Wolf lurking behind SF’s charm offensive

THE IRA wants peace. Perhaps. But it wants power even more. Hence, the ‘harm offensive’ of the IRA becomes the charm offensive of Sinn Féin when dealing with Dublin.

For charm is what gets results in life.

From the boardroom to the bedroom, charm is the magic potion. Not always the most subtle, perhaps, but often the most effective. And not always benign.

So when Gerry Adams assures us that the animal lurking in the undergrowth is just a pussycat at heart, we would be wise to watch a video instead of inviting the beast in for the night.

And the video I would suggest for family viewing might be The Nazis A Warning from History. An object lesson in how a minority party of national socialists... ahem... came to power in democratic Germany.

The Second World War In Colour could serve as an aperitif, with Comical Ali as dessert explaining how the Ba'athists (22% of the population) came to control Saddam's terrifying Iraq.

Did I mention the Viet Minh in Vietnam? Sometimes, evil is like a bolt from the blue.

But then again, it may come cloaked as an angel of light, the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing.

Richard Dowling

Patrick Street

Mountrath

Co Laois.