The 'Third World' does not need you, Minister

So when I read this morning that the current Minister for Justice and Law Reform, who presides over amongst other things, the immigration system, announced that he is quitting politics and that he would be ‘extremely interested in doing some work in or associated with the third world in the future’ I just laughed out loud!

Yes LOL!

I mean this is the same Minister whose officials have previously deported a mother back to Nigeria without her baby (child remained in Ireland and was placed in care – thankfully that child only just recently reunited with his mother).

The same minister who is currently trying to rush through an immigration bill that would allow for summary deportations, would stop foreigners marrying EU citizens because they might ‘use marriage to circumvent the immigration system’ and is refusing to acknowledge in that same bill that vulnerable children who are come to Ireland seeking protection should be given extra protection as accorded to them by international conventions. Really, the list goes on.

Basically, here is a minister whose Department’s unwritten rule is basically ‘Keep as Many of Them Out As Possible’. And I don’t need to tell you who ‘Them’ are! Yet it is the same ‘Them’ that he is extremely interested in working with in the future.

Yes, you could argue that this is par for the course for any immigration minister especially in Fortress Europe, but this particular one has shown a particularly mean streak which in turn has been reciprocated by his subordinates who carry out his edicts.

After one particularly robust exchange at a parliamentary committee stage hearing of the aforementioned bill, which I attended, one opposition (TD) member of parliament whose very reasonable proposed amendments had been routinely ignored, remarked that the minister could start an argument (I would even suggest a brawl) in a convent full of nuns.

So you can understand why I laughed out loud at the brilliant irony of it all!

I suppose the more charitable amongst us could give him the benefit of doubt and proclaim he is embarking on his Damascus conversion, à la Saul, but this to me is akin to sending King Herod to run a Montessori creche!

Race revisited

After reading that George W Bush considered the lowest point in his presidency to be when rapper Kanye West accused him of racism during Hurricane Katrina, I found myself revisiting the touchy subject (see previous blogs) of race/racism or more specifically the public discourse of.

It is pretty remarkable that after 8 years of what even his most ardent supporters would admit was a disastrous presidency, Dubya still manages to overlook major historical failures (starting two wars; turning a budget surplus inherited from Bill Clinton into a massive deficit; presiding over the genesis of the global financial and economic crisis, election shenanigans in Florida; Katrina; Abu Ghraib; the list goes on) and state in his memoirs, that the worst moment during his administration was being accused of racism by a black rapper.

In fact, Kanye West did not actually call George W Bush a racist. What he actually said was "America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well off as slow as possible … George Bush doesn't care about black people." Being accused of not caring about a particular segment of society is not the same as being accused of discrimination or racism.

I find it quite exasperating that Bush was more aggrieved about what he (wrongly) perceived to be an accusation of racism rather than the undeniable reality that an unnecessarily high number of black people had died in the world’s richest nation and sole superpower.

Kanye was spot on – the Bush administration simply did not care enough. I am convinced that if Katrina had devastated the Hamptons or Palm Springs, the response would have been first world class.

All this is just a microcosm of where we are in this whole debate about race. We find ourselves in times when real or perceived accusations of racism, bigotry or discrimination have now become more egregious than actual racist acts themselves.

I find that infuriating.

Fatherhood

So, how is fatherhood treating you?

I get asked that a lot these days.

My stock answer, I suppose at first, would have gone something along these lines: “Oh, it’s great/fantastic…I’m enjoying the whole experience… I’m a changed man, my outlook on life is so different now…he is such a joy… I’m discovering a whole new world… blah, blah…etc

However, 8 months on, you are likely to get a more honest answer, albeit still clothed in some wonderment at the little human being that is rapidly outgrowing his baby jump suits and his mum and dad’s playtime routine (see mum’s take on that).

Nowadays, I’m more likely to regale you about the strange parallel universe that I find myself in as a recently minted dad.

If I’m really really honest, then there is likely to be some nostalgia for the relatively carefree days B.E. (before Ethan) when it was just the two of us. You hear about it from other new parents but you do not really appreciate the challenges that a baby brings to a marriage until you realise that you haven’t indulged in your regular cuddles or tête-à-tête (forget about that other conjugal pastime) for what seems like an age!

As the little one grows, the more demanding he becomes and the more mum becomes a distant memory for dad. A mirage!

Throw in a few divergent views on raising your precious progeny (should we or shouldn’t we let him cry himself out on some occasions) and you may even end up having a little tiff.

I might also tell you about the feelings of inadequacy as a new dad.  This is usually brought on by the new mom’s well meaning (and dare I say, largely justified) reluctance to leave most aspects of the baby’s early care to dad. Especially one like me who still thinks that proper childcare amounts to a glance during the occasional break in play when Torres has been fouled by that dastardly Vidic in the Liverpool v Man Utd match on ‘Grand Slam Sunday’.

And if I’m still being brutally honest, I would also admit that at some stage in those early months, there may be some fleeting resentment of this little un’ who has usurped virtually all the affection and attention normally reserved for me. A bit bonkers perhaps, but this actually is some of the reality that manifests itself during these early stages of fatherhood.

But beneath all this candour is the unmistakable love, pride, appreciation, admiration for both mother and child.

Mr President?

It is not everyday that your colleague – or to be more precise – your boss puts his/her name forward for consideration for one of the highest offices in the land. 

As has been reported quite widely across the Irish media in the last 24 hours, Fergus Finlay has, as had been widely anticipated, declared his intention to seek the nomination of the Labour Party to run for the office of President of Ireland. 

With the current president Mary McAleese’s term ending in November 2011 an election for a new president of Ireland will be held in October 2011 and it already promises to be an interesting campaign.

Whilst the Irish presidency is largely a ceremonial office, the President does exercise certain powers with absolute discretion and as the current incumbent and her predecessor have shown, the office can also be used effectively to unite people and bring some sense of pride about the country during these fraught and uncertain times.

I have no doubt Fergus Finlay would make a terrific President of Ireland. Of course, as a card carrying and active member of the Labour Party, I am totally biased in saying this but I do genuinely believe that he has all the attributes, experience and capabilities required for the role. And did I mention he is by far the most likeable, humble and approachable CEO I have had the pleasure to work with.

The road to the Áras an Uachtaráin should be an interesting one!

Bring it on, I say.

Mum's the word!

Well, it may seem remarkably amiss of me not to have blogged much about the beautiful fruit of our earnest endeavours since his arrival. In this regard I have had no choice but to defer to E.’s Supermum. Herself! The One and Only! Il mio unico e solo! (Hey don’t ask me, don’t know where that sudden burst of Italian came from).

In her own inimitable style she is keeping an online diary chronicling her ‘adventures’ with our Wibbly Wobbly Wonder (well, maybe not so wobbly anymore on the eve of his half year ‘birthday’).

Of course I don’t need to read Kaya to know how absolutely amazing and altruistic she’s been since March 7^th. I see that first hand every single day. In fact, I do her a great disservice because that should actually be ‘ever since she discovered she was with child’ all those heady 450 days ago.

She did everything by the book and then some. Yoga, extra healthy diet (extremely challenging when you live with me); no occasional glass of red wine (E. will be told in no uncertain terms that mummy ‘sacrificed’ to keep his 10 toes and 10 fingers); pre-natal classes (all 7 of them, with me in tow) and of course the expecting mother’s bible, “What to Expect when Expecting”. You name it she did it!

Anyway, we watched Uma Thurman’s Motherhood the other day. When I say ‘we watched’ I mean she watched it first and then I watched it 24 hours later, the moral of the story being that BE (Before Ethan) we would curl up on the sofa and compromise on Jennifer Aniston and some fit dude romcom their way to another fat paycheck. Now ABE (After Birth of Ethan) she watches what she can during the day and I watch what I can in the evening and we compare notes.

Anyway back to Uma. Despite being mercilessly panned by critics and punters alike and being an unmitigated box office dud, we both agreed that it was a pleasant enough entertainment (which probably means we would be utterly hopeless as film critics). More importantly however, it highlighted the ludicrous moral judgments that society makes on mothers every single day without appreciating their tremendous role.

More pertinently for me though, the film reminded me of how easily and conveniently dads, more often than not, overlook the selfless and sometimes unsupported multitasking roles and tasks that mothers undertake daily.

We, the plonkers that we can be sometimes,  revel in the misguided notion that well, She seems has everything under control judging by how ‘easily’ she is juggling all and sundry. Bring on the Champions League and American Football then!

All I can say Honey is that I more than appreciate and marvel at everything that you are doing and lean on me when you need to or even just want to! Pull me back from the brink when I’m that insensitive and inconsiderate oaf that you do not recall being present at our wedding.

And I’m sorry for all the times I’ve left you to carry the load on your own and I have not been aware of your needs.

You are a wonderful and amazing mum and I'm sure in his own time (when he start sto talk I suppose) E. will let you know how much he loves you and appreciate all you're doing for him.

Oh and darling, keep that excellent blog going I reckon it will be turned into a  international best-selling book, a movie starring Halle Berry as you and one of Will Smith's kids as E. and  it will of course fund our lavish retirement!

I love you. And THANKS!