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A SCALE MODEL of the controversial Che Guevara monument proposed for Galway is being constructed and will be presented to the city council soon.
Cllr Billy Cameron, who proposed the idea to the council of having a monument to the Argentina-born, Cuban revolutionary’s Irish roots, said that the model is being manufactured in England. He added it is being funded by the Argentinian and Cuban embassy, as will the monument.
He said it will be presented to the public art committee of Galway City Council and then it would go to councillors themselves.
When the model is being presented to council I would be hopeful that we would get a presentation from the artist and archictects. The general feeling is we won’t be dictated to. There will be a discussion in the chamber.
He noted that people have concerns about the proposed site and various sites have been looked at. He said that people are against the use of the promenade in Salthill, but there are other areas that may be considered.
When asked about the controversy surrounding the choice of Guevara to commemorate, Cllr Cameron said there would be controversy no matter what historical figure you choose to commemorate, but particularly if they are from the political field.
He said that Guevara is recognised throughout the world as a symbol of the 20th century and is a “marketing brand” – as well as being involved in guerilla warefare.
He said that if critics “look at the general philosophy” of Guevara, “there would be rational debate” on the monument. “I believe most of the councillors are trying to inform themselves and are in the process of reading the man’s history and his ideals and his philosophy,” he said.
He said that he didn’t think the councillors will be influenced by American critics and said that a certain element of the critics in America “have rigid views and would distort the history” and have “blinkered vision”.
Cllr Cameron said that he believes the monument will give added value to the city and that “there are two other councils just waiting on the sidelines and are willing to talk to the ambassadors” with regard to taking the monument if Galway councillors decide they do not want it.
He added that if a city associates itself with the Che Guevara brand, “you have arrived”.
To associate yourself with the brand you are immediately getting the added value.
The councillors will take their time over the decision, and if is rejected, “somewhere else in Ireland will take it”, said Cllr Cameron. “It won’t be the last we hear of it. A number of South American sports personalities [said they] would get involved in fundraising for it.”
In March, Taoiseach Enda Kenny was presented with a letter from the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committe of the US House of Representatives, urging him to intervene and stop the monument being built.
Galway businessman Declan Ganley, meanwhile, also criticised the idea.
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How does a family carer self isolate if their charge hasn’t been exposed? Taking to bedroom for 2 weeks and leaving a special needs adult or child to fend for themselves isn’t feasible. The alternative is to knowingly expose them. Also, who will step in to care for that individual if their sole carer actually becomes bed ridden at home? Are there any plans in place to offer things like emergency respite? Since family carers are low on the list of priorities at the best of time, I don’t suppose it’s even occurred to those in power to think of them now.
@Carol Oates: Politicians in Ireland are reactive, ‘thinking’ or planning for any public service outside of what is right in front of them has never happened, in 100 years. Maybe the Luas, that’s it tho. Look out for yourself, and steal anything needed to do so Carol.
@thesaltyurchin: Good point – so if an infected person asks you for help, because the government isn’t interested in helping them, your answer is to grab whatever you need from others? It would be more honest to support any political parties who can organise help for people who do need it.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: Yes. Individuals will always help where they can (me and no doubt yourself included), but the nature of our car boot sale society is to look out for yourself and get zero public services (from a century of taxes). Absolutely agree that supporting political parties who can organise help is the way to go but like I said we have 100 years of promises, but no proof really.
On last night’s ‘Late Late Show’ , a virology expert told us we have to wash our hands whilst singing ‘Happy Birthday’. But only the other night, the same professor was on ‘Prime Time’ advising us to sing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” .
I’m not surprised so many are in fear of the Coronavirus with the amount of conflicting info out there
@Liz O’Neill: I heard this and laughed initially – but then realised that you are supposed to wash your hands for 20 seconds and this is about the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – so it is actually a good way to teach small children how to wash their hand adequately – neat idea in the end, until you have a house full of kinds singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, out of time and out of time but not out of mind.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: I totally agree I even practice it myself as I work into all the nooks and crannys (and if one is wearing jewellery there are plenty of those). I just found it amusing that he, literally, ‘changed his tune’. It’s good to have a giggle in the face of adversity.
i read in the new york post that it was a lab leak. guess whick city in china has the only bio lab .
@Derek Gannon: The spin and lies continue…
@Derek Gannon: you’re about 10 days behind on the conspiracy theories. Will expect you’ll discover the Japanese doctors advice to wash the virus into your stomach tomorrow…….
@Derek Gannon: “In our view, there is currently no credible evidence to support the claim that SARS-CoV-2 originated from a laboratory-engineered CoV. It is more likely that SARS-CoV-2 is a recombinant CoV generated in nature between a bat CoV and another coronavirus in an intermediate animal host. ”
References:
Liu, S.L., Saif, L.J., Weiss, S.R. and Su, L., 2020. No credible evidence supporting claims of the laboratory engineering of SARS-CoV-2. Emerging Microbes & Infections, 9(1), pp.505-507.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misinformation_related_to_the_2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_outbreak
Please don’t listen to people like Peter
Flu is a pandemic every year it infects millions in USA.
The USA has a population of 327,000,000 the flu virus every year infects from 5-20% meaning 16,000,000 to 65,000,000 people in USA are infected of that number between 8000 to 20,000 deaths are attributed to flu related factors.
This is a mortality rare of ~0.03%.
SARS-COVID19 has infected only 78,000 in China and ~2800 have died already with 8000 in serious to critical condition. Thats a mortality rate of ~ 3.5%, its around 2.6% in Italy and higher in Iran.
If CV19 infected the 20% range of people in the USA that flu can the death rate would be 2,275,000 not 20,000 like flu (and we have some vaccines for flu types)
@Supes Kz: fair enough but where are the survivors? Why are none interviewed? Tell us what it’s like.
@mr magoo: At time of writing there are approx 42,000 discharged or cured or clear and 3,000 dead. There are a further 41,000 still ill of which 7,500 are serious or critical…
source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
And for people who are curious to know more here is what the virus does and how and why it kills https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/here-is-what-coronavirus-does-to-the-body/
All I know is that cancelling the match, ruining the 6N, and doing nothing about the flights is absolutely ridiculous. So instead of those same Italians in the Aviva on Saturday, they are spread all over town. Harris and his day in the sun. Now 6 countries plans are in smoke.
3 good channels for info.
1 Dr John Campbell
2 MedCram
3 Doctor Mike Hansen. Quite technical but very informative.
@saoirse janneau: How does it makes sense for italians not to go to a rugby stadium and instead due to the cancelled match go to a pub? I dont care if they flew from Amsterdam or Milan, they show up at dublin airport with Italian passports
Would an 83 year old on immunotherapy be advised not to travel on flight to USA
So as far as I can make out from the comments on The Journal, the Chinese government released a “bionuke” to cull the population.
And then locked down entire cities because it was making people sick.
Triffic…
@..: And the same people reciting such rubbish know perfectly well that China’s economy had improved to the point of relaxing, then dropping their 1970s one-child policy. The Chinese want citizens to have more children. It just makes a better pub yarn to joke about people who were doing their best to get past old-school restrictions.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: it would make perfect economic sense for an ageing population to release a virus that didn’t effect children, had minimal effect on healthy adults of working age and effectively culled the disabled or people of pension age. makes a great conspiracy theory!
The infection rate is 90% and the death rate is 89%. Every doctor and scientist on earth is in on the lie and none of them are telling the truth.
But Susan on Facebook knows the truth coz her brother used to work in a hospital and has the walking dead box set.
Also , I’ve heard the bears can smell the menstruation.
The Chinese are supposed to have a bio weapons lab a few kilometres outside Wuhan. Now is that just a coincidence?
The virus is reported to some components of HIV in it as well.
@Paul Atreides: Oh dear, you may have caught the ID 10T variant. Be careful out there.
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