A Blast FromThe Past

Merry Xmas and Happy Hogmany from Radio Rebel Gael :)

an Oldie but Goodie : Radio Rebel Gael's "Santa  
Gone Fenian" episode from Xmas 2012 with a great interview with Pol Mac Adaim 

smile emoticon

http://archive.org/details/RRGSantaGoneFenian_/

I thought it would be good to post this up as Pol MacAdaim and his music is and will always be an inspiration and because I don't plan on doing a Radio Rebel Gael "Christmas Show" as it is, but stay tuned for a new podcast, but without Christmas songs or Egg Nog.  Thanks to Paul Donnelly and Andy Mullen for reminding me of this old episode and special thanks to the University of Toronto for storing so much of Radio Rebel Gael's episodes in their archives. 

"Since the English occupation, we have had little or no national art in Ireland at all, and there is not the slightest chance of our ever having it until we get that right of legislative independence, so unjustly robbed from us, until  we are really an Irish Nation ---  nation for whose constitutional liberty Henry Grattan lived and died. There is, however, one art which no tyranny can kill and no penal laws can stifle --- the art of poetry. An art which is one of the supreme triumphs of the race to which we belong. The poetry and music of Ireland have been not merely the luxury of the rich, but the very bulwark of patriotism, the very seed and flower of liberty."

                   --- Oscar Wilde 1882

Radio Rebel Gael's Salt Of The Earth

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• For all those who've enjoyed listening to Radio Rebel Gael over the years, I wanted to point out that I have cancelled the Radio Rebel Gael podomatic website and service, due to what I feel are irreconcilable differences between Radio Rebel Gael and what I feel are the unscrupulous business practices of Podomatic Inc. Like most Corporate entities , Podomatic are not what they seem to be, and seem to have betrayed the very nature of podcasting and it's whole opportunity for the common people to have the freedom to broadcast FREE of cost. Podomatic seems to be more interested in joining in with the rest of the Corporate Swine to rob and pillage the general public. AS A RESULT, Radio Rebel Gael will now podcast in video format, exclusively on our new, handy dandy Radio Rebel Gael Youtube channell . Subscribe and tune in friends, fans, comrades and musicians:

 Radio Rebel Gael

 

 

IMPERIALISTS, BRITISH HISTORIANS & CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

   British historian Cecil Roth is another one of these apologists for the British Empire, who is of course, now also an apologist for the other European Imperialists, who profitted so greatly from theexploitation, mass murder , displacement, and enslavement of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, but now this British Zionist is rewriting the blood soaked legacy of Christopher Columbus as "Columbus Philanthropist & Gentle Soul", that's right folks, he is now claiming that Columbus was not a Genocidal, power trippin', racist Imperialist, but a philanthropist who gave his money to the poor, and was really a swell chap. Roth's theory is that Columbus wasn't a servant of the Crown of Spain and the main protagonist, and man that began the grim history of centuries of Conquistador-inspired genocide, slavery, mass murder, and the displacement of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, no, claims this British historian, he was really Jewish and just wanted to establish a Jewish homeland in the Americas so the Jews could escape the anti-semitism of Europe.

Now the anti-semitism and pogroms of Europe are well established, so I am not discounting those historical facts, however, these pogroms closely resemble Columbus' own treatment of the "Indians" that he encountered and I seriously do not believe in Cecil Roth's revisionism, and if you do your homework, you will discover that Columbus, , whether or not he was actually Jewish, was far from a "swell chap" or "philanthropist", and whom kept a detailed journal of his travels to the Americas, where he routinely talks about cutting off the ears of the natives, having them flogged and killed, and so forth, for "crimes" such as "stealing" a piece of fruit. Now, how the natives could actually be "stealing" the fruit that was the natural produce of their native home, well, only a British historian or racist revisionist could really come to such an unsound conclusion. Worse than that, a school of "thought" is now is pushing this idea that Columbus couldn't have been that bad because he "might have been a Jew". Only the dim witted could really go along with such garbage. It's an insult to any intelligent scholar and even more so of an insult to all of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, raped, murdered, and enslaved by the Columbus and his ilk, and the Conquistadors, that followed in his foot steps. And a man is responsible for his deeds, no matter what religion he subscribes to.

I will conclude with some details of what it was like to live as an indigenous person, when Columbus and his brothers governed Santo Domingo,, from Giles Tremlett' s "Lost document reveals Columbus as tyrant of the Caribbean" :

"Christopher Columbus, the man credited with discovering the Americas, was a greedy and vindictive tyrant who saved some of his most violent punishments for his own followers, according to a document uncovered by Spanish historians.

As governor and viceroy of the Indies, Columbus imposed iron discipline on the first Spanish colony in the Americas, in what is now the Caribbean country of Dominican Republic. Punishments included cutting off people's ears and noses, parading women naked through the streets and selling them into slavery.

"Columbus' government was characterised by a form of tyranny," Consuelo Varela, a Spanish historian who has seen the document, told journalists.

One man caught stealing corn had his nose and ears cut off, was placed in shackles and was then auctioned off as a slave. A woman who dared to suggest that Columbus was of lowly birth was punished by his brother Bartolomé, who had also travelled to the Caribbean. She was stripped naked and paraded around the colony on the back of a mule.

"Bartolomé ordered that her tongue be cut out," said Ms Varela. "Christopher congratulated him for defending the family."

"The document also describes how Columbus put down native unrest and revolt; he first ordered a brutal crackdown in which many natives were killed and then paraded their dismembered bodies through the streets in an attempt to discourage further rebellion." ("Columbus Controversy", A&E Television Networks, August 12, 2013)

Rory, Radio Rebel Gael

"Tyrants Love Aid"

Says Malawian Professor of Political Science

James Connolly wasn't a big fan of "charity" and aid organizations, and while reading "Dark Star Safari" (P.Theroux), I came across the insightful words of Georgetown Professor of Political Science and Malawi native, Dr. Jonathan Banda, more or less echoing the same ideas regarding charity and aid (whether foreign or domestic) that were once spoken by the late James Connolly, upon his return to his native Malawi :

"...Dr. Jonathan Banda didn't get the job. He was sure the reasons for his being turned down were political. He said that if he had praised the government and the ruling party, they would have hired him.

Thinking of what the ambassador had told me, I said, 'A diplomat told me there is no political terror anymore. Is that true?'

'Maybe not , but there is political pressure of a very insidious sort.'

He seemed so outspoken I asked him the questions about charities and aid agencies that had been nagging at me. The agents of virtue in white Land Rovers ---- what were they changing?

'Not much, because all aid is political', he said. 'When this country became independent it had very few institutions. It still doesn't have many. The donors aren't contributing to development. They maintain the status quo. Politicians love that, because they hate change. The tyrants love aid. Aid helps them stay in power and contributes to underdevelopment. It's not social or cultural and it certainly isn't economic. Aid is one of the many reasons for underdevelopment in Africa.'

"You said it, I didn't", I said. "There's an awful lot of aid agencies here."

"All those vehicles, everywhere you look," he said, which is precisely what I had felt.

"So how will things change for the better?"

He said, "Change will involve all the old men dying off. Or it might take another forty years."

"What if all the donors just went away?"

"That might work."

Kind of reminds me of what Connolly says in his 1909 essay "Workshop Talks" :

"There are tens of thousands of hungry children in New York today as in every other large American city, and many well-meant efforts have been made to succour them. Free lunches have been opened in the poorest districts, bread lines have been established and charitable organisations are busy visiting homes and schools to find out the worst cases. But all this has only touched the fringe of the destitution, with the additional aggravation that anything passing through the hands of these charitable committees usually cost ten times as much for administration as it bestows on the object of its charity.....Also that the investigation is usually more effectual in destroying the last vestiges of self-respect in its victims than in succouring their needs."

People need self-empowerment, not more charity.

THE LIBERATOR/LIBERTADOR (2013) :

Directed by Alberto Arvelo

Not a bad film, about the legendary patriot and freedom fighter, Simón Bolívar, the only initial first reaction was, "holy smokes it's Carlos The Jackal and he stole a time machine, escaped from french prison and is hiding out from the Mossad in the jungles of South America"....haha just kidding, but seriously I had just seen this accomplished actor, Édgar Ramírez, playing that international insurgent and antizionist guerilla, Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, in the 2010 french film "Carlos", and that heavy duty image was hard to shake, but nonetheless, Ramírez plays a plausible Simón Bolívar, in this historical "epic" production.

Good way to remember an uncompromising revolutionary who fought and died for the Republic of Venezuela, years before it became a fact. And let's not forget that the film's creators were on top of their history, so the IRISH BRIGADE , that's right folks, led by Daniel O'Leary, play an integral role in the film, crossing the Andes to free Venezuela, just like they did in real history.

And just like in so many fights for national liberation, wasn't it always those most comfortable and those with the most to lose that eventually betrayed the revolution and stabbed their fellow comrades, like they did with Bolívar, in the back?! Imperialists and Slavers and Plantation owners , of course. Who else?

But a good movie despite the cheezy soundtrack. And another reminder that, in any revolutionary struggle, those closest to you, as history has proven, time and time again, are probably going to be the first to betray you. But the people, they always remember and revere the Liberators, never the betrayers. Up The Rebels. Up The Republic. Both Venezuelan and Irish.

Rory Dubhdara, Radio Rebel Gael

Gandhi Mahatma & Terence MacSwiney : Two Revolutionary Figures

(And the Misrepresentation of Gandhi to Spread Misinformation and Criminalize Liberation Movements )
-- Rory Dubhdara Radio Rebel Gael

  What really disgusts me these days, is when I hear all this hyprocrisy, spewing forth from the mouths of the same individuals who on the one hand, talk about how Gandhi is their hero, and then condemn the national liberation struggles of the Irish, the Basque, and the Palestinians, and ironically, espouse their uncondiitional support of the global terror campaigns of Britain and the USA.

  The worst form of this hypocrisy, is when I hear those who support the occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, the Basque country and Ireland, claiming that it's "necessary to fight terrorism" and talk out of the other side of their mouths about how "Gandhi is my hero" and how supposedly, Gandhi would have "never supported the IRA or the Intifada"

  But a careful study of Gandhi and the Indian nationalist movement, shows that not only was Gandhi an IRA sympathizer (as were many of his comrades in the Indian nationalist movement) but you will discover two undeniable facts :

Gandhi was an IRA sympathizer who like many of his fellow Indian nationalists, was inspired by men like Terence MacSwiney, whose hunger strike left an indelible impression on Gandhi and his compatriots :

 "MacSwiney's life and work had a particular impact in India. Jawaharlal Nehru took inspiration from MacSwiney's example and writings, and Mahatma Gandhi counted him among his influences.[1][2] Principles of Freedom was translated into various Indian languages including Telugu. Another Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh was an admirer of Terence MacSwiney and wrote about him in his memoirs. While in prison during his trial he went on hunger strike to protest the conditions in which Indian revolutionaries were being kept. Bhagat Singh, in his interview with the Tribune newspaper mentioned MacSwiney as one of his inspirations. When Bhagat Singh's father petitioned the British government to pardon his son, Bhagat Singh quoted Terence MacSwiney and said "I am confident that my death will do more to smash the British Empire than my release" and told his father to withdraw the petition. He was executed on 23 March 1931, with two of his comrades, Rajguru and Sukhdev, for killing a British officer."

Sources :

1] Suruchi Thapar-Björkert, Louise Ryan. "Mother India/mother Ireland: Comparative gendered dialogues of colonialism and nationalism in the early 20th century". Women's Studies International Forum.

2]Máire MacSwiney Brugha (2006). History's Daughter: Memoir from the only child of Terence MacSwiney". O'Brien Press. 25 October 1920. Retrieved 26 August 2013.

Secondly, Gandhi had a very large segment of Indian nationalist comrades, who were not pacifists, many of whom were involved in guerrilla campaigns, in many cases, very similar to those campaigns used by the I.R.A. to oust the British occupiers.

 And all this propaganda about "terrorism" here is ironic. Ironic because amongst all this talk of "terrorism", rarely is a word said about the global campaigns of terror by the British (and the Americans) on every country and region they've occupied.

Ignorance always disgusts me, but there is nothing worse than hypocrisy. Britain used terror on every continent they occupied, from China to India to Africa to South America to Australia to Jamaica to New Zealand to North America, and attempted to wipe out the indigenous culture and the indigenous population of very country they've occupied, and continue to do so, with the help of the U.S. military in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

   For those who who would like to read up on the terrorism perpetrated by Great Britain, far from a "civiliser" or "friend of a democracy", but a terrorist and murder machine in every nation and region that the British Armed Forces occupied, I highly recommend, Harvard Professor Caroline Elkins, "Britain's Gulag : The Brutal End of Empire in Kenya" where you can see that many of the same atrocities committed against the Irish were committed against the Kenyans. Education should always be a guide towards the truth and educators should encourage their students to question authority, question the official story on any event, and not be an intellectual coward, afraid to check sources, and truly investigate and research all segments of history. If only we had more teachers like Caroline Elkins.

Jimmy's Hall (2014) :

If there is a must see Irish film for people of a Fenian and/or Lefist bent, than you should definitely not overlook "Jimmy's Hall, the amazing true story of Leitrim man and Rebel, James Gralton.

Based on the radical struggles and tribulations of former I.R.A. soldier and revolutionary socialist, Jimmy Gralton, whom actor Barry Ward (playing Jimmy), director Ken Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty bring to life in a remarkable and inspirational way that could only come from the rebellious and incendiary life of such a legendary figure as James Gralton, and the brilliant writing of Paul Laverty, whom has never failed to amaze me. From "My Name's Joe" about a working class Glaswegian caught between a rock and a hard place, "Bread and Roses", about the fight for the right to unionize amongst Latin-American janitors in Los Angeles, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" about Cork volunteers who fought in the War of Independence and the Irish Civil War,  También la lluvia (Even The Rain) about the 2000 Bolivian Water Wars of Cochabamba, as well as "The Angels' Share", the story of a troubled father from Glasgow who narrowly avoids a prison sentence and is saved by the blessed spirits of Whiskey, Laverty always roots for the underdog and tells a compelling story in the process.  But I am convinced that he has written his pièce de résistance, with "Jimmy's Hall". 

 The defiant story of this champion of the working class, James Gralton, has our protagonist battling with all the forces of corruption, greed, and tyranny in the Ireland of Éamon de Valera during the 1930's and 40's as he fights with all his strength and intellect against the local Priest, carnivorous Land Lords,  the Free State Army, the Blue Shirts, and Garda Síochána, all because he dares to take an old abandoned and decrepit building (housed on the property of his own kinsfolk) and renovate it and turn it into "Pearse-Connolly Hall" a local community center for poetry readings, dance, dance lessons, political meetings and discussions on Republican Socialism. This simple act of love for his people and giving all his efforts and knowledge towards contributing to the local poverty stricken community doesn't just inflame the Peelers, The Land Lords,  the Church and the Free State bastards, but it also needles a local faction of the Leitrim I.R.A., who just had a split, that divides the local brigade between Republican Socialists and a reactionary element of Óglaigh na hÉireann that supports the Land Lords and the wealthier business interests over the landless peasants and poor tenants. 

   This film is a real treasure, and like "The Winds That Shakes The Barley" shows how the "dissidents" are always the true heroes and celebrates those who fight for the rights of the voiceless, rather than the "rights of plunder" too often given to the Robber Barons, Quislings, Tyrants, and greedy Land Lords. 

  The main opponent of Jimmy and his Pearse-Connolly Hall, the local priest, whom while being Jimmy and his comrades chief adversary, is still able to sum up the justness of Jimmy Gralton's cause and explain why Jimmy and his comrades remain such a threat to his authority:

"You can't buy him off. He's not greedy. He's not selfish. You know they remind me of the first martyrs. Did you ever read about those union organizers in the States? The Wobblies? Entering towns and then factories, thrown into prison, lynched.."

  But like Jimmy, they never, ever, stopped fighting the good fight. 

          - Rory Dubhdara, Radio Rebel Gael 

THE GRAND SEDUCTION (2013) :

 
    This Newfie flick , directed by Don McKellar, screenplay written by Michael Dowse and Ken Scott (of "Starbuck" and "Sticky Fingers" fame) starring Brendan Gleeson, Taylor Kitsch, Liane Balaban (New Waterford Girl), Gordon Pinsent, (Made in Canada), Mark Critch (Republic of Doyle), Mary Walsh (Mambo Italiano), Cathy Jones (22 Minutes) and Matt Watts (The Newsroom), its a film that had a really strong beginning, capturing the gritty lives of many Newfoundlanders, many of whom whose families survived as fishermen for many generations and who can fish no more, due to government laws and regulations, leading to many of them having to survive on the dole, yet still lovers of good whiskey and good craic, and celtic music, both Irish and Scottish and many a rowdy shanty sing song at the local pub. The film does a brilliant job capturing that celtic spirit that is still so much of the lives of so many Newfoundlanders, and Brendan Gleeson and his fellow actors play that role so well.

    It's disappointing however, when the film takes a left turn, and becomes not a story of working class Newfies sticking together and forming a union, getting involved in a political campaign to fight for their rights as fishermen and workers, but instead, becomes a story of the unemployed natives begging and pleading for an Oil company to move to their native shores, and if that is not bad enough, instead of just setting up a clinic, they decide it will be better to trick a yuppie doctor from the city to move to their tight knit village. Not only is this a bit far fetched but doesn't really make sense and kind of shows, that not only do the writers not really understand the local dynamics of such a tight knit fishing village, but also displays a serious contempt for their community, making it seem like they are just "local yocals" who can't even fend for themselves, and of course, none of their community ever went to medical school etc.

Two things are already wrong with this picture.

    The first is how this movie, slowly but surely, becomes a 2 Hour long, Oil Company Advertisment, with the local fishermen, not fighting for their native shores and fishing rights, against the Oil Robber Barons, like Rossport Working Class Hero, Pat O'Donnell, but the opposite,they are pleading for these Oil Speculators to move to their town, despite the fact that they will inevitably contaminate their native shores and fuck off to greener shores when they are done stealing the Oil that should belong to the local people, and sucking the lifes blood from the local populace. Again, obvious contempt for the local community is on display by these screenwriters, who are just out to make a buck while insulting the working class people of Newfoundland. It's reminiscent of the old Benny Hill skits with the "drunken Paddy" and the British racist cartoons denigrating the Irish and serving to make them look less "civilized" or "cultured" as their British detractors. This movie more or less shows the same contempt for the struggling fishing communities, who really shouldn't be begging for an Oil company to move to their native shores and poison their waters after stealing the last of their natural resources, but standing up and fighting for their rights.

    Secondly, since when would any self respecting Newfie, want to learn how to play Cricket and trick a yuppie doctor from Toronto to move to Newfoundland?

Two facts remain self evident, ladies and gentlemen :

Charlie Don't Surf.

And Celts Don't Play Cricket.

-- Rory Dubhdara, Radio Rebel Gael