For those of you who read my tweets and blogs regularly you are most likely sick to death of the word ideology. I have I admit flogged it to death. In case you think that I have lost it completely—let me explain.
In Ireland ideology is stealth like—political entities hate the word. In the gombeen system we use, to label politicians as anything other than party hacks, could be very a dangerous indeed.
So since the foundation of the state all our political parties favour the personality over the ideological.
Ideologies after all—are for communists and fascists –not our hard working constituency loving representatives. The media have bought into this also. Creating heroes and villains. Charles Haughey and Michael Lowery—the personalities who survived controversy or who didn’t. No analysis to my knowledge anyhow, from what kind of ideological position, did these individuals spawn.
We get bland comments like, ‘centre right—or Christian democrat,’ what in effect does this mean? The present government have sold our economic sovereignty to our financial masters in the ECB. This it seems to me is an ideological decision taken by a government who were never actually given a mandate to do so. Their respective manifestos both clearly stated that a renegotiation of Ireland’s debt was their brief. Yet once in Government both FG and Lab watered this down—to complete compliance with our financial governors.
Another reason that I go on incessantly about ideology, is that I don’t believe that it is a new disease—this blind adherence to neo-liberal dogma. In essence the Irish state was founded on these values. We have always been slaves to the multi-nationals particularly American companies. This is all well and good—but by proxy we have wilfully neglected the development of our indigenous industry. Also we have allowed the rape of our natural resources –by a small and select few.
I wonder what is the point of having a nation or citizenship at all. If we are to continue with the disempowerment of the same. Why have an Ireland why have citizens—if in effect we are entering an individual competition –us against our fellow citizens from the cradle to the grave. The strongest survive the weak will not—society will prosper?
It is very frustrating to be labelled as idealist—or leftist. There is an extraordinary blandness out there. My twitter timeline is full of angst. ‘How can the government do this?’ or ‘Wake up minister—we won’t take any more cuts!’ it is almost like the tweeters imagine the government to be a separate entity, existing remotely beyond us.
But governments are elected by us—to represent us. If they are not representing us then why? Do they not share our ideology? Is threatening cuts in services to the disabled on one hand—whilst paying 600million to unsecured bondholders with the other, is that not what we elected them to do?
We are in a right old mess. When I as a citizen advocated that we should have free healthcare and education from the cradle to the grave—I am branded an ideological lefty.
But I also advocate that we take control of our natural resources, oil, gas, fishing, food processing. We should as a citizenry be creating a huge amount of jobs through state initiatives in Industry, infrastructure, Forestry, and generic brands of medicines. We should continue with our high-tech innovative enterprises and service industries also. But hey I don’t need our ‘Brightest and Best,’ to do this, no my fellow citizens will do for me thanks.
My last thought this morning—is back to my timeline on twitter. I asked why my fellow tweeters were shocked at the policies as presented by this government. Stating that if one holds an ideological position—they would in all truth be rendered unshockable. Neoliberals do what we expect them to do—socialists do what we expect—is the reason for shock a naivety? Or some sort of discomfort, following years of middle-class bliss?
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