Your inaccurate comments about Ireland are ignorant to say the least. Obviously you know nothing about the tax system here for artists and less about the tiny handful of people who tried to use Nazi help to rid the country of the blight of an English invading force whose modus operandi was attempted genocide under a blood marinated flag. Read some history books and open your eyes to your own history. Or we're those pages torn out?
Strange post, as I said Ireland had a Nazi past and you admit as much while attacking me for saying so. Only one European nation sent condolences to the people of Germany upon the death of Adolf Hitler. Would you care to tell us which nation that was? No, you'd probably prefer not to, so I shall. The Republic of Ireland, proprietor Éamon de Valera. Now, we are all familiar with the saying "my enemies' enemy is my friend", but that's taking the piss by any standard.
http://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/tv-eye-irelands-nazis/
I'm sorry if the truth of Ireland's Nazi past is an inconvenient truth for you, Acton. Your grasp of history is hardly that firm either in your use of the word England, when for the last three hundred years or so you mean "Britain". Perhaps that itself tells us your true target.
It seems to me you might actually be exhibiting that tedious re-writing of history at which the trendy left have become so adept, vis Morrissey and Marr. It's interesting to think that if Morrissey and Marr continue at this rate the history of The Smiths might well regard Mike Joyce as the real brains of the outfit.
Now, I don't have a problem with the Republic or the Irish. What I do have a problem with is this myth that somehow some nations have an innate nobility, and others do not. The truth is that there is barely a nation state on the planet which has not at one point or another done awful, shameful things to either its own population or other nation states. It's called history.
With Marr his quote that he did not wish to be seen as a Little Englander so went to Germany, was ludicrous. Germany, a nation of some eighty million people suffers from every single social and political issue Britain does. And the United States of America does. And Canada does. And France does. And Brazil does. And Argentina. And... to a greater or lesser degree every single country on the planet does. As an aside it is interesting how Morrissey's favourite politician, Kirchner, is busying herself dragging Argentina into the deep financial shit. Now there's a shock. He does pick 'em.
To put Marr's comments into sharper relief imagine if Beyonce put her pussy away long enough to give an interview in which she said "I decided to record my album in Beijing because I didn't want people thinking I was an Alabama redneck. I hate all notions of nationalism. I'm a Gambian Houstonian.", you might with some reason think she was as dumb as a rock. If you add to that the United States has given her every opportunity to achieve her success it would ratchet up the idiocy even further. Ditto Marr here in Britain. Frankly this Morrissey and Marr "O'im just a cheeky lad from de banks of de silvery Liffey, begorah." stuff is becoming a little tiring. It might be all well and good if they were not born in Britain and the holders of British passports, but they are. Perhaps I should follow Marr's logic too and do half my shopping in Harrods and half at Lidl just in case someone thinks I might be Henry the eighth.
As for the tax system, perhaps still in part propped up by the ten billion Britain loaned to the Republic a couple of years back so it could keep popping euros in the electric meter, that's great news. Marr can apply for a Republic passport immediately. Perhaps I should tweet him. Do you think he speaks to English people? Hmmm. Perhaps not. I wouldn't want that badly dyed mop torn out in frustration at the very thought of having to interact with a member of the very nation that enabled him to nurture his prodigious talent in a peace and security his "own" country could not.
The Smiths were a phenomenon in no small part because their fan base had an intellectual aspect. Put simply Morrissey and Marr once spoke to thinkers. Thirty years later they appeal largely to those who are not thinkers. Some of the pronouncements we hear from both Morrissey and Marr remind me of that famous story when Joss Stone mistook Bob Geldof for Gandalf. They are occasionally that idiotic. Like many successful musicians down the years they mistakenly believe their ability to pen a nice tune makes them political and social scientists.
They are travelling minstrels, no more and no less. As such I would no more seek out their views on society and politics than I would Noam Chomsky's disco album.
