Fifty Ways to Laugh at Voters

national | politics / elections | other press

Tuesday November 20, 2007 17:33

by Michael Nugent

Has Fianna Fail made scandals acceptable?

This video highlights just fifty of the many Fianna Fail scandals that have hit the headlines since Bertie Ahern became Party Leader in December 1994. This sheer volume of continuous scandals - some serious, some more trivial - has now become almost helpful to Fianna Fail, because we have now become so desensitised to scandals that we just accept them as the normal state of affairs.

For example, any one of the scandals in the video, on their own, would have had much more impact on the public if it was not lost among a sea of other scandals, with the more serious ones being given as much or as little emphasis as the more trivial ones.

This raises a number of important questions if we are to have a functioning democracy.

Is it possible, in a strategic way, to focus public attention on the need for integrity in politics? I am not talking about ideological or policy or party differences here, but about integrity in the practice of politics and in public life generally.

Do we have to wait for some spectacularly, insanely outrageous scandal before the public respond? Or will one of the run-of-the-mill scandals, for no particular reason, just happen to become the straw that breaks the camel's back?

Or are we are prepared to just let things continue as they are, with the added bonus of paying the highest political salaries in the democratic world to reward this behaviour?
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Comments (4 of 4)

Dig Out Day?

by Chuck demawl

Fri Nov 23, 2007 21:57

Sure, lets do that.
Let's start having national lampooning demos.
The shield of respectability is what we need to strip from these boyos. It's keeping some people from seeing what they should be angry about.

Good video,sad story.

by Anarchist

Tue Nov 20, 2007 23:20

A very sad reflection on the current state of "democracy" in this country.
Political apathy amongst the population is understandable,even burying your head in the sand after all these scandals.
Why would you care if you had no input whatsoever on the taking of the decisions which run our communities and our lives.
Ticking a few boxes once every 5 years just isnt enough,especially when all that you are doing is making the decision as to who to give your decision-making power to.
Is it any wonder FF can get away with it?

Sophisticated electorate??

by billy idle

Tue Nov 20, 2007 21:17

Many commentators would have us beleive the Irish electorate is an educated sensible bunch - I think this countries recent history gives the lie to that one!!

The laugh's on us !

by Sharon . - Individual .

Tue Nov 20, 2007 21:12

Hi Michael !

I have visited your site (http://thatsireland.com/) a number of times and have been more impressed with each visit - we are truly in worrying and callous times when politicians of such low calibre can hold such sway over the way we mere mortals must try and get by .

Keep up the good work !

Slán go fóill anois ,

Sharon .

Bertie and his 'crew' !

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Fifty Ways to Laugh at Voters

Comments (4 of 4)