What should Ireland’s new year resolution be? It’s a bit of a daft question, but I think this is the year we should collectively make one, and hold ourselves and our new government to it. This year will be a test. The headwinds are strong; war, the growth of authoritarianism, and the strange actions online and off that are designed to undermine democracy.
So how should Ireland show up? It’s obvious: be a force for good in the world. National pride can be a strange thing. Nationalism even stranger. But there is patriotism to be generated in a country that tries to do the decent thing, to stand on the right side of history, however small that country might be and insignificant its impact may initially seem.
The idea that Ireland doesn’t “matter” in a geopolitical context is not true. If, to paraphrase Margaret Mead, one should never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world, then one should never doubt that a small country can either.
For one, a principled stance offers hope to others in places where principles are lacking. The knock-on effects of hope are vast. In a practical sense, adding our voice along with our diplomacy, legal expertise and peacekeeping personnel where all of those things are most needed also matters.
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This also means continuing to be a country of influence within the European Union when it comes to contesting the wrong-headed actions of other states. It means upholding international law, championing human rights, freedoms and civil liberties. It means protecting the flame of peace throughout the darkness of war. Our military neutrality matters. Our reputation matters. Our morals matter.
Our history informs all of this. But we can’t claim historical exoneration from imperialism, colonialism, or warfare if it is not practised in a contemporary context. The aspiration to be a force for good in the world must also be turned inward. There is little integrity, decency or honesty in being the geopolitical version of street angel and house devil.
[ The rise of anti-immigrant ‘community watchdogs’ across IrelandOpens in new window ]
It would be easy to attribute the racism and outbreaks of racist violence we have been experiencing in Ireland in recent years wholly to a contemporary era of digital disinformation, external agitators and the importation of nihilistic narratives and playbooks from elsewhere. Certainly, it is no coincidence that at a time of rising authoritarianism and far-right movements, and political entities gaining traction in various jurisdictions, some of that would rub off in Ireland.
Our own society has a tendency to operate on something of a time delay when it comes to global social and political trends. But that’s not the whole picture. What we’ve been experiencing is also a continuum. This continuum is rooted in ethnonationalism, a meanness and cruelty, and a misplaced desire to blame “the other”.
The myth that Ireland doesn’t “do” the far-right or its ancillary bigotry born from insecurity and an authoritarian mindset is just that – a myth. It’s a convenient story we tell ourselves. It ignores how the Irish 20th century actually played out, a period during which many people who expressed any “difference” were oppressed, where women who sought independence and autonomy were marginalised and denied their rights, where LGBTQ+ people were demonised and criminalised, and where people who were not white were victims of vicious racism.
Other nations did not invent bullies. There are plenty of them in Ireland and there always have been. But we remain a small nation that can do things differently. With cop-on and empathy, good ideas can overcome bad intentions.
In an era of grievance politics, when people who have little power in society are demonised by others, where rage is currency and blame for everything – from a shortage of housing to threadbare services and amenities – is misdirected, a simple reality check is this: when you get off the internet, couch or bar stool, how do those you blame for your troubles actually negatively affect you on a day-to-day basis? Chances are it’s not the refugee, the trans person or the immigrant who is responsible.
[ The far right is just a Farage away from breaking through in Irish politicsOpens in new window ]
The pattern of pointing the finger at out-groups is tried and tested. When it takes hold, it can have devastating consequences. It can destroy lives and societies. It can start wars and genocides. It can cause people to live in fear and can tear communities apart. It’s not worth it. Fighting a spectre can be much more tempting than fighting a system. The former is simple, the latter complex. Hate doesn’t need to be our narrative.
Happy new year to all. Here’s to peace and good will. I think we all have that in us.