Ganley's US military connections could "save " Ireland: Irish Times humour

In light of the recent comments by politicians as diverse as Ireland's Fine Geal MEP Jim Higgins and Jean Marie Le Pen of France's Front Nationale The Irish Times takes a humorous look at the possible advantages of Declan Ganley's US military connections might be to Ireland and if he "commanded" Europe.
The idea that Ireland could become the "Moyther of all Green Zones" with haliburtan and Rivada providing all that enters might well appeal to Ganley. His speciality is capitalism in disaster zones. His attacks on democracy are a deliberate effort to create the illusion that Ganley actually wants democracy. His far right partners across Europe included until recently mebers more comfortable at Polich Youth meeting shouting "Seil Heil" as was recently reported in the Polish media.

Ireland could advance with the help of the US military

NEWTON EMERSON

NEWTON'S OPTIC: FINE GAEL MEP Jim Higgins has accused Libertas founder Declan Ganley, his challenger in June’s European election, of being “a puppet of the US military”. He says that as if it’s a bad thing.

What’s wrong with supporting a puppet of the US military?

It is hardly as if the current political class comes with no strings attached. How often have paramilitary puppets run for office in Ireland, moved by hidden hands both foreign and domestic? How many representatives humoured at least two armies here for years? Is Leinster House not the original home of “Don’t ask, don’t tell?” Was any rendition ever more extraordinary than the Taoiseach’s back-of-a-tractor Sinatra singalong?

The US military has a recession-proof annual budget of $700 billion and 1.4 million active personnel. Only 225,000 are officers, making it 600 per cent more efficient than the Irish public sector. It is customer-focused, target-driven and export-orientated. Clearly, this is exactly the sort of organisation to sort out all of Ireland’s problems.

Union unrest? Call in a surgical strike. Banking crisis? It’s just collateral damage. Public versus private sector? Leave it to the “civilian contractors”. Poverty among the unemployed? Let them eat Mash.

Every tired old dispute in Ireland could do with a little US military shock and awe. Social partnership talks have their uses but when push comes to surge nothing quite beats a laser-guided bomb dropped directly down Liberty Hall’s lift shaft.

The US military traces its origins back to the American Continental Army, set up in 1773 to drive out the British. This could finally explain why Libertas and Sinn Féin appear to be on the same side.

The US military is widely associated with pork-barrel spending, commercial favouritism and invoicing the taxpayer $5,000 for a toilet seat, so it could presumably work with Fianna Fáil as well.

The US military has recently made great progress with pilotless drones so it could even work with Enda Kenny.

All these factors would make the US military an excellent partner in a government of national unity should the present regime ever need to be changed.

From its command headquarters in Dáil Éireann (DAILCOM), this Libertas-led coalition of the willing could transform Ireland into the mother of all green zones.

It is true that some people might have to be put in an orange jumpsuit. However, it is important to remember that there is no danger from water-boarding as long as you don’t use the tap water in Galway.

But it is in the European theatre that June’s electoral battle will take place, and that is where US military backing should prove most useful. Once before the US military fought in Europe only to have to come back and fight pretty much the same war all over again. This is obviously pertinent experience for a second Lisbon Treaty referendum. From its mobile Western front command headquarters in Strasbourg and Brussels (STRASBRUSWESCOM), a Libertas-led alliance for democracy could drive the axis of weasel back over the Rhine.

Of course, the US military is not invulnerable. But Ireland is not Vietnam, no matter how much the North occasionally resembles it. The only real weakness the US military has ever shown is failing to work out an exit strategy. Could we send them Bertie Ahern as a military advisor?

Declan Ganley 'puppet of US military' - MEP Jim Higgins asserts

Jim Higgins the Fine Gael MEP in whose constituency Declan Ganley is running for the far right Libertas party has steped up the war of words accusing Ganley of being a puppet of the US miltary.

Ganley has previously threatened to sue Higgins but as usual failed to proceed with the action. This threatened action was over for over previous statements by Higgins.
http://www.westernpeople.ie/news/story/?trs=eycwmhojcw

Ganley 'puppet of US military' - MEP

Jim Higgins MEP, speaking at the Fine Gael North-West selection convention at the Sligo Park Hotel yesterday, questioned some of the affiliations Libertas has built up in its attempts to become a pan-European party.
Photograph: James Connolly
Harry McGee, Political Staff Irish Times

THE FINE Gael MEP Jim Higgins has accused Libertas founder Declan Ganley of being a “puppet of the US military”.

Mr Higgins, who was yesterday selected by his party to defend his European Parliament seat in the North-West constituency, also alleged that Mr Ganley had made “malicious claims” against him in relation to a €9.2 million swimming pool for parliamentarians and staff in Brussels.

A week after Mr Ganley used the launch of his campaign in the constituency to mount a political attack on Mr Higgins, the Mayo-based MEP’s speech at the selection convention in Sligo sharply criticised Libertas and its founder.

Mr Higgins said that Mr Ganley has constantly refused to tell the Standards in Public Office Commission about the nature and condition of his personal loan to Libertas and also about the involvement of staff from his company Rivada Networks in the referendum campaign on the Lisbon Treaty last year.

Last week Mr Ganley described Mr Higgins as “Swimmer Jim”. He claimed the MEP had voted for a swimming pool for MEPs and staff that would cost €9.2 million. Yesterday Mr Higgins said he never voted for such a project and neither did any of his colleagues.

Mr Ganley yesterday predicted that even if Libertas performed poorly in this June’s European elections, it would return more MEPs than the combined total of 12 MEPs elected from Ireland.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio’s This Week , he said that the party, which is fielding 100 candidates across 27 EU states, would win seats and that the number could be 35 or 15. He added that it would be very much determined on turnout.

“If we provoke a very high turnout, which is our objective, then Libertas can potentially win a very large number of seats.”

He accepted that his wealth had made possible his campaign against the Lisbon Treaty but said some of the figures being “bandied about” in relation to his personal spending were “ridiculous”.

He said Libertas would soon propose a system whereby donations would be capped at €1,000 per donor, and the source of all political donations would be identified.

Mr Higgins claimed Mr Ganley had refused to disclose information about last year’s campaign. He said the Libertas founder was a “lord of the manor who lectures from on high in relation to transparency. It begs the question, what is Mr Ganley hiding?”

Mr Higgins also questioned some of the political affiliations Mr Ganley and Libertas have built up in attempts to make Libertas a pan-European party. He also claimed that the businessman was doing the US military’s bidding.