Strikes, Skullduggery And Rock 'n' Roll

By Charley Brady

Is it too much to hope that it's all coming to a head? Are we being just too optimistic that this dopey, failed government of Fianna Fail may have reached their expiry date?

Well, they're well past that by a few years but we'll let that go. Deep down we always knew that they would have shafted anyone in order to stay in power.

Now, though, it does seem to have gone too far. For a change we really are taking our grievances out onto the street; and in really big numbers.

We're looking now at a country where workers of all divisions are tired of having their heads kicked in by a crowd of people who seem to think that they are untouchables.

They might well be, I don't know; but seeing noble leader Brian Clown and the big- brained Finance Minister Brian Lenihan sweating it out in the Dáil on an ongoing basis now as they struggle to answer the questions that we need answered, looking more and more rattled every day, it's time to be cautiously optimistic.

Yes, with so many strikes and demonstrations coming up we are all - as wealthy Health Minister Mary Harney so notoriously put it - going to have to "take the pain". (Like she'll be feeling any pain. Yeah, right.)

It might just be worth some initial chaos if something good comes at the end of it.

The transport workers and the civil service have all voted to go on strike.

This coming weekend will see thousands of these angry people marching through Dublin.

And yesterday the public sector, even including the police joined in a march to the Dáil.

But it's this Saturday's (21st) huge event that will be the interesting one.

Students, taxi-drivers, you name it - everyone's fed up and will want be there on Saturday.

As I'm going on holiday tomorrow I'm writing this a day before, so it'll be over by the time you're reading this.

But seeing people getting properly mobilised and justifiably angry does make me a happy-little-camper.

At Dublin Bus the workers have gotten as sick as the rest of us over FF's inertia and will be stopping work on March 1.

The levy (tax, in plain language) and the pay cuts are just outrageous as Joe and Jane Soap take the brunt while the clods at the top pat themselves on the back for joining in when it hurts their massive incomes little more than a jot. Well, we're not impressed, guys.

The good members of the Oirachtas will still be pocketing €60,000 a year on their expenses after taking their hit. On their expenses! Ye Gods, it's double what a hell of a lot of people have to survive on here.

I'm sorry I'm not here for tomorrow but I hope that it goes off peacefully and effectively. Maybe they might even listen for once.

Although the last time I was on a march was in Dublin with a million other people to protest the then upcoming war against Iraq. Fat lot of good that did.

And we're even less impressed by the deepening mysteries surrounding the take-over of Anglo Irish Bank.

Despite the huge amounts of money given to the bank in order to bail it out they are still partying like there's no tomorrow.

Then again, I can only hope that for a lot of them that's true. That this is their last hurrah.

The money they were given by the taxpayer is being blatantly used to spend on fine food and wines and entertainment for their corporate pals.

It's as if they just can't help themselves deliberately rubbing our noses in it.

And with Brian Cowen under severe pressure to name the ten members of the famous "Golden Circle" who availed themselves of over €450 million, wouldn't you think that he would want to be as honest as possible with we poor suckers.

Of course this mystery cabal are the real leaders of the country.

Honesty has never been FF's strong point, especially as it's beginning to look as if this elite shower has certain links to the party. Wonderful. It just gets better and better.

Yet even so I'm in an optimistic mood this week.

I was happy to read an interview in tonight's "Evening Herald" where the blunt-spoken multi-millionaire Ben Dunne talked of how he is considering running in the European elections if we have to do Lisbon all over again.

He said: "I'll be a candidate if there's a "No" to Lisbon again."

And on radio he talked about Nicolas Sarkozy's bully-boy remarks of last year and continued: "He is entitled to his free speech but he mightn't like the answers he's going to get and I think he's got a hell of a cheek.

"We've only just had a referendum and the "No" side won and we shouldn't be putting it back to the country as quickly as he's attempting to do it."

Saying that he wouldn't be affiliated with any groups and would be running as an independent he went on: " I didn't run away as a taxpayer to save money and I didn't run away when I was kidnapped [by the I.R.A] and if I have to stand to fight my little corner of this little island, I'm prepared to do it.

"Europe is being run by a load of bureaucrats who are making rules and regulations for us, some of which are quite good but some of which are terrible - and they are not elected."

Good man, Mr. Dunne!

And since I've been feeling weirdly and uncharacteristically cheerful this week ("Ah, I love the smell of Anarchy in the morning!") I'll end on another cheerful note.

Now that I'm getting old, tetchy and toothless I rarely go to see a band anymore, but recently I've seen the same group twice and if you're ever, or are, in the West of Ireland I really recommend them.

They call themselves ODDITY and are composed of Mike on drums, Dee on guitar, Liam on bass and are fronted by a gorgeous and astonishingly energetic lead singer called Corina.

She reminds me of Wendy James from Transvision Vamp some years back, and also makes fabulous use of piccolo and flute.

Throw in keyboards and you have a marvellous blend of pop/rock, Irish Traditional and Rock Infusion.

Highly recommended - and no, I'm not on commission, you at the back. I just like what they're doing: the perfect antidote for these dark times.

Mind how you go out there and as always I hope to see you soon.

Same bat-time! Same bat-channel.

You can reach Charley at chasbrady7@eircom.net