by Levee
What's Happening?
4:27 pm in Northern Ireland: Politics by Levee
I’m sorry to say that The Levee Breaks has fallen by the wayside recently. It’s got swept up in the general madness that is life at the moment.
My political blogging has run out of steam to a degree when all you’re shooting for (pun not intended) is people to settle down and live in a civilized Northern Ireland, you don’t have history on your side! You certainly don’t have a guerilla movement and hundreds thousands of dead bodies to lend legitimacy to your argument!
Unlike my compadres in the Unionist/Nationalist blogging communities, I can’t abide repeating myself ad nauseum, even though I think my argument makes more sense.
Frankly, in Northern Ireland the same issues still exist: one part of the population wants to be Irish, the other British. Will Nationalists be happy to argue for a United Ireland in a perpetual talking shop, or will their politicians let it slide, happy with their slice of the power-sharing cake?
I don’t know. And to be honest, right now I don’t care.
I’ll continue to post political pieces, but I’m not as motivated by it as before, mostly because there’s nothing I can change. Most idiots are only too happy to swallow up the garbage their politicians sell to them. They’re not listening to me or attempting to broaden their perspective. Are they?
Ah, who cares? I’ve still got jobs to hunt and a family to worry about. I’m still reading most of the main blogs, although I’m lamenting the loss of others (not JoBlog for some reason).
I’ll be having a wee think about my life as Levee and maybe try to do something different with the site to make it a bit more fun. Remember when blogging was fun?
Maybe you’ve recovered from that condition known as OPBD (Obssesive Political Blogging Disorder.At times I display symptoms of it – like …
is their as third alternative for N.I. a United Ireland fully part of the UK, equal to England Scotland and Wales.I better stop now in case the OPBD gets out of control.
Have Fun Blogging!
What about you? Launched yet another blog – what’s this, your third or fourth?
You should set one up on WordPress.com – they’re much nicer than Blogger!
I like blogger cause I feel a bit different from the average blogger on it, as I’ve 2 readers and the average is only 1.I’m running out of titles for blogs so I’d have to wait for some inspiration before I started another one
What happened that Wiki thing you were toying with, did you do anything interesting with it?
http://cyberscribescorner.wikispaces.com was just an experiment to see what would happen if I invited everyone with an e-mail addy on my blogroll @ shitty first draft ( @that time) to try out wikispaces.As you can see there wasn’t any interest in individuals posting anything. I reckon that was because they’d there own blogs and finding time and inspiration for one blog can be for some people hard enough.
Wikispaces would be ideal for writers with an interest in one particular subject who would put a bit of effort, more than an average blog post,into an article of at 500 words.A gap, in the Northern Irish blogosphere, for subjects like Politics, Book reviews,Theatre reviews, Environmental issues etc I believe exists.The advantage with wikispaces for these is that the discussion pages are seperate from the posts. I’d suggest that some of the well written blog posts can be spoiled by comments and that on wiki this wouldn’t be as obvious.
Another need that I’ve noticed is a community blog for people that don’t have time to post regularly.
…time for coffee
Mr. Levee-
“Unlike my compadres in the Unionist/Nationalist blogging communities, I cant abide repeating myself ad nauseum, even though I think my argument makes more sense.”
I think you do a great disservice to those Unionist or Nationalist bloggers who attempt to write outside the box by tarring them all with the same brush. A simple glance at the front page of El Blogador for instance will reveal it to be nothing like a press release regurgitator. Likewise, there is nothing inherently wrong with being Nationalist or Unionist, although clearly there are those of both ideologies who are not prepared to open their mind to other opinions. That’s the nature of political life.
“Most idiots are only too happy to swallow up the garbage their politicians sell to them. Theyre not listening to me or attempting to broaden their perspective. Are they?”
You make good points when you write political pieces (although political pieces have been sadly absent from the Levee Breaks for quite some time). However, much like the Alliance Party, attempting to dictate the ‘solution’ to ‘idiots’ will just alienate them. Like all politicos, one is only as good as one’s ability to convey one’s case- if people aren’t listening, then keep repeating it until they do listen. Otherwise the extremes win by default Of course, there are some who will never listen- again, that’s the nature of politics.
Mr Levee, Blogging is supposed to be fun. It can and does influence people, but the objective of running a blog is as originally stated, to have fun. The Levee Break has made its mark on the Irish blog scene, thats were it belongs and that’s were it should stay. Have a break or a subtle change of direction, by all means. But The Levee Break is a (grade A) listed blog. Keep up the good work. I mean that.
El Mat: I take your points, but as a long-time reader you should know my comments are directed at the majority of dunderheads who rubberstamp bigottry at every election here. In terms of bloggers you and Mr Parnell are exceptional – my reference is to those who take every news item and run it through a -hmmm- Republican or Loyalist filter.
I’m not a politician. I’m not affiliated to any political party or ideology.
All I’m saying is that for the moment I’m bored with the lather-rinse-repeat nature of politics in Northern Ireland. It’s hard to comment on something which appears so stage managed the scripts will turn up one day under the Freedom of Information Act.
By the way guys, I do still have a lot to say. I’m working my way through Paisley’s biography (with clenched teeth), so you’ll be getting an opinion about that sometime soon!
Sounds like fun- have you ever read the Secret History of the IRA? Tough going, but interesting. BTW, what’s your e-mail address, Levee?
No, but I read a book about the UDA some time ago which was utterly disgusting, especially how quickly those types of organisations become corrupt on their power.
I read Joe Cahill’s biography this year as well. Not sure if it was just me, but the first few chapters reminded me of that Michael Collins movie – sure we were only wee lads, all innocent, until we shot a policeman in a back street
It’s a bit romantic, all cloth caps and short trousers. Oh, and brutal murders.
I don’t know about you but when I read a book (particularly factual or biography), it affects me. Paisley has put me in the foulest form…..
I’ll drop you a wee email privately – there’s a contact form here, but either it doesn’t work or no-one uses it!
“sure we were only wee lads, all innocent, until we shot a policeman in a back street.”
Typical.
The IRA one was understandably dismissed by Gerry Adams not because of the brutality contained within, but probably because it showed the provos up as utterly incompetent and hopelessly compromised. It’s no surprise that they’ve come to the point where they are now- i.e. without arms and operating as the SDLP-lite- they didn’t really have any other choice.
Regarding Paisley, I find it difficult to understand how so many ‘ordinary’ Protestant voters can forget what kind of person he is when it comes to casting their vote. And even at the height of his idiocy, he still topped the poll in every election he was in.
‘Regarding Paisley, I find it difficult to understand how so many ordinary Protestant voters can forget what kind of person he is when it comes to casting their vote. And even at the height of his idiocy, he still topped the poll in every election he was in.’
My Granny, from North Antrim, used to think the sun shone out of Paisley’s arse.I reckon a lot of his votes were down to his hypnotic preaching and beliefs, even voters who didn’t attend the Free P church.