Bookended

The 33rd (Sold Out)

They say the revision of recent history can be a dangerous thing, it is time that is the judge. However, when the events unfolding before our very eyes are so bad, one can almost get an assured sense of already being onto a winning forecast.

What we are observing in the dying breaths of this 33rd Dáil is a uni-party system that has presided over many disasters. I wanted to bookend it with the release of my own EP “The 33rd (Sold Out)”, but one can argue they did it themselves with the COVID crimes against humanity at one end and the obliteration of our nation's security at the other.

I have never more been affected by a government than this one, from its very inception; I was protesting then in the streets while working in the Health Slavery Executive, and I am protesting now on the other end of it as a father with young children whose local village has just been planted without any facilitation or meaningful talks with its community.

As an artist, I realise the power of a good visual. The Irish Times had me as their poster boy (or sheep) for their article “Why Covid dissidents need to be understood, not demonised”; it is the sub-heading of that article that is most critical, a quote from university lecturer Dr Katherine Furman: “Unthinkable: Lack of access to democratic processes can fuel distrust”.

Dr Furman’s statement epitomises the position that many of us have found ourselves in for years, with no voice at the table. Now, as revelations unfold, our dissenting voices are being shown to be in the right. This, by the way, is no victory, considering all that we have suffered as a nation. My hope and prayer is that power should be handed back to the people of Ireland to determine their own path, that we could reach out and try and understand why the media failed us and put their faith in the mainstream “narrow-tive” without questioning.

A quote from Noam Chomsky has been fermenting in my thoughts all week, as the Irish local and European elections loom:

“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum

.”

Many know, consciously or subconsciously, that there is an “emperor's new clothes” window of engagement, if you will. Take tonight's cherry-picked candidate debate on RTE. For those of you who still even bother to watch the legacy media (I don't), I will guarantee a standing ovation rendition of Chomsky's words as if it were a classical music orchestral performance received with wild enthusiasm. Yet all the while, no real conversation will have taken place as the range of ideas discussed will be almost singular in dimension. Some things are considered beyond the pale of acceptable discussion, and worthy only of being stifled into silence, while all the while we are told that diversity is our strength. Where is the actual diversity? A healthy society requires the open discussion of a plurality of ideas.

On June 7th, we have a chance to open out the conversation. Let us not waste it.