This is a bit of a departure from what Ive put in the blog so far but I am genuinely concerned about the state of the Irish Democracy.
That there is one law for the Rich and another law for everyone else is just accepted, wrongly but highlighting that isnt even a blip in the status quo. I am beginning to think that we really are living in a dictatorship of some kind... my family didnt fight and die as irish Volunteers to set up another one of those in Ireland. I am seriously upset. 
  

 
The paintings are a satirization of Irelands Taoiseach - the leader of our government by geurilla artist Conor Casby. Casby sneakily hung the two paintings in the national art gallery last week which were subesequently reported on by RTE our national TV station who were there reporting on a recently aquired collection. A wierd thing happend over the next few days that indicate to me that our democracy is dead. 
 

Our national TV and Radio station RTE were contacted by the government and told to issue an apology and news papers as a concequence will not show the pictures. Casby is currently being prosicuted by the police who tracked him down after he showed up for a radio interview about the paintings. He is charged with incitement to hatred and criminal damage.
A bit of backstory to the situation adds to the mix. Our Taoiseach is unelected. Our former Taoiseach resigned from government over charges of corruption and our current taoiseach stepped in to fill his shoes (And salary - Our taoiseach is highest Politician in europe) until the next election. No date for a new election has been set so far. Casby is a school teacher in a disadvantaged part of Ireland 
 

Our Taoiseach Brian Cowen could have complained about the images on RTE via our standards and practices body and he could have brought a legal suit against the artist instead our media was censured and our police were sent after a man who had committed no criminal offense. The artist is now going through our legal system for causing criminal damage and incitement to hatred - essentially damaging the Taoiseachs reputation.
Does that sound like something that would go on in a democracy to you or a facist dictatorship?

Combine that with the absolute disregard for our culture. The road through the Tara Valley, a mine in the Hill of Allen both cultural sites associated with our national sovereignty, the neglect of the western islands, the underfunded gaelscoils and gaeltachts, the lack of interest in the infrastructure in the west, the low priority given to charitable organisations who try and support those neglected parts of the country... I dont think our government in any way supports the interest of the irish people or the irish culture. The elite of our country are only looking out for themselves. 
 
This is the story from timesonline.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article5977397.ece