The 'culture of contentment'

A Chara, - The late JK Galbraith eloquently described a society where the interests of the well-off majority are always favoured…

A Chara, - The late JK Galbraith eloquently described a society where the interests of the well-off majority are always favoured through their influence on the economic and political institutions, their collective superiority at the ballot box, and their presence in the power centres that shape the distribution of wealth. Galbraith called this a "culture of contentment".

On RTÉ's Morning Irelandyesterday, much of the debate centred on whether the Mahon tribunal should be wound down. The tribunal was set up to inquire into what was essentially a breakdown in democracy. It now appears that some members of the Government are attempting to undermine the tribunal. This is the Government which curtailed the freedom of information that is vital to transparency, the Government whose leader took money under questionable circumstances.

On the radio programme, various opposition politicians argued about the price and value of the tribunal. Regarding value, no one really believes the tribunal will lead to changes that will improve our democracy. And about the price, isn't it amazing how the debate misses the nub of the issue: that somehow, in an age when competition is seen as the oxygen of progress, we still have closed professions, such as the bar? The Competition Authority raises the issue again and again. But in a culture of contentment they are crying in the wind.

Two further worthy causes were dealt with on Morning Ireland, and were given the gravitas they surely deserve, for they are stories about unspeakable misery. The first was the plight of those poor unfortunate wretches who may have to pay inheritance tax on holiday villas in Spain. Poor things. The second item revealed the suffering of those who cannot find space for their pleasure craft in the country's marinas. What a cruel world.

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- Is mise,

CIARÁN MAC AONGHUSA, Churchtown, Dublin 14.