So when the US President met the First and Deputy First in washington he paid tribute to them, adding ''these two men have dedicated themselves to embettering Northern Ireland through courage and conviction and desire to put aside the past and focus on a hopeful future." When I put the word "embettering" into the spell check on my computer it suggested i should change the text to "embittering". But I am sure that's not what President Bush had in mind.
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It is also reported that the First Minister received pledges from President Bush that he would help Northern Ireland develop its economy. What is not reported – the First Minister responded with one of his usual bewildering chuckles. Was Dr Paisley thinking that this is the same US President who had promised to do the same in Iraq?
These international plays are part of the foreign policy of world leaders who want to gain some association with agreements between warring factions while at the same encouraging battle in other fields to suit their objectives. Surely this drama was played out before with promises of money to try and buy off the local electorate. The balance sheet did not show much dividend on promises of peace money. Blessed be the peace makers seems to have been replaced by blessed be the trouble makers.
I can assure you, Mizpah, that God's blessing on peace making will never be received by trouble makers no matter how much money glistens in their hands.
Although increasing numbers of confused people in the world are going around all day kissing George W. Bush and his father on the cheek for showing the world how to bring democracy to our ailing world, we who are married should disciplne ourselves; so that our passionate kisses reach holy God and our wife and not warring Americain leaders.
"But I am sure that's not what President Bush had in kind."
Bushisms can be contagious - and spell-checkers have their limitations ;)
MARK REPLIES: Well spotted Nevin - will change accordingly...
America bashing is becoming so dull now.
America didn't start world war one or two.
America has given more aid to foreign countries in the past 5 decades.
It is the countries who elect despots and fanatics as presidents and party leaders who are to blame for their own situations just like Northern Ireland.
America defeated communism with their own money and we all should be thanfull for that. Did the Polish people ask to be communist?
It is only those who live under democracy who bemoan it and fanatics who seek power for their own ends.
America bashing may well be becoming boring but making the imperial power sound like an altruistic moral actor is reprehensible.
For the last 5 decades America has been offensively involved in more wars than any other country on earth. It has stood in the way of international will in order to maintain its relation with its client state Israel.
The "aid" that has been given has been less than helpful to the people of East Timor, Colombia, Palestine, Egypt etc. and is used to bolster repressive regimes and influence economic policy for their own gain.
Did the people of Poland ask to be communist? Some did and some didn't. But as the USSR bypassed the wishes of the Poles and the Eastern bloc, America rejects the wishes of people all over the world. Did the people of Chile ask to have the brutal Pinochet regime? No they had their democratically elected government deposed by the U.S. backed coup.
It is people who stay silent and obedient that allow these tragedies to occur.
You do have a point Dermot, fair play.
That Pinochet thing my brother never stops banging on about!
But the real problem with America bashing is the fact that politics and war is nasty but exists and part of the reason for previous US mistakes was it's determination to bankrupt communism.
I mean, they did pretty much inavde all the countries they could manage to didn't they? You couldn't leave these countries for a holiday could you? You could always leave the States if you didn't like life there.
I just think as I age that my hippy festival attitude like many doesn't really stack up once the ecstasy has worn off.
Criticism is good as Americans in the big cities know what is what but the government is elected by morons from the countryside who don't actually know the world is round!
Six of one half a dozen the other