The massive energy coming through the social media—where people are rallying against the household charge would be refreshing if it were not for the naivety exposed by those earnest lefties—that their fight against the might of neoliberalism is but a skirmish.
Boldly the protagonists wave the starry plough and throw insults and accusations against the suited politicians who represent an unaccountable—[at least in the short term] government. The government spokespeople who normally use RTE as their spin accomplice, dither and stutter to defend what they even admit is an unfair tax.
A neutral would be stupefied by it all the first question they might ask is why introduce an unfair tax—the ditherers would say because we have to, if we wish to keep services at a level that people are used to and expect. Yet this is in itself a complete lie—as funding can be sought and taken from a wide source of revenue options the fact that they have chosen the unfair tax route is simply down to ideology.
Here we go again ideology—now when am I going to learn that Irish politics has nothing to do with ideology—sure isn’t it all about fixing our road—or getting Johnny a job, but hey folks all you bearded lefties out there and I am referring to the women also, [joke] this is about ideology and if the only matter that is getting your fire lit is the household tax and a little bit of corruption then wait for the big stuff. At the moment you are only creating a skirmish in what is the undeclared World War three.
I am a lefty as well in case you are all worried and I am only growing a beard, but to my simple mind the fact that we have since the 50’s gifted our natural resources to private interests is the biggest shame and robbery of the Irish citizen—it is akin to every man woman and child in this country getting mugged. What do I hear about it very little—how would our angelic government ministers explain that to RTE -3000’ barrels of oil per day from the new Barryroe field-- and gas also, all going to private interests stealing from the citizens of this state. Surely that is a bigger issue than the household charge as to my mind it epitomises the corruption and the ruling class agenda in this country since the foundation of the state.
Getting back to World war three for a second—the ideological battles are raging right across the globe as we speak particularly within the Euro countries right now—whereby economic blackmail is used to subject citizens to the power of capitalism—and perhaps at its most sinister accuses the citizen of being wasteful and dishonest living above their means—and now these rigid fiscal measures are to be imposed not only as solution but also as retribution for wastefulness, for example those who responded to the phone call or letter from the bank offering them loans or properties abroad—etc.
Neoliberalism has many guises it propagates individualism at the expense of the collective—as the collective is bad for the select few but great for the citizen—however it holds all the aces and this is where the lefties should be careful about their strategy—midst all the screaming and shouting about the household charge, Fine Gael went up in the polls by 4 points. Why is this –the austerity saintly no-ideology party are getting more popular, yes you see because they own the spin machine and they have frightened the lives out of the middle-classes.
Throughout the history of our state—left wing collective type politics has been successful parked in the economic nonsense car-park—the idea of a country becoming as self sufficient as possible in relation to size and geography is sneered at, and branded as lunatic. Why? Because it means they might have to share not just wealth but power and democracy. Imagine an Ireland in control of its natural resources, as in fishing-agriculture-oil and gas, an Ireland where its citizens mattered and the infrastructural services to its citizens were paramount. The lefties should tread carefully and don’t inflate a skirmish into a battle, the war has just started, it will be long conflict, remember that this war is about ideology, as Brian Hayes said that income taxes may be increased if the household charge is defeated or deflated by non participation. Wow! Income tax increased like we might have to pay more according to our wealth and ability to pay—to provide for the very services his government are spoofing about, now we might have got him alright.
