The World Jog Salutes Aung San Suu Kyi
Having a rest day here in Badger Newfoundland has allowed me a chance to catch up on my emails and news.
Being a very strong trade-unionist I must admit I was a bit torn between making the World Jog a political statement or just keep it non-political.
I was even tempted to make the very first day on the road of this world run a protest walk from Dublin to Newbridge in Ireland. A protest walk against our shambolic government, a government that doesn’t give a toss about it’s people.
Today the IMF and the ECB are in Ireland talking about a bailout for a country which only a few years ago was the envy of most of the world. Three or four years ago according to our politicians we were about the second or third richest country in the world (per capita)
I never believed that. Working in construction I could see that we were overbuilding, building too many housing estates and offices.
The government were creaming off a nice hefty stamp duty tax for every house that was built. They were in denial that the good times would never end. Anyone that stood up to them was laughed at and called a traitor.
Our economy was built and heavily reliant on the construction industry. They never believed that the good times would end and that the immigrants that filled those houses would one day go home. Truth is they didn’t want to know they were so greedy taking this up to 9% stamp duty on the purchase price of a new home. Now we have serious negative equity problem. Many of our citizens are trapped with paying off over-inflated house prices.
Unfinished ghost housing estates and construction sites. It will cost more to maintain them and just like in Detroit and Michigan it will probably be cheaper to just knock them down and create a few more jobs for our ailing record all-time high unemployment list.
Our politicians boasted about how great we were on radio and television broadcasts. Then they had the brass neck to say the very next day that we didn’t have the money for life-saving operations for our young children and the elderly. All this while our government agencies abused our resources flying around the world on useless junkets , spending a fortune even on their partners hairdo’s to say the least.
I never did make that protest, I just ran away. Like most Irish people I just shrugged my shoulders and moved on.
Oh! For the French and the Greeks.
While all this was happening far away in Burma a woman called Aung San Suu Kyi DE TAILS refused to walk away.
Suu Kyi is from a military and political background was the leader of a pro democracy party in oppressive Burma. Last weekend she was released due to constant international political pressure from her illegal house arrest which began over twenty years ago.
The irony is that her release coincided with the end of the sham ‘ democratic ‘ elections in the Asian state.
The Burmese government gave Suu Kyi many opportunities to walk away, to attend to ill relatives abroad. She refused, believing the government could not be trusted to allow her to return to her home country in order to continue her pro-democracy protest.
Irish rock band U2 penned a very emotional song in support of Suu Kyi called Walk ON PLAY
This song has always been one of my favourite songs and in recent months since my preparations for the World Jog kicked into place it has become my firm favourite. The irony is that I am a runner. But to me this song symbolises freedom, or more correctly the lack of it.
For many months I have been playing this song even on repeat. When I play it, I always take one big look around my surroundings. I thank God for my freedom. It never fails to stir my emotions.
U2 have been performing this song on their current 2 year 36O world tour. If you look closely at the video linked above you will see Amnesty International volunteers circle the outer track of the bands 36O degree stage. The volunteers are holding up masks of brave Sui Kyi. So far on their tour I have seen the Dublin band play 5 times. On each occasion when the band play this song I have almost been in tears. I look forward to see them play twice in Anaheim, Ca. in June, that will be really interesting.
In a letter from U2′s Edge he advises caution:
” Dear tony,
I’m sure, like us, you’re delighted with the news of the release of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma at the weekend. We should all be relieved, if cautious, that she has been able to take a step towards freedom.
However, we must remember that her release is not part of any political process but is designed to get positive publicity for the dictatorship after the blatant rigging of elections on 7th November. We must not forget the thousands of other political prisoners still suffering in Burma’s jails and must do whatever we can to encourage the international community to engage the junta in dialogue.
We will continue our support of this remarkable woman and her campaign, and as always we count on your continued input and continued vigilance.
Thanks
Edge
When I play Walk On on my Ipod on the World Jog all I can do is just look around and value my freedom which so many people around the world just don’t have.
It’s amazing that so many Irish begrudgers have lambasted Bono for ‘ mouting off ‘
U2 have been hugely responsible for the foreign debt of 14 African countries being written off . Some day we may need Bono to do a nixer in Ireland.
While our useless and most unpopular government of all time still wont resign. They still still believes that they have done nothing wrong, even with the IMF and the ECB sipping coffee at their very own table in Dublin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkIH2nI5DJ4
November 21st, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Hey Tony,
See you keeping up to date on the state of our irish economy. We sure are in a bad way. You are right, we may need Bono to do a nixer for Ireland. Take care Ann
November 21st, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Thanks Ann. Just heard Senator Shane Ross interviewed on the radio here saying how humiliating it is. He was also talking about all the bad loans to the developers and the billions pumped into dead banks that should have been nationalised. Tony
November 22nd, 2010 at 10:11 pm
I don’t blame you for running out of ireland! Keep running Tony!
November 23rd, 2010 at 2:16 am
we r not really know about irish or enconomy.
whatever ever keeping touch.
Might be 1 day we can drink coffee in ireland. n then c u still run around or not.
But be careful now, dont get cold. n u could c moose on the way.
November 23rd, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Hi Tony
no I’am not that Brian Linehan. Hopefully by the time you return to Ireland things will have improved.Love reading your stories as you run around the world.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Thanks very much Ming and Jenny, Badger NL. It was lovely meeting you. It would be lovely meeting you someday in Ireland too when the world run is over. I enjoyed my stay in Badger and am having a really great time here in NL. Good luck with the business and thanks to everyone elsefor your very nice comments,
Tony