The British radio presenter James O’Brien tackles the hardline Conservative Party MP Jacob Rees-Mogg on his LBC show in a rare example of the duplicitous Tory politician facing tough questioning on Brexit. Yet again, one can’t help but be impressed by the almost fanatical dishonesty of the leadership of the anti-European movement in Britain.
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AN SIONNACH FIONN 
Ah, this is the man who argues that the British can impose security checks at the border…” just like during the troubles ”
Well his government through a bill currently going through the Westminster parliament is making provision for exactly that with the right to stop, search and or detain anyone within a mile of the border, or at a railway station suspected of coming from or to, or even suspected of intending to come from or to the border.
Not therefore all to sure about today’s stooshie in the press about the unhappiness of the FG.s Mr Varadakar with TD Ross who made comments about a border being inevitable.
Folk need to talk about the reality, how the UK has torn up the GFA, and how Ireland’s economy will be and is being impacted by belligerent Britain. A united Ireland and an independent Scotland makes more sense than ever now.,
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His dissembling on the border issue is quite extraordinary. As is the constant references to the Brexit-supporting Trimble as an “architect” of the peace process while ignoring the anti-Brexit views of the vast majority of other peace process architects including Adams, Ahern, Blair, Clinton and so on.
Not to mention the fact that Trimble and company were dragged into the peace process kicking and screaming every inch of the way and that Moggies’ current allies are the anti-peace process DUP!
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Yeah, O’Brien was somewhat over the top but in fairness JRM was pretty disingenuous from the off. And I can’t help but feel there hasn’t been anywhere near enough forensic questioning of him and those who follow his line. Even at this stage he doesn’t engage seriously with the issue – the talk about a Canada style deal being sufficient is simply wrong. He either knows it and is being deliberately obtuse or he doesn’t. Hard to know which would be a worse.
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JRM is one of the most influential haters of Ireland and by that one of the most dangerous people in Westminster to us. We would do well to not underestimate him. To know your enemy you have to listen to him or her.
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This interview with James O’Brien and Jacob Rees-Mogg is a disgrace. What’s the point of James O’Brien asking a question, then the minute JRM starts to answer O’Brien then talks over the top of him in his usual derogatory manner. Why bother having guests or taking calls – if Mr O’Brien thinks himself so superior he may as well just talk to himself. Odious horrible person.
Try and accept as a starting point that not everyone shares your view. This is why the Leave vote won. Usual intolerant, rude, BS from the remain camp.
Please LBC do the world a favour and sack James O’Brien.
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It was very antagonistic allright and I know nothing about the background or personality of the interviewer.
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It seems the gloves are off as far as Jacob is concerned.
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Jacob’s wife was at Bristol with me, late 1990’s. So, you reduce him to a caricature? Play the ball not the man whitey.
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I would be amazed if the British public arent by now, simply fed up by the games played by their ruling classes. The ruling classes and its cheerleaders via the media are again pontificating and looking their noses down upon the plebs and ignoring them. That was their original mistake when they lost the brexit vote. No doubt there will be lots of dirty tricks played when the almost inevitable happens I.e re run of referendum. My advice for any brexiteers would be to keep a very close eye on every polling count centre/station as there will be no level the remainers won’t stoop to in order to get their way.
Btw, how is a radio shock jockey like James obrien somehow more knowledgeable about politics than a politician? And how come he knows all about WTO,etc etc?
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“And how come he knows all about WTO,etc etc?”
Presumably because, unlike Rees Mogg, he isn’t blinkered by ideology and has done some research.
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Yip ‘presumably’ or maybe he’s just echoing what he’s been told? Like most commentators.
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James O’Brien attended Ampleforth and LSE. He is just as well educated as anyone who went to Oxbridge.
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But without the attitude!
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O’Brien came out of this badly. He was belligerent, angry and insolent whereas Rees Mogg was patient, polite and calm. In attempting to give red meat to his remainer audience he ‘paxmans’ JRM on minutiae because he couldn’t land any blows on JRM’s primary argument which was that the negotiation was wrong-headed to accept EU parameters like £39B from the outset.
Two telling measures of bias in broadcasting are (1) the amount of time the interviewee is given to speak and (2) the number of interruptions.
O’Brien monopolises the interview and, as soon as he begins to answer plausibly, interrupts JRM to interject various strawmen (NZ vs Australian beef etc).
Readers should note the O’Brien was dropped by the BBC’s Newsnight last year. Even the remain leaning Newsnight team found him too much.
Finally, why would Irish Nationalists object to the *principal* of national self-determination, even it is applied abroad?
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Because the UK’s application of the principle of national self-determination through Brexit is adversely effecting Ireland’s principle of national self-determination embodied in the regional and international accords under the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which Dublin and London are bound by. Brexit and the inevitability of a hard border sans regulatory alignment on the island of Ireland represents a threat to the political status quo created by the GFA and threatens the return of the status ante: the Troubles.
Dublin is upholding its treaty obligations, London is not.
If the UK wishes to exit the EU it should do so. But not at the expense of the peace agreements and accords of the 1990s and early 2000s.
If London agreed to a special status or dispensation for the 6 Counties, between the UK, Ireland and Europe, this whole mess would be over. It is Britain which is holding up Brexit, not any of its soon to be former partners in the EU.
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ASF edit ‘principle’ not ‘principal’ above!
For a constitutional nationalist Brexit is an opportunity. It could deliver a majority for a United Ireland. JRM could be the butler for a UI and the British left is not.
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Sure, but it could also deliver a renewed conflict. And given the current demographic of near parity between the two communities, one with the potential for enormous bloodshed. Brexit could deliver reunification – or the Troubles 2.0.
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ASF our leaders need to strategise with great care for a consitutional scenario that brings about the former while avoiding the latter. To do so we need the British to cooperate.
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