The pogroms against Sinn Féin will continue

On the dawn of the new millennium the Anglo Irish agreement was agreed among the people of both sides of this Island. In essence it sought to put aside its past and sorrowful history. Forgiveness would be a more personal matter that could not be written in the big or small print. For the most part the agreement has held together and grown naturally with the new generation that did not have to read the murderous headlines or have some of them written about their loved ones in the obituary columns on either side of the divide. Sinn Féin is today part of that new generation that is also not going to go away, as all of the mainstream political parties would otherwise wish along with more than a few independents.

But their biggest enemy is a prejudiced media long aligned traditionally with any political party that delivers what it seeks to gain for their paymasters higher up the food chain. If proof was needed the Celtic Tiger proved it by exposing them as nothing more than Hyenas running a pyramid scheme that left the bottom feeders choking on its hot air. The rancid smell still hangs heavy in the nostrils from the corruption. The only freshness from it all, for me at least, is Sinn Féin, and more importantly the party that evolved from the ashes of a bitter sectarian war that brought the elders of that battle together with this new generation that have known nothing, for the most part, but a tempestuous truce but one wrapped in peace nevertheless. For many that will be as good as it gets but is a beginning many thought would never happen in their lifetime. If, and as I believe it will, it can only get better. 

Sinn Féin’s enemy today is not north of the border but south and is the enemy within. But they have long known that, it was just the problem of getting everyone else to know it too. This changed in no uncertain terms in huge gains in the local and European elections of recent past and that foothold keeps increasing as well north and south of the border and there is no going back 

What Happened? The media and its paid scribes started the long march of miss-steps, walking backwards on gained ground they had long believed was sure footed. They had believed in their own hype and lies and indeed success for far too long, and had allied themselves traditionally with the forces of law and disorder that masqueraded as a Police force. If doubt still remained, Alan Shatter removed it, regulated finally to the backbenches as the latest former Minister Of Justice who supported that disorder while Maurice Mc Cabe, the courageous whistleblower, held his nerves of steel behind a kindly and benign face. 

But let not Sinn Féin fall into the same sleep their tormentors did for that would be a big mistake. The Pogroms will continue, the usual suspects rounded up at every media opportunity and just before an election, and the smear of accusation rather than the burden of proof will still be the weapons of choice. 

What brought it all together in the end was and is the new generation electorate. One familiar with the Internet and digital media that has long sailed past the barriers of the Irish sea; and know what is said between the lie and the truth, and what is written as a fact rather than lies by omission of that truth. It is also symptomatic of healthy outrage seeded in political awareness that has sadly been lacking since the acceptance of corruption and accountability as a social and un-punishable crime. Interesting times ahead indeed and may they be better ones too.
Barry Clifford