Sir, – I have read and closely observed Irish politics for over 40 years. Over this period the term “sophisticated electorate” has been ascribed to the Irish voting public by media commentators, analysts and opinion formers on many poccasions.
I have never subscribed to such a flattering description of ourselves. Nor am I about to change my mind given the results of the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll.
We have a well established penchant for being taken in and being bought by populist rhetoric and facile solutions to current problems which themselves are the result of such past cynicism.
Hence I believe successive cycles of boom and (mostly) bust and our failure to build real sustainable prosperity for our people, notwithstanding our enormous riches in human capital and natural resources.
It is natural to fulminate and rail against the politicians but we mustn't forget it is we who elect them. For reasons for our condition we should look in the mirror. Casting one's vote is an important responsibility not to be taken without thought and reflection. The next general election will provide us with yet another opportunity to demonstrate how really sophisticated we are. – Yours etc, PJ McDERMOTT, Westport, Co Mayo. Sir, – The results of the Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll are nothing short of sensational. For the first time, probably in history of this State, the establishment parties which have been running the State from its inception cannot even muster the support of half the electorate: Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour combined now have only 46 per cent of support.
Rather than a recognition of the Independents as the new white knights, the results indicate the level of disillusionment with “the politics as usual” the current Government has continued to pursue after its predecessors were voted out of office.
Will the Government take more note of these findings than of previous ones which show the same unmistakable trend?
If not, could they at least stop repeating that worn-out cliché of that latter-day Irish saint, Bill Clinton, that it is only “the economy, stupid”. Quite clearly, it isn’t. – Yours, etc, JOACHIM FISCHER Ballina, Co Tipperary Sir, – When it comes to getting elected, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour appear to accept without question Bill Clinton’s slogan, “It’s the economy, stupid”. For the sake of a questionable Thatcherite philosophy, the Irish people are expected to accept reductions in taxation for people on higher incomes, and at the same time have water charges applied to 300,000 Irish people who are close to, or are, living in poverty.
It appears obvious to me that the Irish people have a philosophy which is totally at variance with the Thatcherism of these three parties, and this is why they are doing so badly in the polls.
Our politicians need to learn that we have decided “It’s the society, stupid”. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN O’DONOGHUE
Killerig,
Carlow.