Irish Examiner view: Inertia opens the door for dark forces

The liberal, caring, social democracy that has sustained and enriched the West since 1945 is under threat, if not already ebbing away

The consequences of disengagement were obvious on Saturday when US President Donald Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg in America's supreme court. Picture: Alex Brandon/AP

Anything worthwhile demands attention or it is lost; a forgotten fruit will wither on the vine. A good idea, unless it is applied, will fade and be replaced by a less inspiring credo. Those who believe in one side of an equation can, at one moment or another, be more motivated than those languishing in a weary zeitgeist. All of us are different and hold conflicting beliefs. 

Nevertheless, most of us will accept that anything worthwhile — a relationship, a business, or especially a set of social or political beliefs — must be nurtured if potential is to be realised and sustained.