Try Not To Treat Humans As Straw Dogs

"Heaven and earth are ruthless and treat the myriad creatures as straw dogs; the sage is ruthless and treats the people as straw dogs."
- Chinese philosopher Lao-tse

"You're not only wrong. You're wrong at the top of your voice."
- Spencer Tracy to Typhoid Harney in "Bad Day at Black Rock"

By Charley Brady

I had no sooner sent on last week's piece where I questioned why the hell a devout Muslim and avowed hater of his own country was let loose to wander an army base in America than I came across this column from Ian O'Doherty of the Irish Independent.

Sometimes you feel as if you are writing in a vacuum so it was with great thanks to Ian that I read this in relation to the film 2012: "...we see John Cusack watching helplessly as the famous Mayan apocalyptic prophesy springs into action.

"As we have come to expect from [director] Emmerich, the set pieces are quite breathtaking - the White House gets crushed by the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy which is brought inland by a giant tsunami; the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio is spectacularly destroyed, and Rome is particularly hard hit with the Vatican being crushed and then the Basilica collapses on the fearful faithful who are praying for salvation.

"In fact, nearly every cultural and religious icon in the world is destroyed in this $200 million epic - except one.

"Yup, after consultation, Emmerich decided not to destroy Mecca because, as he puts it: 'I was told [told, can you believe it?] that if we included the destruction of Mecca, as we originally intended, then a fatwa would be placed on my head. So obviously we decided against it.'

"The move has been welcomed by some Muslim groups who have said the cop- out showed 'sensitivity to the feelings of Muslims.'

"So, you can destroy the Vatican, kill the Pope, crush Christ the Redeemer, but don't touch Mecca or you'll be killed.

"Is there a Catholic word for 'fatwa'?"

Thanks Ian, couldn't have put it better myself. We are being conditioned to be fearful about saying one wrong damned word out of line about Islam just in case that they decide to have go at us. Actually, no; that sounded a little mealy-mouthed: Just in case they decide that we deserve death for having a different opinion.

No wonder we have demented psychiatrists let loose around military bases murdering people, despite being under investigation by the FBI. Hell, you say a bloody word and you are called "racist", "Islamophobic" or whatever you're having yourself.

Give me a break, would you? I think that it's called self-preservation. If it were a nutter wandering around mouthing anti-Protestant, anti-Catholic or even anti-Scientologist sentiments while having access to semi automatic weapons I would say the same thing.

Remove them to the nearest safe facility. What is there about this that isn't just common freaking sense?

Look at the Irish jihadist Khalid Kelly (you couldn't make it up): he's a former alter boy from the Liberties in Dublin. He now lives in London with his mommy and is openly giving interviews where he talks of taking his own personal war to the enemy - us - as he is being given weapons training in Pakistan.

He's got a three- year old son called Osama and boasts of his intention to fight the Western oppressors: "I'm already on the path to jihad. I've already picked up a gun and done practise to make myself familiar with weapons. The other day I learnt how to use an M-16 in five hours.

"Why is it such a big deal that I want to do this? Have I not got the right to do the same thing as a guy going into an army recruitment centre?"

Where do I start with this guy? Well, you're Irish and a traitor for a start; you're obviously intent on killing British soldiers who shouldn't have to fight people who are funded by London; you should have been booted out of England with no bloody chance to return to your Irish birthplace; you have younger brothers that you hope will be able to shoot guns at the enemy by the age of ten and you're a disgrace both as an Irishman and as a human being.

I am not anti-Islam or anti-Muslim or anti-Catholic. I am pro free speech; but in times of war what this piece of pond life is saying goes well beyond that right.

It's an old saying but it's as good as any: if you don't agree with me then don't listen to me.

I don't agree with the teachings of the Catholic Church but let me tell you what is so great about Ireland: I can have banter with my Catholic friends and my Protestant friends and I will never be in danger of my life.

What we do is have a laugh at our differences, have another beer and at the end of the night just admit that we were ALL right, no matter how hot and heavy the discussion had been.

Does that sound like a contradiction to what has gone before? I don't think so because with all the differences that I have with our self- serving government I just ridiculously enough happen to love this country and its people.

You, my turncoat friend Khalid Kelly, should be in jail.

Yes, I know that the majority of Muslims are good and right-thinking people but I also believe whole-heartedly that the onus is on those same right-thinking people to root out and talk sense to the extremists. Yes, maybe that can no more be done than trying to talk sense to an extremist Christian believer, but it should never stop us from at least trying.

Or even extremist politicians of the Irish variety. As I write this I am listening with horror to Health Minister Mary Harney attempting to justify the proposed introduction of charges EVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE LEGITAMETELY BEEN GIVEN MEDICAL CARDS.

Where does this ever stop, this thieving from the poorest of the poor, the sickest of the sick?

Just treat the people as straw dogs. That's your thinking, isn't it, Mary?

Do you recall the slimy and disgraced tax dodger Ray "Rambo" Burke, the Dublin North TD who served four and a half months of a six month sentence for being a crook?

This is Ireland so now that he is out and having never named names we reward him with a bloody great "ministerial" pension that has just been topped up by an amount that the poor sods who LOST their pensions to the corrupt banking and governmental system could scarcely imagine.

This crook and personal friend of Bertie Ahern (still under investigation after being booted out but allowed to travel the world telling everybody what a great guy he is) has had two boosts in the last 20 months of €31,600 on top of the money that he is still allowed to rake in.

Taxpayers are paying a tax dodger. You don't believe me? Check it out.

Bertie at the time proclaimed with righteous indignation: "I have been up every tree in North Dublin" and he couldn't find any evidence of Burke's skulduggery. I guess that he had been climbing the wrong trees because everyone who had not been bought by Burke (or in the odd honest case, refused to be bought by him) knew damned well that he was a crook.

Maybe "salt of the earth, man of the people" Ahern was looking to the sky when he should have been digging into the mulch and the soil where vile things that have never seen light are growing.

Again, don't take my word for it; take the word of the Flood Tribunal who unambiguously called him "corrupt". It's a matter of public record, not just the outpourings of an angry journalist. And do you know the saying that "someone who isn't angry is just someone who isn't listening?"

Burke can legally draw a pension for his time as a TD as well as a separate amount for his time as a government minister - and then to add insult to injury they top up his loot by the above amount.

Take the beer goggles off, people. Take the "Shillelagh under me arm and a twinkle in me eye" nonsense off the turntable and realise once and for all that this is probably, by head of population, one of the most corrupt little countries in the world.

Forget the "top of the mornin' to you" myth; jettison the "God bless us and save us" bull. The Quiet Man is dead and buried in a grave near Cong in County Mayo.

What's the going rate this year on an amputated leg? Tell me because I really want to know.

In 2008 alone almost 350 diabetics lost their lower limbs because of the cutbacks imposed by the HSE under Mary Harney.

I'm past asking if the creatures of Fianna Fail have a conscience or can sleep at night. I know damned well that after their latest freebie on the government jet while slugging down copious amounts of champagne and the best of food that their ill- begotten expenses can provide is worth more than the cost of a person's dignity-or their leg.

He or she loses a foot because we don't have the measly amount of money that it would take to keep that foot on the end of his leg? "We all have to share the pain" is the answer.

He loses a leg because there's no loot in the budget? "We all have to share the pain" is the answer.

I'm going to ask you again, Harney: what is the going rate on an amputated lower limb these days?

According to fake mystic Joe Coleman (and even Holy Father Church agrees that he is a chancer) we can expect another visitation at the shrine of Knock on the fifth day of December where all the Usual Suspects will of course be gathering.

Does this woman have nothing to do all day except write out an itinerary for our Joe? Well, to put you out your misery about the next apparitions I've been given a vision myself.

Father Christmas will be appearing above the altar at 5pm on December the 25th. He says that he will be a little tired after giving out all those presents the day before and won't have much to say to the throng. However, you can now book a ride on his magical sleigh, which can hold many thousands. Let's face it, it'll be cheaper than flying Ryanair.

Then at Easter we'll have the Magic Easter Bunny appearing to tell us that we have to "pray, pray, pray" because as Joe says he has found Jesus and is familiar with His wishes.

I have got to tell you, with the amount of ne'er do wells that are finding Jesus these days He just isn't hiding hard enough.

In between we can expect visits from Superman and he has asked you not to bring any kryptonite, because as he has famously said in Scripture: "Lord, you gave them eyes but they cannot see; nor can Superman through lead; but kryptonite will destroy him".

Or was that Lex Luthor?

In any case, may your God go with you and all I ask is that you be good to each other, no matter your beliefs.

Don't treat people like straw dogs.

And I hope to see you all next week.

Same bat-time!

Same bat-channel!

You can reach Charley at chasbrady7@eircom.net