For six decades, this writer has voted in the general and local elections in Westmeath, and over the years, we’ve been sometimes amused and at other times bemused by the promises made to would-be voters by candidates seeking election.
Invariably, the majority of the election promises have not been fulfilled and too often afterwards, when challenged, the particular politicians who gained election blamed changed situations and circumstances for their failure to fulfil the promises made.
We’ve always voted, considering it a duty to do so, and a privilege to be able. Each time, we’ve tried to support those whom we felt were most likely to act wisely and best do the job. Not just to keep a party or coalition in power, but displaying some integrity and wisdom. Not in the hope of any personal benefit, but to benefit the people of the area, and the country. We’ll be trying to vote similarly on Friday, but its a different type of scenario this time. It has uncomfortable similarities to what we saw taking place sixteen years ago, when our political leaders tried to ignore international goings-on, and were then overwhelmed by the tsunami of events that swept across continents.
Having listened to extravagant and beggar-your-neighbour promises coming from most of the political parties over the past few weeks, we’d honestly have to say that some of them are the wildest and most ‘undoable’ pledges we’ve ever heard. Back in 2008, it was the domino effects of an American bank crash that caused chaos here and turned what might have been an absence of Irish debt – if politicians had shown wisdom and less arrogance beforehand – into a disastrous bank collapse, huge Irish indebtedness and destroyed the futures of a great many people. But back then, there were no threats of a much bigger disaster through imminent international conflict, as at present.
The prevalent dangerous warmongering attitudes and behaviour, involving the world’s most powerful and heavily armed nations, has left mankind closer to a no-win nuclear world war than ever. The go-ahead to fire long-range US and British ballistic missiles from Ukraine into Russia in recent days, was reportedly followed by a powerful long-range Russia missile fired into Ukraine. The Russians have described the present stand-off as “a western war against Russia” accusing the West of escalating the war situation, advising that if Russia or Belarus faces any critical threat to sovereignty or territory, a nuclear strike could be their response.
Political parties always make over-the-top claims before elections, but should this time seriously bear in mind what happened a decade and a half ago. Today’s main political leaders here cannot but realise the risks, although politicians seem to have short memories. Have they even forgotten what things were like just three years ago, when “lockstep” (Covid) impositions closed and seriously affected businesses and hit those keeping the Irish economy intact? When imports were hard hit, causing serious consequences? Do we imagine that the threats at present, of a much wider and deadlier international conflict, hitting this country far harder than Covid’s scenario, need not be taken seriously? Plus a likely changed US attitude to our biggest money-spinners? And that we’ll be able to continue talking about trillions of euro available to be doled out – and dole is the operative word – to buy public support and “keep people happy?”
When ancient Rome was dissolute and in terminal decline, doling out “bread and games” was their survival formula. It failed, bringing only decadence, disaster and chaos. What the world faces at present is much worse. As we’ve said already, the basic issues many Irish voters see are a lack of affordable housing, cost of living increases and uncontrolled immigration. Can any incoming government solve these problems? Promises and plamás go nowhere.
We should all vote on Friday and encourage others also, but before you vote, consider your decision. Don’t vote simply to support the party that you’ve always backed, or because you might be criticised for doing otherwise.
Take the trouble to look at the policies and attitudes of those who are asking for your vote. What do they stand for? Do they mean what they say? We live in times not just with physical wars worsening, but far deeper spiritual warfare for the public and political minds of people. Look at what Irish society has cast aside in the past several decades, resulting in enormous moral confusion, and the deception of many minds.
Young people are left confused, discontented and hardly able to think for themselves, God help them.