You know that you can believe what politicians say when they shake hands in front of the press and say … well, anything!
Just as much as any other time that their mouths are moving.
Ireland
Honest exceptions are rare political events
The Irish are exceptionally generous people, and as such are particularly forgiving of their politicians. They often boast about who has been talking more brown envelopes than another, down at the Pub. I can only think that the general public here expect that taking bribes and ‘wink and a handshake’ deals are the norm for all politicians, and that to get anything done, it’s who you know, not how honestly you deal with people.
The worst thing is, these things are almost the first thing I ever hear about Irish politicians, and that hasn’t changed in the 4+ years I’ve been here. When the general population believe that they live in a third world banana republic, then truly they don’t show much faith in their current government to make things better. And their lack of motivation to change this government reminds me of a passage in the Declaration of Independence of the United States.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
This may be the situation here, that they believe they can do no better, but this sure sets the bar very low as regards to the implied social contract of the people with their government. The Irish should expect better from their elected officials, they should expect to be treated as generously by their government, as they treat their own neighbors and the odd tourist that cross their paths.
Ring Forts and Nuclear Weapons
The wife and I have been exploring Ring Forts in Cork, and I’m of the conclusion that we as a people must spend a majority of our time on this planet being afraid. When I look at the effort that primitive (100BC – 500AD) man and women have spent building ring defenses and fortifications against their neighbors or some other invader. It’s staggering how powerful fear is. Mind you I have often wondered how violent the past times these forts were built in, what terror forced them to expend so much time and energy on their construction.
And I wonder how much was real and how much was the effort by some leadership to condense power and control. What was the frequency of Viking attacks, or land grabbing by neighbors, or worse yet livestock rustling (and you thought this was a cowboy story)
How do you build a defense that will make people feel safe? What does it take to make safety tangible. It was quite apparent that these ring forts were evidence. The efforts of the entire community were applied to their construction, and maintenance.
What makes a community feel safe in the Nuclear age? What tangible artifact can you construct that will make you feel safe? Not much is seems, much of the control for the defense is outside of the control of the community that fears it most. In hands that seem unable to place restraints on their threat and their use AS a threat. In trust that people have for their leadership that such weapons will neither strike them, or cause others to strike at them with such weapons. So while ancient man built forts, forts were made obsolete by better weapons, but made unnecessary as trade made social interactions between people more profitable than war.
But now we have oil, and while we have been trading in oil for ages, we have come to an impasse of a diminishing resource. Much like the cattle thief’s we try and steal what is not ours. We wage war on issues that on the surface make sense, but only mask what we have failed to learn from our past. That our ring forts no longer act as a deterrent to theft. That there is no defense, except social interactions, of cooperation, of diplomacy, of fair trade. Because as sure as one side strikes a blow, there will be a counter-strike. And all reason goes out the window, pandora’s box is open and the only hope is reason.
(originally posted May 2, 2006)
UPDATE: it seems like there is no difference between the past and the present, ring forts still have their purposes Iraqis Plan to Ring Baghdad With Trenches
Irish Rights gets visibility
Digital Rights Ireland has gained new visibility in this article Digital rights activists take aim at EU data laws And more power to them. It’s about time that the governments of EU remember who they work for, the citizens of the EU.
As in the words of V ‘people shouldn’t be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their citizens’
Dublin <> Ireland
After a few days at the new job in Dublin, I’ve come to the conclusion that Dublin in not in Ireland. I’m not sure I know where it’s at, but I’m sure that it’s not in Ireland. The environment is like a California suburb transplanted into the hinterlands without the infrastructure. I saw a prime example of why Dublin is such a wreck, in the form of the Cherry Orchard rail station. The despicable conditions are a prime example why the streets in Dublin are in gridlock. No one in their right minds would risk their lives using it a commute to or from Dublin.
Dublin is all flash and no substance, nothing real, and nothing of value. Shallow as a sidewalk puddle. Glass windows with moss.
Tax free Science and Maths
If Ireland can support the Arts and Music with a tax free environment, but is now worried about Science, Mathematics and Research. Why not grant the same favor to Scientists, Mathematicians and Researchers? Since there are fewer Scientists, and Mathematicians, than there are Artists and musicians, and in generally they make less money, and hence pay less taxes anyway, why not support them, and make it entirely free of taxation.
This might go a long way to making Science and Math more interesting as a career and might bring in more research institutes and Business to Ireland.
The people of Ireland are owed shares of Aer Lingus
If the Irish government owns 80% shares in Aer Lingus, then the Citizens of Ireland own 80% of Aer Lingus. When Aer Lingus to float’s in September The Citizens of Ireland should automatically receive their shares as a part of the transaction. No if’s, and’s or But’s. This airline is owned by the people of Ireland and should have their money looked after by themselves, not some lowlife politician taking brown envelopes under the table to line their own pockets. This time let everyone watch who gets rich on this deal.
Kinsale at the Spaniard
As opposed to The Spaniard in Kinsale 😉
Blog stats and Irish internet access.
I have been noticing in my blog stats that the number of hits from ‘Irish’ sites, and ‘American’ sites is roughly the same. The interesting point is when they switch places. The Irish stats increase starting on Monday and pass the american ones, until friday when they get passed by the americans through the weekend. As I suspect most of the Irish readers only have internet access from places of work. Either that or the Irish have more fun in the real world on the weekends. 😉
Prospecting in Dublin
I have been prospecting for jobs in Dublin, and while I know that I can find one there, the prospect of having to live in Dublin is not brilliant. I wouldn’t mind the community letting me know, what working in the Big Smoke is really like.
Oil and the Island of Ireland
In resent years the Irish government in agreement with EU directives has handicapped it’s agricultural and fishing indrustry in order to secure funding of various infrastructure projects. And while in the short term this has benefited the Irish people, this is very much a shortsighted view, a typical Irish view of, ‘It’ll be alright’. However the issue is the assumption that the future will be, more or less like the present. And that is where it all falls down, the future of oil is not just one of increasing cost, it’s the eventual loss of oil altogether. This coupled with global warming issues poses different issues to Ireland, and to a lesser degree England.
They are Islands, truly geographiclly and economically. Issues of food production and importation are less of a concern to the continent EU than to the Islands of EU. Irish politicans are desperate to avoid thinking about what would happen without cheap oil, and the shipping of imported food and other commodities into Ireland. If food importation were to end tomorrow, vast numbers of people would starve in Ireland, perhaps worse than the famine years.
This is the future of Ireland, increasing food costs for imported food and goods, as there is less natively produced agricultural products and fishing. This will lead to economic ruin for most other industrial development as cost of living expences will drive industries to move to cheaper locations. Eventually with the complete loss of oil, Ireland will be isolated and destitute. And the Irish politicians who’s shortsightedness has destroyed Ireland, will be living elsewhere.
The Irish government should be focused on making Ireland self sufficient, less dependent on importation of food, and energy. All effort should conclude with infrastructure to support Irish food production, windfarms, and green issues.
The current government apparently does not have this perspective, and in the future, the Irish must seek to replace the narrowminded, shortsighted Fianna Fáil politicans. The future of the Island of Ireland is at stake.
Irish Labor party
I’ve had to add a category to my links, as, to my amazement a Labor Party politician has actually read and commented on one of my posts. So now I have ‘Irish Politicians’ as a category, and Seamus Ryan the first on the list.
I also did a perusal around his blog site, and that of many other Labor Party members blogs, and I’m impressed with the style they have standardized on, very nice.
Here’s hoping they help throw out Fianna Fáil at the next election.
Swamp Demonstration in Cork
The City of Cork is having a demonstration of how swamps are produced in Fitzgerald’s Park in Cork this week.
Mind you, I don’t think that was their intention, but with the fountain out of commission there is no oxygenation of the pond, and hence the algae are killing the pond and creating a wonderful swamp.
Participating, a democratizing activity in blog space
This article The Hype
vs. Reality vs. What People Value: Emerging Collaborative News Models and
the Future of News . Brought up some interesting ideas when blog space becomes a democratizing element in politics, traditional party politics loose power and control of the discussion. It’s no wonder that blogs have resulted in much consternation of the reigning Irish political party.
On the other hand, is it no wonder that the most practical defense of the status quo in Irish (and worldwide) politics is to prevent broadband adoption. Less talk, less action translates to less access to Blogs, and the Internet for information and dialog means less pressure to adopt radical ideas in the political arena, like working for the public good, instead of against it.
A radical idea like participation is a political poison pill.
No Blogs, no participation.
Irish Politics, and blogger voices
Damien Mulley has managed to fire up a discussion on Irish Politics. Here; Labour consider inviting bloggers to the Ard Fheis. Oh how terribly nice of them! and here Irish Bloggers will not influence the election and while I think he really is concerned, I think he is doing a bit of tongue in cheeky just to stir things up a bit.
Fundamentally the question is how do you connect with politicians that want nothing more than to be completely removed from public opinion. It’s no wonder that they are having such a hard time taking bloggers seriously. They don’t want to talk to any individual let alone one who will publish the conversation on the internet five minutes after the last pint is gone.
I have never seen a government this far removed from public scrutiny, and who prefer to remain out of reach of any freedom of information requests. I doubt 2 people in 10 know how the current politicians got into office let alone the process on how they got elected. And the politicians are happy with that situation. Completely!
Why disturb the status quo?
Maybe the Irish deserve better? (that includes me now)