General

Drafters of the US Constitution foresaw violent demagogues, and Presidential Inaugurations have mostly befitted the momentous transfers of power By John Vivian Cooke. Exactly on the stroke of noon on 20 January, Donald Trump will be out of office. There will be no more lies, frauds, outrages, or broken laws from President Trump.    His presidency as a whole, and the violent death throes of its final days, have stretched democratic norms to their breaking point, but the inevitable messy end of his term proved the resilience of the US Constitution.    Some of the dangers they sought to guard against were instability, confusion and attempts by factions to mask violence under the Constitution The drafters of the Constitution foresaw exactly such a demagogue. They published extensive commentaries addressing concerns about the effective operation of republican forms of government. Their plan sought to resolve the paradox that without order there can be no freedom; to give sufficient powers to the government to allow it to fulfil its essential functions without diminishing the liberties of citizens. Some of the dangers they sought to guard against were:  ¨(T)he instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public councils, (which) have, in  truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished”. (James Madison, Federalist Number 10)  They foresaw the danger posed by organised and violent malcontents, whom they knew as ¨factions¨, who would seek to subvert the operation of government.   ¨By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest,  adversed (sic) to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the  community”. (James Madison, Federalist Number 10)  Benefitting from thorough classical educations, they readily drew on analogies from antiquity.   ¨It is impossible to read the history of the petty republics of Greece and Italy without feeling sensations of horror and disgust at the distractions with which they were continually agitated,  and at the rapid succession of revolutions by which they were kept in a state of perpetual  vibration between the extremes of tyranny and anarchy”. (Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Number 9) Supporters of Publius Clodius Pulcher, Trump in a toga, sacked the Senate in 52 BC If they had witnessed Trump’s mob desecrating the Capitol Building, they would have recalled the career of the ancient Roman politician, Publius Clodius Pulcher, whose enraged supports attacked and destroyed the Senate building (Curia Hosta) in 52 BC.  Indeed, the parallels between Clodius and Trump are more than incidental. Clodius was a demagogue with a record of numerous public sex scandals; a wealthy aristocratic who surrender his status as a Patrician to further his anti-elites appeal to the poor; whose term as a Plebeian Tribune in 59 BC was marred by violence, intimidation, and the abuse of power in the vindictive settling of old scores. In short: Donald Trump in a toga.   Informed by historical precedent and wary of the risks of disorder, the Constitution was designed with such specific hazards in mind.   ¨If a faction consists of less than a majority, relief is supplied by the republican principle, which  enables the majority to defeat its sinister views by regular vote. It may clog the administration,  it may convulse the society; but it will be unable to execute and mask its violence under the  forms of the Constitution”. (James Madison, Federalist Number 10)   Donald Trump has repeatedly attempted to frustrate this safeguard.  His attempts to overturn the election results escalated into an act of domestic terrorism that was an attack on the personal, physical, and institutional manifestations of American democracy.  That those efforts failed when Congress completed the constitutional processes of certifying the election results vindicates James Madison`s opinion that:  ¨AMONG (sic) the numerous advantages promised by a well-constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction.  The friend of popular governments never finds himself so much alarmed for their character and fate, as when he contemplates their propensity to this dangerous vice. He will not fail, therefore, to set a due value on any plan which, without violating the principles to which he is attached, provides a proper cure for it”. (James Madison, Federalist Number 10) The inauguration ceremony for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris will be a celebration of this transfer of power in accordance with the democratically expressed will of a sovereign people.   This ceremony has occurred with metronymic regularity since 1797, and each scheduled change of president (with the exception of Rutherford B Hayes` inauguration of 1877) has been celebrated in public.  Quadrennial public inaugurations of the president also serve the practical political function of legitimising the handover of power from one party to another and are the reason the bipartisan Congressional Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has chosen ¨Our Determined Democracy: Forging a More Perfect Union” and ¨America United¨ as this year`s themes.  The Presidential Inauguration Committee, which is responsible for organising broader celebrations, has been forced to abandon many longstanding traditions to comply with public health restrictions so, although the Pass in Review by members representing every branch of the armed services will still take place, this year there will be no Capitol luncheon, no inaugural parade and the series of inaugural balls have moved online.    What remains is the formal inaugural ceremony during which the incoming Vice President and then incoming President will swear their oaths of office, followed by the new President’s inaugural address. While all the pomp and ceremony are familiar, only the administration of the oath of office is constitutionally mandated. Article II, Section 1, Clause 8 states:  ¨Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:  – I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the  United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution  of the United States”.  Franklin Pierce is the only president to have affirmed rather than sworn the oath of office. Many witnesses to Herbert Hoover`s inauguration thought

Having failed to crush, flatten, or close our borders against it, as Winter begins to put its uncouth fingernails all over us there is talk of negotiations. King Virus comes to the table  wearing a crown of spikes that fans out to fill the whole room and can’t be removed except on the day of its state funeral, for which – item one on its agenda – we’re expected to pay. Its minions scuttle in all sporting slightly smaller but equally spiky headgear not to be hung on the hat-stand until its wearer has been scrubbed to death by soap and alcohol even a journalist wouldn’t drink. We are busy being impressed by the tall portraits of its ancestors which adorn the conference room walls when its chief negotiator cuts through gristle to bone: it wants all our old age pensioners and chronics.  In terms of the drag they are on the economy,  it’s doing us a favour taking them  to the processing plants it’s building here, here, and there on the map it keeps pointing at with its big long stick. Being realists – on financial matters at least – we have no alternative but to agree and, as is our custom on such occasions, offer it a little extra: everyone over the age of sixty. Its final condition, to which we’re delighted to nod statesmanlike agreement: the rest of the population will be known by this treaty, which will have full force of international law, as the ‘unoccupied zone’. Congratulating ourselves on another deal done, we bark our ribs up (or try to)  and sweat in unison  into the perfect white of the handkerchiefs  we brought to wave at the world’s media. KEVIN HIGGINS 

 Cloughjordan Ecovillage Two Decades On. By Caroline Hurley. Cloughjordan So Far In September 1999, at the Central Hotel Dublin, Gavin Harte and Gregg Allen launched Sustainable Projects Ireland Ltd. (SPI) trading as The Village, whose aim was to create Ireland’s first eco-village, with a stress on sustainability, community, and promoting mainstreaming environmentally-friendly ideas.  Rising property prices pushed site options farther from the capital than originally envisaged but after advertising in the Farmers Journal, specifying requirements for clay-rich soil to build, a south-facing orientation, and adjacency to an existing village (a serendipitous Council stipulation contrary to SPI’s green-field site preference), community leaders from Cloughjordan on the Tipperary-Offaly border made contact to urge purchase of land meeting these criteria, which were being sold by the Baker family.  Cloughjordan’s population then, about 400, was one-tenth of its pre-Famine size. As the transaction progressed, talks eventually allayed locals’ concerns about an influx of strangers with fringe beliefs and practices.  Cloughjordan’s population then, about 400, was one-tenth of its pre-Famine size. As the transaction progressed, talks eventually allayed locals’ concerns about an influx of strangers with fringe beliefs and practices.  North Tipperary County Council agreed to rezone the agricultural fields for sustainable development, and the application for outline planning permission for private houses, roads and community buildings was made after land purchase was finalised in 2003. Planning permissions sought and granted can be viewed on www.eplanning.ie using reference numbers 04511649 and 08510334. An archaeological survey conducted on the sixty-seven acres by Dennehy and Gowan revealed signs of occupation from the Bronze Age. Regrettably never signposted, findings included Fulachta Fiadh, ring forts and barrows, ditches, a moat, a fever hospital and starch house.  In 2007, a Village Finance Group published a comprehensive document entitled ‘Information About Site Prices’, explaining how 2004 site costs were calculated, why they had gone up so much by 2007, and steps being taken – such as bulk buying – to curb higher price impacts. The low-lying aspect of the field, formerly containing an old well, hugely upped infrastructure quotes.  The plan to complete building on all 130 sites by 2010 was frustrated by exorbitant boomtime bills putting almost half of the subscribers to flight.  Delays were compounded by the recession and logistical complications. The plan to complete building on all 130 sites by 2010 was frustrated by exorbitant boomtime bills putting almost half of the subscribers to flight.  Delays were compounded by the recession and logistical complications. Borrowings were in the millions, contrary to the original no-debt policy, resulting in unintended long-standing liabilities, and diluting autonomy.  The County Council absorbed more funds after rejecting developer proposals for a social-housing element provided for by Government housing-legislation guidance at the time. Those who paid deposits for initially oversubscribed plans were later asked to sign “statements of integrity” undertaking to build by a certain date, but many could not meet changing conditions as escalating site costs were re-calculated, and as properties they meant to sell to pay balances lost value. Marketing to find replacements for drop-outs had to be stepped up again as subscribers still-in forged ahead, though SPI’s weakening finances led to staff being let go. Researcher Campos (2013) noted, “the project hasn’t been able to get around the predatory price system of the formal economy”, and Nelson (2018) added, Cloughjordan “is the most market-oriented … and the least affordable” of several ecovillages analysed, placing it outside the price bracket of many desirable ecovillage candidates. Steps to address this barrier are now afoot. Already, the presence of ‘communities within the community’ has been observed.  By 2011, diverse nature-inspired buildings were going up on certain sites sold; mainly of passive timber frames with sundry insulations and finishes including Durisol blocks (blocks of chipped waste-wood bonded with eco-cement), sheep’s wool, and cellulose (shredded newspaper). Constructions with hemp-lime (traditional Irish finish of lime, strengthened by adding hemp) and cob (clay, sand and straw) also feature, as does a Canadian stick-frame house with double stud walls (with no cold bridging), and kit houses. Anyone with business ideas could opt for live-work units.  Natural slates, recycled plastic roof-tiles and ‘green roofs’ are on display. This distinctive colourful collection of low-carbon emission builds secured some of Ireland’s best Building Energy Ratings (BER). 28 bought sites not yet developed are levied charges, variably met, leaving 47 sites to sell as of 2021. Instead of using fossil fuels, the District Heating System (DHS) burns biomass: waste wood from a Galway sawmill.Although this cutting-edge renewable solution of the noughties has since drawn scrutiny due to forestry pressures and particulates affecting air quality, the system meets village-wide heating and hot-water requirements, emits no excess greenhouse gases, and has been estimated to save about 113.5 tonnes of carbon annually compared to conventional house heating. 2.5 kg of piping distributes hot water to all sites.  Manufacturer failures jinxed the ground solar array slated to support the DHS. About a fifth of residents have roof photovoltaic panels. In 2014, a survey carried out by Tipperary Energy Agency confirmed an ecological footprint of 2 global hectares, the lowest recorded for an Irish settlement. Rainwater harvesting is a common feature. The Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) is designed to direct water runoff from houses, roads and hard surfaces to a stream leading offsite. Stormwater is managed as close to source as possible to mimic natural drainage and encourage efficient biological infiltration, attenuation and passive treatment. Water flows through conventional roof drainage pipes and road surface filter drains (stone filled trenches) to swales or basins to be stored during periods of heavy rainfall, before stream discharge.  As of 2021, fifty-five unique energy-efficient houses and a hostel are occupied by 135 residents, many of whom work from home. Most remain involved in the myriad businesses of ecovillage life and, even if bruised by experience, report satisfaction As of 2021, fifty-five unique energy-efficient houses and a hostel are occupied by 135 residents, many of whom work from home. Most remain involved in the myriad businesses of ecovillage life and, even if bruised by experience, report satisfaction.  This well-educated population of teachers, nurses,

Twitter rejects lockdown relatability ‘We all hate you’ By Sam White  Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Placido Domingo, Idris Elba, Harvey Weinstein, Donna Air, 1960s songstress Marianne Faithful, Kodaline guitarist Mark Prendergast, Prince Charles, Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings, Prince Albert of Monaco, John Taylor from Duran Duran, Ireland’s Ryan Tubridy and Mary Lou McDonald, and ‘Bond Girl’ Olga Kurylenko. Celebrities can get Covid-19, certainly, but do they feel our pain? For many of us, with human interaction at an all-time low, a lot of what we have left is entertainment – and that business is dominated by celebrities. Of course Matt Damon famously holed down in a palace in Dalkey.  He managed to remain charming and got nothing but undeserved accolades.  Madonna has purveyed a number of  slick lockdown Instagram videos featuring, according to the New York Times, the Material Girl “undergoing a bizarre healing procedure at her personal health clinic and bending over a typewriter in a kimono, pontificating about the social effects of the virus”. For Madonna, public performance is “another luxury gone, for now”, she says in one video. “The audience in my house is not amused by me”, she concedes. Later, from the bath, she concludes that Covid-19 is “the great equalizer”.  But there is a backlash, particularly online. For many decades, celebrities have been hoisted onto pedestals out of reach: totems of cultural worship and obsession. But since the virus, it seems we are seeing a huge public shift in the way people are viewing the rich and famous.Attacking, not slavering over,  them has become the greater entertainment. The #guillotine2020 hashtag is hopping as cynics with time on their hands get stuck in to celebrities who don’t realise that they are not having it bad. Regular (non-famous) people on social media have been hit with an onslaught of “we’re all in this together” tweets and Instagram posts by the world’s most famous people in an attempt to come across as ‘relatable’. The response has been a resounding, “…but are we? Are we really?”. What was once the intoxicating allure of a life completely different from your own has now become the impersonal barrier that divides those who understand the struggles of real life, and those who live in their own luxurious and entitled bubbles.  People all across the world were losing their jobs and sources of income; facing eviction, foreclosure, credit-card debt, soaring medical bills, loss of child care, and a looming existential uncertainty that only comes with being “the little guys” of society. With seemingly insurmountable obstacles in front of them, sentiments of “we’re all in this together” have been as hollow and meaningless as designer purses. Most dramatic was the infamous “Imagine” compilation video. Yeah, the one where Gal Gidot and a bunch of other celebrities put together a cringe-worthy remote compilation of them singing John Lennon’s famous song about world peace, “imagine no possessions … no need for greed or hunger” – sung by members of the 1%. This video immediately went viral drawing harsh criticism.  As popular chatshow host, Ellen DeGeneres lounged on her sofa, calling for global kindness, the comedian Kevin T Porter, an ex-employee, solicited stories from service workers who had had problems with DeGeneres, who he called “notoriously one of the meanest people alive”.  “Respond to this with the most insane stories you’ve heard about Ellen being mean & I’ll match every one w/ $2 to @LAFoodBank”, he tweeted before eventually donating €600. With a new celebrity seemingly self-crucifying every day, the dramatic content kept rolling in with more crying videos and Instagram captions about the struggle for  ‘sanity’ during quarantine. But ordinary people had lost  patience for this—“you’re crying about having to order Postmates in your 35 room mansion while I’m crying about how I’m going to keep a roof over my head and food in my stomach?”. When Jennifer Lopez posted a video of her family sheltering in the backyard of Alex Rodriguez’s vast Miami compound, the public was unimpressed. “We all hate you”, was a typical, if harsh, response. The public paradigm on celebrities and their extreme wealth seems to be tipping. What was once viewed as something to aspire to is now viewed as gross wealth inequality. While this certainly won’t ruin any careers, even Ellen’s,  it will definitely affect how people consume media and treat celebrities in the nastier, saner post-Covid world. Sama White is the US-based host of whiteemberwriting.com (July 2020)