compare, contrast

Italy is having a state funeral this morning for the victims of the Nassiriyah bombing. Live coverage of the funeral is being broadcast all over Europe by Euronews and, presumably, others. The Italian government has declared a national day of mourning.

On the other hand, Dubya's administration would prefer the press not to report such things as how many have been killed, or to provide coverage of coffins returning home.

meanwhile, in potatoland...

Some time in the last decade, or perhaps before it, a company who nobody seems to own - Jackson Way - bought some property in Carrickmines, South County Dublin. Part of this property was compulsorily acquired by Dun Laoghaire County Council for the construction of the southern loop of the M50 motorway, a road which has been in planning since the early seventies. Jackson Way expressed surprise and indignation that their property should be thus treated, claimed they were underpayed for the privilege, and asked for over 100 million in damages/compensation. Then the whole investigation of planning grants thing happened, and suggestions were made that completely aside from the fact that the M50's been in planning for 30 years, there perhaps was some collusion between people carrying brown envelopes full of cash over which properties were bought by Jackson Way. But whatever the outcome of that was, a judge yesterday awarded Jackson Way 13 million, to be payed by Dun Laoghaire County Council.

This morning, it transpires that (a) Jackson Way can't get the money unless they produce title deeds for the land and (b) if Jackson Way do get the money, the Criminal Assets Bureau[1] will probably step in and collect it from Jackson Way. All this is at least partially gated on (c) somebody actually admitting to be in charge of Jackson Way; (c) may already have happened, but it's certainly not been easy information to come by.

You really can't make this stuff up.

[1] The Criminal Assets Bureau is, I think, one of the smartest things the Irish Government ever came up with for dealing with high-end crime. It essentially operates on the principal that the authorities know you came by assets illegally, but they can't prove it sufficiently for a prosecution. So instead they give you a little compulsory tax assessment based on the assets you hold (mandatory full disclosure of assets included, forced if needs be), and hit you with a rather large tax bill. Which usually involves seizing a sizeable chunk of your ill-gotten assets, particularly since Irish tax law allows the Revenue not just to claim back the tax you owe them, but also any interest it would have accrued for the Revenue if you'd payed it to them on time.