Glorious Opportunity: Brexit and Irexit

By Willie Drennan

Road To Freedom by Caroline

Northern Ireland is in the news again, for all the wrong reasons, again. This time it is due to the EU shamelessly taking advantage of the traditional sources of Irish division to try salvage its own failing political project. And what is even more alarming is that they are being facilitated and encouraged by their elitist compatriots who currently control the UK Establishment.

Northern Ireland. EU Withdrawal.

 Northern Ireland's new flag dispute.

I voted Leave and feel passionately about democracy. This Draft Withdrawal Agreement has shattered my belief system and my normal composure.

I very rarely get angry but I am becoming prone to bouts of anger these days. I'm not angry with people who disagree me. I'm angry at the deceit of the EU/UK/ ROI Establishment. It has become the one and the same establishment. I have been trying really hard not to get angry with people who have been angry with me as a result of my beliefs and viewpoints. I'm struggling a bit though.

We are currently at a pivotal moment in the political history of the UK and Ireland. The anger of some Remain voters since the EU Referendum is now spreading rapidly among the majority of Leave voters. The only way out of this without losing friends is to express our differing views in respectful and rational debate. Sitting on the fence or burying our heads in the sand will not help in anyway.

Here are some facts and opinions: opinions that I believe can be supported by facts. I would like those who have conflicting opinions to mine to give consideration.

Remembrance.

Poppy display from Ulster Museum Exhibition 2017.

By Willie Drennan

This Remembrance Day has an added significance as this year is also the centenary commemoration of the ending of World War One. We can only try to imagine the overwhelming collective sense of sheer relief across Britain and Ireland when the end of that horrendous war was announced.

For many of today's younger generation it has to be even more difficult to understand the collective grief and trauma that afflicted so many families at that time. A century ago was a long time ago.

Is Democracy Endangered? Why I voted Leave.

Is the centre of British democracy endangered? 

By Willie Drennan

Every day, it seems, EU devotees spread their mantra that Leave voters are all thick, under-educated, narrow-minded simpletons who were tricked into voting Leave by manipulative exterior forces.

On the contrary, I reckon the majority of us voted the way we did because we are capable of independent thought and judgement. We did not vote because of any political party, guru, writings on a bus, or campaign group. We voted the way we did in spite of a massive Establishment campaign to keep us all in subservience to an undemocratic System.

Prior to the EU Referendum in June I posted a blog 
explaining why I planned to vote leave. It was perhaps a bit too heavy on detail so here is a summary of my reasons.

Glorious Opportunity: Brexit + Irexit

Road To Freedom. Image by Caroline.

  It's all the same freedom in the end.

By Willie Drennan.

Throughout history, people on the island of Ireland have battled each other over territory and the right to live in freedom within territory: in conflicts usually instigated by ruling classes; asserting their authority, conquering and dividing to solidify their power and dominance. In conflicts where people had little choice but stand and fight for their relevant freedoms. And still it goes on. No such devious scheme by the ruling classes has ever been more blatantly obvious than the current weaponisation of the Irish Border by the EU masters and their devotees.

Currently on this island many of the establishment's elite are in denial of the existence of logical solutions to any post-Brexit difficulties in Ireland.

25th Annual Derrylane Yardfest at the Flaxmill

Flax-Mill Textiles: The Irish Linen Weavers of Derrylane.
(between Dungiven and Limavady)


On stage at the 25th Yard Fest:
Saturday 8th September 2018 

Willie Drennan and David McClean doing Lambeg Boogie:
You Tube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PCaJiLH0QA

Linguistic Dilemma: Brexit doesn't mean Brexit

By Willie Drennan

Is Oxford keeping up with change in language?

Modern politics and modern media are transforming the English Language. We used to all know the meaning of certain words, and when strung together into sentences, most people could easily follow and figure out what they meant.

Today it is getting much more complicated, especially in the world of political jargon. Old established words don't necessarily mean the same thing as they used to. For example: Liberal no longer relates to the old dictionary definition of liberal. Liberal does not mean liberal any more. As a matter of fact when the word is applied to modern politics it actually seems to mean illiberal.

The Liberal Politics of Adolf H....r

I highly recommend you buy a copy of this new book by John King before it goes underground.

For fear of getting arrested for aiding and abetting a book entitled 'The Liberal Politics of Adolf Hitler' I have deliberately not used Hitler's full name in the title of my little piece. I would like to fend off the thought police for as long as I can. I am only a third of the way into this book and Adolf H....r and the N...s barely get a mention. It doesn't seem to be really about the Austrian and his cult followers at all. And that is a relief, as only recently a Scottish comedian was prosecuted for making fun of such types.

In this Orwellian novel King imagines the UK and the United States of Europe (USE) in the future. The USE has become a totalitarian dictatorship where 'power is fully centralised' and its citizens have absolute obedience and devotion to this almighty establishment. A system of dependency has been manipulated and molded into perfection.

On The Road To Freedom Now

A song by Willie Drennan

Painting by Caroline

To find the road to freedom you take the trail

Where some folks weep and some folks wail

Then take the long winding lane

To feel the wrath and feel the pain.

All roads to freedom are not the same

You might cross Sorrow you might catch Blame

But once you make it round the final bend

It’s all the same freedom in the end.

But what exactly is freedom? Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of choice? Freedom to vote for and against those who determine our laws? Or, perhaps just the freedom to function within the confines of a comfort zone?

Drumming Up Support: Artists For Brexit

Drumming up support for 'Artists for Brexit.' Painting by Stephen McLean

'Artists for Brexit', a brand new arts movement, was created recently in a Wetherspoon's pub in London. It's not the first time inspired artists have created new collaborations in a pub, but I have a notion this gathering of individuals just might merit a mention in future annals of history.

Not all that long ago it was the poets, painters, songwriters and playwrights who were at the forefront of social and political change. Artists and artisans were there at the forefront in Renaissance and Enlightenment periods: since the early 19^th Century, bohemian cliques were always assumed to be lurking in the wings to question and challenge the status quo.

Brexit, Borders and Common Travel Area

by Willie Drennan

Why is nobody talking about The Common Travel Area?

The debate around Brexit rages on with much focus once again on Ireland. There are cries that Brexit is a threat to the Belfast Agreement (Good Friday Agreement) and even to peace, as they claim a hard border is inevitable.

Prior to the Referendum many politicians and commentators and politicians explained that a hard border across Ireland would not be necessary, primarily because of the Common Travel Area that was set up in 1923 between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.

On the issue of customs, should the EU insist on imposing tariffs, the various technological methods that can be used to monitor transfer of goods are also well documented. So in other words the UK government sees no need for a hard border in Ireland.

The threat of a hard border is clearly being used by the EU, Irish political elite and diehard Remainers as part of their concentrated attempt to stop Brexit.

Arts, Business and Cyber-Lynching

By Willie Drennan

Cyber-Lynching is the new term for a crowd of folk getting together on social media to have a collective go at somebody they feel deserves punishment. No doubt an online lynch mob will be after me very soon for even making reference .

For now it's the Chair of the Arts Council, with his speech at the Arts and Business NI annual awards in Belfast on January 24th, who is getting cyber-lynched.

The Legacy of Rabbie Burns 2018

By Willie Drennan

January 25^th 2018 will mark the 259th birthday of the immortal Robert Burns, and such is his legacy that we can’t help but ponder what he would make of the state of the world today.

It was certainly the case during the Scottish Independence campaign in 2014 that campaigners on either side were selective in their quoting of Burns to claim he would have voted for their cause. Songs such as ‘Scots Wha Hae’ were presented as confirmation of his Scottish credentials while ‘Does Haughty Gaul Invasion Threat’ was considered proof of his British credentials.

Indeed there is much in the works of Burns for both the Scottish and British patriot. He didn’t see anything contradictory in that. Also for the internationalist there were songs like, ‘A Man’s A Man For A’ That’.