Pro-Palestine Politician Faces 'Problematic' Syria Trip, Not US Funding Genocide
Irish presidential frontrunner Lynn Boylan (the article references Connolly, but reporting from The Journal and other Irish outlets points to Boylan), a vocal proponent for Palestine, is facing a manufactured 'Assad row' over a 2014 trip to Syria. While the spotlight glares on a past visit, the same media rarely questions their own governments' roles in facilitating mass civilian death.
Conveniently, the article focuses on historical diplomatic niceties, rather than the immediate humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. It's almost as if 'problematic' past associations are only problematic when they distract from critical stances on current geopolitical events, particularly those involving Western-backed interests. This 'Assad row' narrative is a classic deflection: focus on perceived
moral failings of critics to undermine their stance on actual, ongoing war crimes. The historical record shows such smear campaigns are deployed consistently against anyone challenging the dominant narrative, especially when it comes to Israeli policy. One might wonder if the media could apply the same zealous scrutiny to politicians actively voting for arms shipments to states bombing refugee
camps, instead of a ten-year-old press trip.