Interesting Times

I regularly read Connor O’Cleary’s column in the Irish Times. Just recently, he started his piece with what he called an Ancient Chinese curse - May you live in interesting times! And I thought - hang on a minute - that’s not a curse, that’s something you would wish on your friends, it’s something you would want for yourself! So I reread it to make sure I wasn’t mistaken, but no, there it was in black and white. May you live in interesting times! And then I thought - but we do! And so your Honor and members of the Jury I’d like to give you just three examples of why I think we do. I have three exhibits, exhibit A is a shoelace, exhibit B is a sort of microchip and exhibit C is a chip off an old block. ==============================================

Here’s a phenomenon that I find incredibly interesting If you were a foreigner and you picked up your newspaper you might well read that the Irish have, very successfully, presided over the E.U. for the past six months. If you turn on the telly you might see Mary Robinson on a state visit, being listened to with rapt attention by the intelligencia and glitteratia. You might switch on the Radio and find yourself listening to an Irish Pop group. If you decided to go to the movies, you might find yourself watching an Irish actor. Go to your bookstore and find the works of countless Irish Writers. Indeed, you might find that the Abbey Theater Company are currently on tour in your city. In fact you might draw the conclusion that you just can’t get away from the Bloody Irish! I exaggerate, of course, but just think, for a tiny country, with a very small population, on the periphery of Europe, just think of the influence we are having on the world. An influence which is hugely disproportionate to our size. Irish musicians dominate the airwaves - U2, the Cranberries, Boyzone, Eyna - one of the top five female recording artists in the world, the Chieftains - another Grammy in the offing, Van Morrison, Sinead O’Connor, the Corrs. Irish actors strut the world stage - Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, Gabriel Byrne The symphony orchestra just played Hong Kong Winning yet again, the Eurovision! It’s almost become a yawn! I’ve heard it said that the Irish have an Oral tradition - now when they get to write some of it down - it’s pure dynamite. Alfred Nobel, the man who actually invented dynamite recognized this a long time ago - which is why we win so many of his prizes - and Seamus Heany?, ah, just the latest in a long distinguished line. And, and, AND, oh yeah, the shoelace - well that’s just to remind me of Riverdance - which is wowing them in the aisles, wherever it’s performed. - it’s an incredible success, bringing something of the vivaciousness, the vibrancy and the vitality that is modern Ireland, to international audiences. =============================================

My next example of interesting times concerns the incredible changes that are taking place in communications technology. Let’s look at just two items - It’s not so long ago that a mobile phone had the size, the weight and the consistency of a large sod of turf! Look at them now! This chip is, in fact, out of my mobile phone - and the phenomenal growth in digital technology allows me to use it in dozens of countries around the world. I can link it up to a computer and transmit information to another computer. I can send messages. I can even get quotations for foreign exchange by dialing into my Bank’s message service. The internet just grows and grows - it’s an exciting means of getting information, of learning, of doing research, of dating, or, indeed, of playing other sorts of games. The commercial aspects are now starting to become popular - placing orders - getting quotes - paying bills - communicating. Let’s say you wanted to send a 40 page document to Hong Kong - it would cost £5.14 by Post; £12.10 by Fax and £35.20 by Courier - and by E-Mail - just 11p In fact E-Mail on the Internet is rapidly replacing the Fax! - you don’t believe me? send me a Telex!! My last exhibit is - a piece of the Berlin Wall - genuine!!! It reminds me of just how interesting our recent history has been. Where we have seen the transmogrification of the old political order in the World and the metamorphosis of dormant states. Look at the breakup of the USSR - the amazing catalyst that was Gorbechov - who almost single-handedly reshaped that Union - and equally amazingly - almost without bloodshed. Look at South Africa, democracy at last - I marched in anti-apartheid marches in the forlorn hope that the Blacks might get a look in! Look at them now !!! Look at the evolution of the United States of Europe and now - a single currency. Look at the unification of Germany - from whence my exhibit derived! In the surge for freedom and democracy- Poland took 10 years Hungary took 10 months East Germany took 10 weeks Czechoslovakia took 10 days and Romania took just 10 hours. Live in interesting times ?????? DO WE EVER !!!!!!!