Kansas City Playlist: Fondly Remembering Confusing Irish Politics

Kansas City's upcoming St. Paddy's Day parade is mostly clouded by suburbanite fear of an ongoing mass shooting trend and hope for a boring family friendly event.

Continually, we've attempted to debunk this myth and remind locals that this local tradition was started by local radio jocks day drinking and it has ALWAYS been an occasion to booze, punch strangers and hopefully garner a regrettable hookup betwixt mutually drunken and consenting adults . . . In as much as someone puking up green beer can offer informed consent.  

Nevertheless . . .

We have fond memories of St. Paddy's. Fueling our lifelong obsession with politics, we remember that back in the 80s &90s during "the troubles" our interest was piqued by evidence of Irish nationalism making its way across the pond and onto Kansas City streets. 

For those who watched closely . . . There were always IRA slogans adorning KCMO parade floats and seen in the crowd. The newsies politely ignored the signs but most news watchers understood the not-so-clandestine messages.

It goes even deeper than that . . . Most our our Kansas City Irish historians are loathe to note this fact:

"Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi supplied a crucial number of arms to the IRA, as part of a strategy at this time of opposing United States interests in the Middle East by sponsoring paramilitary activity against it and its allies in Western Europe."

Even more interestingly . . . 

It's a matter of historical record that quite a few Irish-Americans ALSO backed terrorism back in the old country.

In fact . . . 

U2 lead singer made a big deal out of this in a segment of his career that put him at odds with almost everyone: 

The 1988 rockumentary Rattle and Hum includes a particularly renowned version of the song, recorded on 8 November 1987 at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. On this version Bono's mid-song rant angrily and emphatically condemns the Remembrance Day Bombing that had occurred earlier that same day in the Northern Irish town of Enniskillen:

"And let me tell you somethin'. I've had enough of Irish Americans who haven't been back to their country in twenty or thirty years come up to me and talk about the resistance, the revolution back home...and the glory of the revolution...and the glory of dying for the revolution. Fuck the revolution! They don't talk about the glory of killing for the revolution. What's the glory in taking a man from his bed and gunning him down in front of his wife and his children? Where's the glory in that? Where's the glory in bombing a Remembrance Day parade of old-age pensioners, their medals taken out and polished up for the day? Where's the glory in that? To leave them dying or crippled for life or dead under the rubble of a revolution that the majority of the people in my country don't want. No more!"

Though the history of the blog we've noted this stuff before . . . But it's only recently that some of our Irish friends have sent word back and encouraged us to take more note of Irish neutrality during World War II which has been more actively debated in recent years. 

Sure . . . Most accept that the Irish were REALLY on the side of the allies but that doesn't really explain official condolences on the death of German dictator Adolf Hitler, following the usual protocol on the death of a Head of State of a state with a legation in Ireland.

And all of that brings us full circle to Ireland's leader Leo Varadkar urging Joe Biden to work towards an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza, during a meeting at the White House on Friday.

We're certain that bold gesture might have even awoken our beloved Irish-American Prez Biden. 

Still . . . 

None of this will inspire us to enjoy St. Paddy's Day and the parade any less. Again . . . It is one of Kansas City's best traditions for reasons that don't fit any mainstream narrative. 

And this brings to mind our traditional www.TonysKansasCity.com quote on this topic: 

"We love the Irish for many reasons but mostly because they're living proof that White Supremacy is a myth."

And so . . . 

Let's get started on the playlist . . .

Give Ireland Back To The Irish By Sir Paul McCartney & Wings is an absolute dumpster fire of a song. However, to date, it's the only work of the artist that was banned in Europe at the time and doesn't hold up at all . . .

"A Nation Once Again" is Irish Nationalist Song that they actually used to play on the PA system in Westport during the 80s . . . If you listen REALLY closely during IrishFest . . . You can still hear it.

For the most part, "The Troubles" had concluded by the time The Cranberries shared their hit-single Zombie with Gen X Americans but it's still a resolute song which features the poignant testimony of the band's lead singer Dolores O'Riordan who grew up with the conflict.

Let's share something a little bit more upbeat for the break . . . This old school Irish folk/rock clip is how the very best St. Paddy's Day parades sound in TKC's memory:

To be clear . . . Nowadays Bono is mostly known as a bit of douche and even he had to laugh after winning a Woman Of The Year Award in 2016. However, back in the glorious days of 1980s college radio . . . The guy was the real deal. And, at the time, the song "Sunday, Bloody, Sunday" spoke to the crisis in his homeland and was, in fact, a brave work of art.

As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe & fun St. Paddy's Day.