not a parliamentarian in its present format. I could not care less for the economic interests of the top 1% and therefore would act accordingly. If we had a Sinn Fein/Social Democrat/Labour coalition, would they meet Trump? You bet your last euro they would no doubt whatsoever! I suppose the question for President Connolly is; does she put her left-wing credentials above the interests of the bourgeoisie? This may well be a litmus test of those credentials!
After all the above excuses, legitimate or otherwise, have been exhausted as reasons to meet Trump Micheal Martin and Simon Harris could show the same backbone the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has recently displayed. Trump has repeatedly said he will impose tariffs on Canadian goods to which Carney responded, bring it on, Canada will retaliate “dollar for dollar to these tariffs”. Now, and given the fact Canada is right on the US border, Carney has shown guts and leadership so why don’t you Micheal and Simon?
After all the above excuses, legitimate or otherwise, have been exhausted as reasons to meet Trump Micheal Martin and Simon Harris could show the same backbone the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has recently displayed. Trump has repeatedly said he will impose tariffs on Canadian goods to which Carney responded, bring it on, Canada will retaliate “dollar for dollar to these tariffs”. Now, and given the fact Canada is right on the US border, Carney has shown guts and leadership so why don’t you Micheal and Simon?
Come on lads, show a little backbone, tell this US private citizen some home truths, make a name for yourselves!!
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
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