Time to face reality about ‘free’ market

IT’S interesting to observe the behaviour and reactions of the various parties concerned with the ongoing Aer Lingus/Shannon debacle.

First off, we have Defence Minister Willie O’Dea — whose own Government couldn’t wait to sell off the State airline — working himself into a tizzy simply because many of those who voted for him are not pleased about the situation. Get real, Willie. Nobody buys the hollow posturing and blatant electioneering.

The business community — in particular the ‘usual suspects’ in Ibec — have also been vocal in their condemnation of Aer Lingus’s actions. They, too, were foremost in calling for the company to be opened up to the wonders of the ‘free’ market.

Well, they should get real, too. There is no such thing as a la carte privatisation. You either observe the ‘logic’ of its dictates, in fair times and foul, or you don’t.

Then, perhaps most amusingly of all, the bishops issued a statement about Aer Lingus having some “moral” obligation to maintain the route. They know well that morality doesn’t come within sniffing distance of the ‘free’ market.

A dose of reality from all concerned would be instructive here, coupled with a willingness to learn some valuable lessons out of all of this.

I’m strongly pessimistic that anything good will come from the blinkered ideologies of successive governments which goes roughly along the line that a ‘free’ market offering ‘competition’ and ‘choice’ is both some noble ideal and a one-size-fits-all formula to be applied across the board.

David Marlborough

103 Kenilworth Park

Dublin 6w