Lets just say, at this point in time, the best we can all hope for is a mediocre president who won't be a total failure. None of these people have 'real' Leadership qualities, most of their promises are hollow, plithy and really really REALLY don't have anything to do with the mire the Irish State is stuck in. The worst thing that can come from this is an embarrassment of a president who runs his/her mouth and ruins the prestige of the office (heh, like there was much left since the start of the race, no real fault to McAleese although I am not fond of her, Ireland has somehow become even MORE of a no-name in international politics since the crash).
I really hate to be a pessimist, it is unhealthy for me, for anyone. But there is literally nothing I can see that offers me anything resembling a light of hope for this country and nothing short of a miracle worker can save Irish politics from itself. And the same miracle worker would need to instil badly needed principles in the Irish people themselves for it to have any lasting effects.
That is not even touching upon the referenda that may or may not give the Oireachtas Inquisitorial powers depending on how votes go. Who knows? Maybe they'll decide the people voted 'wrong' if they don't get a result they want.
Happy Presidential election 2011 everyone. God Help us all.
What have you got against the sterling Catholic and traditionalist and Eurosceptic Dana?
ReplyDeleteI just stopped by to tell you about an article that might interest you in this week's Irish Catholic-- Mary Kenny, in her column, suggesting one of the benefits of a monarchy would be that we would avoid the mud-slinging of an election for Head of State.
I must admit that I have rather modified my own Irish monarchism-- although I am a monarchist through and through, one of the very considerations that make me on-- a reverence for the past-- makes me reflect that thousands of Irish men and women fought and worked and died for an Irish Republic specifically. So I think perhaps reverence for our own history should give us pause?
I would agree with you on that, if so very many more Irishmen hadn't died also for a monarchy of their own or at best, independence.(And insultingly, groups such as the Modern Sinn Feins, all of them, claim they died for a socialist Irish Republic which is a blatent lie in the vast majority of cases both within and outside the 20th century), this is not to say they should not be remembered, or venerated as brave men as I also revere the past, but they were in my view greatly misguided. And I would be willing to put money on them crying over the state of this Republic should they see it now.
ReplyDeleteMary Kenny's article is gratifying, but like so many friendly words towards monarchism present in Irish media, it is likely only sincere at the conceptual level and she would likely retract any serious intent behind her words if she was pressed. A sad state.
Dana has the mark of voting against the Pro-life Referendum in 2002 on the moral front, in which she had support from foreign groups. That is more then enough to make me suspicious of her. She is hardly at the bottom of my lists, but I will not praise her. Unless I find significant proof she has not only recanted what she did then, but with serious evidence she won't do something similar again while in power, I will not be kicking myself over not voting for her. Besides even if I did have such evidence and even if I did vote for her on the moral basis, if she won I doubt she would be the politically astute leader we could use at this time. it's like a damned/lose arrangment.
If we are to have a President at all I would prefer someone who was of eminent cultural or intellectual standing-- someone like Seamus Heaney, even though I am by no means a fan of his poetry. But it looks like we are going to get an entrepreneur, which is a sad comment on the Irish people's priorities.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't hold Dana's 2002 "no" vote against her, as she had a good reason to be suspicious of the amendment.
Maolsheachlann's comment is interesting. I have long suspected that many people in Ireland would be natural monarchists if they lived in other countries but are turned-off in the Irish context by monarchy's lingering 'British' connotations.
ReplyDeleteI am a republican, but I also like playing devil's advocate. If I were you, Servant of the Chief, and wanted to detoxify the idea of monarchy in Irish eyes, I would forget about Britain altogether (...rightly or wrongly, it's simply too toxic). Instead promote Ireland's links with Spain, the Catholic country which we've been most historically linked to. On a few occasions the Irish chiefs pleaded with the Kings of Spain to assume the throne of Ireland, or send someone on his behalf. (And King Philip II also gave military assistance and subsequently hospitality to the exiled northern dynasties.) Not that you necessarily need to believe in it, but at least it would give you something to work with and it would make excellent propaganda ;). I'm sure if you contacted the Spanish Carlists (who are very well-endowed) they would be more than happy to give you advice and assistance.