Tánaiste and co are divorced from reality

MARY HARNEY’S response to the “peace march” has been very revealing — as digging a deep hole tends to be.

Firstly, revealing of her divorce from the simple realities of life of real people. The commitment and effort of turning out in central Dublin was not inconsiderable: not for the single Dubliner, let alone the family from a distant county.

Those who think nothing of grabbing a State aircraft to nip down to the opening of an off-licence are divorced from such realities. Secondly, it reveals that neither she nor Mr McDowell pondered, in anything resembling depth or objectivity, what it was that motivated such an extraordinary mass movement. Her specious response to the grave concerns, shown by masses of the population, is to warn against "anti-Americanism".

Millions of Americans oppose this war. It is mendacious to seek to brand as "anti-American", those in this country who question its motivation and its morality.

The sinister Bush advisers want this war. Their reasons have nothing to do with Iraqi human rights. If they cared for human rights in Iraq (or anywhere else) they would not have insisted on sanctions. Sanctions have destroyed the Iraqi middle class and thereby have bolstered (not diminished) dictatorship.

The truth is that the US administration has sought to prostitute the UN in a self-serving way: and not for the first time. The real questions facing the international community are two and not one. Firstly, "Is the regime of Saddam a threat to the Iraqi people and to its neighbours? If so, what should be done about it?" Secondly, "Is it right that the Bush regime invade Iraq and take control of its territory and its oil? If not, what should be done about it?" I submit that the latter question is the more pressing.

The "anti-American" slur has long been a tactic to silence dissent. The reader will recognise those who employ it. Their response to legitimate dissent is name-calling, personal abuse and invoking the bogeyman of the various "isms" and "ists" which seem to inhabit their hysterical world. Remember Senator Joe McCarthy and the reign of terror of his un-American Activities Committee? Déjà vu. We are there again!

So, to all you "cranks" who marched on February 15, 2003; all you who may have been not so much "duped" as exposed to being "infected" (to paraphrase Ms Harney); I say: "Thank you for representing me!" (and seemingly the two million like me). I don't "do" marches. But I sure as hell read and think and vote!

N O'Sullivan,

Rosewood Drive,

Waterford.