Political opinion polls are notoriously unreliable in this country. Small margins make the difference between victory and defeat. National polls simply don’t have the high resolution needed to predict the outcome. Put simply, elections are won and lost in the margin of error. And when it comes to a referendum on something few understand and… Continue reading Countdown
Category: 200 Words
Notes on the state of the world, written 200 words at a time.
Horse Feathers
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t forget if I lodged £13,000 in cash sterling to my personal bank account, including the result of a successful bet on the gee-gees. It’s the kind of thing that would stick in my mind. And it would particularly stick if I’d been in dire financial straits at… Continue reading Horse Feathers
Blink
The new taoiseach isn’t off to a good start. First he threatened to shout down Fine Gael every time they spoke in the Dáil, now he’s been forced to back down before the farmers. Ever since the IFA made it clear their support couldn’t be taken for granted in the run-up to the Lisbon referendum,… Continue reading Blink
The Ban That Bombed
Today, an international agreement reached in Croke Park to ban cluster bombs will take effect. Over 100 countries agreed not to use these horrific weapons, and destroy stockpiles within eight years. Notable exceptions include the USA, China, and Russia. American and British troops used over twelve thousand cluster bombs during the invasion of Iraq. Five… Continue reading The Ban That Bombed
A Judicial Separation
The Catholic archbishop of Dublin has offered his two cents on the Lisbon treaty debate. Diarmuid Martin said it was regrettable that while Christian humanist values lay at the heart of the treaty, it was regrettable that it contained no explicit recognition of Europe’s Christian heritage. I have to disagree. Europe’s Christan heritage contains such… Continue reading A Judicial Separation
fre spch nt so gr8
Despite yesterday’s 200 words, I have to confess I’m wary of text feedback on current affairs programmes. Time was, news editors occasionally commissioned a vox pop to get a quick sampling of public opinion on an issue. For a complex debate like the Lisbon treaty, with implications for economic policy, sovereignty, and neutrality, a vox… Continue reading fre spch nt so gr8
The Wearing Of The Green
Pat Kenny hosted a discussion on school uniforms and the hijab today. The most interesting part of such discussions is often the feedback from listeners. There were a few unusual opinions, to say the least. There’s something odd about a country that lived the through penal laws getting hot under the collar about others who… Continue reading The Wearing Of The Green