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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Tea party rage in Ireland means left wing government likely

Posted on Friday, September 24, 2010 at 06:43 PM

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The latest poll numbers from Ireland showing the Labor Party with a clear lead and likely to form the next government with Eamon Gilmore (above) as prime Minister are the exact mirror image of what is happening in America with the Tea Party.

Labor have never been the major party in government and their leader has never been Prime Minister of Ireland but now it looks increasingly likely that it may happen.

They have a six -point lead over Fine Gael, 36 per cent to 30 and a fourteen point lead over government party Fianna Fail who are at 22 per cent.

The Irish voters are infused with the ‘Throw the bums out” mentality that has driven the Tea Party phenomenon in America but are trending heavy left rather than far right.
That is because the two experiences are not the same.

In America government is seen as the problem, in Ireland, not enough government especially in the oversight department, is the mantra.

The bank collapse and housing debacle in Ireland came about because a Wild West mentality infused both arenas.

Anglo-Irish and other banks ladled out massive loans to anyone who asked and plenty of developers came calling.

The government egged them all on providing massive subvention of housing schemes that are now so called ghost estates all over Ireland.

It is hardly surprising the unholy alliance happened. Fianna Fail have been in power 18 out of the last 20 years and they got very cozy with the golden inner circles that controlled most of Irish business.

Though they have backtracked now the media was also very culpable feeding the property boom by turning many of its main players into celebrities and fueling the property mania with special sections and get rich quick stories.

Now comes the hangover and the realization, like drunks who have stayed too long at a party and are getting argumentative, that the worst is yet to come.

Voters also realize when they look at Australia and Canada where there was no meltdown because of proper oversight and conservative banking policies that Ireland does not need to be in the mess they are in.

More government oversight of the runaway banking system for instance would have prevented the collapse.

Thus, the voters are ready to punish the party in power that presided over the boom but they are not turning to the main opposition party Fine Gael but to the left- leaning Labor party.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny is suffering from an over familiarity with the electorate, he has been opposition leader for a decade and many consider him not skilled enough for the top job.

In sharp contrast, Eamon Gilmore, the Labor Leader, is a relatively new face and has an excellent media presence.

Clearly the electorate want a new face and a new future and they believe that Labor supplies both. Like in America new faces and new policies are in

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hancock | Sep 28, 2010, 12:06 AM EDT

Paddy I thought Dennis was the biggest nut. Nicely done .

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seanomelbourne | Sep 27, 2010, 07:33 PM EDT

How the right have fallen,they are paying the price for aping their masters in London and Washington.The old mantra power corrupts is alive and well.

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paddypower | Sep 27, 2010, 04:36 PM EDT

"In America government is seen as the problem, in Ireland, not enough government especially in the oversight department, is the mantra." This in the land where the homeland GESTAPO now can poke its nose into everything and everyone's business as the economy sinks into the septic tank dug by our bankster class. This cliche will keep me laughing for at least a week, though there are some other meaningless gems here well worth a chuckle. Imagine anything as real as the concept of opposition politics in the US with its burger king pepsi cola same agenda mikey mouse Siamese twin party political farce that passes for "democracy". The only twits still capable of mustering faith in the US corpocracy twin brand are the terminally evil tea baggers up next and the permanently mind blown optimists that bought into Jolson O Bama's plugged nickel spare change jingle that you can believe in. Can ya spare a dime, buddy?

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katiedarling | Sep 27, 2010, 04:13 PM EDT

No kidding, James! I'd love to see a Labor Party (or a Labour Party) in the US with a real shot at political power. I don't think it's likely, though. I think this country is too distrusting of government on the whole, and we're much more likely to see the Tea Party take power. God help us all...

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JamesMurphy | Sep 27, 2010, 09:52 AM EDT

Now, if we could just transport that sort of political sanity across the Atlantic we would all be better off.

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Watchman | Sep 26, 2010, 10:50 AM EDT

George: What a strange man you are. Whatever the next step down from short shrift is, that's what you give to everyone around you in these pages. I tell you what: I'll stop commenting about you and you stop commenting about me. Then we can each put forward our opinions and just leave it at that. Life, after all, is too short for meaningless feuds. To answer your specific point, I think Ireland is an excellent place for the Irish to live – though you'd have to say that over the centuries millions of us have opted to live elsewhere. Similarly, France seems to suit the French and Germany the Germans, and the Spanish seem very fond of Spain. But we live in a changing world, in which population shifts are inevitable and – let's face it – unstoppable. Fifty years from now, I would guess, the population of the island of Ireland will be 25-30 per cent non-native. In one respect this is sad. I agree with you that Ireland – Celtic Ireland – is a special place. But we have to come to terms with change in the world and do what we can to turn them to our advantage. Who knows? With a rebounding economy and active participation in the affairs of the EU, Ireland might even end up a better place than ever before. Let's hope so. In the meantime, I'll leave you to have the last word. I look forward to it.

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GeorgeDillon | Sep 26, 2010, 05:37 AM EDT

watchman: "your point was that we (the Irish) need to be rid of immigrants so that Ireland can be the "unique homeland of the Irish people"." That most certainly was NOT my point. Kindly refrain from attempting to paraphrase my opinions when it is clear you are quite unequipped to do so. Improve your literacy before you attempt to tell others what I think. In my case, I would never attempt to tell others what your postings mean. In fact, I find it impossible to find any meaning in your moronic messages.

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GeorgeDillon | Sep 26, 2010, 05:31 AM EDT

Watchman: There you go again, pushing your stupid nazi slur. What a mediocrity you are, no ideas, no insights, just badly written obsessive garbage about Nazis. In short, you're an empty bore. And you never told me yet where you want the Irish to live. You apparently managed to escape to the US, but the mass of the Irish have nowhere to go except Ireland. That's the meaning of "unique homeland", you illiterate, there is no other national homeland for the Irish on earth, and there never will be. You are unable to answer my question, if Ireland is not the unique homeland of the Irish people where do you want them to claim as their homeland? Tierra del Fuego? Greenland? Biafra? The West Bank? Give us some proof that you think before you toss off your inane and insulting postings. And if all you can muster in response to this is more slur and slime, don't bother--you're wasting our time. You have nothing to offer except bunk.

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McNamara31 | Sep 25, 2010, 10:11 PM EDT

Watchman, jacersagain....Next time you’re in Brooklyn, count me in.

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jacersagain | Sep 25, 2010, 09:16 PM EDT

Pardon me - "deight" shud have been "delight".

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jacersagain | Sep 25, 2010, 09:07 PM EDT

Whoo-hoo, wow, Watchman! GeorgeDillon is definitely not a ‘my boy’ of yours. I think you’ve been not a little hard on GeorgeD. Some might say that that’s deserved of GeorgeD but, erm, include me out on that. George is one tough guy and we all hafta meet his tough honest opinions on the pages of ICentral, as he will hafta meet all who contribute posts to ICentral. Thank you for the invite for a pint in Brooklyn, I would love that and a chat w/ you but I graciously decline. Instead, may I invite you, with your ability to travel, to visit the tomb of Apostle Matthew, he of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, in the silence of the crypt in the Duomo of Salerno, Italy? (When you enter the Church from the back end, go to the left and look for the big gate with stair steps going downwards). You’ll be in for a treat beyond imagination. I aver this promise to you and to everybody else, including GeorgeDillon and Niall O’Dowd. Do it on yr own, for the deight of extra discoveries.

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Monsoonman | Sep 25, 2010, 08:50 PM EDT

What a tainted piece, tainting those associated with the Tea party Movement, "enraged" according to the resident spin doctor. But if they were gay rights activists, seiu goons, ACORN thugs picketing and heckling a private citizens home, they would be called "peaceful activists" by this same editor. bizarro.

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Watchman | Sep 25, 2010, 06:21 PM EDT

George, my boy: You really do have difficulty with complexity, don't you? I am Irish, but these days I live for eight months of the year in New York. Last week I was in Ireland. This week I am in America. Do you see how this works? Would it boggle your mind even further to learn that I spent the summer in France? As for the Irish homeland thing, your point was that we (the Irish) need to be rid of immigrants so that Ireland can be the "unique homeland of the Irish people". Ein Reich, ein Volk ... let's hope we don't end up with ein Führer. And one last thing: I like the way you dealt with Trelawney. He made a simple point, you called him a half-wit, and puerile into the bargain. That certainly settled his hash. I, meanwhile, am "inane". Have you never heard of give and take? Thanks, Jacer. That was generous of you. You're right. We don't always agree. But there have to be standards. Next time you're in Brooklyn we should meet up for a pint.

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jacersagain | Sep 25, 2010, 05:07 PM EDT

Sure you’re dead right DrT and not a bit puerile in mentioning the mistake. Labour was the original English European word for work – a man might have once been sentenced to a year’s hard work for an offence but the official term was hard ‘labour’. Many of today’s Irish-Americans are living with their names misspelt or wrongly allocated by sounds rather than originals. Example: Ryan used as a first name, where it is actually an Irish family name; same for Kelly. Look at American words for defence (defense) and offence (offense). But Americans & Europeans agree with the spelling of sense (you never see ‘sence’). I can’t understand the phrase ‘left of centre’ ascribed to the Labour Party in the article above; one is either left or right. ‘Middling’ is definitive of ‘undecided’, which the Labour Party of Ireland seems to be heading. It was once fiercely left-sided – i.e. Communist-leaning, tempered down to Socialist these days. No wonder its present leader Eamon Gilmore, is laughably called Aimin’ Nowhere Gilmore in Ireland.

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DrTrelawney | Sep 25, 2010, 03:55 PM EDT

It may be puerile, but the point made is still correct. Whether writing in an American or Irish publication, the name of the party is the "Labour Party". It works both ways. When reporting on Australian politics, British and Irish newspapers will, of course, refer to the "Labor Party". A mistake's a mistake.

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