Difference between revisions of "Talk:Kevin Myers"

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Some excerpts from wikipedia that may - or may not! - be useful
 
Some excerpts from wikipedia that may - or may not! - be useful
  
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'''Kevin Myers''' (born 30 March 1947) is an Irish journalist and writer. He writes for the ''[[Irish Independent]]'' and is a former contributor to ''[[The Irish Times]]'', where he wrote the "An Irishman's Diary" opinion column several times weekly. Until 2005, Myers wrote for the ''[[Sunday Telegraph]]'' in the UK.
 
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His articles often offer criticism of [[left-wing]] opinion and the "liberal consensus", sometimes incorporating hyperbole, sarcasm and parody.
 
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== Biography ==
 
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Myers was born to an Irish emigrant family in Leicester, England, where his father was a General Practitioner.<ref name="Craig">Craig, Patricia. "[http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/watching-the-door-by-kevin-myers-792501.html Watching the Door, by Kevin Myers]". ''Irish Independent'', 7 March 2008. Retrieved on 27 May 2008.</ref> He attended [[Ratcliffe College]], a [[Roman Catholic]] independent school.
 
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Myers was accepted by [[University College Dublin]], where he subsequently obtained a degree in History in 1969. He began to work as a journalist for [[Raidió Teilifís Éireann|RTÉ]], and reported from [[Northern Ireland]] during the height of the Troubles from 1971 to 1978. In the 1980s, he covered the Lebanese Civil War, and in the 1990s the Bosnian War. Otherwise he has been based in Dublin and Liverpool.
 
  
  
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Myers has been an advocate of unrestricted [[freedom of speech]] and an opponent of [[censorship]] and [[political correctness]]. He attracted considerable criticism for "An Irishman's Diary" of 8 February 2005, in which he referred to children of unmarried mothers as ''"[[Illegitimacy|bastards]]"'':
 
Myers has been an advocate of unrestricted [[freedom of speech]] and an opponent of [[censorship]] and [[political correctness]]. He attracted considerable criticism for "An Irishman's Diary" of 8 February 2005, in which he referred to children of unmarried mothers as ''"[[Illegitimacy|bastards]]"'':
  
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{{Cquotetxt|How many girls - and we’re largely talking about teenagers here - consciously embark upon a career of mothering bastards because it seems a good way of getting money and accommodation from the State? Ah. You didn’t like the term bastard? No, I didn’t think you would.|Kevin Myers, ''An Irishmans's Diary'', ''[[The Irish Times]]'', 8 February 2005<ref>Myers, Kevin. "An Irishman's Diary by Kevin Myers". ''[[The Irish Times]]'' 8 February 2005.</ref>|size=150%}}
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:How many girls - and we’re largely talking about teenagers here - consciously embark upon a career of mothering bastards because it seems a good way of getting money and accommodation from the State? Ah. You didn’t like the term bastard? No, I didn’t think you would.|Kevin Myers, ''An Irishmans's Diary'', ''[[The Irish Times]]'', 8 February 2005<ref>Myers, Kevin. "An Irishman's Diary by Kevin Myers". ''[[The Irish Times]]'' 8 February 2005.</ref>
  
 
Myers issued an unconditional apology two days later, "entirely at [his] own initiative". Irish Times editor [[Geraldine Kennedy]] also apologised for having agreed to publish the article. Myers has claimed to have received death threats over his controversial remarks.
 
Myers issued an unconditional apology two days later, "entirely at [his] own initiative". Irish Times editor [[Geraldine Kennedy]] also apologised for having agreed to publish the article. Myers has claimed to have received death threats over his controversial remarks.
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=== Scotland ===
 
=== Scotland ===
 
Myers caused controversy when he referred to [[Scottish people]] as obese and dependent on the welfare state:
 
Myers caused controversy when he referred to [[Scottish people]] as obese and dependent on the welfare state:
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{{Cquotetxt|There lies the ruin of Scotland - subsidies. Guaranteed transfers of capital from England have created a political culture of sloth which is now endemic and even personalised. Scottish people are the most obese in Europe, in which regard they resemble the wretched Scottish statelet. Only a minority of Scottish people work for a living - and most of those who have jobs are employed by the state: 577,300. In other words, they are employed by the English to manage themselves. The rest of the Scots are on the dole or pensions, living in state-owned housing estates, sending their children to state-run schools, where the most likely form of personal enterprise they will ever encounter is their local heroin-dealer.|Myers, Kevin, ''An Irishman's Diary'', [[The Irish Times]], 8 February 2006|size=150%}}
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:There lies the ruin of Scotland - subsidies. Guaranteed transfers of capital from England have created a political culture of sloth which is now endemic and even personalised. Scottish people are the most obese in Europe, in which regard they resemble the wretched Scottish statelet. Only a minority of Scottish people work for a living - and most of those who have jobs are employed by the state: 577,300. In other words, they are employed by the English to manage themselves. The rest of the Scots are on the dole or pensions, living in state-owned housing estates, sending their children to state-run schools, where the most likely form of personal enterprise they will ever encounter is their local heroin-dealer.|Myers, Kevin, ''An Irishman's Diary'', [[The Irish Times]], 8 February 2006
 
</blockquote>
 
</blockquote>
 
On the 17 January 2007 he wrote a similar article about Scotland, drawing in the topical issue of the country's possible secession from the [[United Kingdom]] or gaining of some other form of independence.
 
On the 17 January 2007 he wrote a similar article about Scotland, drawing in the topical issue of the country's possible secession from the [[United Kingdom]] or gaining of some other form of independence.
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=== Aid to Africa ===
 
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In July 2008, Myers wrote an article arguing that providing aid to Africa only results in increasing its population, and its problems.<ref>Myers, Kevin. [http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/africa-is-giving-nothing-to-anyone--apart-from-aids-1430428.html Africa is giving nothing to anyone except AIDS]. ''Irish Independent'', 10 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.</ref> This produced strong reactions, with the Immigrant Council of Ireland making an official complaint to the [[Garda Síochána]] alleging incitement to hatred.<ref>[http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0716/1216073118226.html Immigrant body lodges Garda complaint over Myers article]. ''Irish Times'', 16 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.</ref>
 
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Hans Zomer of Dóchas, an association of [[Non-governmental organization|NGO]]s, and another complainant, took a complaint to the Press Council on the grounds that it breached four principles of the Council's Code of Practice: 1) Accuracy, 3) Fairness and Honesty, 4) Respect for Rights, and 8) Incitement to Hatred.<ref name="carol-coulter-press-council">[http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1018/1224279408479.html Press Council upholds complaint against Myers article], ''Irish Times'', October 18, 2008</ref><ref name="press-council-kevin-myers-africa">[http://www.pressombudsman.ie/v2/pressombudsman/portal.php?content=_includes/decisionportal.php&label=fullcase&category=Decided%20by%20the%20Press%20Council%20after%20Referral&casename=Complainants%20and%20the%20Irish%20Independent&ID=62 Complainants and the Irish Independent], ''The Irish Press Council'', 10 October 2008</ref> In their case details the Press Council said
 
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{{Cquotetxt|beginning with the headline “Africa is giving nothing to anyone – apart from AIDS”, the mode of presentation was marked by rhetorical extravagance and hyperbole which used the failings of some to stigmatise whole societies, employing a level of generalisation that was distorting and seriously insulting to Africans as a whole and that -
 
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In addition the article resorted, in several instances, to language that was gratuitously offensive and was, in the view of the Press Council, likely to cause grave offence to people throughout sub-Saharan Africa and to the many Africans in particular who are now resident in Ireland.
 
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They concluded that the article did breach Principle 8 of the Code of Practice in that it was likely to cause grave offence. It did not, however, find reason to conclude that it was likely to stir-up hatred or that there was any intention to do so.
 
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They also concluded that the Council did not have clear grounds on which to make any findings in relation to the complaints under Principles 1, 3 & 4 of the Code.|Press Council of Ireland ''Complainants and the Irish Independent''<ref name="press-council-kevin-myers-africa"/>|size=150%}}
 
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==Paramilitary secret meetings==
 
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In 1974 Myers was approached by the [[Official IRA]] who, aware of his contacts, requested a meeting with their loyalist counterparts. A meeting was arranged between Jim Hanna, an [[Ulster Volunteer Force]] (UVF) leader and a representative of the Officials. The [[Europa Hotel, Belfast]] was chosen because its supposedly tight security would ensure neither side could be armed. Yet both sides managed to smuggle in armed men and Myers described their comical attempts to blend in. Further meetings followed and agreements were reached for the safe return of unfortunates who accidentally found themselves in the other's territory.<ref name=ST1/>
 
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Later, at a secret meeting arranged by Myers at the request of the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|Provisionals]]. [[Dáithí Ó Conaill]] and [[Brian Keenan (Irish republican)|Brian Keenan]] had talks with UVF leaders Hanna and Billy Mitchell near [[Lough Sheelin]], [[County Cavan]]. Myers summarised the purpose of the talks: ''The IRA simply wished to discuss the terms of the loyalist surrender and the loyalists wished merely to assure the IRA they had no intention of surrendering.''<ref name=ST1>Kevin Myers, [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article608437.ece ''Caught between the devils and the IRA''], [[The Sunday Times]], 22 October 2006, retrieved 5 May 2009</ref> The meeting lasted four hours. Mitchell later recalled that "We just wanted to get to know one another. And we thought we could find a way to call an end to everything." "I really liked David. And neither of us accused the other of anything."<ref>http://zeus.zeit.de/text/archiv/2001/38/200138_nordirland.xml{{Dead link|date=October 2009}}</ref> That night the two sides had dinner together, followed by a drinking session. Keenan and Mitchell fell asleep, drunkenly in each others arms.<ref name=ST1/>
 
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Following the meeting Myers discerned a brief lull in the IRA targeting of [[UDR]] soldiers.<ref name=ST1/>
 
  
 
== Other work ==
 
== Other work ==
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Myers
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Myers
 
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/lies-damned-lies-and-the-wickedness-of-wikipedia-1388050.html
 
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/lies-damned-lies-and-the-wickedness-of-wikipedia-1388050.html
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http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/kevin-myers-irrationality-has-always-been-at-the-very-heart-of-irish-life-2281679.html

Latest revision as of 12:06, 3 August 2010

Some excerpts from wikipedia that may - or may not! - be useful


Style

Myers' Irish Times opinion columns were often in contrast to its editorial position, which led to some conflict with his editors. In early January 2005, The Irish Times refused to publish a column in which he accused the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) of responsibility for the Northern Bank robbery. It was later published by the Daily Telegraph[1] He often advocates support for the United States, though he is sometimes critical of the foreign policies of the Bush administration. He ultimately endorsed the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He has praised George W. Bush, but has also described him as 'mad'. He is frequently critical of anti-war activists.[2]

Myers is sceptical of the viability of multiculturalism[3] and favours limits on immigration to prevent the growth of racial tension in Ireland. He has criticised the Catholic Church in many pieces, and favours the legalisation of prostitution.[4] In recent articles he has been critical of Islamic fundamentalism and extremism. In his journalism Myers has opposed the classification of Travellers as an ethnic minority,[5] and has opposed feminist philosophy and the role of trade unions in setting economic policy. He has written against the compensation culture and has opposed state policies towards the Irish language.[6] He has also criticised the prospect of Turkey's accession to the EU.[7]

Other columns have a less political nature, discussing road safety, pet peeves, rugby union, favourite places in Ireland, etc. The fortnightly satirical publication, The Phoenix, regularly lampoons what it sees as his apparent self-obsession, and referring to him by other names such as Kevin Myarse or Colonel MyArse.

Irishness and Nationalism

Myers promotes awareness of Irish soldiers who served in the British Armed Forces, particularly in World War I, arguing that they believed they were doing their patriotic duty as Irishmen. He has criticised the official commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising,[8] and has raised concerns about uncritically celebrating Irish rebellions of former times.Template:Citation needed He has been sceptical of the Northern Ireland peace process, and uses the hyphenated term Sinn Féin-IRA in some articles.[9][10][11]

The "bastards" controversy

Myers has been an advocate of unrestricted freedom of speech and an opponent of censorship and political correctness. He attracted considerable criticism for "An Irishman's Diary" of 8 February 2005, in which he referred to children of unmarried mothers as "bastards":

How many girls - and we’re largely talking about teenagers here - consciously embark upon a career of mothering bastards because it seems a good way of getting money and accommodation from the State? Ah. You didn’t like the term bastard? No, I didn’t think you would.|Kevin Myers, An Irishmans's Diary, The Irish Times, 8 February 2005[12]

Myers issued an unconditional apology two days later, "entirely at [his] own initiative". Irish Times editor Geraldine Kennedy also apologised for having agreed to publish the article. Myers has claimed to have received death threats over his controversial remarks.

Scotland

Myers caused controversy when he referred to Scottish people as obese and dependent on the welfare state:

There lies the ruin of Scotland - subsidies. Guaranteed transfers of capital from England have created a political culture of sloth which is now endemic and even personalised. Scottish people are the most obese in Europe, in which regard they resemble the wretched Scottish statelet. Only a minority of Scottish people work for a living - and most of those who have jobs are employed by the state: 577,300. In other words, they are employed by the English to manage themselves. The rest of the Scots are on the dole or pensions, living in state-owned housing estates, sending their children to state-run schools, where the most likely form of personal enterprise they will ever encounter is their local heroin-dealer.|Myers, Kevin, An Irishman's Diary, The Irish Times, 8 February 2006

On the 17 January 2007 he wrote a similar article about Scotland, drawing in the topical issue of the country's possible secession from the United Kingdom or gaining of some other form of independence.

Other work

He was presenter of the Challenging Times television quiz show on RTÉ during the 1990s. In 2000, he published a collection of his An Irishman's Diary columns (ISBN 1-85182-575-4) and in 2003, he published a novel Banks of Green Willow (ISBN 0-684-02013-0) which was described by John Banville "as fresh as tomorrow's headlines".Template:Citation needed In 2006, he published Watching the Door (ISBN 1-84351-085-5), about his time as a journalist in Northern Ireland during the 1970s. The book was positively reviewed by The Times,[13] The Guardian,[14] and the New Statesman,[15] while The Independent published a more mixed review that wondered whether there was "an element of hyperbole" in Myers' account.[16]

He is member of the Film Classification Appeals Board (formerly known as the Censorship Board.)[17]

Books - Full titles needed

  • Kevin Myers: From the Irish Times Column 'An Irishman's Diary' (2000)
  • Banks of Green Willow (2003)
  • Watching the Door: A Memoir, 1971-1978 (2006)
  • More Myers: An Irishman's Diary, 1997-2006 (2007)

Notes

  1. ↑ Myers, Kevin. "The price of peace? £22m in cash" The Telegraph. The Irish Times, 16 September 2005. Retrieved on 25 April 2007.
  2. ↑ Ref needed
  3. ↑ Myres, Kevin Opinion: An Irishman's Diary". Retrieved on 27 May 2008.
  4. ↑ Myers, Kevin. Let sanity prevail and bring prostitutes in from the cold. Irish Independent, 26 March 2008. Retrieved on 27 May 2008.
  5. ↑ I'm Irish, I know about the gipsy problem, Daily Telegraph, October 3, 2004
  6. ↑ Kevin Myers: Language busybodies trying to impose Irish upon us by diktat, Irish Independent, December 9, 2009
  7. ↑ For 250 years, Turkey's presence in Europe was invariably as an armed invader in Christian lands, Irish Independent, March 31, 2010
  8. ↑ Myers, Kevin. "There is nothing to celebrate in the Easter Rising; Nothing, absolutely nothing". Belfast Telegraph, 13 April 2007. Retrieved on 27 May 2008.
  9. ↑ What was achieved by Adams and McGuinness stands out as a perfect model of courage, Kevin Myers, Irish Independent, 13 November 2009, retrieved 10 December 2009
  10. ↑ IRA collusion tale is a bloody, black comedy, Kevin Myers, Irish Independent, 12 February 2008, retrieved 10 December 2009
  11. ↑ Staring into Northern Ireland's moral abyss, Kevin Myers, The Belfast Telegraph, 30 March 2008, retrieved 10 December 2009
  12. ↑ Myers, Kevin. "An Irishman's Diary by Kevin Myers". The Irish Times 8 February 2005.
  13. ↑ Watching The Door: Cheating Death In 1970s Belfast, by Kevin Myers. 2008-03-22. 
  14. ↑ Guns and girls. 2008-04-18. 
  15. ↑ Here comes trouble. 2008-03-27. 
  16. ↑ Watching the Door, by Kevin Myers. 2008-03-07. 
  17. ↑ http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/when-looney-film-censors-ran-our-moral-madhouse-1263169.html

External links


http://www.indymedia.ie/article/82069 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/78150 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/68550 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Myers http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/lies-damned-lies-and-the-wickedness-of-wikipedia-1388050.html http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/kevin-myers-irrationality-has-always-been-at-the-very-heart-of-irish-life-2281679.html

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