Brian Cowen, Taoiseach of Ireland - sort of like our village head man - does not require a great deal of caricaturing. He is the very embodiment of our grotesque culture, a man who's chief claim to fame is a vulgar nickname.When an artist snuck a nude portrait of Cowen into the Royal Hibernian Academy - a la Banksy and lots of other artists - RTE, the national broadcaster, reported it on the main evening news. The Taoiseach made his displeasure known, causing RTE news and its Director General to issue grovelling apologies to Cowen the following evening and withdraw any instances of the image.
'The powers that be' naturally sent the police to intimidate radio talk show host, Ray Darcy, and threatened prosecution against the artist, Conor Caspy, for criminal damages of the Royal Hibernian Academy.
The fact that our national broadcaster cravenly apologised for offending Cowen's sensibilities is of near insignificance compared to the institutional corruption that exists in Irish political and economic life. Pathetic.
(via Damien Mulley and Irish Election)
