Hands Up Stan - future of Irish National soccer team

Stevie was a great defender in his day and he chose the best form of defence (run away) when confronted with a gun totting "well wisher". Another example of the dangers posed by mobile phones - Stan had just popped out of the hotel to take a call when he met Mr Uzi. The gunman threatened to kill the Irish manager. If the radiation out of them phones doesn't fry your brains the rogue gunman will blow them out. Apparently the gunman was carrying an imitation firearm according to the Gardai. The man has now apologised to Staunton. Ireland's team for the friendly match with Holland has been ravaged by withdrawals of top players. More long term, Staunton and the FAI face major strategic challenges. One of the key difficulties is the dearth of quality (English Premiership quality) Irish players. This trend looks like continuing as top flight English clubs continue to buy in "ready to use" players from other professional leagues rather than develop Irish (and other) youngsters through youth schemes. I fear the decline of the Rep of Ireland national team over the next 5 years into a N.Ireland style situation - declining quality, poor results, increasing perponderance of lower league professionals and a tumble down the FIFA rankings. The bleak outlook means little chance of qualifiation for major tournaments.

Clashing Proxies

Back in the good old days of bi-polar superpowerdom the USSR and the USA engaged in a series of “proxy wars” around the globe. Sometimes these conflicts pitted countries against each other or were “internal” affairs within one nation. Sometimes the Superpowers got directly involved usually to their cost (USA in Vietnam, USSR in Afghanistan). Often though, the great powers provided diplomatic, financial and logistical support without direct military intervention. Most of the proxy wars were fought in the two-thirds world. Countries could even switch allegiances. Ethiopia went from the US camp (under Haile Salaisse) to the USSR orbit (under Menghistu). Egypt went from being a staunch Soviet ally (Nasser) to being a firm friend of the USA (under Sadat). The ideological clash between the USSR and the USA led to strange bedfellows. Extreme Islamic militants in Afghanistan were dependent of massive US military aid in their struggle to oust the Soviets from their country.

Now in the Middle East we are alledgedly witnessing the proxy war between two competing ideologies. The conflict between Israel and Hizb’allah is already portrayed in the rhetoric of both sides as a clash of two competing world views. Israel is portraying itself as a front line state in the “War on Terror” defending the values of freedom, human rights and secularism against the threat of “Islamofacism”. Hizb’allah and many in the Muslim world see the conflict as yet another example of the hegemonic strategy of the West to ensure its continuing domination of the region through its proxy – Israel. Other armed conflicts fuelled by the emerging ideological clash argument include those in Iraq and Afghanistan. The West’s running dispute with Iran over nuclear issues is another manifestation of the struggle. Just as in the 1950’s there was the identification of “Reds under the beds” in many Western countries and their proxies with oppressive measures of varying degrees used against such dissent; we now have the fifth column of “home-grown” Islamicist extremism in many Western countries with the use of various means to deal with this phenomenon. Some of the West’s most cherished liberties are even viewed as contingent in the “fight against terrorism”.

The trend now looks set for continued conflict. The “Clash of Civilisations” prophesised by Huntington looks set to be fulfilled. Fulfilled in what sense though? Is Huntington’s theory a self-fufilling prophecy adopted by various interests to bolster their own ambitions and politics? For instance, the Israeli propagandists’ representation of the military action in Lebanon as part of a great noble struggle against the forces of evil attempts to mask the sordid and brutal real politik nature of the aggression.

The questions confronting everyone now are: how do we prevent ourselves becoming “proxies” in the ideological conflict now being constructed by the forces of extremism both East and West? How do we resist the “Clash of Ignorance”? How can we best proclaim and celebrate the interdependency and interaction of civilisations and cultures?

Read the original paper by Huntington.

A response to the Huntington thesis.

Bobby Sands Street - A Solution

A quarter century ago Bobbie Sands was the first of the IRA hunger strikers to fast to death. IRA hunger strikers at the Long Kesh jail outside Belfast protested the lack of political status afforded paramilitary prisioners in the north of Ireland. The figure of Bobbie Sands attained international recognition with his widely circulated image projecting an attractive and cordial persona - not at all the picture of a "hardened terrorist". Sands' legacy lived on and even jumped up and bit Jack Straw's political posterior not so long ago. Jack attempted to "pressure" the Iranian government into changing the name of "Bobby Sands Street" in Tehran. Seems this is the street the British Embassy is situated on. How the British government must hanker now for such low impact diplomatic issues in Ango-Iranian relations! Perhaps the Iranian government should offer to rename the street in return for Britain agreeing to supply Iran with nuclear technology? Or perhaps the British authorities could offer to rename Hyde Park as "Khomeni Park" in return for Iran giving up nuclear ambitions?

Grave Graven Images

Even within Christianity there is a strong current which rejects the representation of religious figures. However there is a much more 'visible' tradition of iconography and portrayal of figures such as Jesus and various other prophets, the Virgin Mary, various saints , and of course angels. Some of this is devotional, other elements belong to a more secular artistic tradition. As a child I grew up with many icons then commonly found in traditional Irish Catholic homes. I wonder do many Christian Europeans view the current debate over the Danish Mohammed caricatures from within the cultural framework of their religious traditions? Shouldn't those from the more austere and iconclastic Protestant background empathise more with the Islamic position on representation of revered religious figures?
The dispute over 'idolatry' and the worship of symbols and images is not just an intercultural matter. Within Islam itself there are conflicts over the reverence shown to certain symbols, tombs, shrines, memories of pious figures etc.... The tomb of the Prophet Mohammed himself was obliterated several hundred years ago by purist zealots anxious to prevent it becoming a place of devotion.
It is intstructive to watch the reaction within the Islamic world to the 'cartoon controversy'. Widespread public demonstrations and protests are taking place even in countries where such peaceful public reaction to domestic concerns with never be tolerated.
I find the political manipulation of such issues and the 'digging in' by entrenched positions on both sides of great concern. As a believer in intercultural dialogue and understanding I despair at the ease with which people are accepting the 'self fufilling prophecy' of theories like Huntington's Civilisational Clash. Such deterministic world views are to be resisted, not passively embraced as some kind of ireversible dynamic of history. Issues should be opportunties for interaction and discussion fostering more communication and insight; instead they become clarion calls to arms (sometimes literally so).

The Curse of Coleman

Just to show you the kind of competition Stevie is up against (source Wikipedia):

Colemanballs is a term used to describe a variety of types of gaffes perpetrated by media commentators.

The name was coined by Private Eye magazine and is derived from that of the BBC sports commentator, David Coleman. An example of the great man's work in this field is the classic "And here's Moses Kiptanui—the 19 year old Kenyan, who turned 20 a few weeks ago." He also once remarked "Don't tell those coming in the result of that fantastic match, but let's have another look at Italy's winning goal..."

And here's a gem from this week's selection:

"... all of this left the referee costing us more than what we should have got."

SAM ALLARDYCE

Radio 5 Live

source http://www.private-eye.co.uk/index.php?

Stan the (Dundalk) Man

The Dynamic Duo...Steve and Sir Bobby. Steve has already given an inkling of his potential in the Colemanballs stakes: "we won't play a passing game for the sake of a passing game's sake".
Good on you Stan..cum awn de tawin.

Strategia 02

Iran Situation Update

Isn't it ironic....Iranian born Israeli defence minister warns Iran over its nuclear 'research' work hinting at Israeli willingness to undertake military action to ensure Israel remains Middle East's only Nuclear Club member.

General Shaikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Supreme Commander of Armed Forces of UAE expressed concern while visiting France: "Any nuclear programme will pose a threat to the Gulf region".

NPLs - Non Performing Loans

Dr Mahathir Mohammed former Prime Minister of Malaysia often liked to label George Soros as the man who caused the great Asian economic meltdown of 1997 with his currency speculation. Debating Papa Doc's Weltanschauung theories is like trying to argue with your deaf grandmother. What Doc didn't mention, but what his policies for getting Malaysia out of the mess of '97 included, was the need for firm action on dealing with NPLs. The NPL millstone was what almost destroyed Malaysia - NPLs don't really seem to matter too much when the bull is snorting and bubble and boom are the order of the day. When things slow however, NPLs are very bad news for banks. Through the Danaharta company, the Malaysian government took decisive and ultimately effective action to deal with the NPL problem and rehabilitate Malaysia's financial sector.

UAE's banking sector has become increasingly concerned about NPLs and more prudent as a result. The next step is a comprehensive national credit bureau/agency system insh'allah. With this kind of pre-emptive action the NPL variable need not drag the economy down.

Strategia

Looking ahead...one person's view of developments in the region, in particular the growing tension over Iran's nuclear programme. It doesn't make for comfortable reading. You may also want to question the writer's political agenda. The article was used as the basis for a piece in last Friday's Khaleej Times weekly magazine.
US Action Against Iran?

2005 - Dubai's economy
My synopsis -

The 'upside'
property boom
increased oil revenues
strong liquidity
bull market

The 'downside'
increasing cost of living
higher corporate costs
more NPLs (non-performing loans)
reduced competitiveness

For the meat....check the National Bank of Dubai's "UAE Focus".




Iran Situation Update

Isn't it ironic....Iranian born Israeli defence minister warns Iran over its nuclear 'research' work hinting at Israeli willingness to undertake military action to ensure Israel remains Middle East's only Nuclear Club member.

General Shaikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Supreme Commander of Armed Forces of UAE expressed concern while visiting France: "Any nuclear programme will pose a threat to the Gulf region".

NPLs - Non Performing Loans

Dr Mahathir Mohammed former Prime Minister of Malaysia often liked to label George Soros as the man who caused the great Asian economic meltdown of 1997 with his currency speculation. Debating Papa Doc's Weltanschauung theories is like trying to argue with your deaf grandmother. What Doc didn't mention, but what his policies for getting Malaysia out of the mess of '97 included, was the need for firm action on dealing with NPLs. The NPL millstone was what almost destroyed Malaysia - NPLs don't really seem to matter too much when the bull is snorting and bubble and boom are the order of the day. When things slow however, NPLs are very bad news for banks. Through the Danaharta company, the Malaysian government took decisive and ultimately effective action to deal with the NPL problem and rehabilitate Malaysia's financial sector.

UAE's banking sector has become increasingly concerned about NPLs and more prudent as a result. The next step is a comprehensive national credit bureau/agency system insh'allah. With this kind of pre-emptive action the NPL variable need not drag the economy down.