Friday, April 2, 2010

the government you deserve

Sorry for the lack of updates but i've been a tad preoccupied.

I've been thinking alot about the nature of democracy in the last few days (particular due to NAMA). I decided that there is an amazing amount of truth to the phrase "you get the government you deserve". For better or for worse, we get the leadership we deserve. Now the first argument I expect to hear when i offer my theory is "Well I didn't vote Fianna Fail" and I'm sure you didn't. But 41% of the country did and that being a majority in our system, is enough. The fact is the majority of Irish people wanted Fianna Fail in government and that's what they got.

Obviously the powers that be (or as marie would say Karma) decided we deserved Fianna Fail.

The big problem with Irish politics (and politics in general) is that it attracts a certain type of person. And often, that person is the last person you'd want to be leading the country. However because most politicians fit this type, a proper alternative is rare. We'd all love to have an Obama-like figure running our country but they come along once in a hundred years (even rarer in Ireland).

In the local elections I voted for a candidate for one reason. Not his policies, not his reputation, not his party. I voted for him because he told my mother to shut up. He wanted to listen to my 18 year sister views. This man got my vote that second.

No comments: