The Monthly Salon: March
The Monthly Salon: March
Come and say your piece
Hello readers. My next essay has been slightly delayed, not least because I am having trouble getting it exactly right; but it will be with my paid subscribers in the next couple of days. In the meantime, here’s your monthly opportunity to come and open up a conversation about anything you’d like to talk about.
The photo above is of a couple of hares boxing - a very March sight. This tends to happen when female hares get sick of the attentions of over-amorous males. When we moved to our place in Ireland nearly a decade ago, the fields around us were full of hares. Once, we saw three of them just loping up the road past our front door. There are far fewer of them around now, for whatever reason, but when I do see one my heart leaps. They’re magical animals. In the old traditions of Britain the hare is a shapeshifter: certain women can turn into hares at certain times, and if you see one, you don’t cross its path. It’s best to be careful. The hare is as old as the land itself, and it never quite seems as if it is fully of this world.
Anyway. This is your monthly opportunity to talk about anything you like that may have been sparked by my writing and our overall themes, or anything else that takes your fancy. Fire away.
While I’m here, let me say that tickets are still available for my event in Dublin with Martin Shaw and Jonathan Pageau, which is taking place on Sunday 4th June. You can find out more and buy tickets here.
Good morning everyone. Let's talk about how some parts of the internet think the banking mini(?) crisis will be a means to ushering in the digital currency some of us are dreading. Thoughts?
H.
I am watching the World Health Organisation review their International Health Regulations(2005) in the light of the COVID pandemic. I wonder if I am the only one for whom these discussion give rise to concern?
The amendments being considered would seem to me to offer the WHO far greater power in the event of future health emergencies. For example in the text below it is proposed to omit the phrase” the implementation of these regulations shall be with full respect for the dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons” and replace it with “ implementation of these regulations shall be based on the principles of equity, inclusivity and coherence”
1. The implementation of these Regulations shall be with full respect for the dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons based on the principles of equity, inclusivity, coherence and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities of the States Parties, taking into
consideration their social and economic development.
This rewrite and many others being proposed in this review appear to copper fasten the future powers of the WHO and their power to over rule nation states in health policy.
Is this what we want? Are the public in Ireland discussing this, are the Irish Government in agreement with it?
We have just come out of 100 years of searching for national autonomy, are we going to give it away without a national discussion ? Could we have such a discussion?
I would hope we can , these proposals are to be discussed over the coming months, might we have a say? Would our politicians consider this worth considering? Let’s ask
Ger Murphy