The general election of 2011 held a lot of promise ... and a lot of promises. Fine Gael were hailing the end of crony politics, a new era of transparency and an end to the corruption and mismanagement of public administration which allowed Fianna Fail to enjoy a decade of luxury and waste.
The Labour Party, offered the opportunity to go into government with Fine Gael, didn't show the slightest hesitation in abandoning their principles and their election manifesto in exchange for a first class ticket on the gravy train of government.
So what is the overarching ideology of the Irish politician? What is the predominant political philosophy in Irish politics?
It is EXPEDIENCY.
Pat Rabbitte who would assume the role of Minister for Commmunications ... Josef Goebels would be proud ... admitted that election promises are not worth the paper they're not written on. "That's just what you do..." to get elected, to seize power.
Tell the people what they want to hear, take their mandate, and burn it just as quickly.
Politics in Ireland is nothing more than a gameshow.
Government doesn't formulate public policy. It is formulated and drafted by faceless unelected civil servants in the ministerial departments and increasingly is received by them from Brussels, where corporate influence frames social and economic policy in terms of revenue and profit.
Our ministers and TDs have quite clearly demonstrated a level of incompetence and lack of understanding that would see them demoted if not fired in the private sector. Their disconnectedness from the people directly affected by their decision making has exposed them as wholly unqualified to manage public affairs and lead a country.
When a general election is eventually called we will see yet another display of X Factor popularity contests from those who put themselves forward to represent the Irish public but sell nothing more than empty soundbites and popular lyrics... "create more jobs", "get the country back to work", "greater transparency", "political reform" and on and on to a crescendo of public applause.
None of the major parties have anything to offer.
Simply ask the question: "how will Ireland be better with (insert party here) in government"?
There is no answer because at this moment in time, with this batch of politicians and in this political system getting elected IS the end game. There is no vision beyond that.
In the general election gameshow, power is the prize.
With power comes responsibility ... and Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Labour Party have proven to be not just irresponsible bu criminally negligent with the power bestowed on them in government.
It is hard to analyse what Sinn Fein or the Left would be like in government, but with real change in the hands of the civil servants that pull all the strings from behind a very thick curtain, it is reasonable to expect little real change in the foreseeable future.
Only a complete dismantling of the current system and a change of the rules of the game will produce any chance of change. From the party whip system of control, literally silencing the voices of constituents across the country, and the rubber stamp nature of the seanad under government control to the careerist carrots of pay, pension and perks, politics in Ireland is going nowhere fast.
The gravy train is not an unstoppable force if the mood of the nation can be converted into people's movement to derail it. Without that we will continue as second class passengers ... and it's our blood on the tracks.
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