Click here for the Youtube source used for the transcript:
(Michael Higgins is the president of Ireland and this interview with Michael Graham, a "tea party" interviewer happened in 2010)
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
MICHAEL HIGGINS:
I spoke about my time in the Midwest and going to the Greyhound bus station and
hearing for the first time the phrase "poor white trash." These people, and you
know I was there just before the civil rights uh, charter you know, came in.
And frankly, the idea that a person would not have one job but have two
jobs or three jobs and work all the light hours that are there and still not be
entitled to the basic protection of fundamental care. It's so outrageous.
So whether you agree with Obama and what he's doing and aspects of his
foreign policy, and I might disagree with some things about Latin and South
America, but one of the things I do agree: The idea of there being a social
floor below which people wouldn't fall. That's the future. I think even the
poorest people in the great country that is the United States should be
entitled to basic health care and I don't think they'll thank the Sarah Palin
look-alikes and followers for taking it off them.
(to the moderator)
You're about as late an arrival in Irish politics as Sarah Palin is in American
politics. And both of you have the same tactic. That tactic is to get a large
crown and whip them up and try and discover what is the greatest fear, work on
that and feed it right back and you get frenzy. And that leads you in time then
when you have in fact maybe one of the most gifted Presidents elected though I
happen not to agree with all his foreign policy but you know, you regard for
example, someone who happens to have been a professor at Harvard as somehow
ignorant and handicapped.
You don't find anything at all wrong with this Tea Party ignorance that is being brought
all around the United States which is regularly insulting people who've been democratically elected.
Moderator: Deputy Higgins, I'm not going to insult you...
Higgins (interrupting): Oh, I think you should
Moderator:
...by bringing up your lack of knowledge of the Tea Party movement...
Higgins (interrupting again): I lived in the United States and do you know what the interesting thing, Mike (the moderator) do you know what the big difference is? I listened. I lived in the Mid-West in Willie Nelson country. I was a student there at the end of the 60's I was a professor in Illinois when they entered the 70's. The magnificent decent generous people of the United States with whom I had supper. People I sat up with there... (I) ate home made ice cream with them.
The difference between them and the tiny elite who are in charge of the war-mongering foreign policy of the United States is just enormous. So, therefore, when you go on your picnic around the country you're
really not representing the decent people of the United States. Who are very proud,correctly, at who they've elected President, which they're entitled to do.
But you have the neck to say who are willing to talk to people or are willing or at least are trying to build peace are somehow or another in favor of people who want to murder Jewish people. that is an outrageous
statement. I am not anti-Semitic. I'm not in favor of murder. and unlike you, I make my profession in politics and I worked in human rights. And I condemned Hamas for sending rockets. None of that will matter to you. Because do you know what you are? I mean I wish you well. Keep drinking Guinness and keep
ranting away.
But don't suggest that those of us who are working for peace in the heat of the day are somehow interested in murdering Jews. There's a man in the United... you know him. I think you may have interviewed him.
Mark B Klien. He represents 14 Jewish organizations in New York. He organized 45 members of the House or Representatives to sign a letter condemning Barack Obama for giving Mary Robinson the Medal of Honor. Yea.
I was debating with him on program rather like this. and I said to him how...why...how can you conclude that Mary Robinson is anti-Semitic? and he said, he said, um, Bishop Tutu for example. Bishop Tutu is anti-Semitic as well. You're going down that road. And really it is very dangerous stuff.
The fact of the matter is, look, young people from the United States are traveling all over the world again. They're welcome in Europe. They're backpackers in hostels. People are talking to them. Because the image of the United States, we've got away from this war-mongering, is getting better.
At least 47 million people that the likes of you condemn to no health care in a country that I was proud to work in...these people are going to have some health care.
So this is the issue. Therefore be proud to be a decent American, rather than be just a wanker whipping up fear.
END TRANSCRIPT
(For the British/Irish English impaired: The Meaning of Wanker. )
If anybody has translated this in ASL, please send me your video link. Thanks!