Failing to understand the impact of political donations

Fianna Fáil’s internal debate about the wisdom of having collections outside chapel gates highlights the thorny, but fundamental, position regarding party funding.

To those parties who accept large donations from multimillionaires, the reality can only be that politicians are in hock to these people and they are writing policy and framing legislation at the highest level. Many wealthy people are deluded, and delude themselves, into believing that they have a moral duty –— by the mere fact they have the money and wealth — to guide society. They don’t seem to understand how this affects our democracy, or “the rule of the people”. They also don’t seem to understand that their version of “morality” simply somehow coincides with their material interests, time and again.

Indeed, they may suggest that their donations to ethical political parties are an example of them backing politicians who make a difference for the poor. Again, they don’t seem to understand that this is the primary example of their control of society by making politicians reliant on their money and reluctant to do anything substantial to affect those same material interests they hold dear. They don’t seem to understand that these political donations are the reason why nothing is ever advocated that would change society away from the unjust and unequal one we have today.

They don’t seem to understand that this is the reason why our society is ordered by money and not by God, to use a New Testament theme.

Indeed, our churches don’t seem to understand that they have been rendered irrelevant in political matters due to insisting on keeping the parties outside their gates. In my view, it’s time to understand.

John O’Connell

Derry