Irish Red Cross fails in bid to shut down Blog

The Irish Red Cross has failed in its costly and expensive legal action against Google Ireland to close down this Blog. The Irish Red Cross now intends to take legal action against Google International, with its headquarters based in California. The Irish Red Cross, according to the Examiner newspaper breaking news section which carried a press release issued by the Irish Red Cross, intends to sue Google International for the identity of the Blogger/s. The story has also been widely reported in the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Daily Mail and Evening Herald (all on 27th July 2010).

Taking a legal action against Google International, one of the world’s largest and best known companies, will cost the Irish Red Cross hundreds of thousands of Euros at a minimum. It is clear that certain individuals within the Irish Red Cross have a vicious vendetta against this Blog and are prepared to financially ruin the Irish Red Cross in their mindless and ultimately fruitless attempt to ‘get a name’.

According to the Examiner newspaper report the Irish Red Cross states that UPC has been ordered by the High Court to give information pertaining to the Blog. It is not clear whether this is in fact accurate or not but the legality of UPC providing confidential information on individuals to a third party must be called into question. Releasing such information would surely expose UPC to legal action itself. In addition one assumes Google International would have something to say about a company such as UPC releasing information about the identity of a blogger/blog site that is hosted by them. It can be taken with certainty that the vast resources of Google International will be made available to defend this action by the Irish Red Cross.

It would appear that the ruling elite and hired help of the Irish Red Cross are under the illusion that writing anonymously is actually illegal. Everyone else will know that writing anonymously or under a pseudonym is 100% perfectly legal. Every day around the world newspapers carry articles by people using a pseudonym where the true identity is unknown. Everyday hundreds of thousands of people write blogs and post comments on blog sites under ‘user names’ where their true identity is unknown. Tens of thousands of novels, books, magazines have been written where the true identity of the author is not revealed. It is the choice of an author whether to reveal his or her true name or write under a different one to preserve their identity. In the case of this Blog we have chosen the latter, something that is our legitimate prerogative. This Blog has always reported honestly and truthfully and it is this fact and this fact alone that so threatens the Irish Red Cross leadership and why they are so terrified of what is written.

What the leadership of the Irish Red Cross fails to appreciate is that THEY are the cause and reason for this Blog. THEY, through their actions, have provided the catalyst for this Blog and ONLY when things change in the Irish Red Cross will the Blog cease. THEY have created the need for the Blog. THEY are the reason for twenty years of nonstop parliamentary questions, staff discontent, staff dismissals, court cases against former Board members, negative media reports, Labour Court cases and constant calls for an independent investigation.

Any walk of life where there is intimidation, harassment, bullying, vindictiveness, deceit and punishment for speaking out and seeking openness and transparency will drive dissent and free speech underground. Reformists need to protect themselves in such an environment and hence the absolute need for anonymity. Without anonymity the reform agenda within the Irish Red Cross will be ruthlessly crushed as it has been done at every opportunity over the last twenty years. The desire to ‘out’ the Bloggers is driven by a desire to prevent reform and retain power at any cost. The motive is blind vindictiveness and is facilitated by using somebody else’s resources-which belong to the Irish Red Cross-which in turn are donated by the Irish public, the Irish Government and Irish businesses. The case against Google International is not so much an attempt to remove the Blog according to the Irish Red Cross press release but to reveal the Blogger’s identity so ‘action’ can be taken against them. This says it all. Punishment and revenge has long been the reward for those in life who seek reform and change.

If Google was forced to reveal the identity of the Bloggers, and it must be said writers of a relatively benign Blog compared to what is out there, it would have major global ramifications for Internet usage. Therefore one can expect the Irish Red Cross to be tied up in this legal action for many months and probably years. The final cost to the Irish Red Cross potentially risks the financial stability of the whole organisation while also jeopardising life saving humanitarian programs both in Ireland and overseas.

This Blog once again calls on the Acting Chairman of the Irish Red Cross, Tony (Anthony) Lawlor to instruct the Acting Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross, Declan O’Sullivan, to withdraw the action against Google International and instead focus attention on the reasons the Blog exists in the first place. That is where the solution lies, nowhere else.

Finally, we call on Minister of Defence, Tony Killeen, who has statutory responsibility for the Irish Red Cross, to intervene and to do so immediately and directly by appointing an independent investigation team. The Irish Red Cross is about to smash itself to bits on the rock of hubris, ego, misgovernance and decades of neglect.

On a separate matter:

This Blog commends the courage, bravery and integrity of Jenny Bulbulia. She has provided hope, encouragement and inspiration for all of us who believe in and are passionate about the Irish Red Cross.