Editorial January 2009

Getting on with Life

At the present time, if all the prophets of doom on TV and in the print media are to be believed, the whole country is ‘bandjaxed’, a complete ‘basket case’ and the International Monetary Fund is ready to take over the country to save us from the financial and political storms that are raging in the universe of the elites of our country.

Yet, a walk up town or a spin out the country clearly shows that people are getting on with their daily lives: children are brought to school, sport events are in full swing, farmers are busy at lambing, birds are singing, the days are lengthening and God is Good.

The Irish are a resilient race and the long centuries of oppression have genetically hardened us enough to weather the trials and tribulations that Life throws at us. The extraordinary ordinary Irish man and woman, who do their daily work, pay their taxes, rear their families and support their community, are the real modern-day heroes and patriots. They will push ahead with their lives, retaining hope in their own abilities and goodness, all in the knowledge that these times will pass as they have in decades gone by.

And of course, the Irish are a perceptive and an intelligent people; they realize that there are lessons to be leamed from all these troubles that are the responsibility of the ruling financial and political classes. Through the manipulation of the twin evils of power and greed, these elites have abused the trust and hard-earned monies of the people that they purported to serve, when we now know that they were putting their own positions and prosperity before that of the people. Now they are foraging around looking for someone else to blame for their criminal acts and irresponsibilities. To them it’s all ‘theatre’ and ‘games’, and they hope that when the present crisis blows over, they and things will return to their old and failed ways.

If this is not to happen, then a groundbreaking and new change in attitude within the hearts of all citizens as to how life should be lived in our country will be the first requirement. This life-changing and patriotic attitude must encompass the following core principles: that the people and country are not the pawns and playthings of party political politics and financial institutions, that the government (national and local) is not the people’s master but rather its servant, that the welfare of our children, people with disabilities and the elderly take precedence over our groups in our society, that the laws will be applied evenly and fairly to every citizen and that citizens will, as true patriots, obey those same laws and, finally, that the operation of ‘cute-hoorism’, (including strokes and ‘fast ones’) in all its many guises, will cease and be given a permanent ‘burial’.