Sir, - Prof Pratt of Notre Dame University criticises your columnist Fintan O'Toole for his "careless rhetoric" about President Clinton's impeachment (January 22nd). Prof Pratt is obviously naive about the Irish media's interests and prejudices vis-a-vis the US. May I enlighten him through your columns?
1) Democrats are good; Republicans are bad. This general dogma is subscribed to particularly by The Irish Times. It has nothing to do with the particular policies or individuals of either party. It is an article of faith. Those who question it are heretics.
2) An American president who has no Irish ancestry is not a real president. The more Irish blood in his veins that he has, the better president he is. This point is so obvious as not to merit further discussion.
3) Irish-descended US politicians are Roman Catholics, naturally; but if they aren't, and pass tests 1) and 2), they are honorary ones - and behave as such in Ireland.
That consummate actor President Reagan failed test 1) and 3), but by playing up Ballyporeen to the maximum, he got by. Indeed, he was forgiven his divorce - "Sure wasn't it the natural consequence of the poor man being born a Protestant?"
President Clinton, himself a Baptist - and also a talented actor - has learned a thing or two from Reagan also. Where does he go on Sundays when in Ireland?
4) All these observations refer to internal US politics, in which we are all supposed to be interested, partisan, etc. This is what your Messrs O'Toole, O'Clery, Carroll, etc. write about. But inter- nationally these divisions do not exist. Every international action of the US is, ipso facto, a good thing.
Anyone who questions this central dogma is a socialist, a Commie, a Francophile or all three together. For example, the biggest military, financial and political influence in the Middle East is the US, whether under Carter or Bush, Reagan or Clinton. The US is there to solve the problem. If the problem isn't solved it is the fault of the Palestinians, Israelis, Syrians, Egyptians, Jordanians and meddlesome outsiders like the Russians and the French. Anyone who suggests that the US cannot be other than a major part of the problem rather than of the solution is in league with Arabic, Zionist, Russian, Take-your-Pick, international terrorism.
We in Ireland have a very clear and correct understanding of US politics, both national and international. I am amazed that a professor from a university in the US should have the temerity to question us. - Yours, etc., Michael Purser,
Strand Road, Killiney, Co Dublin.