Gormley's China Crisis

Is the power going to Archbishop John Gormley's head? Fresh from his (and Mary Harney's) ever so unsubtle putsch on Bertie, His Eminence's moral crusade has gone into overdrive. I suppose if you're one of the triad of supermen destined to save the planet (Will Smith and Bruce Willis being the others), there's no point messing about, is there?

Usually, His Eminence makes his pronouncements in an outdoor setting, and he likes to wear his favourite prop - his all-weather, waterproof coat. Watching him, one feels like you're getting a good ticking off from Sherpa Tensing.

Why is this significant? Well, His Eminence's latest outburst was directed at the mighty Chinese, no less. You can check out his verbal Kung Fu on Youtube by clicking on the title of this post. So Gormley is dishing it out to the Chinese? Hi-Ya! Out of curiosity, I decided to go out to my coatstand in my hall, and check where my Columbia waterproof jacket was made. You guessed it. Made in China. What about my Lowe Alpine Fleece? China. My Timberland Jeans? China. Folks, chances are most of the nicknacks in your house originated from China. To put a figure on it, imports of goods into Ireland from China and Hong Kong increased from €4,768m in 2006 to €5,148m in 2007 (+8%). Exports of goods from Ireland to China and Hong Kong increased from €1,498m in 2006 to €1,950m in 2007 (+30%). Basically, we get to buy cheap goods from China, including fancy waterproof coats.

So, your Eminence, next time you feel like having a cut off the Chinese, take a look inside the lapel of your jacket, and see where it was made. Take off your pants, and see where they were made. And if you really want to make a stand for the people of Tibet, start putting your money where your mouth is.

Oink Oink!