The immediate cause of this problem is the housing problem, but the main reason is that the political spectrum of Ireland is still fractured due to its reaction to colonialism and Catholicism. Beneath the surface of imperialism, rebellion, democracy, and freedom lies a deep national consensus and lack of agency. There is a ‘learned helplessness’ in this invalid past that sets people on paths of submission and rebellion, with nothing in between.
Because the reaction against colonialism was both left-wing in character (republican and social liberalism) the whole society thought of itself as a left wing. The result is that each generation grows up with the same vague ideas that problems are caused by “greed” and “organizations” but no idea how the oligarchy and the government really work to maintain an oppressive class system that is really brutal compared to most of western Europe.
Wealthy and influential social networks use sound moral concepts such as environmental protection and asking for the elimination of famine to establish legal frameworks that protect existing funds by inhibiting growth. They also use the civil service as a major program to help the less ambitious among the middle classes. To take a random example: Ireland still claims to have a ‘free’ university (albeit with a hefty registration fee). But the cost of renting is so high that only the rich can afford to send their children to college. Left wing, but de facto oligarchy. This is everywhere: the health service (half of the population is private), public transport (which cannot be used if you really need to go somewhere), and there is a shake-up in all areas of financial contact — the bank duopoly, the big insurance funds, the dysfunctional legal system.
You will read a story in the news about how bad foreign investors are buying homes and selling them out. What that essentially means is that the big reliable funds that are performing well are outperforming the less performing Irish novice landlords, to the benefit of the tenants. The media will never report the story that way, because the ‘left wing’ story is much better at protecting Ordinary Decent Irish Millionaires. No major parties will fight the civil service unions because the powerful voices in the community get a lot of money easily from civil service jobs and contracts, and they will frame the debate as an attack on teachers and nurses.
What’s worse is that the people most oppressed by this (young people and poor people) are more inclined to favor policies that look like “left wing” but instead focus on things like “greedy corporations are bad”, and have the effect of inhibiting growth and protecting existing property ownership. James Joyce captured this very well – other writers describe a certain sickness, but Joyce saw the spiritual sickness of Irish society as it exists outside of certain forms of oppression. Fly through those nets.
That’s from luzh.
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