The Body Politic Is Unwell

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From left:Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and Minister for Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport Eamon Ryan

Peter Keating writes:

Imagine if you will, a government that nobody actually voted for. A government with no opposition that legislates at the behest of a committee of unelected civil servants.

A government that took over from a “caretaker” administration that had been voted out of office nearly five months previously yet still held full executive powers and introduced legislation resulting in civil restrictions unprecedented in the history of the State.


How did we get here?

Well, if it were not already apparent, the last twelve months have certainly served to expose the shocking state of ill-health of Irish democracy.

In addition to the scenario referenced in the first paragraph, there exists a web of inherently unhealthy relationships, both familial and commercial, spanning the entire Irish political class, a tamed, nodding media, and the pharmacological and technological industries.

This political and financial incest between those who introduce legislation, those who control and disseminate information, and those hawking their wares is evidently self-serving, but most certainly does not serve the public interest, and represents an existential threat to genuine, transparent democracy.

Sandwiched somewhere in the middle is a Police Force. Once upon a time it had designs on being a Police Service, but over the past twelve months it has most definitely reverted to being a Police Force; one whose members appear unable or unwilling to question the legality – or at the very least the morality – of their orders from their political masters, preferring instead to seek the comfort of overtime and the surreality of TikTok dance challenges.

A pliant citizenry have, of course, played their own role, and the ease with which the majority have demonstrated their willingness to unquestioningly surrender their most fundamental rights and freedoms has been truly shocking.

It would almost lead one to believe that the people no longer wish to bear the onerous burden of personal responsibility, instead wishing to cede responsibility for living their own lives to the State.

Everything has its price, of course. Perhaps public acquiescence is not so surprising after all, considering that for some time now indoctrination has been masquerading more and more as education. Stateism may very well turn out to be the life choice of a generation reared on an intellectual diet of The X-Factor, but it will be a shocking legacy to leave to their children, who didn’t sign up for it.

Evidently, the political situation in Ireland mirrors a broader trend towards “Super-Stateism” and the erosion of democracy and its associated freedoms in the western world generally and – more pertinently in Ireland’s case – the European Union. Bleating about European militarism from some of the usual suspects on the Irish Left ring hollow. They signed up for this, one and all. The days of Ireland opting out of aspects of the European Project that it finds unpalatable are long gone.

The cent began to drop in Brussels and Berlin the day the Irish people acceded to having a second EU referendum force-fed to them after returning the wrong answer in the first. The cent dropped all the way when the political class volunteered Ireland to be Europe’s fall guy for the economic crash of 2008 and the people went along with it. It’s all or nothing with the EU now, comrades.

Are these people really so naïve that they don’t realise that once political and monetary union have been achieved, then military union must necessarily follow?  Perhaps those who resolved to vote for them in the last election can answer the question for them in the next one.

Looking at the current lie of the Irish political landscape, it is honestly hard at the moment to see from where meaningful change will come.

Despite their virtue-signalling, hand-wringing (and hand sanitising), from a political point of view there is actually is very little to dislike about the current situation for those on the red and green wavelengths of the political spectrum. The long-term prognosis for the return of healthy democracy does not appear to be great.

However, the covid-19 narrative that has been created now seems to have almost taken on a life of its own. Trial balloons are being floated up on an almost daily basis in order to gauge the receptiveness of a fearful, weary public to absolutely ridiculous, dystopian nonsense.

The political class and their allies have created a monster, but they would do well to remember that artificial monsters, having once gained self-awareness, do have a habit of eventually seeking out their creators and… well, let’s say, coming home to roost.

The Irish body politic needs a prescription for a Great Reset, alright – just not the type of Great Reset that the self-serving elitists who are currently pulling the strings are working towards.

Peter Keating
is a ‘part-time writer and artist’ based in Munster.

RollingNews

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41 thoughts on “The Body Politic Is Unwell

  1. Rob_G

    “Imagine if you will, a government that nobody actually voted for”

    – couldn’t even make it past the first line; 50% of the electorate voted for the government parties.

        1. Shitferbrains

          That’s the one where someone gets elected with about 100 votes in the middle of the night long after everyone else has gone home ? And is allowed to harangue people when they turn on the news ?

          1. Rob_G

            Yes. Do you think that Michael Healy-Rae should become Taoiseach if he happens to get the highest number of firs preferences (as he has before)?

        2. fluffybiscuits

          Im speaking to PR as a system, that gives opportunities to those who might not otherwise get it. It works in principalf for an even spread but there is some truth to what he says. The most popular party is SF yet they are not in power…?

          1. Rob_G

            Well, it turns out that the other parties and candidates that garnered the other 75% of votes fancied someone other than SF in government, so SF didn’t get in.

          2. ce

            if they had of run enough candidate they would be noticeably larger rather than a single seat ….

            Although perhaps in a reformed Senate actually numbers of verbal first preferences per party could be a thing?

          3. bisted

            …I believe the movement for change have failed and the FFG rump will remain in power for the foreseeable future…most of the blame for this must be borne by SF failing to field enough candidates…

          4. Cian

            if they [SF] had of run enough candidate they would be noticeably larger rather than a single seat

            True; but then they, like FF/FG, would have to wait until the 4th/5th/11th counts to be elected.

            Similarly if FG didn’t run a second candidate in Dublin West in 2020 Varadkar would have got the 250-odd votes he would have needed to get in on the first count (from Emer Currie’s 1,870).

    1. ce

      +1

      “Imagine if you will, a government that nobody actually voted for.”… don’t understand how Proportional Representation actually works, perhaps you should campaign for a first past the post system

      1. Masked

        People don’t actually elect the government in any case.
        We elect individual TDs in each constituency.
        It is the TDs who elect the government in the Dail.
        Both of these democratic processes happened in 2020.
        Our current PR system is a very fair system and generally returns TDs in proportion to votes . First past the post on the other hand most certainly does not.

  2. rominick

    Excellent article.
    The Irish government are little more than middle managers trying not to lose their jobs.

  3. fluffybiscuits

    Laughable phrasing “unelected civil servants”. Civil servants have the role of organizing policy,, writing briefings and bringing the options to the Minister for their approval and discussion. Often they will, at the behest of the minister, consult with the experts to discuss what options are available. Bucks stop with Ministers, so you might want to dethatch the that unnecessary phrasing which really takes away from a good article for your information.

    “The cent began to drop in Brussels and Berlin the day the Irish people acceded to having a second EU referendum force-fed to them after returning the wrong answer in the first. The cent dropped all the way when the political class volunteered Ireland to be Europe’s fall guy for the economic crash of 2008 and the people went along with it. It’s all or nothing with the EU now, comrades.”

    Yet the first referendum was clouded in smoke and mirrors (EU army??). The anti Lisbon side deliberately did this and can be apportioned blame for making the campaign of disinformation attributable to the need for a second referendm (hello Libertas??).

    “Evidently, the political situation in Ireland mirrors a broader trend towards “Super-Stateism” and the erosion of democracy and its associated freedoms in the western world generally and – more pertinently in Ireland’s case – the European Union. Bleating about European militarism from some of the usual suspects on the Irish Left ring hollow. They signed up for this, one and all. The days of Ireland opting out of aspects of the European Project that it finds unpalatable are long gone.”

    Buearucrats are elected by us to Europe to carry out as mandated as we ask them and as such represent us. So that is a kind of mis representation of the political structures.

    One can be forgiven for thinking that this was produced by a UKIP Euroskeptic on his tea break looking for something to do…

    1. Charger Salmons

      When do you think your elected respresentative in Brussels will have the chance fo question Ursula Von Der Bare-faced Lyen about her vaccine procurement fiasco ?
      Do you even know who your MEP is ?

        1. Charger Salmons

          Actually she didn’t.
          She made an address then disappeared for an hour to do some interviews while Irish MEP’s were up on their hind legs then when she came back refused to answer any specific questions.
          She should be throughly cross-examined on specific questions.
          She could start with those raised by curtain-haired EU slimeball MEP Guy Verhofstadt.
          These should also be raised by this Irish government which is currently doing its best impression of The Dog That Did Not Bark In the Night.

          https://guyverhofstadt.medium.com/two-contracts-lots-of-questions-and-not-nearly-enough-vaccines-cf1c2380cf29

          1. ce

            So a bit like most other politicians in parliaments… problem around the world regardless os system

            … but of course Borris would never avoid, deflect, or lie… or have journalist beaten up…

          2. Charger Salmons

            Boris and everyone involved in fighting the pandemic, from government ministers to scientific and medical advisers, have subjected themselves to daily media scrutiny on live television as well as lengthy questioning by parliamentary committees also covered on live TV.
            There will also be a thorough public inquiry after this is all over examining in forensic detail all actions and decisions taken.
            When was the last time you saw any Irish politician or indeed Holohan being robustly questoned other than laughably softball interviews by Miriam O’Callaghan et al.
            And EU unelected bureaucrats ?
            Almost never.
            The EU gravy train named Unaccountable has long since left that station.

          3. ce

            I agree that the Irish media have been way to soft on several pandemic issues

            but that doesn’t change the fact that … Boris lies deflect and lie at every opportunity, idiotically shakes hands with Covid patients (cue Diana/Mother Theresa Moment), presided over the a disastrous pandemic with approx120000… I’ll say that agin …. 120000 deaths so far… definitely did the right thing on the vaccine but that doesn’t matter as you are somewhat at the mercy of the bad EU response… but I I can’t stress this enough… Boris is a scumbag who wanted a journalist beat up

          4. Charger Salmons

            You have a bad case of Boris Derangement Syndrome old sport.
            I’d seek help if I was you.
            Boris has done a remarkable job in difficult circumstances and is enjoyable favourable polling ratings amongst voters as a result.
            Today he’s set out a specific road map for opening up Blighty – Mehole daren’t even open up the can of worms that is the EU’s vaccine procurement incompetence.
            Welcome to the real world.

          5. Nigel

            ‘You have a bad case of Boris Derangement Syndrome old sport.’

            Even to a committed Boris sycophant like yourself, he’s a second-hand Trump.

          6. bisted

            …you should stick to the gloating Nigel because you really aren’t very good at begrudgery…like him or not, Boris is playing a stormer…history will show that he has beaten a pandemic and that was only made possible because he delivered brexit…to try and conflate his success with your dreary US politics is as tiresome now as it was when crooked Hillary managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory…

          7. Nigel

            That’s certainly what How My Best Friend Boris Did Brexit And Singllehandedly Trounced The Pandemic by Sir Charger F Salmons Esq will say history says.

  4. Joe

    Au contraire! The government has a decent opposition!
    Remember this cobbled together FFFGGP government got into power by directly liying to the electorate First FF/GP swore they would not go into power with sleaze ridden Fine Gael. They then did an about face.
    The electorate will not be lied to again in the next election and change will happen.

  5. Charger Salmons

    It’s clear Mr Keating is a fan of my work on here.

    Heh x 2/10/11

    * sits back to watch the usual suspects bleat away *

    1. fluffybiscuits

      Someone has to be, otherwise the entertainment value would be gone out of your posts ;)

      Nice to encourage you!

  6. Mary Brennan

    And while your at it ,Big wage rise on the way for them .What about all they people with no money no hope no house shame on them and us for taking it .

  7. Charger Salmons

    ‘ The cent began to drop in Brussels and Berlin the day the Irish people acceded to having a second EU referendum force-fed to them after returning the wrong answer in the first. The cent dropped all the way when the political class volunteered Ireland to be Europe’s fall guy for the economic crash of 2008 and the people went along with it. It’s all or nothing with the EU now, comrades. ‘

    But they’ll always have our backs.

    Oh,wait …

    1. fluffybiscuits

      You mean they didnt give us cheap credit through the ECB to dig ourselves out of a hole…OMG!!!!!!

    1. Cian

      Is this saying that if I’m prosecuted I need to provide evidence for my “reasonable excuse” rather than the state having to prove I don’t have a “reasonable excuse”.

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