From Bath to Cork with Baby Grace

My latest contribution to David McWilliams’ Blog…

"I don’t agree with David blaming the Gov for our problems, if we are as a people so stupid that we dont know how to vote, we deserve whatever is coming to us ."

This logic generalises the problem and points the finger in every direction.  It highlights the extent to which everyone was involved in some way in a culture that turned out to be seriously flawed. It has the benefit of calling on everyone to take responsibility for their decisions and actions.

However, it tends to ignore the reality of power, and the uneven distribution of influence over the organs of state.  Our democracy is not a free market.  Successive Fianna Fail leaders, Haughey, Reynolds, Ahern and Cowen have used the levers of state to foster a particular system designed to reward their friends.

There has, of course, been a trickle-down effect.  The property-less people have experienced some improvement in their standard of living.  But the ruling class have experienced fantastic wealth creation.  Just look at how the property pages of the newspapers have been used to sustain an atmosphere of collective wanting…

So it’s not fair, or helpful, to blame everyone equally.  So many people were manipulated into believing they lived in a system that could enrich them, and enable them to hand on wealth to their children.  

When the Taoiseach was prepared to label those who warned of excessive risk-taking as people who should go commit suicide, how can you blame citizens for thinking such a view was respectable and deserving of respect?

In order to help build up some sort of constituency for change, some alliance of fair-minded people prepared to do their best to improve things, I suggest it’s best to hold the unholy alliance of FF government, property developers and bankers responsible for causing Ireland’s crisis.

From such a stance, it should be possible to gather support from, and offer leadership to, people who are understandably confused, angry, betrayed and a lot poorer than they used to think they were.

Maybe I haven’t ;put the case as well as it could be put, but I hope you understand what I’m driving at, and are willing to support this point of view.’

Dear Archbishops and Bishops,

Given the severity of our current economic circumstances, may I ask you to consider decreeing that all First Holy Communions be conducted in school uniforms this year, and for the foreseeable future.

Individual parents would not be able to do this without your wholehearted leadership.  It would be a great thing to do, and would be appreciated widely.

You could present this as your contribution to relieving some of the strain caused by a terribly unfair budget.

Most of us can’t judge whether minister Lenihan’s plan to get the economy moving again is sound.

How can we be expected to understand a "toxic bank", a "bad bank" and all that stuff about clearing out the bad debts…

But there are questions we can ask:

(1) Whose idea is this?  What’s the track record of that person?  

(2) Who’s going to appoint members of the National Asset Management Agency? What’s their track record in making important appointments?

(3) What’s the selection process for NAMA?  Will there be a publicly accountable selection process? Will it be transparent?  Will citizens be helped to scrutinise the appointments?

(4) To what extent will the NAMA be independent of government?  How precise and published will its remit be?  How clear will its success criteria be?

I’m sure you can think of, and suggest, additional questions…

This is a true story…

I did the shopping yesterday, in a bit of a rush because I had to get back to collect Grace from creche. I went quicker than usual up and down the aisles. My average style is to take my time: I love supermarket shopping, especially comparing the unit prices; I find it therapeutic.  [In case you’re interested, I bought 31 items.  Top price 9.99 euro for chicken breasts.  Irish made purchases 35%.]

Outside there was high drama.

Two JCBs digging up half the carpark.  Part of a massive project to construct a much bigger supermarket by adding on a new building.  

Being a curious person and an amateur photographer, I took a few photos on my mobile phone. That’s the sort of thing I do, as I’m going about my business.

Abruptly this man in a grey beard came up to me and demanded to know what I was up to.  No introduction.  No trace of "excuse me,  I’m …."  In other words, a complete stranger with no more authority than his demanding voice interrupted me: "What are you doing?" 

I was cross, and having none of it.  I turned on him.

"How dare you speak to me like that.  I’m in a public place, and I’m perfectly entitled to take whatever photographs I like. You can go away."

He persisted.  He stood in front of me with a demanding looking on his face.  I didn’t give him much time to explain himself.

"You have no right to come up to me.  Who are you?  Where’s your identification?  You have no manners.  Why didn’t you say ‘excuse me, and introduce yourself?"

The man must have said something but it certainly wasn’t to apologise or introduce himself.  I went on…

"Are you the owner of this supermarket, because if you are I’m never shopping here again.  Just go away.  I have nothing to say to you.  Go away.  Leave me alone."

I got into my car slowly and drove off to collect Grace.  My bloodpressure was up.  I was much too excited for my own good.  I still don’t know who that man was.  He may have been head of site security who was off-duty.  He may have been a relative of the supermarket owner.  He may have been a JCB driver.  He may have been a freelance photographer who wanted to get his photos into the local paper and was afraid I’d queer his pitch.  I hope I never find out.

I think I’ve become a bit sensitive about the rights of the citizen in Ireland…

the little person faced with intimidating power of the ruling class. I think I treated him as if he were a representative of the ruling class intent at restricting my freedom of action.  I was fighting back against faceless authority.  I wasn’t going to be pushed around anymore.

There are times when I think my tendency to hypomania is a help to me.  But was this one of those occasions?  Would I have been better to have quietly waiting to hear him out and listen to whatever he wanted to say and do?

I certainly gave him a mouthful, but was that the best thing to do in the circumstances?

We’ll never know.  All we know is what happened, and we don’t even know the other man’s point of view. 

But  I feel OK after it, a lot better than I felt in Mahon Point when a security guard intimidated me and I deleted photographs off my camera in December 2005. That’s another story.

[As for the photos, I’ll post one later.]