Comments on: Behind the headline – The Treaty Con http://www.irishelection.com/2008/04/behind-the-headline-the-treaty-con/ Coverage of Irish Politics, News and Current Affairs Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:54:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Irish Election » Behind the headline - The Treaty Con | France Today http://www.irishelection.com/2008/04/behind-the-headline-the-treaty-con/comment-page-1/#comment-119425 Irish Election » Behind the headline - The Treaty Con | France Today Sun, 31 May 2009 01:56:25 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/?p=3058#comment-119425 [...] Excerpt from: Irish Election » Behind the headline - The Treaty Con [...] [...] Excerpt from: Irish Election » Behind the headline – The Treaty Con [...]

]]> By: Lisbon ratification crisis escalates | afoe | A Fistful of Euros | European Opinion http://www.irishelection.com/2008/04/behind-the-headline-the-treaty-con/comment-page-1/#comment-69624 Lisbon ratification crisis escalates | afoe | A Fistful of Euros | European Opinion Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:45:50 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/?p=3058#comment-69624 [...] interesting to recall that a leaked British memo from a few months ago revealed that the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs had always viewed the [...] [...] interesting to recall that a leaked British memo from a few months ago revealed that the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs had always viewed the [...]

]]> By: Veronica http://www.irishelection.com/2008/04/behind-the-headline-the-treaty-con/comment-page-1/#comment-64106 Veronica Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:48:24 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/?p=3058#comment-64106 Oh dear! On a general point I think we all have to be concerned at the way in which trivia are blown out of all proportion in the heat of a political moment to provide dramatic 'conspiracy theory' headlines or further unsettle those who are easily panicked anyway. There's always an agenda at work in the background. US politics is riven with this sort of thing, as exemplified in the current Presidential Democratic primaries, to the extent that the candidates, their spokespersons, advisers and cheerleaders might all be well-advised to say nothing about anything to anybody for the remaining duration of the contest and instead confine themselves to a couple of statements on how they propose to deal with the substantive issues and then leave it to the electorate to make up their own minds. Personally, I don't think that a routine memo drawn up by a Foreign Office official in Dublin on political thinking here on any issues of the day is something to get overly excited about or attach too much significance to. It's part of the official's job to submit these reports and he/she has to write something for the bosses. P. O'Neill's point above about the 'Duirt bean liom...' nature of some diplomatic memos is very well-made. In a previous lifetime, so to speak, I had some experience of how these memos are sometimes compiled. I recall one incident where an official, whose propensity to see mountains where there were only molehills was legendary, advised me that something 'very serious' was being contemplated on the Irish side on an issue that was of interest to me at the time. When I contacted the person whom I assumed to be the most likely source of all the excitement and angst by now spreading out in all directions, my suspicions were confirmed. "Ah, yes of course," my source said mischievously, making no effort to hide his own amusement. "Sure we're always telling that guy stuff like that, just to wind him up!" Oh dear! On a general point I think we all have to be concerned at the way in which trivia are blown out of all proportion in the heat of a political moment to provide dramatic ‘conspiracy theory’ headlines or further unsettle those who are easily panicked anyway. There’s always an agenda at work in the background. US politics is riven with this sort of thing, as exemplified in the current Presidential Democratic primaries, to the extent that the candidates, their spokespersons, advisers and cheerleaders might all be well-advised to say nothing about anything to anybody for the remaining duration of the contest and instead confine themselves to a couple of statements on how they propose to deal with the substantive issues and then leave it to the electorate to make up their own minds.

Personally, I don’t think that a routine memo drawn up by a Foreign Office official in Dublin on political thinking here on any issues of the day is something to get overly excited about or attach too much significance to. It’s part of the official’s job to submit these reports and he/she has to write something for the bosses. P. O’Neill’s point above about the ‘Duirt bean liom…’ nature of some diplomatic memos is very well-made.

In a previous lifetime, so to speak, I had some experience of how these memos are sometimes compiled. I recall one incident where an official, whose propensity to see mountains where there were only molehills was legendary, advised me that something ‘very serious’ was being contemplated on the Irish side on an issue that was of interest to me at the time. When I contacted the person whom I assumed to be the most likely source of all the excitement and angst by now spreading out in all directions, my suspicions were confirmed. “Ah, yes of course,” my source said mischievously, making no effort to hide his own amusement. “Sure we’re always telling that guy stuff like that, just to wind him up!”

]]> By: Jon Worth » Blog Archive » Irish referendum - not at all surprising http://www.irishelection.com/2008/04/behind-the-headline-the-treaty-con/comment-page-1/#comment-64095 Jon Worth » Blog Archive » Irish referendum - not at all surprising Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:09:04 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/?p=3058#comment-64095 [...] [UPDATE] There’s a good analysis of this story from the Irish Election blog. [...] [...] [UPDATE] There’s a good analysis of this story from the Irish Election blog. [...]

]]> By: barry http://www.irishelection.com/2008/04/behind-the-headline-the-treaty-con/comment-page-1/#comment-64092 barry Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:42:55 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/?p=3058#comment-64092 Today's Irish Times has a text which is almost the same as that in the Open Europe blog, i.e. just as garbled..... Looks like a deliberate leak to me, from Foreign Affairs?? It might also have come from EU office, or from London (Daily Mail link??). I think that your criticism of Libertas is misplaced, there was obviously some sort of text produced by someone, probably for UK consumption. I have no brief for Libertas per se, but at least they are trying to start a debate. The govt line is to minimise debate and minimise any 'noise' around the referendum. They wish they didn't have to hold one. They'll do anything to avoid the shit of a no vote..... Today’s Irish Times has a text which is almost the same as that in the Open Europe blog, i.e. just as garbled….. Looks like a deliberate leak to me, from Foreign Affairs?? It might also have come from EU office, or from London (Daily Mail link??).

I think that your criticism of Libertas is misplaced, there was obviously some sort of text produced by someone, probably for UK consumption. I have no brief for Libertas per se, but at least they are trying to start a debate. The govt line is to minimise debate and minimise any ‘noise’ around the referendum. They wish they didn’t have to hold one. They’ll do anything to avoid the shit of a no vote…..

]]> By: P O'Neill http://www.irishelection.com/2008/04/behind-the-headline-the-treaty-con/comment-page-1/#comment-64084 P O'Neill Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:48:17 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/?p=3058#comment-64084 There's an odd parallel with the imbroglio that tripped up Barack Obama over a briefing that his economic adviser held with the Canadian consulate in Chicago about his trade policy; what leaked was not anything directly from the adviser but the diplomat's briefing about it to the Canadian government. Perhaps these briefings go round with a relatively wide circulation and are prone to being leaked. But their second-hand nature leaves them subject to deniability. There’s an odd parallel with the imbroglio that tripped up Barack Obama over a briefing that his economic adviser held with the Canadian consulate in Chicago about his trade policy; what leaked was not anything directly from the adviser but the diplomat’s briefing about it to the Canadian government. Perhaps these briefings go round with a relatively wide circulation and are prone to being leaked. But their second-hand nature leaves them subject to deniability.

]]> By: andy shaughnessy http://www.irishelection.com/2008/04/behind-the-headline-the-treaty-con/comment-page-1/#comment-64083 andy shaughnessy Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:00:16 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/?p=3058#comment-64083 why has the governent not denied it so. I dont agree with things the mail says about ireland but they are right about this. I'll believe them before id believe bertie ahern. after all hes the master of lies. if they're agenda is to show up the treaty for what it is , whats wrong with that. people are going to vote no because they can eventually find the truth on the internet. they are no longer tied to the irish press which are inclined to be biased in favour andy why has the governent not denied it so.
I dont agree with things the mail says about ireland but they are right about this. I’ll believe them before id believe bertie ahern. after all hes the master of lies.
if they’re agenda is to show up the treaty for what it is , whats wrong with that.
people are going to vote no because they can eventually find the truth on the internet. they are no longer tied to the irish press which are inclined to be biased in favour
andy

]]> By: Adam http://www.irishelection.com/2008/04/behind-the-headline-the-treaty-con/comment-page-1/#comment-64079 Adam Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:34:30 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/?p=3058#comment-64079 <i>By the way, anyone think that the Daily Mail might have an agenda here?</i> What are you implying here? The Daily Mail are known to be as pro-Europe as they are pro-Irish. By the way, anyone think that the Daily Mail might have an agenda here?

What are you implying here? The Daily Mail are known to be as pro-Europe as they are pro-Irish.

]]>