Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 1 14/04/2010 17:17:23 Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 2 14/04/2010 17:17:32 contents Editor Brendan Kildea interview Gerry Ryan Interview 4 cover story No Season for Resignation 6 Design & Layout irish society & politics Passport of Infamy? 8 Colm McDermott Invisible Lives - Neglect of the Disabled 10 Griffith College & the Civil War 12 Chief Writers Sex, Slavery & Black Magic 15 John Dorney Nicola Byrne Irish Pride? 17 David Claxton Sean Gildea Tomas MacGiolla & the Workers Party 18 Andrew Batare. Joseph Morgan business Slow Boat to Nationalisation 20 Lidia Okorokova Debt Tsunami Threatens Unemployed 21 international The Boko Haram ‘Madness’ in Nigeria 23 Writers Power Sharing According to Robert Mugabe 24 Shane Quinn Kevin McClay Oh, It’s Not the Pirates Life for Me 25 Brendan Kildea Colm Gorey Sri Lanka’s Silenced Minority 26 David Murphy James Ward Mexico at War 28 Tatianna Valle Jonathan Keane The Price Of Free Speech 30 Darren Cleary David Keohane President Palin? 32 Patrick Savage Oran Fitzpatrick Bringing Down the Walls 34 Hugh Hick Ian Donegan Saving Greece 35 Laura Delaney Oscar Long Where is Iran’s Dissenting Voice? 36 Maria Brundin Mathew McMahon Death of a Football Fan 38 Oscar Finn Boy Soldiers 40 climate This is what Democracy Looks Like 42 Sub-editors Engulfing the Irish Coast 44 Oran Fitzpatrick Shane Quinn science & technology The Concern for CERN 45 David Claxton Nicola Byrne Does the iPad touch all the right buttons? 46 Oisin Collins Jenny McShane travel A Backpacker’s Guide to Columbia 48 Lidia Okorokova Brendan Kildea entertainment The Man Behind Avatar 50 It Might Get Loud 52 Photography Machine Head / High on Fire Reviews 53 Elaine Yorke Colm McDermott Oxegen 2010 Preview 54 Colin O Hanlon ...now They Play Mafia Wars 57 Fintin Clarke ( Fingal independent ) Are You a Musicals Kinda Guy? 58 Maria Brundin Annette B. Søreide Tubridy’s Time? 60 Online Dating - Strong Compatibility = Deep Love 62 Thanks to contributors An Octave Above the Rest 63 Nicola Fitzpatrick Colin Foley sport JT & Tiger - Legends of the Fall 64 Charlotte Clarke Karl English Away With the Faroes 65 Gina Karoline Dalen Helen McEntee Conor Mcarthy Abe Neihum Hope you enjoy this special double issue for March. We had so Gareth Hughes Rachel Brady many stories, ideas and new themes running through February we decided we wouldn’t compromise with 1 small issue, rather Roseland Griffin Siobhan Worley we’d like to bring you a whopping 70 page Goliath of brilliant Thomas Sporsheim Wayne Doyle feature’s, breaking stories , and fresh opinions to kick-off our 2010 stream. Thanks to Lecturers: I think this issue is a testament to the skill and hard labour Anne Daly Barry Finnegan Alan Gill of a few willing journalism students, who met the challenge Ryan Brennan Sinead Murphy of writing the same quantity and quality journalism normally requiring the work of triple their staff. Printers : Speciality Print Ltd. I ask students again to pick up their pen and paper, their Fusion is Proudly Printed By laptop or ipad (so help me God) and become active journalists now, not later. I hope the magazine has become a new forum for international voices, and a niche entertainment source for sports, political, and entertainment fanatics alike. Special thanks to Anne Daly and her Griff Fm crew for adding allot of new voices and original themes to the mag. The Griff FM crew having come so far in the last year, bringing us original stories as they break for print and broadcast. I hope we’ve pushed some nerves, entertained, and engaged new and existing readers with a mix-up of style, content and controversial issues. Enjoy the double whammy issue and get writing for issue 3 and 4, time is short!!!

Keep reading.

BK Magazine & Print Professionals Fusion is produced by the students of the Journalism & Media Faculty of Griffith College Dublin. Contact: [email protected]

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 3 14/04/2010 17:17:35 interview Sex, politics and rock & roll. Gerry Ryan talks about the early years. By Nicola Byrne & Brendan Kildea Photography by Elaine Yorke

What kind of mad stuff did you get up to in How do you think student activism has your college days? changed these days? Well, I was a legal science student in Trinity I think the most significant is that students and was studying for solicitors in Blackhall Place. are by virtue of student loans and shrinking job So these were not internationally renowned for market. Sure I was in college in the 70s - it wasn’t japery or wild activities. But what was good when exactly the boom years - we didn’t have a bad econ- I was in college, was that students protested at the omy, we had no economy. But now, I think there is drop of a hat. One of the most significant parts of a much greater emphasis on material wealth and the annual student calendar was the library occu- getting a good job. What was strong in my mind, pation. I used to wonder how you decide to occupy was having a good time. I think a lot of the craic the library or not, I remember the students union has gone out of being a student. saying well you know, we have one every year; we always find a reason. That’s what was great about What do you think of the supposed ‘grade the 70s, you were always out protesting. Everyday inflation’ in education at the moment? there was some sort of political activism going It was a story waiting to happen. The reason on, it was really good craic and of course, a great people nowadays get straight As is because exam- opportunity to meet girls. iners have decided for some mad machiavellian reason, or because they’re on acid, to sort of upgrade them, and our first class honour degrees are given as some communist plot to undermine the economy; I think it’s bullshit!

How did you make your first step into radio? Back in my student days, the students union in Trinity persuaded RTE to give us a community radio license during freshers’ week. This guy came in and basically gave us all a transmitter, the facili- ties and all the equipment and money to run the radio station. After that, I got involved in pirate radio, the only reason was for free records. You could basically go to the record warehouses once a week and fill a trolley full of albums. Unfor- tunately, I sold them all when I got married, we hadn’t enough to pay for the mortgage and they didn’t prove very useful. I’m really sorry I did that.

People always call you the shock jock of radio. You’re outspoken, it’s a given. My ambition was to present a type of pro- gramme where normal language was used and where everything you would normally discuss over a pint was also discussed. We used normal language and talked about sexuality and a lot of things including, women’s issues; I mean nobody talked about gynaecological issues in a normal open way on the radio. It was only something Marian Finucane would discuss on women’s hour. We discussed a lot of issues surrounding sexual politics and health, and because this was happen- ing in late 80s early 90s when Ireland was still very much a repressed society, I think that this did shock people and was considered ‘cutting edge’.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 4 14/04/2010 17:17:43 interview

If you said ‘fuck’ on the radio it was like as if the heavens were gonna fall. They didn’t.

Obviously you’ve had tons of guests over the years. Who was the biggest arsehole? The biggest ejit was Gilbert O’Sullivan. He was the most bitter and dire individual. There’s always people more difficult to deal with than others, but normally by the time they sit at the microphone they’ve adopted an attitude that’s self-promot- ing and when you’re promoting yourself - unless you’re psychotic - you’re generally going to behave yourself.

Who was the most interesting? One of the most astonishing experiences I’ve ever had was two days after 9/11 in New York, we’d gone over to present radio programmes from ground zero. Manhattan had been evacuated, it Speaking of George Lee, what’s your opinion was quite an extraordinary place. Alice O’Sullivan on his resignation? was working as a junior producer she rang me to I think that George Lee was naïve. You go in as ask if I could go around to Opia. She said that a back bencher, and as a back bencher in opposi- Hillary Clinton is here and wants to talk to you. tion, you are literally without testicles. That’s just It was quite incredible, Hillary said maybe you a fact of life. Even in Government, back bench- might want to wait until the secret service bring ers are the work horses of a regime and only with my husband in. It was the first time on European time, patience and hopefully skill, you will even- radio that the two of them had been interviewed tually get anywhere. George should have waited together. It was at the time when George Bush had around. I mean did he think that he was going to just become President and Bush’s people were des- be brought up to cabinet? That’s not the way it perately trying to get Clinton out of Manhattan works. The worst part about it is that the country before they brought Bush back in, because Clin- has lost one of the most significant and important ton was like Christ. People were like touching him, voices in terms of economic commentary. We can’t thinking that if we touch Bill everything’s going to give him back his job as an economic correspon- be OK. dent, he can get back his job but it can’t be as that.

We heard you blew off an interview with What was the inspiration for Operation Bertie Ahern… Transformation? He was Taoíseach at the time and he was to It was a radio idea at first. In a nation where we come in to talk about Budget, I think. It was just a have the highest childhood-obesity in Europe it programme consideration; the story was reported was a bit of a no-brainer that people are obsessed as if he was at the door and I told him to fuck off. with body-image and reality broadcasting, televi- It just seemed more editorially appropriate to have sion particularly. We married it to television and George Lee discuss the issue than the Prime Min- subsequently to the internet. This time around, ister of the Government that was presenting the after 8 weeks we’ve had nearly 2.5 million hits budget. Bertie Ahern, Taoíseach or not, is one of on the website. Apart from raising the important the most difficult interviews. He is one of the best issue of obesity in Ireland we’ve also learnt some- schmoozers in the business. That guy could avoid thing in broadcasting. Radio is dead, television is questions for Ireland, and did. He’s a brilliantly dead, media is dead. What’s going to happen is skilled politician when it comes to fielding ques- your social networking, your music, your radio, tions, so you mightn’t necessarily get the inter- your television; everything is going to come out of view you were looking for. one pipe.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 5 14/04/2010 17:17:50 cover story No Season for Resignation By James Ward

he Irish don’t do change well. Resigna- tion to the status quo is a position we Toccupy readily; banking crisis, recession, Willie O’Dea’s unseemly or famine not withstanding. The sudden departure of George Lee from Fine Gael was the first of four ‘parish pump’ antics and political resignations in the space of a fortnight; the sacrifice of Trevor reassuring a change-adverse public that reform of our political system is as distant a prospect as a Sargent ministerial Starbucks branch on Mars. Lee- RTE’s former economics editor- arrived in career over a matter of Leinster House last June aboard a cloud of hyper- constituency business, bole, having gained 27,768 votes in a landslide South Dublin by-election. Those summer days on surely suggests that the campaign trail – George, like an over-sized a reassessment of the Harry Potter raising the blood pressures of doe- eyed yummy mummies – now seem incredible. role and responsibili- Echoes of Obama’s call for ‘change’ were easy to dis- cern in George’s fluffy rhetoric. However, like the ties of national politi- US President’s campaign message, Lee’s economic cians is desperately strategies were disconcertingly non-specific. The Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, has made needed. much his intentions to reform the political system; including his lambasted proposal to abol- ish Seanad Eireann. The wooing of pop-economist Lee suggested that the party possessed the vision to bring specific expertise to a forum often domi- nated by ex-school teachers or small town solici- tors. In politics, where perception is everything, the onus was on Fine Gael to convince a jaded public that they could put the interests of the realistic understanding of the structures of Irish nation before the dynastic party system. party politics – just like Willie O’Dea. Even if Lee was little more than a puppet with Green Politics has been heralded as possibly no real policy forming clout; the public would, the defining political ideology of the 21st century. in theory, continue to trust in him as earnest Worryingly however, it would appear that Green George of ‘How We Blew The Boom’. Lee’s contin- principles and aspirations are easily forgotten ued presence would serve to reinforce the party’s in the arena of career politics. The Green Party government-forming credibility – with George’s is being attacked on this front, by an increasing economic smarts in the cabinet, how could we go array of sources. There were echoes of George Lee’s wrong? Taking on a celebrity candidate can have war stories in former Green Senator, Deirdre de immediate electoral benefits in terms of recogni- Burca’s, justifications for resigning her seat last tion. However, the repercussions if things turn week. sour must be weighed up by any political party The little known de Burca unceremoniously determined to be contenders. quit the party claiming she could no longer toler- Post resignation, Lee portrayed Fine Gael as ate the compromising nature of its government internally disconnected and lacking in credible partnership with Fianna Fail. Crucially, she had leadership. Enda Kenny cosseted - Mary Stuart been denied the chance to work in Europe as part like - with advisers. Richard Bruton: the party’s of the cabinet of the new EU commissioner, Máire economics spokesman – himself an economist Geoghegan-Quinn. So much for the Green project, respected across the political spectrum – appeared government stability and party loyalty; in Deir- self interested and insecure about Lee’s presence. dre’s case, like Lee before her, the personal out- At a time when apathy was a virtual epidemic, weighed the political. fresh interest and hopes were invested in Lee. The Lee affair might well have wounded Enda George symbolized a renewed belief in public Kenny’s leadership beneath the toga. However, service, self sacrifice and hard work. However, inevitable death is probably a distance down the Lee was a poor investment for hope; he lacked a road yet. But as they say, a week is a long time in

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 6 14/04/2010 17:17:52 politics; the rest-bite that Lee’s resignation offered have fallen fast on Kildare Street. Within a week, Fianna Fail from their troubles was short lived. the forced resignation of Green Junior minister In retrospect the explosive resignation from Trevor Sargent is an event that even the most office of Minister for Justice, Willie O’Dea, was unlikely conspiracy theorist could hardly resist the result of a political time-bomb. In March of speculating upon. 2009, O’Dea made defamatory statements regard- In 2008 Sargent tried to influence the Gardaí ing Limerick Sinn Fein local election candidate, to drop a prosecution on behalf of one of his con- Maurice Quinlivan, during a taped interview with stituents. Sargent’s ministerial demise is being Mike Dwane of the Limerick Leader. Mr. Quinlivin viewed by some as further proof of a decline in issued legal proceedings against the Limerick TD Green standards – as claimed by de Burca. who subsequently swore an inaccurate affidavit Enda Kenny has repeatedly claimed that the regarding the now notorious interview. Mr. O’Dea Government is now so fractured that it is essen- subsequently accepted he had defamed the newly tially rudderless. However, the Lee misadventure elected Sinn Fein Councillor and paid him the has only served – in the eyes of many - to highlight damages. the outdated and institutional nature of thought As late a fortnight ago, Fine Gael Senator among the political classes as whole. Willie Eugene Regan raised the issue of O’Dea’s alleged O’Dea’s unseemly ‘parish pump’ antics and the perjury in the Seanad. The subsequent support of sacrifice of Trevor Sargent ministerial career over the Greens for O’Dea in a Dáil confidence motion, a matter of constituency business, surely suggests gave Deirdre de Burca’s Fianna Fail lap-dog claims that a reassessment of the role and responsibili- cutting resonance. The removal of O’Dea became ties of national politicians is desperately needed. essential in order to preserve the Green party’s A resigned Irish public might not generally favour political credibility. the testing concept of change. However, a change Willie O’Dea raged against the dying of the in our political system is urgently needed if the light – unsurprisingly using his confidence debate mistakes of the last decade are to be learned from speech to attach Fine Gael. The political dominos and never again repeated.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 7 14/04/2010 17:17:55 irish society & politics Passport of infamy? By Dave Claxton

ith the assassination of Hamas offi- US website also advises anyone with the required cial, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, in Dubai eligibility for an Irish passport to claim one. They Win January, Irish passports were said state that terrorist kidnappings and attacks are to have played a role in the killing. It was reported less likely to occur among Irish citizens than that four of the seven-person team had used Irish Americans. passports to enter and leave Dubai. This is not the During Brian Keenan’s four years of captivity first and will definitely not be the last time Irish in Beirut, the most essential item he had was his passports will be used in murky events. The appeal Irish passport. The Irish government was able to of having an Irish passport seems never-ending to use this to create close relations with Iran in trying some. to secure Keenan’s release. There are numerous cases of Irish passports Others have not been so lucky though. During being used in illegal acts and by very dangerous the Iraq war, Ken Bigley was awarded an Irish people. One of the most famous concerns dis- passport in an attempt to have him released from graced U.S. Marine, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver his kidnappers. Ultimately, Bigley was murdered. North. Before his death, his brother made a telling appeal. North was heavily involved in the Iran-Contra “We have now proven Ken is Irish, I do not think scandal from the 1980’s. He used an Irish pass- even the baddest people would harm an Irish port and the alias, “John Clancy” to successfully person,” he said. Margaret Hassan, another Irish conduct negotiations with Iran in trying to release citizen, was also murdered in Iraq despite having American hostages at the time. He would eventu- an Irish passport. ally be convicted on three felony counts, which But overall, an Irish passport can be a good would be vacated by 1990 thanks to the American thing to have. The Times newspaper even went so Civil Liberties Union. far as to label our passports as “one of the most Feared fugitive, Boston crime boss, James prized documents [to have] in the world’s trouble ‘Whitey’ Bulger, (charged with killing 18 people) spots.” has also used an Irish passport to evade capture During the filming of Miami Vice, Irish actor, for over a decade.The Irish passport can be a very Colin Farrell was asked how easy it really is to orga- useful item to have in your back pocket it seems. nise a fast boat to travel to Cuba from Miami (his Why is this though? character in the movie had done this), to which he After the 9/11 attacks, there was an upsurge replied, “It helps if you have an Irish passport”. in Americans applying for Irish passports. The It appears that our neutrality, colonial history application rate more than tripled. According to and the fact we have never invaded another coun- ancestry.com, this is because our passports are try, means that our passports are worth much seen as “lowering the risk when travelling in areas more than the paper (and now, computer chips) of the world that are hostile to Americans”. The they are printed on.

CCTV Image of the ‘Hamas Killers’ checking into the Hotel in Dubai just hours before they assassinate a leading Hamas official. (January 19, 2010)

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 8 14/04/2010 17:17:58 Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 9 14/04/2010 17:18:03 irish society & politics Invisible lives - neglect of the disabled By John Dorney

eports have emerged of an alarming of that, its records do not show the outcome of trend of abuse of patients in care homes investigations into complaints. Rfor the mentally disabled. Carl O’Brien speaking to Fusion, said this was, The story broke in early February after a pro- “an obvious conflict of interest”, as it was, “often longed investigation by Irish Times reporter Carl not in the interests of the health authority to O’Brien. He looked into complaints by people with close down beds”. In other words, if the HSE was family members in such homes and found some to close down a home that provided poor care, it troubling patterns. would not only reflect badly on the HSE, but they Around 8,000 adults and 300 children with would also be stuck with the headache of re-hous- mental or intellectual disabilities live in state- ing the patients. run institutions. What O’Brien found was that According to O’Brien, this led to a situation over the last 2 years, there have been over 500 where people, “were left very vulnerable to abuse, complaints about the care they had received. Of mistreatment or neglect”. these, 14 related to physical or sexual abuse, the Two cases in particular give cause for concern. remainder complained of poor standards in care or In one, a care worker in Cork was investigated for neglect of patients. physical assault, but instead of being fired, was As well as the actual abuse, there transferred to work in a home in another part of also signs that there has been a cul- the country. In Dublin, a worker who struck a dis- As with many ture of ‘cover up’ within the institu- abled child was re-instated after an inquiry. tions. For one thing, all such homes Such cases raise the question, are the institu- public projects are run by the Health Service Exec- tions protecting themselves rather than those in utive (HSE) and it is also this body their care? in Ireland right that looks into complaints. On top As with many public projects in Ireland right now, solutions to the problem are hampered by a lack of public money.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 10 14/04/2010 17:18:04 irish society & politics

Most disturbing

now, solutions to the problem are hampered by and perhaps most disturbing, were the instances a lack of public money. The Government did con- were the instances where care sider creating an independent quality authority to workers suspected of physical where care workers oversee care institutions for the intellectually dis- abuse were simply transferred suspected of abled last year, but decided against it because of a to other institutions in a way shortage of money. reminiscent of the Catholic physical abuse were Similarly, the HSE has recommended re-hous- Church’s transfer of priests ing 4,200 (or over half) of those kept in perma- accused of sexual abuse to other simply transferred nent care. Large groups homes and psychiatric parishes. hospitals should be closed, the report stated, and When asked if he saw paral- to other institutions replaced with smaller scale, “care in the commu- lels between the two cases, Carl nity” homes. Again though, the cost may be pro- O’Brien replied, “Whenever hibitive. It is estimated that the re-housing project you have an imbalance of power, as there was in would cost between €5-10 million. Church-run institutions, people who held the keys The Ryan report, released last May, discovered of those institutions had fertile ground for abuse tens of thousands of cases of abuse of children or mistreatment. People with intellectual disabili- in state and Church run “industrial schools” over ties were also placed in a very vulnerable position.” decades. Many of Carl O’Brien’s findings, though It is important to stress though, he continued on a much smaller scale, echo those found in the that although he had found some disquieting evi- Ryan report. dence, this did not apply to all care homes. “There For instance, in both cases, there was no inde- are many homes where the standard of care is very pendent investigation of complaints. Secondly good.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 11 14/04/2010 17:18:06 irish society & politics Griffith College and the Civil War By John Dorney

n the grounds and rooms of Griffith College On April 12 1922, British troops trudged out men were beaten, tortured and shot. This of the complex we study in today and Irish Free Istory is just one episode taken from the State troops marched in. It was not yet known as Irish Civil War, a vicious conflict that took place Griffith Barracks, but Wellington Barracks. less than 90 years ago. The Irish Times wrote of the barracks’ occupa- Any person strolling into Griffith College for the tion, “there was a complete absence of the ceremo- first time will be struck by the grey stone walls, its nial and the formal handing over of the barracks fortress-like square shape and the bars surround- [by the British Army] attracted little attention”. ing the windows. Most students may be aware it The raw young recruits, many of them as young as was once an Irish army barracks - a barracks that 16 or 17, would probably have preferred it if they shrouds a bloody past. How many know that at the had been allowed to remain in quiet obscurity. foundation of the Irish state, it was the scene, for a Instead, within days of the handover, the anti- year, of bloodshed, torture, and murder? Treaty IRA attacked the barracks, spraying it with Looking out over today’s peaceful campus gunfire from the surrounding rooftops and hurl- (sometimes), it is hard to imagine Irish soldiers ing grenades at the gates. A total of five men were on parade were once mowed down by machine wounded in the skirmish. Not a Stalingrad by any gun fire in the square, or that in one of the class means (and no Germans), but enough to draw the rooms, the same soldiers beat Republican prison- battle lines between the soldiers inside the bar- ers with rifles and bayonets. Or where there is now racks’ walls and the guerrillas who lurked in the a national school, once there was a barbed wire streets outside. cage, which held hundreds of internees. In late June 1922, the undeclared civil war But these things did indeed happen. The first became official, when the Free State Government year of Griffith Barracks being an Irish Army gar- opened fire on the Republicans in the Four Courts. rison coincided with the beginning of the Civil Tom Ennis, the Commandant of Wellington Bar- War here. racks, was in command of the Free State Govern- After three years of guerrilla warfare, the Brit- ment Troops who took the Anti-Treaty Republi- ish granted unconditional independence to part of can’s position in Dublin. Ireland (26 out of 32 counties) – as the Irish Free Within a month, the original garrison was sent State under the Anglo-Irish Treaty. However, most to different parts of the country to break up anti- of the guerrillas who made this possible – the Irish Treaty resistance. Soon soldiers’ bodies were being Republican Army or IRA, rejected this compro- carried back to the Barracks for funerals. mise – holding out for a fully independent island. In Dublin itself, the young soldiers in the

Anti-Treaty IRA troops in Grafton Street, June 1922.

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In one incident, a lorry heading back into Welling- ton barracks was ambushed by Republicans at Curzon Street, just across the South Circular Road. The Repub- licans’ grenade missed the troops but landed in a newsagent and killed two civilians, one a girl of seven.

Wellington Barracks Dublin

barracks found themselves policing a restive popu- Dalton. Dalton had been an assassin for Michael lation, without training or guidance. Some of them Collins in the struggle against the British. died in accidents, like Sean Sullivan, a Sergeant Dalton’s men raided houses used by suspected Major at only 16 years and 10 months who was Republicans and brought them back for interroga- accidentally shot by his own officer while trying to tion to Wellington Barracks. Some 140 prisoners clear a street in north inner city. were held behind barbed wire in the barracks and And all the time, menacing the raw, nervy stories soon emerged of the treatment they were young men, was the threat of attack. Most days, getting. the troops in Dublin were ambushed with a sudden On Saturday September 30th, an urgent request volley of shots, or a grenade thrown at a passing was sent to nearby Mount Argus Church for a troop lorry. priest to see a prisoner, Fergus Murphy. He found In one incident, a lorry heading back into Wel- him behind the barbed wire, badly beaten, “his lington barracks was ambushed by Republicans at head, from the eyes and ears upwards, was heav- Curzon street, just across the South Circular Road. ily bandaged. His eyes were blacked and twitching The Republicans’ grenade missed the troops but with pain. His face on both sides of the nose was landed in a newsagent and killed two civilians, one also black. His right cheek was terribly swollen.” a girl of seven. The troops chased their attackers Some of those taken to Wellington never came down the red brick streets and after they had cap- back at all. On October 6, 1922, Dalton arrested tured them, opened fire. three youths (two of them were 17, one 16) in The Irish Civil War seems incomprehensible to Drumcondra, putting up Republican posters and us at this distance. Why, we tend to ask ourselves, brought them to the Barracks for questioning. The were they killing each other over such a small dif- following day their bodies were found at the Red ference of opinion? At the time though, it devel- Cow in Clondalkin, shot. oped into a bitter vendetta, as each atrocity by An inquest was held the following month, pros- one side was repaid with one from the other. In ecution counsel asked for a verdict of murder to be certain pubs in Dublin, you can still have a furious brought against Dalton. The Jury, perhaps afraid argument about who started it, or which side was of crossing the Army, declined. worse. There is not much point in having this argu- Early on the morning of November 8, 1922, the ment here. It is enough to say that both sides saw Republicans made their most determined attack each other as traitors and fought a dirty war. on Wellington Barracks during the Civil War. Wellington Barracks housed the Army’s Intel- Around 100 soldiers were attending the morning ligence department, led by a man named Charlie parade, listening to the order of the day, when

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 13 14/04/2010 17:18:08 irish society & politics

The storm of bullets also peppered a butch- er’s van which was making its deliveries, killing their horse and mortally wounding the driver.

they heard machine gun fire. At first they thought into the office of the Intelligence Department. it was practice firing, until they saw spurts of dust There, the soldiers punched and kicked him – springing up from the ground as the bullets landed trying to get the name of his commanding offi- around them. cer. He refused. They hit him in the head with a The Republicans had occupied the upper stories revolver and poked him with wire, jabbed him and roofs of the houses across the canal, at the with a bayonet and stuck a rifle into his mouth. back of the barracks. From there, they raked the They even produced a razor and threatened to cut parade square with rifle and machine gun fire. the prisoner’s throat. A total of 18 soldiers were hit. One was killed In the end they decided he wouldn’t talk and instantly and 17 badly injured. The only surprise threw him back in with the other prisoners. is that more of them survived. The storm of bullets We know of Frank Sherwin’s experiences only also peppered a butcher’s van which was making because he later wrote a memoir. its deliveries, killing their horse and mortally The civil war came to an end several months wounding the driver. later, in April 1923, when the Republicans aban- The Republicans made their escape carrying doned their campaign and the Free State was fully two badly wounded men of their own. The Army established. Griffith Barracks got its name shortly later claimed the two were killed in the fire-fight. after the event of November 1922. It remained an Most of the attackers got away. But in the after- army barracks until the early 1990s. math of the attack, the Free State soldiers man- For most of us who study here, such ancient aged to exact some revenge for the attack. hatreds seem a world away. Perhaps that is for the In sweeps of the immediate area, the Free State best. But maybe, as we go about our daily routine, troops picked up another 20 or so Republican sus- we can remember something about the Barracks pects. One of them was Frank Sherwin, aged 17. and the dark role it played in this painful episode Sherwin was marched to the barracks, where the in Irish history. relatives of the soldiers hurled insults at him, and

A rare still taken in 1922 during the Civil War.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 14 14/04/2010 17:18:10 irish society & politics Sex slavery and black magic. Thomas Carroll’s complex prostitution network unveiled

By John Dorney

ast February 4th, an Irish man, Thomas Perhaps not since the “Monto” – the legendary Carroll, was sentenced to seven years in red light district at the top of O’Connell street – Lprison in Wales for running 35 brothels was shut down in the 1930s has Ireland seen this throughout Ireland. level of sex for money. Back in the early years of His operation was based in a string of provin- the 20th century, the image of prostitution was cial towns on both sides of the border – Cavan, of the “street walker”, who plied her trade from a Athlone, Drogheda and Waterford for example – corner or tenement building. Today’s equivalent is and used over 70 women. The women themselves typically set up in an apartment, advertises over came from as far afield as eastern Europe, South the internet and makes appointments by mobile America and west Africa. phone. Carroll’s enterprise was first discovered by As we can see from Thomas Carroll, there is big Gardai in 2006, which caused him to re-locate to a money in prostitution. Another man convicted house in Pembrokeshire, south Wales, from where of running a brothel in central Dublin in 2008, he ran his business, via mobile phone and inter- Martin Morgan, was said by the Judge to have net, across the Irish sea. made, “astronomical profits”. Carroll’s partner Shameila Clark was also jailed So why should we care? Prostitution is, it often for three years, while his daughter, Toma, got a said, the oldest trade in the world. The women sentence of 2 years for money laundering. Over are selling a commodity for which there is obvi- €1.1 million was found in her bank account, await- ously demand. Thomas Carroll told investigating ing transfer to her father. Gardai that Ireland was, “a sex-starved country If this were an isolated case, the story might be and always has been ... It [prostitution] saves rapes left there. After all, the bad guy and his accomplices and child molestations. It gives people somewhere have been rounded up, his (admittedly large) ill- to go.” Those who co-ordinate their activities are gotten gains confiscated. Of the women involved, apparently running successful businesses. Why 6 are in the care of Ruhama, a group which offers not let them at it? support to women involved in prostitution. A closer look at the story of Thomas Carroll will A happy ending surely? give a different story, however. In the first place, However, this is far from an isolated case. In one of the women found in Carroll’s brothels was June of last year, the American State Depart- just 15. Another was 16. The legal age for consen- ment named Ireland, for the second year in a row, sual sex in Ireland is 16. as a major destination for human trafficking and forced sexual labour. Carroll’s enterprise was first Ireland was placed in the second of three tiers, the third being the worst and including countries discovered by Gardai in 2006, like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Cuba, Fiji, Iran, Burma, which caused him to re-locate North Korea and Sudan. Ruhama’s spokesperson, Geraldine Rowely has to a house in Pembrokeshire, stated that prostitution has experienced a “boom” south Wales, from where he in Ireland, over the last ten years or so especially using foreign women and advertising on the inter- ran his business, via mobile net. In recent years, she states, Irish women too have been forced back, “on the game” by the reces- phone and internet, across the sion. “It’s not easy money”, women tell the work- Irish Sea. ers at Ruhama, “but it is quick money”.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 15 14/04/2010 17:18:11 irish society & politics

Secondly, far from all of Carroll’s former employ- The Nigerian women were entrapped by sinister ees were working as prostitutes by choice. All of and – to us – bizarre means. Before leaving for Ire- the women came from relatively poor countries, land, the women were made to take a ritual oath of via gangs of “human traffickers”. According to Ger- loyalty to the traffickers. This involved a ceremony aldine Rowley of Ruhama, “these women appear to involving dead chickens and menstrual blood. be consenting, they weren’t locked behind closed The upshot was, says Geraldine Rowley, that, “the doors physically, but they were locked in fear”. women really, really believed that if they broke Many of the women paid large sums of money their oath, something would happen to them or to trafficking gangs to come to Ireland on the their families”. understanding that they would work as cleaners, In short, Thomas Carroll’s operation was sus- seamstresses or the like. They were then coerced tained by working with brutal gangs, who at best into prostitution. One way of doing this was to used illegal methods to transport women into Ire- tell the women on arrival that they owed up to land and at worst, coerced women into prostitu- €70,000 to the traffickers which they would have tion by threats and physical violence. to pay off. If they did not, their families would take Susan McKay of the National Women’s Council the consequences. of Ireland is adamant that, “prostitution is not a career choice. It is something that ruins women’s Many of the women lives”. Both she and Ruhama advocate the criminaliza- paid large sums of tion of men paying for sex. Currently, prostitution money to traffick- is not a crime in Ireland, but “pimping”, soliciting and advertising it is. They claim that in countries ing gangs to come to like Norway Sweden and Iceland, illegalization of purchasing sex has helped reduce prostitution. Ireland on the under- For the sake of balance, it should be noted that standing that they not all prostitutes are either trafficked illegally or coerced. Some do it voluntarily for whatever would work as cleaners, reason. However, above all, the sex industry in seamstresses or the like. Ireland is based on the importation of vulner- able women from poor countries by very ruthless They were then coerced people. into prostitution.

Infamous brothel king Thomas Carroll being escorted from court following multiple convictions in January for his massive Irish brothel network.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 16 14/04/2010 17:18:12 irish society & politics

reland looks set to push ahead with a Civil Irish Pride? Partnership Bill. The Bill gives same sex cou- Iples the chance for civil partnership but not By Dave Claxton full civil marriage. This distinction is seen as unsatisfactory by many within the gay community of Ireland. At last June’s Dublin Pride march, a copy of the Bill was ripped up by Anna McCarthy of the protest organisation, LGBT Noise. She went on to say, “Civil partnership will officially make us second class citizens in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of society.” Others agree with the idea of civil partnership being a tiered form of marriage. Colm O’Gorman, executive director of Amnesty’s Irish section, believes that “failure to provide full marriage equality means that same-sex couples will not have full protection under the law.” Mr. O’Gorman, a gay man with two children, continued, “In effect, it is creating a second-class form of marriage for what the Government clearly feels is a second- Newly-weds celebrat- class group of citizens.” ing Argentina’s first gay Meanwhile, the Irish catholic church, as to be marriage. expected, strongly opposes any measures to recog- parents, which is quite stunning considering their nise and safeguard same sex relationships. Bishop blatant disregard for children’s welfare. Christopher Jones believes that the “Government So what, if any, are the major differences must never introduce any form of legislation that between a civil partnership and a civil marriage could possibly undermine the importance and that seems to arouse such passions? significance of marriage and family life in our The most important issue seems to be that country.” civil partnership is only for same-sex couples Another argument has been the possibility that while marriage is only for opposite-sex couples. certain religious orders that refuse to perform a This allows the government to give a wide range civil partnership ceremony should be sued or pros- of rights to one section of society and much more ecuted under the new law. Cardinal Sean Brady restricted rights to another section. states that this would be “an alarming attack on This issue is best illustrated when looking at the fundamental principle of freedom of religion the rights civil partnership couples will have with and conscience.” He feels that people who could regard to children, compared to married couples. possibly be sued are only “upholding their belief According to Colm O’Gorman, the Bill’s most seri- that marriage is an institution exclusively for ous weakness is that it fails to provide for the chil- men and women.” The church’s other main con- dren of gay couples. “A same-sex couple will not cern seems to be the status of children with gay be allowed to jointly adopt their children. Children raised by same-sex couples will be denied the same protection as other children because the Irish Gov- The Bill does not recog- ernment chooses not to acknowledge their exist- ence and denies their rights,” he said. nize that children must Maybe the problem is the people in charge be provided for if a of enacting laws are out of touch. Remember that Justice Minister Dermot Ahern, the man in partnership dissolves. charge of trying to get this Partnership Bill signed into law, has had a checkered past regarding gay It does not provide for issues. The Minister strongly agreed with Brendan the birth expenses or McGahon when discussing homosexuals in Ire- land during a 1993 Dail debate. McGahon ranted funeral expenses of that homosexuality “[is] an abnormality .Homo- dependent children. If sexuality is a departure from normality and while homosexuals deserve our compassion, they do not you do not make a will, deserve our tolerance.” Whatever the problem seems to be with our your children will not country when concerning this matter, it must be inherit what is due to addressed as soon as possible or one section of our society will continue to be treated as second class them. citizens based solely on their sexual orientation.

Fusion Magazine 17

Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 17 14/04/2010 17:18:17 irish society & politics Tomas MacGiolla, the Official IRA and the Workers Party By John Dorney

omas MacGiolla died last month and The Official IRA, of which Tomas MacGiolla was the Official IRA gave up their remaining Chief of Staff, had thought long and hard about Tweapons. why there was partition in Ireland and how to end These two facts probably don’t mean much to it. What they came up with was a Marxist analysis most people today. Who was Tomas MacGiolla? – it suited capitalist on both sides of the border What is the “Official” IRA? What is the connection to keep the working class divided by religion and between the two? For many people, these ques- nationalism. tions are meaningless. But taken together, they What a truly revolutionary party should do, represent the closing of an important chapter in they argued, was unite Catholic and Protestant recent Irish history. workers in common cause and then pursue a The Official IRA, of Tomas MacGiolla was a senior united Ireland. The upshot of this was that the use figure in Republican politics as of violence was counter-productive – it would only which Tomas MacGi- far back as the 1950s. He was a divide Catholics and Protestants more and would olla was Chief of Staff, member of both Sinn Fein and be irrelevant to the lives of people in the south. the IRA and was involved in an ill- The situation in Northern Ireland in the early had thought long and fated campaign of guerrilla war- 1970s shouldn’t be over-simplified. It was not hard about why there fare known as the “Border Cam- either faction of the IRA that began the street vio- paign” against Northern Ireland lence which broke out in 1969. That was started by was partition in Ireland from 1958-1962. Subsequently, loyalist mobs, in some cases aided by the police, he was part of a group at the head who burnt out hundreds of Catholic homes in Bel- and how to end it. What of the Republican movement fast. In fact, both IRAs’ first actions were basically they came up with was who wanted to move away from defensive, trying to defend Catholic areas from “armed struggle” and to build a attack. One of the “Provisional’s’ ” complaints a Marxist analysis – it socialist-Republican party. against the old IRA leadership was that the “Offi- suited capitalist on both This story may still seem cial” IRA had failed to protect their community. incredibly obscure to most read- But Republicans did have a choice in how to sides of the border to ers. What difference did it make respond to violence. what inside politics an armed The Official IRA, who chose to call off their keep the working class Irish Republican group had in armed campaign in 1972, would intensify sectar- divided by religion and the 1960s? The answer is that, in ian divisions and were responsible for 52 deaths Northern Ireland at least, it made in the Northern Ireland conflict. The Provisional nationalism. quite a bit of difference. IRA, who waged their armed struggle up to 1994,

OPPOSITE ABOVE:Tomás Mac Giolla (25 January 1924 – 4 February 2010) was a TD and member of the Cen- tral Executive Committee of the Workers’ Party of Ireland. LEFT&OPPOSITE: IRA propoganda

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 18 14/04/2010 17:18:21 irish society & politics

was responsible for over The idea, even in post 1,800 deaths. The figures tell a stark story. Celtic Tiger Ireland, of It makes no sense to paint the Official Repub- the red flag flying over lican movement as saints. Leinster House seems Throughout the 1970s and 80s they used their guns on almost science fiction. political rivals and some- And of course, this never times for bank robberies to fund their party. They got quite happened. The support and money and even guns from the commu- Workers’ Party became nist dictatorships of East- a significant force in ern Europe. They supported things like the Soviet inva- Irish politics, but never sion of Afghanistan and con- a major one. demned democratic move- ments against communism like the Polish Solidarity. One of their senior figures, Sean Garland, is currently wanted by the US for helping to circulate forged American dollars for North Korea. The story of Tomas MacGiolla and the Official republicans doesn’t end there, though. In the south of Ireland they tried to build what was, effectively, a communist party. In 1977, they dropped the name “Sinn Fein” and adopted “Sinn Fein the Workers’ Party”. Later still this became simply The Workers Party. In the 1980s, they had a fair degree of success – having 7 TDs elected to the Dail in 1989. MacGiolla himself was elected in North Dublin. Later still he became Lord Mayor of the Dublin. The idea, even in post Celtic Tiger Ireland, of the red flag flying over Leinster House seems almost science fiction. And of course, this never quite happened. The Workers’ Party became a signifi- cant force in Irish politics, but never a major one. In 1992, most of their TDs wanted to dump the now redundant communist ideology and to sever whatever links remained with the armed group of the Official IRA. They left to form Democratic Left. Later again they merged with the Labour Party. Tomas MacGiolla stayed with what was left of the Workers’ Party and as old age overtook him, faded out of public life. So the Official Republican movement and the Workers Party are now history, buried with Tomas MacGiolla and the Official IRA’s rusty weapons. Their path, had they succeeded in persuading more people to follow it, may have left Ireland a very dif- ferent place than it is today, for better or for worse.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 19 14/04/2010 17:18:25 business Slow Boat To Nationalisation By Joseph Morgan

he original report recommending NAMA as a strategy for removing toxic loans Tfrom the major Irish banks was written by Dr Peter Bacon over a year ago. Other than rail- roading the legislation through with their major- ity vote and setting up a NAMA board, there has been little real progress by the government since then. None of these toxic loans have yet been trans- ferred to NAMA, the European Commission has still not confirmed that they will accept its busi- ness plan and there is no sign whatsoever of it achieving it’s primary object: getting credit flow- ing into the real economy again and advancing loans to businesses and individuals. It is still accurate to describe the banks’ balance Nama will shape the sheets as ‘distressed’ given that they continue to economy for years to hold thousands of impaired loans and that they come but there is hardly a sign of it achieving its lack sufficient capital to function to a point where primary object: getting they could aid an economic recovery in Ireland. credit flowing The government has already pumped in €7 billion in recapitalisation to these banks and according to the investment bank Morgan Stanley, is likely to need to find an additional €9 billion in further bank bailouts once the loans have been transferred to NAMA. Although the banks (and the government) are percent of the company. Since then, shares in BOI suggesting that they could raise this additional have fallen by over 12%, further diluting the value capital requirement from private investors, this of that repayment. is very unlikely to happen until these toxic assets These shares were issued despite the National have finally been removed from their balance Treasury Chief Executive John Corrigan and the sheets. Even then, canny international investors Finance Minister both saying just a couple of days may not want to put money into the Irish banking before it happened that they could wait to col- sector and the government will have to pick up the lect the cash dividend. Unfortunately, BOI’s own bill, increasing their ownership of the banks. bylaws required it to issue shares if it couldn’t There have also been a couple of interesting make the cash payment. It would appear that twists in recent weeks. The first being a Freedom John Corrigan and the Finance Minister didn’t Of Information request (made by the Irish Times) actually know that shares were going to be issued discovered that the International Monetary Fund and makes you wonder just whether anyone knows ( IMF) had told Finance Minister Brian Lenihan what is really going on. in April 2009, almost a year ago, that NAMA was Allied Irish Bank (AIB) are due to make a similar unlikely to achieve its primary objective of releas- payment in May this year but is also likely to follow ing credit into the economy. the same route as BOI and issue shares instead of Unfortunately, this news came out on the same paying cash to the Exchequer, further increasing day that George Lee resigned from the Dail and the government’s shareholding in AIB. was largely ignored. It begs the question as to why Having rejected temporary nationalisation of the government would go ahead with a scheme the banks a year ago, the government seems to be when an august body such as the IMF were tell- on a course to get to nationalisation by the slow- ing them it wouldn’t achieve what they hoped it est and most expensive route available. And we would achieve – or at least, what they were saying will still end up with NAMA and all the potential in public that it would achieve. horrors that may yet bring to the Irish taxpayer Then, just a few days ago, we learned that the if these toxic loans never recover even their face Bank of Ireland (BOI) would not be paying the value. €250 million interest on the recapitalisation It all seems reminiscent of a joke that was once money put in so far. As an alternative to cash, heard about Iceland: which had been expected, they have now issued Q: How do you buy a small bank in Ireland? shares to the government amounting to nearly 16 A: Buy a big one and wait.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 20 14/04/2010 17:18:28 business Debt Tsunami Threatens Unemployed

Unemployed and struggling with the mortgage? mortgage is around €200,000 then we are looking If sub-prime mortgages from the USA caused the at a total of mortgages supported by no income at initial earthquake in the global financial system, it somewhere around the €34 billion mark; a big hole may be ordinarily sound domestic mortgages that in Irish banks’ balance sheets. provide the aftershock, writes JOSEPH MORGAN This may all sound like a “back of an envelope calculation” but that would seem to be in the right he website halfaloaf.ie was set up in 2009 region given that, according to Central Bank fig- as a networking forum for the unem- ures, there is a total of over €113 billion in mort- Tployed. Given the way unemployment gages owed in Ireland. A further sensibility check has increased by over 200,000 in the past year, is that in the first six months of 2008 more than and is predicted to rise by at least another 80,000 63,600 new mortgages were issued with an overall in 2010, it was a timely launch. According to Cen- value of €13.8 billion. tral Statistics Office (CSO) figures, the number of At current interest rates, the average mortgage claimants is now 436,936. of €200,000 gives monthly repayments in the Some of the financial consequences of this are region of €1,100 depending on the type of mort- becoming more apparent. Many Irish banks are gage and who the lender is. starting to reveal the growing number of mort- gages reported to be in arrears. Permanent TSB reported that bad loans rose from €15 million to €189 million in the first half of 2009. Within the past few days, Ulster Bank reported that 3.3 The nightmare scenario percent of its mortgage book is over ninety days in arrears. These small banks are the tip of the must be getting fired iceberg. Given the push by government, financial insti- from what you thought tutions and even family to persuade people to buy was a safe job with their own homes in the past 20 years, it would be conservative to assume that only half of those who the bank, seeing your lost their job in the past year have a mortgage and mortgage payments that only half of those who will lose their job in 2010 have a mortgage. Hard data on this is diffi- increase as interest rates cult to find in Ireland. Let’s say, conservatively, that 170,000 may be rise and then having your unemployed with a mortgage in 2010. That figure house repossessed by seems reasonable at less than one third of the total unemployed by the end of the year. If the average your ex-employer.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 21 14/04/2010 17:18:31 business

After several benefit payment cuts in 2009, get additional staff to help deal with the increas- with more planned in 2010, the basic unemploy- ing demand. These additional advisors will bring ment benefit for people of working age is €196 to 271 the number of money advice staff working per week. Depending on the claimant’s family in 65 locations around the country. Perhaps even circumstances they can claim €130 per week for the government now recognise that it is a growing their partner and €29 for each child. With the best problem. will in the world, this amount is not going to pay It is surprising that neither the Finance Min- a mortgage of €200,000 let alone put food on the ister nor the main banks have raised any red flags table. over this issue. It is noted though that the legis- There is a means tested benefit that provides lation for NAMA is quite vague about what types short term support to help with mortgage interest of loans can be taken in. Is NAMA also going to repayments. It appears to be very difficult to obtain become a depositary for these mortgages in order and “short term” seems to be poorly defined. In a to further protect the banks? written reply in July 2009, the Minister for Social If not, then post-NAMA we may see a new and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin confirmed that Irish landlord class as banks that are currently only 12,500 people were receiving it. being bailed out (and will be free of toxic debt and If so many people have insufficient help to pay obligations to the government) could well end up their mortgage when they lose their job, or are owning billions of Euros worth of repossessed only able to pay until their savings run out, there homes, after the recession in Ireland takes its toll is going to come a point where they can’t pay. That on low paid and unemployed mortgage holders. tipping point seems to be approaching fast. There is also the fear that many more jobs may Nobody seems to know just how widespread be shed in the financial services sector in 2010, this problem is: what the best and worst case sce- adding to the unemployment figures, once the narios are after redundancy payments and sav- banks have obtained everything they think they ings have been spent and there is no public money are likely to get from the government and then left to help after NAMA bailouts and more bank feel free to do as they please. recapitalisation. The nightmare scenario must be getting fired Other factors that may make the situation from what you thought was a safe job with the worse include: the certainty that interest rates will bank, seeing your mortgage payments increase rise soon and increase monthly repayments; addi- as interest rates rise and then having your house tional taxes such as property tax and water rates repossessed by your ex-employer. It is a plausible being applied to the unemployed; more benefit scenario. cuts and moving from deflation to inflation. If Ireland is floating in a sea of toxic debt, then MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) mortgages currently held by the unemployed may are believed to be dealing with more than 30,000 yet be the tsunami that sinks either our society cases of people struggling to pay their mortgage. or the banking system. Would you bet against the Minister Hanafin announced in August 2009 banks making sure they are in the lifeboats first? that 19 MABS offices around the country would

This may all sound like a “back of an envelope calculation” but that would seem to be in the right region given that, according to Central Bank figures, there is a total of over €113 billion in mortgages owed in Ireland.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 22 14/04/2010 17:18:33 international The Boko Haram ‘ M adness’ i n Ni geri a By Andrew Batare

Few people could have imagined that differ- ences in religion could lead to such wanton destruction of lives and property.

homes. In addition to the deaths, many businesses and homes were burnt down. ince independence from Britain in 1960, The group was anti western education and cul- religious crises have become a regular ture. They proclaimed western values and practices Soccurrence in Northern Nigeria. This has as un-Islamic and that they were characterised by become a very big embarrassment to the 150 mil- homosexuality, pornographic films, prostitution lion citizens of Africa’s most populous nation. and consumption of alcohol. Radical Islamists advocate the introduction of Hundreds died in the fierce battle between the Sharia Law which had already been adopted in 12 militant group and Nigerian government forces. out of the 36 States in Nigeria, all of them in the After the fighting, the police and military were predominantly Muslim north. shown carrying out a massacre of suspected mili- In December 1980, there was violence in Kano, tants. These “suspects,” some of them deformed a north western city, when an Islamic sect named men on crutches, were then ordered to lie face Maitatsine tried to enforce their brand of Islam. In down and shot at close range. that crisis alone, 4,177 lives were lost and a great The police did this disdainful and shameful act deal of property was destroyed. The Kano incident in the belief that their crime would go unnoticed, stands out for being the first religious crisis that despite the fact that it was done in public. took a huge toll on human lives and property. Few Why should the police who are paid with tax people could have imagined that differences in payers’ money to protect lives, property and main- religion could lead to such wanton destruction of tain law and order, kill Yusuf and hundreds of his lives and property. Worryingly, this nightmarish followers? The Nigerian police and army have been scenario has become more commonplace. notorious for extra-judicial killings, in the last few More religious riots followed in December years. Often, they kill at will and get away with 1994, May 1995, July 1999 and October 2001. these murders scot-free. The impunity of the secu- There have been bloody upheavals, costing hun- rity forces to execute citizens at random is one of dreds of lives, over such apparently trivial things the most disturbing features of the violence. as the staging of Miss World in Abuja in 2002 and The root causes of religious riots in Nigeria are the Danish cartoons of Mohammed in 2006. poverty, ignorance, hatred, frustration, tribalism In July, 2009 the Boko Haram riots broke out. and politics. In the Hausa Language of Northern Nigeria, Boko Ironically, one of the reasons that the Boko Haram translates to Western education is a sin. Haram rioted and fought for can also be one of the The uprising was led by a 32- year-old man called solutions to Northern Nigerian religious crises. Mohammed Yusuf. He was arrested while hiding Exposure to western education will obviously in a goat pen and was later executed while in cus- reduce this problem because educated people can tody in controversial circumstances when security make a better society. A high level of illiteracy is a men went on the offensive in their bid to nip the damaging factor which constitutes a danger to the conflict in the bud. development of Nigeria because it makes it pos- The rioting began in Bauchi town when the sible for people to be used for religious killings due police arrested a Boko Haram member for incite- to ignorance and a lack of education. ment to violence. It soon spread across to Maid- Nigerian leaders, for their part, need to tackle uguri and other predominantly Muslim states, the vicious cycle of poverty, ignorance and unem- sparking ferocious violence between Christians ployment among young people and re-evaluate and Muslims. Over 1000 lives were lost in this human worth and scrutinise every single institu- conflict, which forced more than 4000 to flee their tion of governance in public life.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 23 14/04/2010 17:18:40 international Power ‘Sharing’ According to Robert Mugabe

By Andrew Batare

obert Gabriel Mugabe’s coming to power in 1980 was welcomed, as Zimbabweans Ranticipated peace and co-operation after decades of colonial rule and a bitter civil war. Taking the helm of the newly renamed nation (from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe), he was quickly elevated to the ranks of international statesmen. However, he later became a political burden on his people due to the country’s failing economy, with inflation and unemployment soaring to record levels. Raised and educated as a Roman-Catholic, Mr Mugabe became a committed Marxist during the guerrilla war against the white minority ‘Rhode- sian Front’ government of Ian Smith. Taking power on a wave of popular support, his early political promises of reconciliation and democracy were later overtaken by a strong authoritarian streak and a deep mistrust of opposition. Robert Mugabe leader In the early 1980s, Mugabe moved to eliminate It is obvious in Zimbabwe of the Zimbabwe African opposition to his rule among the Matabele people. that the power-sharing National Union – Patriotic Mugabe himself is Shona. Several thousand died Front as a result of repression by the Army and food- deal from last year shortages caused by seizures. The other, and more recent target of Mugabe’s seemed to be worth less ire have been the big landowners; mostly white and than the paper it was descended from British colonists. Since around 2000, Mugabe’s supporters and veterans of the printed on; just like the war of independence have occupied the big farms and expelled their owners. The stated reason for Zimbabwean currency. their seizure is to reverse the effects of colonialism and to return land to the Africans. In fact, many say that Mugabe has used the land issue to mobi- on Zimbabwe in 2002 following a spate of human lise and reward his supporters. rights abuse and a rigged election. Until recently, Mr Mugabe had always been able It is obvious in Zimbabwe that the power-shar- to stifle political opposition. His ZANU-PF party ing deal from last year seemed to be worth less still dominate what is virtually a one-party state, than the paper it was printed on; just like the Zim- occupying 147 out of the country’s 150 parliamen- babwean currency. Perhaps the concept of power- tary seats. sharing will serve a good purpose in Zimbabwe. I To end the political deadlock, the opposition say possibly, because it is yet to prove useful. party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Power-sharing can be a means to create a plat- under Morgan Tsvangirai agreed to take part in a form for a change process, and that is its main pos- power-sharing government with the ruling ZANU- itive value. Therefore, what matters is that actual PF party of Robert Mugabe, last September. The change is brought about. In the case of Zimbabwe, deal was brokered by ex-South African President, I think it is only providing a temporary refuge Thabo Mbeki. Under the power-sharing deal, from political and social meltdown; it is just one Mugabe continues as president with Tsvangirai in step back from the brink. the post of prime minister. So, is the concept of power sharing good or The power-sharing deal, which ended months bad for Zimbabwe? The answer is that it is good of post-election violence against opposition sup- if it delivers positive change and that it is bad if it porters became a farce as disagreement between cements status quo. If we are genuinely concerned Mugabe and Tsvangirai continued. Mugabe for democracy and development in Zimbabwe, we refused to appoint some of Tsvangirai’s allies to simply must watch closely to see if it does lead to senior government posts accusing him of failing meaningful change or not. That’s where our focus to convince the West to lift sanctions it imposed needs to be.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 24 14/04/2010 17:18:45 international

Oh, it’s - not - the pirates life for me. By Lidia Okorokova

ohnny Depp’s character Jack Sparrow Council shall include... making decisions on the from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” is so possibility of the use of the Armed Forces of the Jcharming and mysterious. Is this how we Russian Federation outside the territory of the see pirates? No, he lives in Hollywood, not the real Russian Federation”. world. This meant to be a decision made by the repre- Meanwhile, pirates are a living reality of the sentatives of all Russian people, but now just one twenty first century. Some would think they are person holds this right, and it is the president. the hackers on the WEB, or those who copy music/ This law regulates the use of the military against movie CDs. the terrorists, pirates and by enforcing the safety Meet Somalis, the twenty first century pirates, of the Russian citizens abroad. people who have been forced to become the worst Here one of the main points is piracy. Russian of fishermen in order to survive. president Medvedev’s action should not be seen as Twenty five years ago most of Somali males something extraordinary but as series of actions were fishermen fishing in the nearest waters close by many powerful states. to their homeland. They would sell the fish and The US, Denmark and even China have joined make money to provide their families with food a military campaign against the Somali pirates. and shelter. But now, thanks to oil companies and These states see former fishermen as a threat to capitalist ideologies all this the merchant ships as well as private boats. has changed. Somali pirates have no other choice but fight Somalia is one of the unsta- against the so-called coalition forces and seize The world’s leading ble states in Africa, having as many ships as possible, being treated by the received full independence world’s leading countries as the worst of men in countries have little from Great Britain and Italy the sea. understanding of the in 1960, then from France They kidnap people and demand ransoms, in 1977, the state entered a there is a well-known case of Chandlers, a British situation in Somalia - phase of constant government couple captured by the pirates in November 2009, they see piracy as a threat overthrowing and war. the pirates are asking for some seven million dol- Somalia is considered as lars and will probably not back off and let them go to peace for the interna- one of the poorest countries until it’s fully paid. It is estimated that pirates hold in the world with people living as many as two hundred people captive and have tional community. on less than 2 dollars per ten ships in hand. capita a day. On the 24th of February, 2010 a Russian mili- In 1980s the state govern- tary ship, “Marshal Shaposhnikov”, set sail to the ment sought humanitarian Gulf of Eden to help other international forces help from the UN, receiving it fight the piracy. promptly from the USSR, Sweden, Great Britain, The world’s leading countries have little under- Germany and Japan. standing of the situation in Somalia. They see Between 1986 and 1991, when Somali people piracy as a threat to peace for the international began receiving the humanitarian aid from the community and give little thought to the fact that European and Asian countries a civil war broke it started after they have left this small country out. without its only source of income – fish. This constant conflict has been raging ever It’s very unlikely that Russia, the US, China, since, forcing many eligible men to become pirates. Denmark or other European countries will help Illegal fishing by other countries and dumping the political situation in this country as they have of the toxic waste on the shores of Somalia have used such preventive measures as changes to the caused a disaster that now, most of the powerful constitutions and expansion of the armed forces countries are trying to deal with by using military presence in the water area of Somalia. strength. David Friedman, an American political scientist On the 8th of December 2009, Russian presi- once said that “the direct use of force is such a poor dent Dmitry Medvedev proposed changes to the solution to any problem; it is generally employed Russian constitution to delegate him authority to only by small children and large nations.” use military abroad. Eight days later the changes That is exactly what is happening now with have been unilaterally approved by the Federation Somali pirates – force against force, but the inter- Council. national community forgets that these men are Article 102, paragraph “d” of the Russian Con- left with little choice but to become the worst stitution says “the jurisdiction of the Federation dream of any fisherman - pirates.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 25 14/04/2010 17:18:45 international Sri Lanka’s Silenced Minority By David Keohane

our correspondent arrived in Sri Lanka It is not surprising that the Tamil people voted last year just after the final defeat of the for the challenger, General Fonseka. The Tamils YLTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). have been treated deplorably throughout the Vast numbers of Tamils, the minority ethnic group countries history and can not be expected to side in Sri Lanka, were being held in containment with the establishment, even when the alternative camps throughout the war-torn north and the is the general who, so recently, decimated their ranks of the army were being swelled as the gov- homelands. ernment sought to tighten its hard-won control of And, in keeping with history, Tamil concerns do the country. not seem to feature highly on the newly re-elected For the Sinhalese, who com- President’s agenda. Years of repression by the Sin- For the Sinhalese, who prise the majority of Sri Lankans, halese majority have lead for Tamil calls for some the future seemed incomparably level of independence from the state. Whether the comprise the majority brighter as new roads weaved Tamil’s quest for an autonomous or semi-auton- of Sri Lankans, the through the countryside and jobs omous home is in the long-term interests of the and investment returned. A feel- country is unclear. What is certain is that the Tam- future seemed incom- ing of relief and confidence was il’s must be afforded assurances as to their political parably brighter as new apparent. For the Tamils, both and social future. A dialogue must be opened. within the camps and without, The president, however, does not seem inter- roads weaved through the future was still murky. ested. Mr. Rajapaksa doesn’t view a devolution Six months later and not all of power as a solution explaining that “Sri Lank- the countryside and that much has changed. The ans are not worried about these things, they are jobs and investment camps may be almost empty- due only for outsiders and NGOs with nothing better to incessant international pres- to think about”. The question is a non-starter returned. A feeling of sure- but the Tamil minority still and there does not appear to be much room for relief and confidence faces an uncertain path. Presi- discussion. dent Rajapaksa, the man who How are the Tamils to avoid being subjugated was apparent. defeated the LTTE, was re-elected by the tyranny of the majority? How are their on the 26th of January despite concerns to be aired? If they are pushed to the a strong challenge from his war- margins politically again Sri Lanka as a whole will winning general, Mr. Fonseka. Mr. Rajapaksa won suffer. Their turn towards violence can only be with 58% of the vote but not much of that support understood when viewed alongside their margin- came from the Tamil community; General Fonseka alisation both politically and economically. won 64% of the vote in Jaffna, the Tamils north- In a truly fair society no group should be denied ern capital and 76% of the vote in Tamil domi- political voice. The media should be the guardians nated central Colombo. of this principle- it is their job to make the voice- less heard. The Sri Lankan media are plainly not up to this task. In a properly operating democracy the media would be under an obligation to air the Tamils grievances and expose the layers of bias and nepotism that have lead to this island being riven so many times. But, on an island roughly the same size as Ireland, the Sri Lankans in the south have very little idea about what is happen- ing in the north. Last summer this writer spoke to many Sri Lankans in the south- ern towns of Galle and Hambantota who

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had only the vaguest impressions of a war that had garnered so much attention internationally. Since the presiden- Those that fully comprehended the conflict did so on a very surface level and did not appreciate tial election Sri Lankan the underlying causes. This deficit of information authorities have seems to have only worsened since the war’s end. President Rajapaska has been cracking down detained journalists, on the media since his re-election. Human Right blocked news websites, Watch, an international non-governmental organisation that conducts research and advo- and expelled a foreign cacy on human rights, has reported that since the presidential election Sri Lankan authorities journalist. At least one have detained journalists, blocked news web- journalist has been sites, and expelled a foreign journalist. At least one journalist has been assaulted and several have assaulted and several been threatened. As Brad Adams, Asia director at have been threatened. Human Rights Watch said, “Sri Lanka prides itself as a functioning democracy. Yet media freedom, a vital pillar of democracy, has increasingly come under attack.” The LTTE were an appalling group. They famously pioneered the idea of ‘suicide bomb- OPPOSITE: Sarath Fonseka, ing’ and terrorised the country, including their former commander and own, mostly self-appointed, wards for many years General of the Sri Lanka under the leadership of Velupillai Prabhakaran, a Army and a former can- man whose viciousness was legendary. The gov- didate for President of Sri ernment’s campaign against them was warranted Lanka. and needed. The tactics used during the cam- BELOW: Mahinda Raja- paign were not. That said, their destruction has paksa (left), the current improved life on the island for all its citizens. Sri President of Sri Lanka Lankans can now travel and go about their daily and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed lives in safety. The multiple road blocks and check Forces. points, while they remain, are a small price to pay for that luxury. However, the destruction of the LTTE removes a symptom only. A cancerous divide still exists in Sri Lankan society. A refusal to engage politically with the Tamil community risks halting the heal- ing process that has begun on the island. The Tamil community needs to be able to trust the their government and believe that their many legitimate political griev- ances will be heard. If the Tamil people are denied representation and a political voice a return to violence is possible. If they are pushed to the margins again Sri Lanka as a whole will suffer. That would truly be a tragedy.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 27 14/04/2010 17:18:56 international Mexico at War By Seán Gildea

exican drug cartels rule the streets of Increased military presence has done little to Mexico with their power corrupting hamper violence in the city. Shootings are still reg- Mpolice, army and government offi- ular occurences despite over 10,000 troops patrol- cials. Drug-related murders are a daily occurrence ling the region. but those who stand up to the gangs are likely to In fact, the drug cartels are as well armed as the be gunned down along with their families. army, since they have upped their arsenal of weap- The Mexican border city of Ciudad Juárez is ons to include armour-piercing munitions, gre- one of the most dangerous cities in the world as nade launchers and other military-grade weapons. a bloody war rages between drug bosses and secu- Their traditional source of finance comes from rity forces. Thousands have lost their lives as a supplies of cocaine and marijuana they smug- result of the United States backed war on drugs, gle into the US, but additional revenue is earned and despite their insistence that strong enforce- through kidnapping, ‘taxing’ businesses and by ment is the only policy against the drug cartels, tapping the state-owned oil pipelines. There are no it is clear both the Mexican and US governments illusions as to who is winning the war on drugs. are fighting a difficult battle. What is needed is a change in policy as corruption and violence are The cartels are succeed- continuing to tear this great country apart. At the beginning of February, 16 students aged ing most in their ability between 15 and 20 were killed in Ciudad Juárez, to corrupt officials at all but this is just another day in the city worst affected by Mexico’s aggressive war on drugs. levels. They are applying Ciudad Juárez currently has the highest murder a “plata o plomo” (silver rate on the planet - outside of an official war zone – in reality, Ciudad Juárez is a war zone. or lead) strategy to Since President Felipe Calderon declared a war on drugs in December 2006, Mexico has experi- corrupt police, army enced over 17,000 drug related deaths. That death and government toll supersedes the number that has perished in the Afghanistan conflict. officials. In other words Up to half of these deaths can be accounted for – take a bribe or take in Ciudad Juárez. Last year alone, the city was the scene of over 2,600 drug-related deaths. Murder is a bullet. Those who a daily occurrence in the city of 1.3 million inhabit- ants, as drug cartels fight each other for control of don’t comply are often the lucrative drug corridors into the United States, found dead along with all the while trying to hold off the US backed secu- rity forces. their family members - sometimes tortured, dismembered and even decapitated.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 28 14/04/2010 17:18:57 Where the cartels are succeeding most is in their This is a step in the right direction in terms of ability to corrupt officials at all levels. They are social policy, but it does little to discourage the applying a “plata o plomo” (silver or lead) strategy cartels or curb violence. The fact is Mexico does to corrupt police, army and government officials. not have a problem with drug consumption. The In other words – take a bribe or take a bullet. Those problems lie in American demand for drugs – a who don’t comply are often found dead along with demand that is unlikely to go away. their family members - sometimes tortured, dis- It is estimated 60 per cent of the Mexican car- membered and even decapitated. The drug-gangs tels’ revenues comes from US marijuana sales. often display mutilated bodies in public, sending a Considering 13 US states permit controlled use of clear message to others - comply or die. marijuana, it would not be overly radical to imple- In Mexico’s border cities, people are tired of the ment such a strategy. It is a solution that would bloodshed, fearful of the cartels and suspicious hit the drug bosses where it hurts – in their pock- of officials. The war on drugs has succeeded only ets. This would severely diminish the power of the in causing increased violence and corruption in cartels by cutting the revenue they use to corrupt Mexico. Serious consideration should be given to officials and purchase weapons. As the world turns an alternative drug policy. their head, war still rages in Mexico. The Mexican Mexico has recently addressed some of these people need their country back. taboos by de-criminalising the possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin, in a move hoped to discour- age their corrupt police force from ‘shaking down’ small- scale drug users. The move encourages the formation of drug treatment programs and makes it mandatory for third time offenders to seek treatment.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 29 14/04/2010 17:19:01 international The Price of Free Speech; Corporate Power in American Elections By David Keohane

Liberty implies the absence of arbitrary restraint, not immunity from reasonable regulations... “ ” - Charles Evans Hughes, 1937

iberty implies the absence of arbitrary The potential loss to democracy is large. “It’s restraint, not immunity from reasonable going to be the Wild Wild West,” said Ben Gins- Lregulations... berg, a Republican attorney who has represented Charles Evans Hughes, 1937 several GOP presidential campaigns. “If corpora- On Thursday the 21st of January the Supreme tions and unions can give unlimited amounts ... Court in America voted to overturn a century long it means that the public debate is significantly ban on corporations and unions using their funds changed with a lot more voices and it means that to directly influence federal election. In a bitterly the loudest voices are going to be corporations and fought 5-4 decision the Court ruled that the ban- unions.” ning of political spending by corporations in can- The potential for corporate voices to drown didate elections was unconstitutional. out the citizenry is large. The American political The decision overturned a system is already awash with special interest cash The potential loss to 2002 Campaign Reform Act and, as Democracy 21’s Fred Wertheimer, a lead- democracy is large. It’s and two previous precedents. It ing advocate of campaign financing reform noted, “ threatens similar limits imposed “the Fortune 100 companies alone had combined going to be the Wild by 24 states and has provoked revenues of $13 trillion and profits of $605 bil- condemnation from Democrats lion during the last election cycle.” If even a tiny Wild West” said Ben and large swathes of the media. percentage of this money were put towards cam- Ginsberg, a Republican President Obama’s described paigning it would dwarf the already large sums the decision as “ a major victory brought to bear by candidates presently. attorney who has repre- for big oil, Wall Street banks, So, where did this ruling come from? The health insurance companies and Supreme Court is, ostensibly, a political entity- sented several GOP the other powerful interests that since it is formed via-nomination by the president presidential campaigns. marshal their power every day and ratification by the Senate- but is meant to act in Washington to drown out the outside the realms of politics, as a check within the “If corporations and voices of everyday Americans.” American political framework. unions can give unlimit- He used his State of the Union Judges, historically, vote along ‘nomination address to call on Congress to lines’. But they do not do so out of obligation, but ed amounts ... it means impose limits on the ruling. due to the ideology which guaranteed their nomi- The decision threatens to be nation in the first place. Ideally, they should be that the public debate is the start of a new political para- impartial. In reality, they are not. significantly changed digm in America with corpora- The decision could be seen a simple result of ” tions and unions now free to aligned voting blocks within the court. There is spend money freely on advertise- some truth in this view and it is apparent that ment and propaganda. Justice the Republican Party, heading towards the mid- John Paul Stevens, who opposed term elections will be a very direct beneficiary of the decision, said the majority had committed a the ruling. Republican Party Chairman Michael grave error in treating corporate speech the same Steele praised the ruling saying that “Free speech as that of human beings. strengths our democracy.” Does America really need more partisan fund- It is, however, rare that decisions are simply a ing pumped into its electoral system? The results reflection of a courts political make-up. Supreme of such an outcome are unclear but it is probable Court decisions generally follow majoritarian that there will be a steep increase in both direct lines- the Justices base their judgements on the and indirect influence wielded. Corporate funded prevailing social mood of the nation as a whole. advertising will surely feature prominently and And according to a Gallup Poll taken soon after the could drown out necessary political voices. Ameri- decision “57% of Americans consider campaign can politics is already more theatrics than fact and donations to be a protected form of free speech, any increase in that direction would damage real and 55% say corporate and union donations democracy- informed citizens capable of making should be treated the same way under the law as informed decisions and holding their govern- donations from individuals are. At the same time, ments to account. the majority think it is more important to limit

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campaign donations than to protect this free- as an institution will be seen in political terms, speech right.” which was not the intent of the founders.” A direct Although more recent polls point to a chang- response to this political pressure can be seen in ing and more critical public viewpoint the decision Congress where lawmakers are moving to limit the could thus be construed as a backlash against big- decisions reach, including a mooted change to the government. The court wass giving large amounts constitution, curbs on foreign funding and trans- of extra influence to business and unions at a time parency of advertisement. when public sentiment was looking for an answer The Supreme Court decision to government spending power. could be of even greater impor- The Fortune 100 As such, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy defended tance when seen in the context of “ the majority decision on grounds of free speech Massachusetts Republican Scott companies alone had saying, “If the First Amendment has any force it Brown’s shock election to the prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens, Senate. Senator Brown’s election combined revenues of or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in put a severe dent in President $13 trillion and profits political speech.” He went on to say that “The gov- Obama’s hopes for a successful ernment may regulate corporate political speech passage of his promised Health- of $605 billion during through disclaimer and disclosure requirements, care reform Bill since it blew the the last election cycle. but it may not suppress that speech altogether,” 60-vote-super-majority, previ- ” What is also worrying is the increasing level ously held by the Democrats in If even a tiny percent- of political weight being brought to bear on the the Senate, apart. Republican Court. In response to President Obama’s very Mitt Romney summed up the age of this money were public rebuke of the decision during his State of Grand Old Parties delight by put towards campaign- the Union address on Wednesday night. Mr. Ver- claiming that Brown represented niero, a former justice on the New Jersey Supreme the 41st vote need to kill the ing it would dwarf the Court, was quoted in the NY Times as saying that Healthcare Bill. The Democrats “The court’s legitimacy is derived from the persua- must also have one eye on the already large sums siveness of its opinions and the expectation that looming mid-term elections and brought to bear by those opinions are rendered free of partisan, polit- the role the Supreme Court deci- ical influences”. The more that individual justices sion could come to play in that. candidates presently. are drawn into public debates, the more the court

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 31 14/04/2010 17:19:07 international President Palin? By Dave Claxton

arah Palin continues to divide opinion in She pressurised senior bosses over her ex the United States. Her past gaffes deeply brother-in-law, Mike Wooten, to fire him. Wooten Sembarrassed hard-line republicans yet her was involved in a child custody case at the time folksy appeal is effective at disarming the sceptics. involving Palin’s family. Palin denied she com- But does she possess enough qualities to challenge pelled anyone to sack Wooten, yet the investiga- the might of Barack Obama in the next election? tion concluded that Todd Palin, her husband, used Is it conceivable the woman who thought Russia her office to contact relevant people in charge of was “right next to our state” may become the next Wooten to try to have him removed. United States president in 2012? Indeed, controversy seems to stalk Palin wher- There is no figure in American politics that so ever she roams. The 46-year-old seems to contra- polarises opinion as Sarah Palin. The former vice- dict herself a lot. She told journalist Charlie Gibson presidential running mate seems to attract scorn she does not pass judgment on gay people. In real- and praise in equal measures. But ity, she opposes rights between gay spouses and what lies behind that pretty face? belongs to a church that promotes gay conversion Palin told news anchor, Are her critics correct in their therapy. During her time as governor, her church, Katie Couric, she was argument she is reckless and too the Wasilla Bible Church, promoted a conference stupid to become president? Or that promises to convert gays into heterosexu- involved in trade are her supporters right in judg- als through the power of prayer. Mind-boggling missions with Russia. ing that the media is treating her ignorance. harshly and that there is a cam- Palin told news anchor, Katie Couric, she was Again, there is no paign to tarnish her? involved in trade missions with Russia. Again, Her detractors certainly have there is no evidence to suggest she has ever met evidence to suggest plenty of ammunition to fire any Russian officials. Thanks to such flagrant abuse she has ever met any at Palin. She is gaffe-prone and of facts, less than one in four Americans view her dogged by accusations of double favourably which clearly hurts her chances of any Russian officials. Thanks standards and using her power to Whitehouse run in 2012. to such flagrant abuse gain unfair advantages. She first Palin appeals to the extreme right in American rose to national and international society with her wild-eyed claims that have little of facts, less than one prominence through being the basis in reality. She said Barrack Obama’s health- surprise choice of John McCain’s care proposals will create “death panels”. “The in four Americans running mate for the 2008 presi- America I know and love is not one in which my view her favourably dential election. Before this, parents or my baby with Down syndrome will have she was the governor of Alaska. to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ so his which clearly hurts her During her time as governor, an bureaucrats can decide, whether they are worthy chances of any White- independent investigation dis- of health care. Such a system is downright evil”, covered Palin had abused her she ranted. house run in 2012. power. With such a questionable record, she is still

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undeniably the lone star of the American She told journalist Charlie right (which is saying something). Her book, “Going Rogue”, sold more Gibson she does not pass than one million copies within two weeks of being released. Before publishing the judgment on gay people. In book, she resigned from her Alaskan reality she opposes rights governorship in 2009, a full 18 months before it was due to end. Her reasons for between gay spouses and doing so were sketchy to say the least. In belongs to a church that a rambling and sometimes baffling resig- nation speech she claimed, “only dead fish promotes gay conversion go with the flow” and that she was “doing what’s best for Alaska”, lacking any proper therapy. explanation of why she was resigning. Pailn is seen as the lightning rod by many on the right for the new “Tea Party” movement. The movement espouses less government control in day-to-day life and a reduction of the massive debt currently crippling the US. They have been linked strongly to the Republican Party, yet the move- ment fails to mention this debt was created by former president George Bush and his wars and tax breaks for the wealthy. When Bill Clinton left office the country had a strong surplus. Palin’s brand of folksy 1950s slang appeals to the hard right of America, but does such crowd- pleasing rhetoric warrant enough justice for a run in 2012? Of course not. She was found out in the election of 2008 as being inept and unknowledg- able about simple government affairs. This forced the McCain campaign to stop all inverviews with Palin for fear of her damaging their efforts. Such minimisation of access to a vice-presidential run- ning mate was previously unheard of in American politics. As with most things connected with Palin, her motivations and intentions for the role of presi- dency are not clear. With such a shady past and little understanding of important issues, she may be the perfect candidate for Obama to put to the sword.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 33 14/04/2010 17:19:14 international Bringing Down the Walls. By Lidia Okorokova

he land border between Georgia and Russia after being closed for four years is Tto be open on the 1st of March 2010. A decision to open the border was made after Moscow thought that the situation between the states may improve. Several checkpoints are to be opened soon; among them are the Upper Lars and the Verkhny Lars-Kazbegi. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on February the 25th that a frequent air service may begin soon. A privately owned company, Georgian Airways, seeks to start charter flights between Moscow and Tbilisi. The company has inquired to the Russian government to lift restrictions off the flights between the two capitals, yet there was no certain answer on when the flights may begin. Moscow and Tbilisi have had tension between one another for far too long now. It all began back in 2003, when the “Rose Revo- lution” in Georgia put Mr. Mikheil Saakashvili into power. This was the first step in breaking up the diplomatic ties between Moscow and Tbilisi. but later the international community discovered Mikheil Saakashvili with Moscow had viewed Mr. Mikheil Saakashvili as “an that the invasion was a set up by Tbilisi in order to Nicolas Sarcozy at the imposter from the West”. destabilise the situation in the Caucuses. meeting between the EU Over the course of three years in power, Mister The so-called “war” between Russia and Georgia and Georgia 2009. Saakashvili had managed to stir up the instability has caused international human rights groups and in the breakaway regions of Adjara and Abkhazia. the UN intervention into the diplomatic progress He also had the Russian Ambassador withdrawn between Moscow and Tbilisi. from Georgia after the embassy’s diplomats were French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German announced “persona non-grata” (people who are chancellor Angela Merkel were the only world not welcome) by Tbilisi’s officials. leaders to “call an end to the hostility” during the Moreover, Moscow closed the border between armed conflict. Then President George W. Bush the two countries in 2006, which put major restric- “ordered” Moscow to stop the invasion and back tions on trade and travel for Georgian citizens. off. Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov argued Moscow did not give up on their goal, which was that “we have never stopped contacts between to help people from South Ossetia and confront men of arts and culture, between clergymen. We Georgian troops backed up by the US. Even though have no doubts the centuries-long ties between the Russian army has had the worst casualties and the Russian and Georgian peoples are strong losses since Afghanistan, Moscow announced the enough to outlive any political moths blown into Victory and pulled out its troops after almost over this land by foreign winds” he told Itar-Tass. a week of the “invasion”. Georgia has provided the Russian market not From September 2008 until December 2009, only with with the finest wines and fruits, flowers Moscow and Georgia have had talks concerning all and food, but also with the well-celebrated actors, the breakaway regions and, especially, South Osse- singers, TV presenters and sculptors. Tamara tia. These diplomatic meetings and talks have been Gverdcitelli - a pop-singer who sang on the Red forced by the UN and international community. Square at the 60th anniversary of the Victory Day In December 2009, Moscow announces the pos- in front of presidents and other guests of honour sibility of opening the border with Georgia. and Zurab Tseretelli – famous Georgian sculptor, A Georgian deputy foreign minister Nino whose works can be seen in Moscow, Tbilisi and Kalandadze told RIA-Novosti that “the parties New York, Paris and Seville are both Georgian held yet another meeting with Swiss mediation … natives. Russian modern culture is nothing with- The good talks resulted in the decision to reopen out these names, as it has been for centuries. [the Kazbegi-Verkhny Lars checkpoint].” The thaw in the relations between Moscow and The anticipation of such decision is clearly high Tbilisi began after the military conflict of 2008. for both countries. Having no diplomatic ties any- The South Ossetia region was thought to be more, they are yet to commence trade and travel invaded by the Russian troops in august 2008, services between one another.

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Saving Greece By Oscar Long

To those not in favor he predicament Greece has government), it may seem that saving Greece is found itself in, has to come like putting a band aid on cancer. If Europe is set of bailing Greece out as a bit of a relief to the Irish to mop after them, this will make Greek govern- (70% of the German government.T I imagine when Biffo ment more likely to overspend and financial insti- watches the footage of mass protests tutions to take much greater risks. population whose in Athens that he felt in some way The Euro single currency may be the problem. similar to how John Terry must have When a country finds itself in a banking crisis like savings will be used felt when those naked pictures of Ireland did or has borrowed too much like Greece, to cover Greece‘s Ashley Cole surfaced in the tabloids. their own sovereign currency may lose value and That the world’s attention is pointed it can help foreigners to buy government’s bonds spendthrift govern- somewhere else if even for only a from that country cheaper. ment), it may seem short while. In return, the country gets out of whatever The strikes in Greece which have crisis it may be in. But looking at Ireland and that saving Greece is seen everything shut down from post Greece, the Euro zone’s countries, they hav no offices to airports and schools to ship- option to devalue the currency because it is con- like putting a band yards are, in response to the austerity trolled by the European Central Bank. It may make aid on cancer. programme, which is to be put in place sense for at least one or two of the PIIGS (Portu- to combat Greece’s massive debt. gal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain) to leave the Euro Last year Greece’s economy con- so it can get their country back in order. The rais- tracted by 2% which was below the ing and lowering of interest rates to suit Germany average (Ireland’s economy contracted or France is not really beneficial at all to the PIIGS by 7.25%). Their unemployment figures are a lot whose economic situation is the opposite. Britain better than Irish, which makes it all more astound- and Sweden still haven’t joined the single currency ing that Greece after suffering barely a ripple in the so it’s not that crazy that other countries may look global recession should find its debt to be 124% of for stabilization of their own country’s woes in their GDP (Ireland’s is at 46%). this manner. The socialist government that is in power in The Greeks have a phrase: pathei mathos, which Greece is in a tricky situation because they were means learning by suffering. This is what the rest elected on the pretence that they would be able to of Europe expects from Greece as a condition of find the money to get out of the mess the coun- their guarantee. There will be tax rises on fuel, Police take on protesters try is in without raising taxes and making cuts to property alcohol and tobacco. There will be a freeze during the recent Greece public spending. on public sector pay and the retirement age will riots. There was meeting in Brus- have to rise from 61 to 63(this last measure must sels in February where EU lead- sicken the Germans as their retirement age is 65 ers discussed Greece amongst with talk of it being raised to 67). The Greeks are other things. It was decided not taking this sitting down, they are out if force that Europe (most importantly fight protesting about it, clashing with police. Germany as they have all the A lot of Greeks blame parasite financial institu- money) would not let Greece tions for getting them into this mess. Greece also default on its loans. The main has a serious tax evasion problem with over half reason for this is fear that if of the working population claiming an income of Greece, being the proverbial less than 12,000 euro, which is the tax threshold. canary, defaulted on its debt Like in Ireland, it is often the most vulnerable in it would damage the euro and society who are expected to cough up when times then Spain, Portugal and Ireland are tough. When it became apparent how serious and pretty much the whole Euro the problems facing Ireland were, Brian Lenihan zone would cave in. So for now, rather than trouble the banks and property devel- with cautious backing from Ger- opers who you could say hold the lions share of many and other EU countries responsibility for the situation, decided that it the Greek ship has steadied and would be a good start to scrap the medical card for investors can buy Greek bonds OAP’s. Just like the Greeks are doing now, the over safe, knowing that Germany 65’s were out in force and Lenihan decided that guarantees their return. maybe it wasn’t that smart to piss off the demo- To those not in favour graphic that is most inclined to vote in elections. of bailing Greece out (70% There is a lot of corruption in Greece and many of the German population quite rightly feel aggrieved that they are picking whose savings will be used up the tab for the reckless self serving actions of a to cover Greece‘s spendthrift few. It all sounds very familiar.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 35 14/04/2010 17:19:21 international Where is Iran’s dissenting voice? By Hugh Hick

ebruary 11th was an important date for While it’s natural that a media which has been Iran in more ways than one. It marked taught to demonise the Ayatollah’s Government Fthe 31st anniversary of the revolution for the past several years would take this angle, it which propelled the nation from an increasingly does raise the question: where is this dissenting westernised state into a fundamentalist theoc- voice? Broken down by beatings by the revolution- racy under Ayatollah Khomeini. It also marked the ary guard? Or is it the case, as it seems to be the shock (or inevitable, depending on who you speak case in many of these regimes, that they’ve just to) announcement that Iran had produced its first learned to live with their lack of freedom? stock of 20 percent enriched uranium, making it a It’s a phenomenon that perplexed the western nuclear state. world back in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq. Unsurprisingly, the anniversary wasn’t nota- After months of the media pontificating about the ble so much for its displays of patriotism and civil abhorrent civil rights abuses of Saddam Hussein’s pride as it was for the numerous demonstrations government, the American-led invasion forces that took place as little as 1 km away from where expected to be greeted with jubilation and grati- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was making his tude. Instead, for the most part, they were met address. with stones being hurled in their direction (if they Indeed, instead of the day being seen as a sign were lucky). of Iran’s raising strength, as the Iranian govern- Of course, this is a point that the media of the ment no doubt had hoped, the western media time were, on the whole, anxious to whitewash instead used the opportunity to focus on the dis- over. After all, how could they expect their reader- content that has been brewing since the contro- ship to come to terms with the fact that the Iraqi versial presidential election last year. people didn’t want their “freedom”? The sheer What is most surprising about these protests, ingratitude of it all would surely have been enough however, was the sheer lack of them. While many to turn stomachs! western (particularly American, it must be said) Instead, we were treated to the same image of newspapers ran headlines about various clashes Saddam Hussein’s statue being torn down being between opposition protestors and security re-used ad infinitum. The reasoning given for this forces, a careful examination reveals that in fact, was that it was somehow symbolic of the toppling what few demonstrations there were occurred on of an evil regime. In fact the opposite was true: a very small and isolated scale. it was the one image they could use that didn’t

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 36 14/04/2010 17:19:23 international

No nuclear superpower really wants to bring up the issue when it comes to applying sanctions, as every time they do they’re forced into the embarrassing position of having to explain why they’re allowed to possess nuclear weapons and no one else is .

portray the true situation. To many Iraqis, the US I’m not denying for one moment that there are forces weren’t liberators, they were an invasion human rights abuses in Iran. I’m not denying that force. the presidential election last year left something The same situation appears to be occurring to be desired in the transparency department. I’m in Iran. I find it a strange coincidence that Iran’s not even denying the possibility that the Iranian human rights record appears to be getting worse people are deeply dissatisfied with their regime. with every step it takes toward nuclear independ- But this doesn’t negate the fact that the media ence. Then again, no nuclear superpower really focusing on public displays of outrage that aren’t wants to bring up the issue when it comes to apply- there to further an internationalist agenda isn’t ing sanctions, as every time they do they’re forced going to help things. Turns out Allende wasn’t back into the embarrassing position of having to such a bad guy either… explain why they’re allowed to possess nuclear They say that two weeks is an eternity in poli- weapons and no one else is (except Israel, oops). tics. Well thirty one years on, the Iranian revolu- It’s much easier instead to focus on human tion is already looking as though it’s on course to rights abuses. Everyone likes human rights abuses outlast the neoliberal one. Come 2041, I wonder as an issue. It’s sexy. It’s personable. It can be used who will truly be celebrating. to justify almost anything on the grounds that, well, no sort of intervention could possibly make matters any worse. Although, no one seems to point out the inherent contradiction in improv- ing human rights conditions by further violating them with sanctions. How odd…

Fusion Magazine 37

Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 37 14/04/2010 17:19:29 international Death of a Football Fan

By Colm Gorey

spectator, who was hit violently over In comparison with the coverage of football the head by a rubbish bin thrown by a hooliganism in the late 1970s and ‘80s, the dif- Afellow supporter during an English Pre- ference is vast. Football hooliganism dominated mier League match between Blackburn Rovers and the front and back pages as a result of two major Stoke City, died in hospital a number of weeks ago. incidents involving casualties in football grounds. Because of Britain’s long-standing reputa- In 1989, 96 people died in a game at Hillsborough tion as one of the main sources of football hoo- Stadium between Sheffield Wednesday and Liver- liganism in Europe, one would expect to find the pool, after a part of the stadium collapsed from story reported in the sensationalist description over-crowding. The following day, the newspapers of ‘a return to the bad days’. However, apart from and the government stepped in to solve the major a brief mention on Sky Sports News and other problems in British football. major sources of news, the story seems to have Margaret Thatcher, UK Prime Minister made completely disappeared from media attention. In a high-profile public call for the country’s football fact, it never appeared on the Sky Sports’ website. hooligans to be given ‘stiff” prison sentences to act A further search online showed that the UK as a deterrent to others, in a bid to clamp down on tabloids had very brief reports, even by their hooliganism. Her minister for sport, Colin Moyni- standards. han, attempted to bring in an ID card scheme for So why have the media been silent over some- football supporters. Other regulations that were thing that raises serious security concerns for brought in by the Taylor Report regulated British football fans? To understand, one must look at the football to what we know today with all-seated history of hooliganism in England and why the stadiums, tighter security and improved stadium English media might be imposing self-censorship design for better entry and exit in an emergency. to protect the English games reputation. By the time the Premier League was established, with BSkyB’s backing, in 1992, it was believed that most of the problems with fans in English football were over. Because of Britain’s Now TV companies such as Sky, in a rather jingoistic fashion, describe the English Premier long-standing reputa- League as ‘the best in the world’ with the players and stadiums to match. Yet far away from the TV tion as the main source cameras trouble continues. Not on the same scale of football hooliganism as the ‘70s and ‘80s, but still a level of hooligan- ism, racism and public disorder that largely goes in Europe, I expected to unreported. High profile players and officials have find the story reported received death threats, as well as the death of a safety steward in 2004 between clashing fans of in the sensational- Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers. But if one is to believe the English media, the ist description of a threat of hooliganism has been almost eradicated return to the bad days. from the Premier League, with more police control and better designed stadiums to prevent it. This is However, apart from a far from the truth. brief mention on Sky The latest death raises questions as to why the English media go from sensationalising hoo- Sports News and other liganism to not covering it at all. One theory is that financial interests involved in the game do major sources of news, not want to return to discussions of hooligan- the story seems to ism because a troubled game would not be sell- able abroad. Serie A, the top Italian league has have completely disap- seen its marketability plummet, with coverage of peared from the media’s politically motivated hooligan sects (or ‘Ultras’) attacking both Italian and foreign fans regardless. attention. And so the league is now ever-increasing its debt as TV money from profitable markets like Asia is now moving to the English Premier League. With

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 38 14/04/2010 17:19:31 international

TV companies like Sky pumping billions into the story had this happened in South Africa, hosts of Gary Oldman portraying English game, this latest death, in their view one this summer’s World Cup, was heavily criticised, to Clive ‘Bex’ in the power- would imagine, would be best left alone. the point of his query being hidden from viewing. ful television drama The Another theory involves a bid to host the 2018 Worryingly, this trend might become common- Firm in 1988. The film is famous for its gritty por- World Cup. This follows on from how the English place in other European countries hoping to hide trayal of the violence of Football Association would like to be seen by the their own violent groups. When the world casts rival ‘firms’ during the governing body, FIFA, as a trouble free place to its eyes on South Africa this year, will it be open height of football hooli- go. Therefore, a death would not improve their about its crime problems? Or will it pretend it ganism in England. chances. doesn’t exist? We will have to wait and see. What is probably the most worrying angle to take on this story is the obvious self-censorship taken by the English media with regard to the Another theory involves death. While it is safe to say the modern top-flight game is more about money than the game itself, a bid to host the 2018 when deaths are being ignored one would think World Cup. This follows discussion should be had. But this is not to say that the media has an on from how the agenda to deliberately ignore the story. However, English FA wants to be it begs the question why this story barely made the news, when a footballer’s love life becomes centre seen by the governing stage. Self-censorship seems also to apply to the body, FIFA, as a trouble general public who feel a sense of pride in their free place to go. There- national league. On one particular message board, where comments can be ‘liked’ or ‘disliked’ fore, a death would not by the readers, the death was given a relatively appear too kindly to small piece. However, it contained hundreds of responses from readers, offering their condo- their chances. lences to the man and his family. One man who questioned how the media would have treated the

Fusion Magazine 39

Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 39 14/04/2010 17:19:33 international Boy Soldiers By Kevin McLay

he average fourteen year old boy in bombings and war related actions. The absence of Dublin is worried which way he should education and other opportunities children resort Tspike his hair, what roll he’ll be having for to find shelter and food through militias. Children lunch and what girl he’ll be daydreaming about in turned combatants are provided for and believe history class. In some places in Afghanistan, that’s in an honourable existence. Three decades of war the last thing on a teenage boy’s mind while he is in Afghanistan has wiped out an entire genera- locking and loading an AK-47. The use of children tion and prevented the country to have any type as soldiers is in existence in Afghanistan, though of normalcy in society for many years to come. the government and the Taleban deny the use The life of war has infiltrated the human psyche in of children in the military there is an estimated Afghanistan and the children are taking the hard- 8,000 children between the ages of fourteen and est hit. eighteen in Afghanistan alone, involved in some Although most child soldiers live in Africa, child type of military role. soldiers can be found in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, This is not uncommon in hostile regions plac- parts of the Middle-East such as Israel/Palestinian ing children in a situation of conflict initiated by territories and Iraq and in Latin-America. 2 mil- government forces, government-backed paramili- lion children have died during armed conflicts in tary groups, militias or self-defence units. In our the past ten years; that is about 500 children killed world today there are more than 500,000 children each day. associated with armed conflicts. Over 300,000 of these children (between the ages of 14 and 18) are actively fighting as soldiers with government mili- tary forces, armed opposition militias and insur- Though the government gent groups. Some child soldiers over the age of fifteen and the Taleban deny receive basic weapons training and are trained in the use of children in basic combat techniques able for the battlefield in Afghanistan. Many are employed for domestic the military there is an functions, serving in odd jobs such as cleaners, estimated 8,000 children cooks or personal attendants to officers and higher ranked soldiers. There have been cases of children between the ages of (as young as 9 years of age) partaking in some type of espionage action. The sad truth is that there are fourteen and eighteen many accounts of the younger soldiers function- in Afghanistan alone, ing as sex slaves. The Taleban released a video of a 12-year-old involved in some type of boy beheading a Pakistani man accused of spying military role. in 2007. Journalists asked a Taleban official why they used a boy and he replied, “We want to tell the non-Muslims that our youngsters are also Mujahideens [holy warriors] and fight with us against you.... These youngsters will be our Holy War commanders in the future and continue the jihad for freedom. Islam allows boys and women to do jihad against occupy- ing non-Muslim troops and their spies and puppets.”Up until 2003 the recruitment age in Afghanistan was 22 to 28, it is now 18. There has been evidence of the enlistment of boys under the age of 18 by the ANA and many unconfirmed reports of under-18s falsi- fying identification records. There have been reports by the Afghan National Police that ill- equipped and under-trained ANP were used to tackle insurgency inappropriately.The lack of infrastructure, health services, sanitation, proper schools and safety, drive children to the only available option. Many of these are orphaned or have lost their families due to

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 40 14/04/2010 17:19:38 Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 41 14/04/2010 17:19:44 climate This is what democracy looks like By Maria Brundin

he 15th UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen (also called COP15) was Ta milestone in our time they said. It was supposedly vital for the survival of our future gen- erations. On the first day of the summit 56 news- papers in 45 different countries worldwide came together and published a common editorial saying “Fourteen days to seal history’s judgement on this generation”. So, what is the verdict? Failure. In the Bella Centre, heads of state and their representatives gathered, alongside lobbyists from major companies, to develop a treaty designed to stop the causes and effects of climate change. Outside the centre there were indigenous peoples’ organisations, climate activists and civil society organisations, all pleading for a fair and construc- tive treaty. Meanwhile, the media was running around like a hungry dog, waiting for his master to give out the leftovers from Outside the centre dinner. To most people the failure to there were indigenous agree on a treaty was no surprise. peoples’ organisations, Global agreements have a history of being unproductive. During climate activists and civil the course of the first week and society organisations, a half the representatives agreed that they could not agree and all pleading for a fair were split into two camps. The developed world wanted a treaty and constructive treaty. focusing on emission cuts and investments in new technology. ABOVE: Demonstra- Meanwhile, the media In contrast, the developing world tors outside Parliament was running around like square last December. demanded that the US and EU BELOW: Business as a hungry dog, waiting for take responsibility for their roles usual-banner during as being historically the largest United Nations Climate his master to give out the emitters and make sure the treaty Change Conference in wouldn’t stand in their way of Copenhagan leftovers from dinner. improving the standard of living in their emerging economies. The Peoples’ Climate Summit, a separate summit for citizens, activists and organisations ran alongside the official conference and offered alternative and more radical solutions to climate change. In their declaration they stated “System change, not climate change” and demand a just and sustainable transition to a non-fossil fuel society, rejection of purely market-oriented and technology-centred solutions and emphasise the importance of local control over natural resources and decentralised democracy. The alternative summit held seminars and debates everyday and became the base for civil

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 42 14/04/2010 17:19:58 climate

protests arranged during the two week long con- riot started between the police and the demon- ference. The two key demonstrations the “System strators. After 10-20 minuets the police managed Change Not Climate Change” on the 12th Decem- to press back the demonstrators and surround ber and the final one “Reclaim Power!” on the 16th them on a near by street. December got the media’s heads turning for two The police have received harsh criticism for reasons. their actions during COP15. They were accused of Firstly, a vast number of people participated excessive use of teargas, violent behaviour against and showed their commitment to achieving a detainees and of reckless handling of police dogs. sustainable and environmentally friendly world. Demonstrators were restrained and left to sit on During the “System Change Not Climate Change” the pavement for several hours in temperatures demonstration, roughly 100,000 people from below zero; while some urinated on themselves international NGOs and workers unions, as well after being denied to use the toilets. as, politicians, celebrities and citizens gathered at “Is this what democracy looks like?” is a com- the Parliament square in central Copenhagen and monly used catchphrase in demonstrations, and in walked 50 minuets in the bitter cold to the Bella the case of COP15, it is a legitimate question. Centre. During the “Reclaim Power!” demonstration Secondly, violence erupted between police and the Danish police took advantage of the newly leg- demonstrators during the conference. islated law and stopped the march before it could During the “Reclaim Power!” march demonstra- reach its final destination. The pre-emptive law tors aimed to make their way to the official summit was approved by the Danish government 12 days in the Bella centre. Outside the centre, delegates before the start of COP15. It allowed the police from the conference were to meet them in protest to arrest and detain people “whom they suspect against the lack of commitment and inability to might break the law”. More than 1000 people reach an agreement. where detained in warehouses used as temporary Throughout the march the demonstrators were detention halls, infamously known as Guantá- surrounded by police and police vans on each side namo Junior. of the road. A dispute started as the police gave Overall, the conference was another failed the demonstrators less and less room to walk on. attempt to reach a binding international agree- Demonstrators against However, the march continued up until the bridge ment. The climate change issues were again nuclear energy during crossing over to the Bella Centre. pushed down the political agenda as the heads of last Decembers United According to the Danish Police’s spokesman state went home in their comfortable, polluting Nations Climate “we [the police] could no longer control the dem- airplanes. Change Conference in onstrators and so decided to stop the march.” A This is, apparently, what democracy looks like. Copenhagan.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 43 14/04/2010 17:20:07 climate Engulfing the Irish Coast By Shane Quinn

owns and cities around Irish coasts could to climb. Winter rain will increase and intensify be in great danger as ocean levels con- while summers will become hotter and drier. Ttinue to rise due to global warming. Dr Dr Sweeney, offering a different opinion, says: John Sweeney, of National University of Ireland “The natural trend is actually for global cooling. Maynooth (NUIM) says, “there is a stark possibil- But, the opposite is occurring, and there is only ity that in the foreseeable future rising sea levels one explanation - we are to blame.” That destroys could engulf vulnerable coastal towns or cities a theory that the “flat-earthists” have been flaunt- which have grown further seaward on reclaimed ing - that global warming is occurring naturally. land.” Irish temperatures have climbed an aver- He believes that by 2050 winter temperatures age 1.2 Celsius since 1980 and that figure is rising. will have “ risen an average of another 1.5 Celsius” “There is a desperate need to improve coastal here. Some may not see that as a bad thing but one defences, particularly in relation to storm surges,” weather pattern tends to replace another. he says. He says that by mid-century we can expect to That is not the only crisis we face. North America see rainfall increases in Ireland “of over 11 per has witnessed a 25 per cent increase in hurricanes cent”. and tropical storms in the past five years. Envi- “This rise could prove disastrous to Irish agri- ronmental experts believe global warming is cul- culture”. Crops could become “waterlogged” with pable and fear that Northern Europe could experi- new pests and diseases evolving as a result. ence such weather soon. “Hurricanes and tropical In addition, Ireland’s towns would be under risk storms require sea temperatures of 26 Celsius to of serious flooding. Summer temperatures will develop,” says Dr Sweeney. While he confessed it have climbed by 2.5 Celsius with rainfall declin- would be unlikely that Irish waters will experience ing greatly and droughts possibly lasting weeks. such a temperature rise early this century, “it is One of the biggest controversies regarding global quite possible it will reach that height in the latter warming to date is the alleged damage developed part and early into next century”. The idea of Ire- countries have inflicted on third-world nations. land witnessing hurricanes could become a fright- It is an allegation that first world countries seem ening reality. reluctant to rectify. Dr Sweeney says that devel- Research scientist, Dr Laura McElwain, also oping countries must bear a huge burden when of NUIM takes an even more drastic view on the tackling climate change. “The developed countries effect climate change will have on Ireland. caused the initial damage here, and the third- Dr McElwain says that: “Ireland is warming up world states just haven’t got the resources to twice as fast as the rest of the world.” tackle the problem.” She believes, “climate change has the potential Another catastrophe threatens to destroy both to change the face of Ireland and to transform its the North (Arctic) and South Poles (Antarctica). environment. Changes in temperature, rainfall Huge amounts of ice are melting annually and and storm patterns can subtly yet irrevocably alter local wildlife could soon die out. “In the North Pole the Irish way of life.” it is probable that by mid-century more than half She warns us to expect “wetter, milder winters, the summer ice will have disappeared,” says Dr and drier, hotter summers”. This Sweeney. He said that the situation in the South could cause serious flooding and Pole was “less clear” but he wouldn’t hold out North America has water pollution. “much hope”. He also believes that polar bears and She says, “the rate of global penguins face “certain extinction” as their habitats witnessed a 25 per cent warming is rapidly accelerating” melt away. increase in hurricanes and confirmed that “people and Arctic shrinkage has caused a huge increase not nature are responsible”. in polar bear cub death rates. The National Geo- and tropical storms The effects of global warming graphic news states that in the past 50 years in the past five years. are already apparent in Ireland. emperor penguin populations have fallen by 50 In the midlands, where it is cold- per cent. It says the main reason for this is the Environmental experts est, frost occurrences have halved sharp decline in fish - its primary diet, due to cli- in the last twenty years. Frost mate change. Only until the human race removes believe global warming could even disappear altogether its bad habits and treats the planet differently, can is culpable and fear as average temperatures continue we then enjoy a brighter future. that Northern Europe could experience such weather soon.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 44 14/04/2010 17:20:07 science & technology The Concern for CERN By Oscar Finn

ERN, the European Organization the universe. for Nuclear Research, is one of the In September 2008, the collider ran for only a “Cworld’s largest and most respected few days before it had to be shut down for major centres for scientific research. Its business is fun- repairs. In November 2009, the 17-mile loop deep damental physics, finding out what the Universe beneath the Swiss Alps was restarted and scien- is made of and how it works. At CERN, the world’s tists recorded collisions at the highest energy largest and most complex scientific instruments levels humans had yet achieved. It was then shut are used to study the basic constituents of matter down for winter. — the fundamental particles. By studying what On Feb. 15 2010, the collider started up again. happens when these particles collide, physicists Soon, it will start producing scientific data for the learn about the laws of Nature.” – CERN’s official first time. This year, the plan is to ramp up the col- website. lider to unprecedented levels of speed in order to The instruments used at CERN are particle test traditional physics theories. If all goes well, accelerators and detectors. Accelerators boost scientists expects the LHC to run at full energy – beams of particles to high energies before they are accelerating particles to nearly the speed of light made to collide with each other or with stationary – in 2011. targets. Detectors observe and record the results The LHC’s mission is to probe matter at energy of these collisions. levels thought to have existed just after the big Founded in 1954, the CERN Laboratory sits bang some 13.8 billion years ago. At LHC energies, astride the Franco–Swiss border near Geneva. It the universe was only a 10-billionth of a second old was one of Europe’s first joint ventures and now and unimaginably hot. The collider aims to create has 20 Member States. these energies by accelerating two beams of pro- The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) provided first tons in opposite directions to 99.9 percent of the collisions in late November 2009, after about 20 speed of light. Researchers then steer the beams years of extremely challenging design and con- into head-on collisions. Detectors track the debris struction work for both the accelerator and the the collisions generate. High-powered supercom- experiments. About three weeks later, protons puters pick through the debris trails in hopes of were accelerated for the first time in the LHC itself spotting the signature of the hypothesized parti- to an energy of 1.18 TeV/beam, the highest energy cle that imparts mass to matter, the Higgs Boson. yet attained in accelerators. Around one hundred They will also look for particles that make up so- thousand collisions were recorded by the four LHC called dark matter (the vast majority of matter in experiments at this energy. the universe), and particles that may hint at the CERN was criticized for cost overruns during presence of other dimensions beyond the four we the construction of its crown jewel, the $4.5 bil- can sense. lion LHC. Since its completion, technical delays “Dark matter” was given its name because The Large Hadron Collider have prevented the LHC from doing what it was it rarely interacts with ordinary matter. Learn- (LHC); the world’s largest designed to do: create high-energy collisions ing more about it may open the door to more and highest-energy par- among tiny particles to help physicists answer mysteries. ticle accelerator. some of the deepest remaining mysteries about

Fusion Magazine 45

Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 45 14/04/2010 17:20:17 science & technology Does the iPad touch all the right

buttons for the iFamily? By Nicola Byrne

o lets get the jokes out of the way. The Quips aside, the iPad is essentially a large and iPad sounds like a feminine hygiene prod- inconvenient iPhone, physically speaking. A sure Suct. Yes, you can wear white jeans while winner to be the most frequently damaged object using the iPad, and yes, you need some kind of an in recent history. At least with a laptop or PC you alternative tablet if you want to go swimming. just scream and slam the screen in helpless frus- It’s the first thing that popped into most peo- tration when something goes wrong. The iPad ples’ thoughts as soon as Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, enables you to put your aggravation into action by muttered the word. Therefore, it’s beyond me how chucking the thing through a wall with minimum this name was let pass. Presumably, a bunch of effort. obliviously-mature male executives all came to a A lot like life, we struggle to find meaning in mutual decision in the board-room of masculinity the iPad. The pecking order is the PC, then laptop, and sincerity. net-book, smart phone, mobile phone and er, elec- It’s rumoured that ‘iSlate’ was the first choice of tronic organisers. But how do we begin to fill the name for the new Apple tablet, which was unveiled gaps between these? by Steve Jobs last month. However, iSlate was Steve Jobs has the answer. During a press con- already registered, spawning endless parodies and ference in San Francisco, Jobs presented the 9.7- jokes at the expense of the alternative; ‘iPad’. But inch tablet computer, complete with multi-touch Jobs isn’t bothered, stating that “they made fun of display, 1-GHz speed and up to 64GB of memory. iPod name when it came out. What matters is the It weighs a mere 1.5 pounds and is only 0.5 inches product and what it means to consumers.” thick. The iPad will only run software purchased In response, one particularly witty headline through Apple’s App Store just like the iPhone and read; ‘Apple’s iPad absorbs web’s wisecracks.’ iTouch before it, but will also come with Safari, a

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 46 14/04/2010 17:20:19 science & technology

This could be the game new mail system, photos, video, Students with particularly book-heavy courses App Store, YouTube, iPod, iTunes, could benefit greatly from investing in an iPad if it changer; iBooks. Could maps, calendar and other produc- meant lower prices and less weight to lug around tivity tools. campus. Add colourful graphs, charts, audio, and we be witnessing the I say video, presuming you even interactive media demonstrations and there’s iTune-ification of the are all aware that as of yet, the no excuse for those August repeats at all. Irish iTunes store only has audio But what could this mean for journalism? Can it publishing industry? downloads and music videos. No revive this sickly sector? Maybe not today, maybe Perhaps. The iBook- movies or television series are not tomorrow, but there’s hope yet. The appeal is available in the Irish store due to obvious. It’s small enough to be discreet, while store will be the latest licensing rights for content. Strike large enough to prevent straining your eyes to see one, within the Irish market. It it. Colour photographs and video playback all add domestic app for the will be interesting to see how it is to the appeal, truly meshing and embracing new iFamily. marketed to the Irish consumers, media with the remnants of print. The iPad gives considering Apple are claiming to us a foundation to begin re-imagining the daily ‘revolutionise’ how we consume periodical for successful integration with new visual media. media. But this could be the game changer; iBooks. Martin Nisenholtz, SVP of Digital Operations Could we be witnessing the iTune-ification of the at the New York Times joined Jobs on stage for his publishing industry? Perhaps. The iBookstore iPad introduction. Using the recently developed will be the latest domestic app for the iFamily. At New York Times app, Nisenholtz demonstrated launch, five book publishers will have publications the device’s ability to realistically recreate the look on iBooks, including Penguin, Simon and Schus- and feel of the newspaper as we know it. Links and ter, HarperCollins, Macmillian and Hachette. videos are effortlessly integrated into newsprint, So? Whatever. I have my Kindle. Unlike the providing a multi-platform media experience. Kindle, iPad users can download books in full Nisenholtz stated that the display “captures the colour (no more rancid gray) and read them on essence of a newspaper,” but enhances it for “the realistic ‘e-paper’ pages that are easily navigated next generation of digital journalism.” and manipulated. The font-face and size can be Many bloggers and tech-journalists have criti- changed to your preference and the pages can be cised the iPad for not having a camera, a USB turned with a simple drag on the screen. port or the ability to multi-task. But despite the The iBooks interface is even a rustic book-shelf, techies voicing their dismay in unison, the chances so you won’t feel as though your literary experi- are that your average joe is not going to be too ence is anything less than authentic. It’s hard to bothered about what it can’t do; but embrace it see how Amazon’s Kindle is going to retaliate and for what it can do. It also looks quite cool, that’s remain competitive. always a winner. Anyway, do we really need yet Steve Jobs says “The iBooks app is a great new another camera? Most potential iPad customers way to read and buy books. Just download the app will no doubt already own digital-cameras and for free from the App Store, and you’ll be able to mobile-phones with cameras. It seems that in the buy everything from classics to bestsellers from past decade, when thinking of how to improve the built-in iBookstore. Once you’ve bought a something, the ultimate conclusion seems to be book, it’s displayed on your Bookshelf. To read “ah sure throw a camera on it there.” it, all you have to do is tap on it and it opens up. But will the iPad work, or is the criticism just? I The high-resolution, LED-backlit screen displays would be of the opinion that it will be a long time everything in sharp, rich, colour, so it’s very easy before digital publishing reaches sufficient capa- to read, even in low light.” bilities in providing comfort and ‘physical copy’ The iPad could also be huge in terms of col- replica for readers. The iPad, however, seems to lege text books. Educational publishers such as be an exciting start to the revitalisation of the McGraw-Hill, Pearson and Kaplan have already publishing and print media industries. And again, struck deals with iPhone touch developers Scroll- you’ll look cool. Motion Inc. to build applications for the iPad. App Prices for the iPad are set to range from $499 features include bonus test preparation, study to $829, with a U.S. release date in April. Plenty guides and new types of classroom instructional of time for them to test the waters for us before it materials. hits Irish markets.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 47 14/04/2010 17:20:20 A Backpacker’s Guide to Colombia By Seán Gildea

f there is one country to sum up Latin above sea level. Just make sure it’s a clear day as America, it is Colombia. Rich in history my visit was largely disappointing due to a thick Iand culture, Colombia is a country that can fog. boast both Pacific and Caribbean coastlines scat- tered with tropical beaches as well as large cities Medellín with bustling night-life, small colonial towns and If you are traveling in Colombia, time should be plenty more in between. made to visit Medellín, if not only to witness its On top of that, Colombia remains one of the colourful nightlife. There are many hostels located cheaper countries in South America, making it a near Medellín’s Zona Rosa, which is home to many backpackers dream. of the city’s bars and clubs. Worth checking out Whether you are looking for a quiet trek in the are the number of large-scale themed niteclubs country, a culture fuelled city break or somewhere located outside of the city-centre which are acces- to relax on an empty tropical beach, Colombia has sible by taxi. it all. One that comes to mind is Mango’s. Although quite expensive and tacky, if you are ever looking Bogotá to see cowboy midgets get into a boxing ring with Bogotá is a culture-rich capital packed with art over-sized gloves and knock lumps out of each galleries & museums, bars & restaurants; and any- other, this is your place. I need say no more. thing else you could want from a city of 8 million December is a great time to visit Medellín as people. one gets to see how seriously Colombians take At the heart of the old-city you have La Can- their Christmas decorating - and in Medellín, it daleria. This is Bogotá central, where you will is very serious. Every year, the river in Medellín find yourself surrounded by large plazas, cobble- is decorated with kilometres of Christmas lights stone streets, grand-government buildings and an and decorations, drawing huge crowds in the eve- array of museums & churches. Although shabby nings. On the river banks you will find street stalls in parts, Bogotá’s centre is a beautifully preserved and performers reminding even the most jaded of colonial area with much to offer including the backpacker’s that Christmas is coming. Museo del Oro (Gold Museum), which displays a huge collection of gold artifacts from pre-colum- bian times. Cartagena Nightlife in Bogotá is confined to the Zona Rosa Just 12 hours on a bus north of Medellin is the in the north of the city. The area is jam-packed beautiful walled city of Cartagena. Built on north- with bars and nightclubs as well as up-market ern Colombia’s Caribbean coast, Cartagena has cafes, restaurants and shops. the feel of an old colonial pirate town with its old- For panoramic views of the city, a cable car up city walls, colourful cobbled streets and palm-tree to Monserrate is a must. The mountain overlooks lined coast. the whole city from an altitude of over 10,000ft Cartagena, like Bogotá, can be divided by its

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 48 14/04/2010 17:20:28 The scenic view from ‘Tayrona National Park’ in Colombia.

“old-city” and “new-city”, however this cannot be the place. The town has little in it apart from the more clearly defined than in Cartagena, as the old beach and a select number of bars, restaurants and city is entirely nestled within its spectacular forti- hotels; but for those looking to get their diving fied walls. PADI (the world recognised certificate that allows Looking out into Colombia’s Caribbean coast you to scuba-dive), Taganga might be the perfect is the Castillo de San Felipe, the largest fortress place due to its cheap diving schools and lack of built by the Spanish in Latin America. It is indeed distractions. impressive and along with the old city walls, it is a Taganga is a great place to base yourself if you UNESCO World Heritage site. plan on visiting Tayrona National Park. The vast If in Cartagena, I would recommend staying amount of beaches alone in Tayrona will wow the close to the old city as there is little to be seen out- average person, but the park itself is located in a side of it. jungle with many trails where one can spot count- The Bocagrande beach is to be avoided at less species of birds and animals. all costs! Especially if you are a pasty white Just a quick boat ride away from Taganga, the gringo Irishman. In the fifteen minutes I spent beaches of Tayrona are spectacular. Many of them there, I was charged to use a deck chair, and was have a desert island feel to them, with coconuts approached every 30 seconds by people trying to falling off palm trees and small streams flowing sell me things. The final straw came when an old onto the beach from the not too distant jungle. lady of about 95 years grabbed my feet and started For accomodation, there are hammocks and rubbing massage oil into them, ignoring my cries huts for rent off the main beach. You will also of “¡No lo quiero!” (“I don’t want it!). This proved find a restaurant and bar there, but, if you plan on very amusing to the staring locals. drinking much, I would recommend bringing your If it’s beaches you want, Colombia’s Caribbean own supply as it is quite expensive there. Coast is cluttered with some of the world’s finest. To leave, you can get a boat back to Taganga, From Cartagena, there are boat trips to Playa or in my case endure mostly uphill five-hour trek Blanca, where you can enjoy turquoise-blue oceans through the jungle in temperatures of 35 degrees. on white sandy beaches decorated with palm trees. You should get the boat!

Taganga & Getting There Tayrona National Park Given its location at the very top of South Missing out on Playa Blanca, I was lucky enough America, Colombia is a great place for backpackers to visit the small fishing village of Taganga, located to start or end their adventure. Bogotá has direct about three hours north-east of Cartagena on flights to and from Madrid, Miami, New York and a bus. The village is quaint to the point of not Los Angeles. having an ATM, but after a while you find it is a great place to relax and re-adjust. ¡Buen Viaje! This maybe due to the lazy Caribbean feel to

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 49 14/04/2010 17:20:35 entertainment The Man Behind Avatar By Nicola Byrne

escribed by some as “the most enjoy- mealworms) squirm. Two producers just hap- able experience in a movie theatre, pened to witness this directing ability and began Dever”, “the best 3-D movie ever” and talking with him about possibly working on larger “probably the best looking movie ever made” ever, projects. ever, ever! Since then, James Cameron has established Why yes, it’s Avatar. Yawn. Since December, himself as one of Hollywood’s most groundbreak- we have been submerged into a large, blue, three- ing and commercially successful directors. His dimensional hype machine -- seemingly manually movies include The Terminator (1984), Aliens operated by the media’s own blood, sweat and (1986), The Abyss, (1989), Terminator 2: Judg- tears. ment Day (1991), True Lies (1994), Titanic, and Avatar was so good; people started threaten- of course, Avatar. ing to kill themselves unless they could join the He was the first director to make two films protagonist, Jack Sully, in his new life on the alien which have grossed more than $1 billion in the planet Pandora. Realistically, director James Cam- worldwide box office, and the first director to film eron, considering he made the whole thing up, both a $100 million (Terminator 2) and a $200 cannot fulfill this wish. million (Titanic) movie. Cameron has also won 3 But amongst the hype of movies like Avatar, Academy Awards and is hotly tipped to pick up we rarely look past the glittering CGI world we are best director again this year for Avatar. immersed into on-screen to focus on the man that To add a bit of drama to the proceedings, Cam- made it all possible; James Cameron. Perhaps it’s eron’s effort is up against ex-wife, Kathryn Big- better that way though. The George Washington elow, with exactly 6 nominations each. Bigelow look-a-like is probably best known for his block- directed Iraq War drama and recently walked away buster Titanic (1997), which was the highest with ‘best director’ at the Bafta’s, making her the grossing film in box-office history with a world- first woman ever to win this award. If she’s lucky, wide gross of $1.2 billion. This she could reach the same feat at the Oscars. was until the aforementioned For he is James Cameron and if you thought The director has been Avatar overtook it, well surpass- that sort of success must surely go to a guy’s head, married 5 times, ing the $2 billion mark. you’d be right. He is not known as a nice guy, or a Cameron was born in Ontario, pleasure to work with. trading in one wife Canada in 1954. He studied His infamous acceptance speech at the 70th physics and English at Fuller- Academy Awards ran dry as soon as he began yell- after another as swiftly ton College, but spent much of ing “I’m the king of the world!” to a perplexed as he produced block- his time visiting the film archive audience. of the University of Southern The director has been married 5 times, trading busters. Amongst California to read various thesis’ in one wife after another as swiftly as he produced that graduate students had writ- blockbusters. Amongst them is actress, Linda them is actress, ten about film technology. For Hamilton, who claims that Titanic’s success didn’t this reason, Cameron claims he change Cameron’s personality. “He was always a Linda Hamilton, who is ‘completely self-taught’ in his jerk, so there is no way to tell.” she said. claims that Titanic’s filming techniques. The director is renowned for being intimidat- His big break came as he was ing on set, as many can testify. Kate Winslet, who success didn’t change working as a second unit director sprung to fame after starring in Titanic, said she for Galaxy of Terror (1981). One would never work with Cameron again. During Cameron’s personality. particular scene he was shooting the filming of Titanic she nearly drowned, devel- involved a dismembered arm, oped pneumonia, and chipped a bone in her elbow. “He was always a jerk, which was crawling with mag- “He’s a nice guy, [but he] has a temper like you so there is no way to gots. Cameron attached an AC wouldn’t believe. There were times I was genuinely power cord to the arm in order frightened of him.” tell.” she said. to make the maggots (he used Sam Worthington, the lead in Avatar, admits

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that Cameron stopped at nothing to get the scenes Filmmaker James Cam- he was looking for, even if it meant physically hit- eron posing in front of the ting him. “He’d throw foam or debris to get me to Titanic set-piece during react, because the action was being created later on production of the 1997 blockbuster. the computer. And Jim would go, hmm, this ain’t working, right, so I’ll just hit you with a stick.” But Cameron doesn’t do apologies. He claims Video evidence from that “They go beyond what they previously thought were their limits, and then afterwards gossip website, TMZ, they talk about it like it was a big adventure: “Oh, man, we worked around the clock and you know, shows Jim snapping we all almost died.” at a fan asking for But Cameron spares no luxury for himself either. He almost died when his submarine ran out an autograph last of oxygen during the shooting of The Abyss. So where did all of this drive and ambition December. The fan come from? Cameron claims that his father’s lack of support made him “angry enough that I had to approached Cameron succeed.” and asked him to sign an But Jim, spare a moment for the people making all of your success possible; the audience. Video Avatar poster, provoking evidence from gossip website, TMZ, shows Jim snapping at a fan asking for an autograph last Cameron to respond; December. The fan approached Cameron and asked him to sign an Avatar poster, provoking Cameron “I don’t owe you a to respond; “I don’t owe you a fucking signature. fucking signature. Just Just get out of my fucking personal space.” The self-proclaimed king of the world may wow get out of my fucking us with his genius on-screen. But off-screen, he’s a right Colonel Miles Quaritch. personal space.”

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 51 14/04/2010 17:20:39 entertainment IT MIGHT GET LOUD

(Out now on DVD)

Director: Davis Guggenheim see the Mount Temple classroom where The Edge and U2 rehearsed for the first time. Starring: Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White Jack White very much the baby of the group shows he is not lacking in the knowledge depart- ment of his chosen instrument. Very much the hree of Rocks biggest stars Jimmy Page opposite of the Edge, he strives for a more basic (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2 ) and Jack primitive blues influenced style. He seems to TWhite (The White Stripes/ The Racon- shun new technology when it comes to the guitar. teurs) come together to share their inspirations, Going as far to show the viewer how simple it is musical journeys and techniques in Davis Gug- to construct a guitar. White makes a ‘guitar’ from genheim’s fascinating documentary ‘It Might get a simple plank of wood, a piece of wire and a coke Loud’. Needless to say the electric guitar itself is bottle. one of the main stars of ‘It Might get Loud’ and The main part of the film is the meeting of all more importantly how each guitarist manipulates 3 musicians on an L.A. soundstage dubbed ‘the it to create their own distinctive sound. summit,’ which was filmed over two days. They It’s not just a film for guitar eggheads, but a talk about their various influences and styles, film for every rock fan out there, thanks mainly all three playing each other’s songs. Jamming to Guggenheims unnerving dedication to each through and showing each other how to play ‘I Will player. After following each guitarist around for Follow’, ‘Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground’ and the best part of a year, he takes us into their indi- ‘In My Time of Dying’. The film concludes with an vidual lives past and present. impromptu cover version The Band’s ‘The Weight’ Page is shown as reserved almost shy charac- on acoustic guitars. ter, far from his old image of a world conquering The DVD is almost worth buying for the ‘Whole rock god. He is shown visiting Headley Grange Lotta Love’ scene alone. A scene where Page straps the estate where much of Led Zeppelin IV was on his vintage Gibson and starts to belt out the riff recorded, and at home with his record collection. to ‘Whole Lotta Love’, which leaves both the Edge Along with shots of him as a young London ses- and White grinning from ear to ear like some sort sion musician, with the Yardbirds and Zeppelin. of giddy school kids. However there is little in the Never known as a virtuoso soloist, Edge shows way of extras on the DVD, plus it could be argued us how he is the true master of both the effects that that the film itself is too short. pedal to “fill in notes that aren’t there”. He also Either way whether you’re a music fan or guitar discusses his purchase of his signature guitar, the fan this is the movie for you, It Might Get Loud Gibson Explorer and the punk music that influ- offers some interesting insight into the soul and enced him. In other scenes, he plays early demo inspiration behind some of pop’s best and most tapes of ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ and popular music. discusses his inspiration for ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’. Showing us how he turns a simple riff and (Rating: 8/10) a few basic chords into an effects laden stadium beating vintage Edge riff. The viewer also gets to David Murphy

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 52 14/04/2010 17:20:42 entertainment

Machine Head Olympia, Dublin, 28/2/10

achine Head rolled into Dublin heavy during certain parts Mpromoting…nothing. No new of the set. This minor issue album, new EP, or DVD. Instead, the aside, Flynn showed he Oakland four piece proceeded to pound has lost none of his power- the battered walls of the Olympia with ful and guttural vocal style fan favourite songs. through years of punish- In this writer’s experience, the Olym- ing touring. pia rarely has atmospheres befitting Machine Head did not metal gigs, tonight was different. The let up on the extreme intensity they hometown support. noise generated by the fans was more were creating. The audience sucked The encore did not disappoint. than matched by the heaviness that every Machine Head classic up and Machine Head do metal anthems like Machine Head created. Ears will be ring- asked for more. Particular highlights no one else. Other groups must pray to ing for days afterwards. must be “Burning Red” and “Seasons Satan wish they could copy the American The songs were pretty good too. Wither”. Front man Rob Flynn com- band’s cannon of songs. “Halo” had the Opener “Clenching the Fists of Dissent” mented on the energy and adrenaline audience in raptures and a strong sing from the Blackening album set the tone that was running through the crowd along soon erupted to the song’s chorus. for a truly momentous gig. “Ten Ton repeatedly during the near two hour “Davidian”, an unashamed metal classic Hammer” proceeded to pulverise the gig. He invoked Machine Head gigs finished off a fantastic gig. For anyone crowd into delirium. gone past in Dublin and whipped the who missed it, you quite possibly missed There was a healthy mix of songs crowd up to a frenzy few bands achieve the metal gig of the year. cherry picked from every one of the within the confines of the Olympia. One Flynn promised a new album was in band’s six albums. While the band put special moment seemed to sum up the the pipeline and that a return to Dublin on a masterful performance the sound immediate relationship created with the would be imminent upon it’s release. at times failed them. One huge problem crowd, when Flynn wrapped himself in On the strength of tonight, that cannot was that Flynn’s voice struggled to be a tricolour for a song; the crowd finally come soon enough. Machine Head, we heard over the cacophony of guitars, bass blew its collective top. It felt like a genu- miss you already. and drums. The bass was particularly ine moment, not the usual fake show of

High On Fire Snakes For The Devine

igh On Fire’s fifth album, Snakes The music itself is not hugely dif- “Fire, Flood & Plague” is enveloped by HFor The Devine finds the band ferent from past HOF records. “Frost doom. “How Dark We Pray” explodes on familiar footing. The band follows Hammer” and the title track pummel like a volcano. Meanwhile, “Holy Flames their successful formula of crafting fine the listener into oblivion. This band of the Fire Spitter” finishes off the stoner metal songs but never straying can do very heavy metal when required. album in spectacular fashion. The con- too far from the blueprint. Pike describes “Frost Hammer” as “an structing of the album shows the band Mike Pike’s voice is still the closest icy death lullaby”, it is hard to disagree. has developed a strong craftsmanship in thing in rock to replicating Motorhead “Bastard Samurai” and “How Dark We their music. Every song is placed where front man, Lemmy’s vocals. This prob- Pray” slow things down. It gives the it should be and the album flows exqui- ably means, as a listener, the decision listener a much needed change of pace. sitely at times. to love or hate the band is pretty instan- Both songs sludge along with beautiful This album is an excellent piece of taneous after hearing his vocals for the malevolence. “Bastard Samurai” finally storybook metal. The tempo changes are first time. That being said, this is still builds up into an epic crescendo that will well placed and Pike’s voice grows on you a quality record which unfortunately have the listener’s ears bleeding. Special with each listen. When required to turn never breaks through the glass ceiling. praise must go to drummer Des Kensel the volume up to eleven and let rip High Lyrically the band is very much into and bassist Jeff Matz for providing a On Fire do it as well as any metal band their Dungeons and Dragons. Pike sings devastating rhythm section. Kensel’s out there. But with the band on album of medieval mayhem and nefarious drums blast fury at times with Matz’s number five, how many more similar goings-ons. The cover art of a woman bass more than keeping up with the fre- efforts can they make, without sound- wrapped in snakes with a cloudy sky also netic pace. ing formulaic? feeds into this mythical image High On This tempo change does not last long. Fire sing about. The final three songs are spine-tingling. Dave Claxton

Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 53 14/04/2010 17:20:46 entertainment Betraying exclusive rock for Mainstream Pop: and Im lovin it! Welcome to Oxegen 2010! By Nicola Byrne

turned on the radio last week to the boom reach out to a younger audience, organiser Michael of hyped-up DJs spazzing out more than Eavis said they had really “stuck their necks out on Ithey usually do. The Oxegen launch had this one.” taken place that morning, as throngs of privi- As any idiot could have predicted, Jay-Z rocked leged ‘reporters’ became the first to know of Glasto in all it’s glory and was proclaimed “the Oxegen 2010’s anticipated line-up. They weren’t most thrilling headline act for more than a decade” disappointed. by The Times. The whole thing reeks of elitism and In case you haven’t already heard, the headlin- the lack of ability to just enjoy something for what ers for 2010 include Eminem, Muse, Jay-Z, Black it is. Eyed Peas, Florence and the Machine, Faithless, Noel Gallagher, yet again, was left eating from Stereophonics, Kasabian, The Prodigy, David Jay-Z’s hand as he thrived on this new challenge Guetta, Vampire Weekend, John Mayer, La Roux, of completely overturning expectations with Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding, amongst many the ultimate performance. Jay-Z had habitually others. gotten bored with his career, claiming that he had I was delighted with the acts. In fact, I took nowhere new to go. Glastonbury was the definitive great pleasure in wrecking my friends’ heads by challenge, and it now looks like Jay is back to his already starting to organise every intricate detail old struggles. of the weekend, despite the fact that it’s over four I hate to break it to you all but like Glasto, months away. Oxegen is no longer exclusively rock. In fact, I But as Duffy says, someone gonna rain on your don’t think it ever was. Oxegen is Ireland’s major parade. The moaning began like clockwork. Blog- music festival and is here to appeal to everyone. gers, columnists, snobby gobshites -- all raining on It’s come a long way from its Witnness begin- my Oxegen, and they were creating a slurry. nings. Running from 2000-2003, Witnness rocked “Waaa, it’s a rock festival. Where is ‘indie-band- our wellies off with headliners such as Beck, The only-I-have-heard-of’ or ‘alternative-screaming- Undertones, The White Stripes, Placebo, Green man’. Eminem, Jay-Z? Tracksuits and mud don’t Day, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth and Idlewild -- mix, scumbags day out ‘10!” but wait -- 2003, the Sugababes? The uproar was reminiscent of the controversy It’s as though pop snuck up on Oxegen and surrounding Jay-Z’s headlining of Glastonbury in pushed it down a steep hill concluding at the rabid 2008. Noel Gallagher called the decision “wrong”, stream of ‘main’. 2004, Pink. Roll. 2005, Snoop but being an utter tosser, you’d expect no less. But Dogg. Roll. 2006, Sandi Thom, remember her? critics also slammed the decision and blamed Jay Hit a jagged rock on the way down. 2007, Avril for the slow ticket sales. Lavigne. Roll. 2008, someone thought it would Glastonbury was traditionally known for it’s be a good idea to invite the Sugababes back again. indie rock and guitar-based headliners. In a bid to Roll. 2009, Katy Perry. Entering point of no return. If you’re looking for something a little more rock, go across the waters to Download, where you can find the likes of the AC/DC, Rage Against The Machine, Aerosmith, 30 Seconds to Mars and Motorhead headlining this year. The Carling weekend of Reading and Leeds festivals are also an option for the ‘alternative’ crowd.

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“WOOO OXYGEN ‘10” friends’ Facebook statuses, I’m not alone. Mainstream festi- vals such as Oxegen have an equal 50:50 music to atmosphere ratio. It’s no longer ‘all about the music, man’. Woodstock came and left in a blink, bringing and taking that notion with it. The Aquarian exposition, three days of peace and music, may have changed the face of rock and roll, but the ‘drugs, mud and hippies’ description is universal. However, The Who aren’t going to kick of a 25-song set at 4 a.m at Oxegen; for this we salute the music, Woodstock. While the rowdy-factor of Oxegen this year may increase to Carling’s scale due to some of the acts, it’s hard to imagine it getting any worse than it is. Nothing beats a whole weekend of camping in mother nature’s sludge while doing your bit to generate aluminium for recycle. Running since the 60’s, the twin festivals host a And if the Sugababes happen to be playing ‘Push more ‘NME’ friendly line-up with the likes of The the Button’ on repeat over on mainstage for two Charlatans, The Strokes, Suede and Arctic Mon- hours? Don’t go. Head to pet sounds or the o2 keys having headlined in recent years. But again, stage. Let the girls who actually brought a make- there’s something for everybody -- even the rowdy up bag and heels to Oxegen infest the pit for those amongst us. Why? It’s ‘tradition’ (or just occurs two hours. With so many acts spread over three regularly) to bottle some poor clown out of it on days, there is literally something for everyone. stage. In ‘88 Meat Loaf got a two-litre bottle of However, the only thing I worry about is the cider in the mush (waste of good alcohol), while dreaded ‘clash’ of two much-anticipated acts. In in 2004 50 Cent only lasted 20 minutes before a ‘07 The Killers were on the mainstage at the same plastic-shower caused him to run off-stage in a time Daft Punk took to the NME stage. Having just strop. In 2008, three-thousand people gathered at witnessed the euphoria that Reading’s ‘BBC Introducing Stage’ to see unsigned is a Daft Punk gig at Marlay band The FF’ers, as rumour had it that it was actu- Park the preceding Autumn, ally the Foo Fighters in disguise. It wasn’t, and boy I chose to fight my way into did The FF’ers suffer for it, in physical pain. the Killers pit. Big mistake. The Electric Picnic, affectionately known as After running through count- ‘lecky’, is another opition if Oxegen is too main- less mud-pools and jumping stream and skanger for you, loike. The atmosphere over endless drunken messes, is generally more laid-back and the entertainment I caught the last five min- on offer is a little more broad than beer-bong. Eclec- utes of Daft Punk -- trump- tic acts such as Jape, Fionn Regan, Modest Mouse, ing The Killers’ whole set by a Super Extra Bonus Party, Röyksopp, Elbow, CSS, landslide. and er, the Dublin Gospel Choir have all played the So if you’re less worried festival. Aside from music we have the Comedy about clashes and more wor- Tent, where the likes of Tommy Tiernan can insult ried about the music industry minorities to your amusement, along with a selec- as a whole, I propose an alter- tion of arts and theatrics and the ‘Body & Soul native. Throw a few tents up Area’, where one can connect with oneself. in your back garden and whip But I, for one, am extremely excited to go to out iTunes. You mightn’t rep- Oxegen this year. The lecky lineup will have to licate the festival atmosphere, be outstanding to prise my money from Oxe- but sure you’re far too cool for gen’s grasp. Judging by the amount of ill-spelled that anyway.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 55 14/04/2010 17:21:01 Fusion

For The Best Printing Prices Contact Russell Altman

Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 56 14/04/2010 17:21:04 entertainment

Fusion Ever since they were young they wanted to be a gangsters ...now they play Mafia Wars By Kevin McClay

aily routine for many people has 2010 the Mafia player will be able to travel to Las changed with the times. It used to be Vegas as well. Hopefully there will be a job involv- Droll out of bed and walk down to the ing Joe Pesci and a pen. The game revolves around local shop and get your morning coffee, a sausage accomplishing and mastering jobs in order to earn roll, newspaper, and find out what is happening cash and experience, with the goal of establishing in the world around you. Nowadays, many people and advancement. turn to the computer and open Facebook before The amount of active users for the month of they even turn the kettle on. Facebook is the indi- March already is 25,147,422 and the average daily vidual’s ‘little world’. It’s all there for you. You can active user is close to 7 million per day. That’s not check to see what happened the night before and the scary bit. Mafia Wars is such a phenomenon you can find out what is on the agenda for the next that some players have created internal gangs on For The Best Printing Prices Contact one. the web through the game. For many it has become much more than that. The Omerta Faction in Mafia Wars is a group of Russell Altman The quote “What did we do before there was Face- Mafia Wars players who have created an elite clan book” is becoming a harsh reality for the masses. in the game. The common definition of the word A constant evolving narrative is entertaining. It is omerta means a “code of silence”. In the real mafia ‘he said/she said’ gossip; in its basic virtual form. culture, breaking the oath of omertà is punishable The Home page alone can take away valuable, pre- by death. The clan believes that they make play- cious time for the ‘industrious’ Facebook user. The ing mafia wars more enjoyable. They believe that trick is not to get pulled in to the game applica- they are more than just a group of Mafia Wars tions. Many of these applications are daily games; enthusiasts but a community of friends and com- meaning the only way to advance to higher levels panions. In order to join the group one has to be is to check the game on a daily basis. Mafia Wars invited by a respected member of the Omerta clan, is a prime example of this daily login, in order to already and the new recruit has to change his or achieve great success. her name so that the word Omerta is in the pro- Mafia Wars is a multiplayer browser game cre- file name. The group was created in 2009 and has ated by Zynga. It was the 2009 Webby Award. On grown to a respected clan among clans so they say. Facebook alone, as of October 2009, Mafia Wars A quote from a Mafia Wars blogger says, “We are has had more than 25.9 million monthly active a clan that believes in developing your mafia into accounts. Some players and clans create multiple an outstanding warrior is a worthy goal. We help accounts to utilize the benefits of the three basic ourselves by helping our clan members at all levels character builds available: Fearless, Maniac, and and improve their ability to maximize their game Mogul. Mafia Wars is set in New York City and enjoyment”. Online games may be the wonderful Little Italy, with the option for players to travel bridge for young people to confuse a game with between New York, Cuba and Moscow. Now you reality. can fight the Triads in Bangkok and at the end of

On Facebook alone, as of October 2009, Mafia Wars has had more than 25.9 million monthly active accounts

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 57 14/04/2010 17:21:06 entertainmentglee: are you a musicals kinda guy? HAIR ACADEMY By Oran Fitzgerald

t is possibly the gayest show to come out While possibly not the ‘coolest’ show on Earth, GLOBAL HAIRDRESSING SCHOOL in years. The basic premise of the show is the show has an unrivalled feel-good factor. Eye- Ithat Spanish teacher Will (played by Broad- candy abounds – the three cheerleaders for the way star Matthew Morrison), decides to revive boys, Emma and Terri for those who prefer cou- Phone Number: 01 4781119 / 01 478 1129 the school glee club set in a school in Lima, Ohio, gars, Puck and Will for those who like chiselled which has fallen on hard times. bods and big guns. Josh Groban has already The show differs from Fame because rarely do appeared, Olivia Newton-John has a special guest the actors spontaneously burst into song – the pro- appearance in a forth-coming episode. duction numbers, for the main part, are rehearsals The first Glee cd, imaginatively titled ‘Glee: The models urgently required or performances by the club. One episode, ‘Acafel- Music, Volume 1’ is available now. Featuring 17 las’ has Will, Finn, Puck and Ken forming an a tracks, it is unlikely to win you over if you’re not capella boy/man band. The songs used are a mix- already a ‘Gleek’ (yup, that’s what fans are called!), daily Monday to Saturday ture of 80’s classics (Don’t Stop Believing, Can’t but is a must-have for anyone who loves pop. There Fight This Feeling, Alone) and current hits (usually is not one duff track, even if you don’t know all ! ! R & B – Take A Bow, Bust Your Windows, No Air) the originals. Some of the stand out tracks are the and classic show tunes ( Maybe This Time, I Could afore-mentioned ‘Don’t Stop Believing’, ‘Some- Cutting - Colouring - Foil Highlights - Perming Have Danced All Night, Mr. Cellophane). In 2009, body To Love’ (Freddie would love this show!) and the cast had 25 singles in the Billboard Top 100, Jill Scott’s ‘Hate On Me’. Special mention must the most since The Beatles had 31 in 1964. “Don’t go to Artie’s (Kevin McHale) version of ‘Dancing Also late classes at Stop Believing” is the most downloaded song in With Myself’, the Billy Idol song, as covered by Ireland in 2010. Nouvelle Vague. My only complaint is that none of 5.30 Tuesday & Wednseday The plot is deliberately highly implausible, songs by the Acafellas appear on the album, their involving unconsummated passion between Will version of ‘I Wanna Sex You Up’ was stunning. and school guidance counsellor Emma, an OCD In the second series, there will be an episode sufferer. Meanwhile, Will’s wife, Terri is pretend- featuring all new tracks. The show is also planning ing to be pregnant, and her frankly mental sister an ‘American Idol’ style audition process for the is blackmailing the town’s ob-gyn. The stand out new series, and some of these auditions will fea- character is the cheerleading teacher. This butch ture in the show itself. As to the show’s popular- bitch (played by the fantabulous Jane Lynch) is ity, it has over one and a half million fans on the somewhat to the right of Genghis Kahn, has obvi- official facebook page, more than CSI and Desper- ously never heard of the PC brigade. A particular ate Housewives put together. Not bad going for a Glee is an American TV favourite of this writer’s must be: “passing Span- cast of actors who were relatively unheard of five series that has taken the ish is only necessary if they want jobs in the car- months ago. world by storm. wash, flipping burgers, or working in Wal-mart.”

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3 Harcourt Hall, Charlotte Way [opposite Bleeding Horse] Digital Hub, 63/64 Thomas St., Dublin 8 [beside 3 Doors Vicar St.] 58 Fusion Magazine www.globalhairacademy.ie

Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 58 14/04/2010 17:21:08

magazine CUT.indd 1 09/03/2010 22:28 HAIR ACADEMY GLOBAL HAIRDRESSING SCHOOL Phone Number: 01 4781119 / 01 478 1129

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3 Harcourt Hall, Charlotte Way [opposite Bleeding Horse] Digital Hub, 63/64 Thomas St., Dublin 8 [beside 3 Doors Vicar St.] www.globalhairacademy.ie

Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 59 14/04/2010 17:21:08 magazine CUT.indd 1 09/03/2010 22:28 entertainment Tubridy’s Time? By Oran Fitzgerald

hen I first got word that I had man- you studying? Ah Griffith, yes, I did an interview aged to secure an interview with The with one of your colleagues, Mai Tian.” I confessed WLate Late Show host, Ryan Tubridy, I to not knowing this other student. Tubridy then asked friends, colleagues and lecturers to suggest proceeded to ask me about Griffith, and the jour- questions they would like me to put to Ireland’s nalism course. I had to wrestle control back some- king of chat. The suggestions I received, while what, as the point of this exercise was that I was to sparse and suffering from paucity, were somewhat interview him, not he me. illuminating - “ask him why he’s such a smug git?”, I start in the obvious place – the beginning. “why is he such a pompous twat?”, “how does he “Poparama to chat show king – it’s a long journey, manage to stay so skinny?” and the classic, all what can you tell me about it?” “Well, at the age encompassing (from a lecturer, no less!) “besides of twelve, I used to come into RTÉ once a month, the sarcastic ones, I don’t have a question off the to see Ruth Buchanan and Ian Dempsey, I think top of my head”. So, the prime-time purveyor of it was Ian then...well, I say ‘see’, but you couldn’t prattle is perceived as a prat – or see anything for the cigarette smoke, Ruth and maybe that’s just the company her More, Ian and his Bensons, thank God it’s not I keep. Not being an avid Late allowed any more, and I did my book reviews. £25 Look, Pat and I, we’re Late Show viewer (I have a life), a month they got me. The bug got me.” “ or a listener to “grown-up” radio, “You started out as a researcher on the Gerry neighbours. We chat, I had few or no preconceptions of Ryan Show. Would you recommend that as the way we go for a pint. This the man as I went to RTÉ to inter- to go, or would you suggest another route?” “Oh view him. no, I didn’t start as a researcher, nothing as grand rivalry, it’s newspaper At precisely 4.15, Ryan as that. No, no, I was a runner, you know...coffee based, you know – big Tubridy lopes into the Late Late and danish. It certainly is the way to start, once Show “satellite” room. “Good, a you keep your eyes open and are willing to learn. show/little show. Friday quarter past, exactly on time.” I can guarantee now, out of twenty work experi- Well yes, except the arrangement ences, nineteen will just look at the computers, night, Saturday night. had been for four o’clock, and I keep their heads down. You can always see the one, There’s no personal had been anxiously awaiting the the one who wants to learn. That’s the thing, you chat-show king for twenty-five have to keep your eyes open, be like a magpie, pick animosity. He gave me minutes. up bits.” (At this stage, he does some mad thing some very good tips for A firm handshake, the pierc- with his hands, imitating magpie talons, grabbing ing eyes boring into mine. “Very at thin air. It is slightly off-putting.) “You have to the Toy Show.” pleased to meet you. Where are go in with your head held up and be eager to learn.

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Then I moved to the Pat Kenny Show.” If I interview someone, Ah yes, Pat the Plank. “Pat Kenny “ and you. What’s the story?” “Look, Pat they know that’s what and I, we’re neighbours. We chat, we go for a pint. This rivalry, it’s newspa- I’m there for. It’s the per based, you know – big show/little people jumping out show. Friday night, Saturday night. There’s no personal animosity. He gave of bushes I object to. I me some very good tips for the Toy wouldn’t say dumbed Show.” I felt the answer was somewhat rehearsed or clichéd, and subsequently down, people want discovered that it was nearly word for word the same answer Pat gave to to know. No one in Podge and Rodge. Ireland has a private “Newspapers. Do you feel that the Irish press has dumbed-down?” “Look. life any more, it’s all out They have a job. If I interview someone, there. Katy French. She they know that’s what I’m here for. It’s the people jumping out of bushes I wanted to be there, in object to. I wouldn’t say dumbed down, people want to know. No one in Ireland the papers everyday. has a private life any more, it’s all out You can’t complain there. Katy French. She wanted to be there, in the papers everyday. You can’t about newspaper complain about newspaper interest if interest if you want to you want to be in the public eye.” So who was your worst guest?” No be in the public eye. hesitation. “Tara Palmer- Tompkinson. ” She didn’t want to be there and... She had nothing to say. I was quite glad to see the back of her. She was rude to people I work with.” All throughout the interview, although I had his – they knew they weren’t going to get an easy ride.” undivided attention, he kept one eye on the open “Have you any advice for aspiring hacks?” door, and finger waved or nodded at everybody “Polite persistence. If you don’t get what you want who passed by. No standoffish-ness, but neither today, come back tomorrow. But always be polite. was this being done for my benefit – he genu- So many people forget that. Politeness is really inely was keeping an eye out for friends/mates/ important.” co-workers. I thank him for his time, and fumble in my “You got a bit of flak for being too easy with bag. He bursts out laughing when I hand him two Cowen, and too hard on the three priests. How bags of sweets. “You’ve chosen well. I love wine do you strike a balance?” As soon as I got as far as gums and Glacier Fruits. They’ll go in the sweet Cowen, he interrupted, “Did I? I didn’t think so.” jar, thank you so much!” Then when he realised I wasn’t criticising him, he Interview over, he walks me to the door. Firm continued. “I felt Cowen answered the question handshake, and off he goes, another busy Late about drink, I didn’t feel the need to go further. Late Show ahead of him. So, smug git, Pompous Kenny (Enda) was on last week, he was grilled prat? No, definitely not. A man who is at the top too. Those priests were young men, they came on of his profession and justifiably proud of it? Yes. the show the week the Ryan report was published

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Online dating: Strong compatibility= Deep love By Nicola Byrne

nline dating is slowly becoming a global phenomenon with one in eight OUnited States couples having encoun- tered each other this way. But does this method of dating destroy some of the traditional values once found in meeting your other half? With so many dating options available these days, you’ve almost no excuse to be single. That is, unless you want to be, of course. College fresh- ers’ weeks across the country brought us speed dating. Our mates brought us double dating. But the internet; that brought us online dating. Often frowned upon in eastern cultures, it is estimated by ‘Online Dating Magazine’ more than circumstances such as ‘a busy job’, ‘travelling a lot’ Cilla Black questioning 120,000 marriages occur every year as a result of and ‘single-motherhood’ as reasons why people male contestants on the online dating. According to ‘Marketdata Enter- have turned to their laptops to find love. the famous British dating game show Blind Date. prises’, the online dating industry generates $1.8 The fastest growing demographic of the online billion annually, with 40 million single Americans dating population are adults over fifty-five who now utilising the websites. possibly lack single social circles. How fun is it Sure these days, we meet someone we like and to go out with a group of attached friends when the majority of the time, it’s straight on to Face- you’re single? Now add 30 years to your age. book to lurk on profiles and mentally evaluate our But for some people, a database of average compatibility based on the groups we’ve joined. Joes just isn’t going to cut it. Niche sites such as Is online dating any different? Some would FarmersOnly.com are proving to be a huge hit argue meeting someone should be spontaneous in the states. The agri-lovers have claims to have and shouldn’t be a given formula. Your mutual spawned over 100 marriages from their matches. fondness of eclectic indie French film doesn’t nec- BeautifulPeople.com does exactly what it says on essarily mean you’re destined to be together. How- the tin. The website claims to have a strict policy ever, dating websites are largely focused on fill- with regard to “ugly people” -- they are forbidden. ing out profiles under headings such as favourite The site has recently come under major scrutiny movies, music, food to eat - you get the picture. when it axed 5000 members for “letting them- Websites like eHarmony.com go so far as to ‘sci- selves go” over the Christmas period. entifically’ match you to potential partners. After Uniquely, the website leaves it up to its users to answering a ton of seemingly relevant questions, decide who should be permitted to join. Access to you can find the person you’re destined to marry the site is only granted after approved members at the click of a button. That’s if they have signed vote on a photograph of the hopeful. The options up to the website. range from ‘Yes definitely‘ to ‘NO definitely NOT.’ The website claims their, “Compatibility Match- This is not a dating service for the vulnerable. ing System narrows the field from thousands Robert Hintze, founder of BeautifulPeople. of single men or single women to match with a com, said the “high standard of beauty” must be highly select group of compatible singles -- singles upheld in order to maintain a credible website. who have been pre-screened on 29 Dimensions of “Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to Compatibility: scientific predictors of long-term our business model and the very concept for which relationship success.” BeautifulPeople.com was founded.” Charming. Your eyes meet across the bar. They smile. I would be of the opinion the ‘time consuming’ You smile. Fuelled with Dutch courage - over you courtship is all part of what makes romance and walk. “Hey baby, lets compare our 29 dimensions love exciting and special. Sure, we would all like to of compatibility.” It doesn’t seem very romantic. find future marital bliss at the click of a button, So why should we seek to find someone this way but is it the same as hunting them out for yourself, online? that fabled feeling of ‘love at first sight’, and the Surely young sociable students wouldn’t quite inevitable chase? The verdict is out on that one. feel the need to resort to websites like these just Would our parents have met online? Ultimately, if yet. Out in pubs and clubs every other day of the it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen -- just like it did week, you’re bound to meet a wealth of potential in the pre-web generations. But as Cupid would no love interests to keep you occupied. However, doubt contend, love is love, regardless of how you many of the testimonials on dating websites claim meet.

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 62 14/04/2010 17:21:12 entertainment An Octave Above the Rest By Laura Delaney

eronica Dunne has been Ireland’s lead- Holy Sea. It was a stroke of good fortune”. ing voice coach for over 40 years. Now “He organised for me to be put in the care of the V82, her passion for opera singing and famous Kerryman, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, teaching is still hitting all the right notes. the ‘Pimpernel of the Vatican’, who saved the lives Despite officially ‘retiring’ seventeen years of 500 thousand prisoners of war, The moment ago Veronica could not be more in tune with her I stepped of the plane, he greeted me with the career, teaching in The Leinster School at Griffith words: Do you see that plane? If I catch you with College Dublin, and the Royal Irish Academy six an Italian man, you will be on the next flight home. days a week. Welcome to Rome”. Dr. Dunne has taught a scale of successful sing- On returning to Dublin in 1948, Veronica ers such as Ronan Tynan, Cara O’ Sullivan, Finbar established herself with acclaimed performances Wright, and Andrew Murphy to name a few of her in Carmen and Faust for the Dublin Grand Opera protégées. Society. She made a major breakthrough in 1952, The infamous Lynda Lee is a prize-winner at the winning the Concurso Lirico Milano from over International Belvedere Competition in Vienna 200 singers. under Veronica’s guidance. “Veronica is regarded In 1963, she moved into teaching joining the well by everybody. She has been around for a long staff of D.I.T music school and dedicated her life time. She has a fantastic energy about her skill.” to the training of young voices. In 1987, she was The admiration Ms Lee has for Veronica, who awarded an honorary doctorate from UCD. “There she often calls ‘Ronnie’ is touching. “I still remem- is nothing to equal a teacher’s reward having cre- ber every single thing that she said to me on my ated a voice and gone through all the stages of first day twenty years ago, and I find I am using technique, musicianship, and interpretation of the same advice she gave to me, and passing on music, and then seeing them perform. Not even the same information she shared to the next winning the Lotto can equal it”. generation”. The pressure’s confronting aspiring opera sing- Lynda Lee discussed The Veronica Dunne sing- ers to not only sing beautifully, but to appear ing competition with both pride and excitement. beautiful seems to be one part of a long list of “It is building from year to year. The level of singers requirements on a résumé. in the Concert Hall last month was fantastic. She “In today’s society even opera singers have to is such an inspiration and a remarkable woman”. have the perfect figure. Singers are starting to lose Veronica is certainly no stranger to competi- roles because they are overweight. I have a student tions. In 1952 she entered a singing competition that had to weigh in every month. It is extremely in Milan and won first place singing MiMi. “Sir sad and worrying”. David Webster and The Earl of Harvard were at the Susan Boyle and Rhydian; among a few real- performance, and this really sparked my interest ity singers who paved the way for more operatic in competitions. I was offered a con- style ventures, such as ‘Pop Stars to Opera Stars’. tract straight away in June, and the Veronica encourages this operatic pop singing “it There is nothing following September I joined the means young people will come back and enjoy “ Royal Opera House”. Operas, even if it is only pop Operas”. to equal a teach- As a child with varied interests When Veronica talks about being on stage, she er’s reward having Veronica embraced life by horse sinks into deep thought, followed by faint sighs. riding and hunting. “On completing It is as if she has been transported back to the created a voice and her school days at Mount Anville 1960’s, about to perform in a packed opera house gone through all the in 1945, she sold her beloved pony in Rome. Connemara Boy for £125, in an Thankfully, Dr. Dunne shows no sign off giving stages of technique, attempt to pursue her singing her passion. “I love singing, I always have and I career in Rome. always will. My students are my inspiration now, musicianship, and “Regrettably, the Sacred Heart At 82 I feel as young as I did at 65, life couldn’t be interpretation of Nuns in Milan said not to come, better”. as there was little food avail- music, and then able. I thought that was that until seeing them perform. after mass one Sunday, we met the famous Irish ballad singer Not even winning the Delia Murphy and her husband Lotto can equal it Dr Thomas Kiernan, who just hap- ” pened to be Irish ambassador to the

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 63 14/04/2010 17:21:12 sport JT and Tiger - Legends of the Fall

By Patrick Savage

he recent revelations regarding the pri- vate lives of sports stars have dominated Tthe headlines and sparked a media frenzy to uncover further scandal. The two main protagonists, John Terry and Tiger Woods, both sporting icons in their own right, have become known as nothing more than “love rats” to the general public. This is due to their various affairs, or “transgressions” as Tiger eloquently puts it. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of both these cases is the ridiculous exaggeratory reac- tions of the media and the public as a whole. Seem- ingly so shocked to discover that extra-marital affairs occur in the world, gutter journalists and the celebrity-magazine brigade have suggested that these two men have “let down their fans.” The reality is quite different. Neither man ever volunteered for a humanitarian role or as an ambassador for Trocaire, they are simply sports- men. Terry, the captain of Chelsea and England has never publicly spoken of his role-model attributes and credentials. He does all his talking on the foot- ball pitch. As captain, his role is to organise and motivate his team-mates and ultimately win tro- phies; something he is quite competent at. Judgement on Terry, the footballer, should not be based on his affair with Vanessa Perroncel. Instead, it should be based on his performances. In the recent game against Burnley, despite the abusive jeers and taunts of the hostile Burnley crowd, JT scored the winning goal just hours after details of his affair were exposed. When Tiger Woods burst onto the scene in the mid-1990’s, he was always destined to become the most influential sports star in the world. His ethnic background, Perhaps the most intriguing heritage and talent added to his already aspect of both these cases is growing aura. By the age of 21, he the ridiculous exaggeratory was the face of Nike and reactions of the media and the the U.S Masters Cham- pion. By romping home public as a whole. Seemingly (no pun intended) to a so shocked to discover that record 12-shot victory on the same golf course extra-marital affairs occur in that, up until seven the world, gutter journalists years previously was and the celebrity-magazine brigade have suggested that these two men have “let down their fans.”

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Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 64 14/04/2010 17:21:13 sport Away with the Faroes : Darren Cleary chats to Brian Kerr

a “whites-only club”, Woods cemented his place rian Kerr came desperately close to in history and a legacy was born. Today, he has achieving world cup qualification with become bigger than a mere sports star. He is quite BIreland but like Giovanni Trapattoni was simply, Tiger Woods; global product. thwarted by France. The Faroe Islands manager Everybody wanted to be associated with him. must now find a way past world champions Italy Corporate sponsors, computer games, fans, other and Northern Ireland to qualify for Euro 2012. sports stars, celebrities, the legend was spiralling Stade De France, Paris, November 18th 2009. out of control. Despite this, Tiger’s world seemed Still raw memories for Irish supporters. Our very much in control. His ability to focus solely on World Cup dreams dashed in the cruelest of fash- golf throughout the media circus that confronted ions. Public and political outcry wasn’t enough him every week seemed inhuman. to change the result or warrant a replay despite That was until his influential father, Earl, Thierry Henry’s bending of rules. Henry may passed away in 2006. A former Green Beret, Earl have temporarily tarnished his reputation but we had always been a strict taskmaster on his son, should not forget his enormous contribution in something that Tiger has always credited his the Premier League with Arsenal. He remains the mental toughness to. When his mentor passed Gunners’ greatest ever striker and is now leading away in 2006, Tiger began to lose his discipline the line at European cup winners Barcelona. and gradually, his values. Still, not much time to dwell on his hand ball, Keen golf fans have never bought the “global as its back to business with attempting to qualify role-model” mantle placed on the shoulders of for Euro 2012. And be it the luck of the Irish or the Woods by money-driven corporations. The major- course correcting universe exercising some Karma, ity of the world did, but Tiger’s obsession to suc- Ireland were presented with a favorable draw in ceed in the game he lives for would always prevail Group B. We will face Armenia, Andorra, Macedo- over the image those who owned him wanted to nia, Slovakia and Russia. Pundits are even excited portray. at the prospect, some borderline confident. Terry’s plight is remarkably similar. Even the The pain of the World Cup may be eased ever most devoted Chelsea fan will tell you that his off- so slightly should we easily book a place at the field behaviour has been anything but exemplary. European Championships in two years’ time. A Terry was never cut out to be a role-model of how man that knows all about qualification campaigns to live ones life. Previous allegations of profiting is the former Republic of Ireland manager Brian from tours of the Chelsea training-ground, along Kerr, He took up the Irish post in 2003 after Mick with his recurrent un-sportsmanlike attitude McCarthy’s resignation two matches into the only serve to reinforce this. Recent revelations of Euro 2004 Qualifiers He was, however, left with his personal life only add to this reputation, but a huge challenge to achieve qualification. Follow- they don’t excuse the subsequent witch-hunt that ing a draw at home to Russia, and a defeat in Swit- arose. He has made mistakes that he now has to zerland, Ireland finished 3rd, and were out of the live with, just like Woods and just like millions of competition. people do every day. Kerr suffered the agony of failing to qualify If Tiger was the clean-cut American hero that again in the campaign for the 2006 FIFA World the media would have had you believe, he would Cup, managing Ireland to only not have won 14 major championships by the age one defeat. However late goals of 34. On the golf course, Tiger does not engage conceded to Israel, at home If I had to buy tickets in banter, preferring a solitary existence until a and away, saw the Republic of I couldn’t see myself trophy is handed to him on a Sunday afternoon. Ireland finish in 4th place, in He is as selfish, methodical and single-minded a tight group. The FAI decided spending 70 or 80 as sports stars come. This ruthless streak he pos- not to renew Kerr’s contract Euro to go and watch sesses explains why he is the greatest sports man much to his chagrin. the world will possibly ever see. I spoke to the Dubliner while Andorra, Macedonia and The saintly image branded upon sports stars is he was in Warsaw at the draw simply a by-product of investors and franchises for Euro 2012 in his current Armenia in a three match who want to cash in on a good thing. They don’t capacity as boss of the Faroe package. But from the all live squeaky clean lives. They are not obliged to, Islands, and started by asking if they owe us nothing. If this statement offends or he was happy with the draw his football point of view the antagonises people, maybe one should refer to the team got. chances of qualifying are graceful lyrics of the wordsmith that is Mr. Ice-T: “We’re happy from a geo- “Don’t hate the playa, hate the game.” graphical point of view, Serbia very positive

Fusion Magazine 65

Fusion Issue 2 _final layout.indd 65 14/04/2010 17:21:14 sport

is not the easiest to get to but the others are fairly straight forward coming from the Faroe Islands which is quite isolated. From a football point of view there’s a bit of romance playing world champions Italy, for me personally to be play- ing Northern Ireland, I’m happy because my family originally came from Belfast. The game with Estonia would give us two matches where we would be obviously underdogs we might have a chance of snatch- ing something from one of those games.” Brian Kerr: manager for As a former Ireland Manager how do you think You were at the draw in Poland and I’m sure all the Faroe Islands national Giovanni Trapattoni will feel about the draw he eyes would have been firmly focused on England football team and former got in Group B? Boss Fabio Capello. As a manager would you have Republic of Ireland man- “I’d say he’d be quite happy and even expect- made the same decision to strip John Terry of the ager 2004-2005 ing to win the group, from an appeal point of Captaincy? view it isn’t very attractive for lovers of the tra- “Look it’s nothing to do with me. I don’t have ditional strong powers of football, the countries to deal with that rubbish and unless you’re in the from the former Eastern Europe region are not situation you don’t know what the pressures are. exactly attractive. If I had to buy tickets I couldn’t To be honest it doesn’t spark much interest in see myself spending 70 or 80 Euro to go and watch me, I don’t really care what’s happening with the Andorra, Macedonia and Armenia in a three match English players, it’s a bit of a circus and there’s package. But from the football point of view the so much spoof and spin goes on in the game over chances of qualifying are very positive” there I’m always inclined to take a lot of it with a You’ll obviously have a big Irish support when pinch of salt. “ you take on world champions Italy, in fairness you You’ve gone to Russia before over the years with have been handed one of the toughest draws. Do youth teams and such, how hard is it to get a result you think theirs anyone beatable there? in what will inevitability be hostile conditions? “Yeah I think Estonia are a team we could “By history and results the Russians lose very beat, they came out of the pot directly above us, few games at home, in fact I think when Germany although they beat Belgium and they beat Turkey beat them it was the only time they lost a World in their last qualification campaign, overall they Cup qualifier at home ever. So that would give didn’t do particularly. They have played the Faroes an idea that they are very difficult opposition at in the past so they would understand the pitfalls home, by tradition they haven’t been great away but realistically we have to think, can we scrap a from home but that’s changed over the years as couple of points, can we outsmart someone and more and more of their players play outside the pull off a win, that’s the way we have to think country” there’s no point in setting unrealistic targets the Are you confident Ireland will win this group? Faroes are in the bottom pot of the European “Yeah I am but look every international match pile based on their history of results. And obvi- is difficult, it’s not easy to win any game, but I ously their up against it all the time because of the think the draw went very well for them. They got small population they have and the isolation and two of the handiest draws from the two pots ahead so on, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some of them and none of the teams underneath them ambition and we don’t have an ability to pull off a should pose a major problem if the team is well shock. We will certainly be planning for that and organised and on their guard. And if they do their we’ll ensure we have the best team on the pitch stuff they should be well capable of challenging and the tactical organization to achieve that” Russia for the top spot.

66 Fusion Magazine

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