I remember Barack Obama’s victory speech in Chicago three
years ago. Bet you do too. The
vast crowd, the faces gleaming with expectation, the soaring oratory, the tears
of joy and pride. One of our own, the black people said, one of our own.
Stirring stuff. There was more stirring stuff in Galway last night – Eyre
Square crammed, flags and bands, cheers and tears, and of course Michael D
Higgins’s soaring oratory. One of our own, the Galway people said, one of our
own.
Today, with just a year before the US’s presidential
election, Obama is taking a pounding in the polls. I’m not totally surprised.
“Yes we can!” stirred the blood, including my own, but I never quite understood
it. Can what? Beat Al Quaida? Rethink American foreign policy? Start feeding the
one in six American children who go to bed hungry each night? What?
So let’s take a peek at Higgins’s victory speech. He refers to the “many valuable suggestions” of other
candidates “which I hope to
include and encompass over the next seven years”.
He spoke of “an inclusive citizenship, which is about
equality, participation and respect” and his “vision of a real republic where
life and language, where ideals and experience, have the ring of authenticity,
which we need now as we go forward”.
OK. There’s loads more but that’s enough. Once I hear a
politician say “going forward” I know s/he is doing the equivalent of Harold
Wilson lighting his pipe during a TV interview – playing for time so he can think of the next thing to say.
Right. Those many valuable suggestions by other candidates that the President-elect is “hoping to include and encompass”. Which ones? And why did he not tell us they were valuable until now?
That “inclusive citizenship” thing. I'm an
Irish citizen. How will the new President work to make sure I’m included in, for example, voting for his successor? Can I have an example as to how I will be treated with
equality and encouraged to participate in (presumably political) life ‘down
there’? And is the “real republic” he has in mind the same one that
Tone, Pearse and Connolly talked about? At a basic geographical level, how many counties will it have?
What does a republic “where life and language, where ideals
and experience have the ring of authenticity” look like? Come to that, what
does the statement mean? Anything? Or is it another “Is feidir linn!” – “Yes we
can!”?
You're quite right - it's not the done thing to be critical of someone
newly elected, but frankly I don't give a damn for the done thing. Higgins himself would surely
agree that words must mean something. Emotionally I thought his victory speech, like Obama’s,
was eloquent and passionate, and you could see why those Galway people were getting choked up. In terms of meaning his speech was mainly smoke and mirrors.
The President- elect is not even sworn in yet,and already you are sniping away.Begrudgery,just because your preferred candidate didnt make it.Give the man some time to settle in.After all he is older than you!Readers who wish to get a less prejudiced view of the result might wish to access Anthony Mc Intyres blog "The Pensive Quill"
ReplyDeleteGood idea, Anon 16:00 - although because Anthony holds a different view from myself, I wouldn't accuse him of prejudice or begrudgery. Besides, my comments were all drawn from his speech. I always think it's a good idea to argue, if you disagree, with the points raised, rather than go in for name-calling. Try it - you'll probably learn to like it.
ReplyDeletePS The 'his' in 'his speech' of course refers to Higgins and not A McI. Apologies if anyone's confused between the two men...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/nov/01/michael-d-higgins-no-poet?mobile-redirect=false
ReplyDeleteJude
ReplyDeleteOf course Michael D has no excuse. By now he should have wielded those ceremonial powers of his and abolished the border, outlawed the use of English and made the wearing of the Easter Lily compulsory.
On the other hand, you could give him a few days maybe.
And try being a little more magnanimous in defeat.
Jude,
ReplyDeleteAnother great post. Your updates on the southern election were far superior to anything else in the print media, either north or south.
Finally managed to get my own ideas together on how it was won. And maybe just as importantly, how it was lost.
If you get a chance to look at the following Id appreciate your views:
http://cowped.blogspot.com/2011/10/sean-gallagher-and-four-wheel-drives.html