A Self Portrait...

18 December 2015

Al Capone

Alphonse Gabriel Capone was leader of a mafia gang in Chicago. He was a notorious gangster and the equally notorious Chicago mayor and chief of police of the time did nothing to stop his reign.

In 1931 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) failing to find evidence of any other crime prosecuted Al Capone for tax evasion. He was found guilty and sentenced to eleven years in prison. I've no idea what happened to the corrupt mayor or the equally corrupt police chief but I wouldn't be surprised to find they lived to respectable and very wealthy old age.

Thomas 'Slab' Murphy is alleged to be the chief of staff of the IRA Irish Republican Army (spit). We don't know this for sure because there's no evidence or even definite allegations which no doubt explains why Tom Murphy was charged with, of all things in Ireland: tax evasion.

You know what? Charges against both Capone and Murphy  were measly, cowardly and in the case of Ireland downright reeking of hypocrisy.

I'm no supporter of the IRA. I do believe in a united Ireland but I don't think its worth killing for. I think murdering people delays unity and increases the distrust and suspicion of both sides. And, I've no time for Tom Murphy either if the Irish government were to charge him with the murder of however many people I would fully support it but that's not what happened

Tom Murphy is a very powerful and at the moment still rich man, for all I know he may well have fiddled taxes and been involved with various other not quite legal money making enterprises that's not the point.

The point is Ireland went bankrupt because of the alleged corruption of various politicians, bankers and property developers and the Irish authorities full of righteous indignation charge one man apparently unconnected to AIB, NAMA or Bankers, with of all things tax evasion.

How many bankers have been charged, how many corrupt politicians took nice big brown envelopes padded with cash and how many property developers are sitting in luxury mansions free as a bird and not even questioned much less charged with any crime?

Whatever else he is Tom Murphy is not Al Capone. He is and has always been a loyal member of the poxy IRA. He had a major role in the peace negotiations indeed it could be said that without him there would have been no Good Friday or if you're Unionist Belfast agreement.

And he is charged and found guilty of tax evasion, and I find myself defending Tom 'Slab' Murphy. Not because I like him or the scumbags in the IRA. I just can't stand the eye watering hypocrisy of it. Because would you believe it it was a no jury also known as Diplock trial! So, the state charged someone with offences against the state and it was tried and judged by the state.

I've never been against Diplock trials I believe the proliferation of gangs means Diplock trials are likely to increase not decrease, but there's reason in all things and if anyone is to be charged with a crime against bureaucracy to have any credibility at all the trial must be by jury. 

You really could not make this shit up. Its not even fucking original.

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