Fifteen years ago, I sat in an economics lecturer where the guy giving the lecture was talking about a discussion he had had on meritocracy with some students he was teaching in America. He stated that they were all fully in favour of meritocracy until it was clarified that in a truly meritocratic society such as they couldn’t envisage, they would not be able to rely on – for example – their trust funds – to pay their college fees. Suddenly, he said, they weren’t quite so enthusiastic.
Where is this coming from? Well…part of it is of course linked to two recent newspaper reports involving the Irish National Building Society, and also, in part, to some recent newspaper reports regarding the Liam Carroll group of companies. Put simply, we’re at a junction where of course there will be half hearted demands for change. I’m just not sure we’ll get the sort of change that we really…require.
For such a small country, and population, Irish society is decidedly class ridden and divisive. There’s always something. For years it was religion, often it’s sport, the county you come from, the school you went to. Always something. For years, also, our media doesn’t reflect the reality that most people live in. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever been to one party mentioned on the back page of the Sunday Independent, for example, and personally I don’t know anyone who gives a toss one way or another who Amanda Brunker is.
Realistically, I’d like to live in a society whereby your value is not judged by a) what school you went to b) what sort of a car you drive c) where in the country you come from d) what you do in your spare time provided it’s not illegal per se e) what food you eat.
I’m not sure how we get that though. We’ve a lot of discontented people, people who are either losing their jobs or over extended on their mortgages or in particularly problematic cases, both. People who are paying a shocking amount more to the government via income levies and the like than they were 12 months ago. And life is not improving. There are calls for street demos, revolutions. Arise my people. But no one is altogether clear on what we want.
Well I know a few things I want but they would be specific details rather a general outlook on a healthy society. I know people who don’t want Fianna Fail to ever get into power again but in terms of what should replace them, they are curiously silent. What sort of a society is desired…no one ever seems to say.
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