Mé féinism is at the beating heart of Irish political corpus

Dan McSweeney (Letters, Dec 24 ) writes with an elegant eloquence, though in a saddening vein.

His frustrated lament concerns the continuing debilitation of communities, despite the government’s relentless propensity to issue statements laden with optimistic clap-trap about economic recovery.

And adding insult to injury, doing this while knowing that everyone knows the truth is quite the opposite.

The tweaking of employment figures, by using statistics creatively and avoiding mention of the emigrant brain drain and its impact on the unemployment register, is all part of this same political template that all Irish politicians adhere to.

It is an ignoble tactic, not worthy of our Republic.

Under this Government, the ‘stats-data’ fodder is contorted and distorted any which way and is used to bolster the national mood. And all of this, simply a vainglorious attempt to enhance the dwindled reputation of Irish government and politics with its its executive ‘henchmen’ and ministerial ‘me-féinism’.

And all done with an eye towards individual survival in the maelstrom that is the political scrabble for salary, expenses and pension entitlements.

In Irish politics, looking after number one is the name of game it seems.

The pecking order of political priorities runs thus: self (by far the most important) and by that we mean the need to retain the politician’s Dail or Senate seat, then the need to support and protect one’s party of allegiance and then way down in a very poor third place are the country’s true and equitable needs.

Spinning, blocking, manipulating and disclosure ‘management’ is what Irish political life is all about.

There is no space for authentic transparency, honesty or any sense of mature engagement with what this nation needs to develop and prosper sustainably.

The mantra is toe the party line or else we’ll all go under without a half-decent pension in sight

This is hardly the noble stuff of a self-respecting nation? Of a republic built on hard-won democracy? Where has all the pre-electoral guff evaporated to?

It now looks like ‘smoke-and-mirrors’ rhetoric is the only show in town. We are part of an unwitting chorus line in an ongoing tragi-comedy without the comedy.

In this country of ours, this democracy, vacuity rules.

Jim Cosgrove

Chapel Street

Lismore

Co Waterford