Not that Mr Myers ever was much of one; but this latest article from him “Africa is giving nothing to anyone – apart from AIDS” has put the last nail in the clichéd coffin of his ramblings.
A long time ago (using the word Knackers as he went) this cynical excuse for a writer copped to a very simple rule of Lowest Common Denominator journalism; if you can court outrage, you can sell copy. Since then Our Kev has merrily prattled away in his little corner of the press world, and when he feels either his crown as “Mr. Controversial” or his readership slipping away from him he produces a column of such breath taking bigotry that A) he gets publicity and B) because he goes so far out, so often, he is less likely to be fired than a less “controversial” colleague.
But in his latest article he scrapes bottom with comments about dying children, children left to die in the wake of both Western colonialism (past) and Western Commercial Imperialism (present) I’ve read few sentences that are as simply offensive and as deeply ignorant as this example: The wide-eyed boy-child we saved, 20 years or so ago, is now a priapic, Kalashnikov-bearing hearty, siring children whenever the whim takes him. With every sentence Myers displays (quite proudly) his absolute lack of knowledge of Africa, the history of the continent or the various nations thereon, the cause of economic and financial instabilities and the causes of interracial, international and tribal unrest. And he overlooks both Africa’s historic contribution to mankind and it’s huge potential to contribute.
And most offensive of all, he does this not because he believes this rubbish; but because it gives him scope to puff up his own vanity. Just as he hurt and belittled thousands of women and their children by raging against “bastards” a few years ago, he now hurts, belittles and endangers both innocents in Africa and here in Ireland, our friends and colleagues and neighbours. If he could genuinely say this was a considered opinion I would in turn consider him an ill-informed idiot but at least he wouldn’t be both a bigot and a hypocrite.
Don’t be fooled by his bleating that this is a debate we need to have. The debate we need to have is the one John O’Shea from GOAL has been trying to start; we don’t need this kind of drivel crowding out the real issues.
I’d ask why a once great newspaper allows Myers to shoot his mouth off within its pages but sadly the answer must be, it sells newspapers. Publicity hounds like Myers provide an occasional transfusion of interest to newspapers in an over-serviced media market. But hey! Why not? Who cares if he feeds the bigotry and racism of the small minded, or deeply offends or cruelly hurts – as long as it sells.
Well this is one subscription they’ve lost. I won’t be buying any more of Myers’ painful trumpeting. It’s just a pity that they’ll be accepted by the unreflecting as corroboration of their own, dark fears.
