Political and Business Hall of Shame
Was I alone in feeling nauseated at the rally in Ballyconnell for Sean Quinn and his family, including those imprisoned and fugitives? When I posted here about the imprisonment of Fred Forsey Jnr, the former town councillor imprisoned for corruption, I hoped it might be a sign of intolerance of corruption and fraud.
Ballyconnell may give the lie to that optimism: Fr Brian Darcy (how many Hail Marys need I say, Father, to absolve me of stealing and bearing false witness to the courts that underpin our democracy?); Mick O’Leary’s letter of support (what else to expect of somebody who treats the hoi polloi, whose extra kilos of luggage pay his wages, as cattle – inferior to his prize-winning herd, of course); Mickey Harte and the sleeveenism and nepotism of the GAA...
Like Beckett, I can’t go on, I’ll go on.
The best way to fight both hubris and sycophancy is to humiliate those in public life whose actions are corrupt, but whose arrogance allows them to see themselves as victims, or justified. Some may have salted away ill-gotten gains, but reputations remain to be lost.
It may be a small ripple that barely stirs the scum atop the pond, but it is worthwhile. We know Quinn, Fitzpatrick, Wallace and others, but there are more, particularly locally, whose infamy extends no further than the local paper. It’s not just the great but the small, too, whose dirty linen I’d like to see exposed, and their reputations sullied.
In deference to Adam, who I’m sure has better things to do than defend the site against libel actions, can I ask that posts are factual and, where possible, linked to a credible and accurate source?