If you take a couple of minutes to read this op-ed in the Irish Independent by Eamon Keane, one can quickly identify a number of parallels with our own Westminster Parliament and self serving politicians.
Some of the sentiments that stand out include: ‘Power no longer rests with our impotent national parliament’… ‘Truth be told, it’s been finished for a long time, made redundant by the actions of our politicians’… and ”Our Dail* is also doomed because it is based on a political system where getting re-elected takes precedence over the national interest’. Keane may be writing about Ireland, but it all has a very familiar ring to it.
But the greatest resonance can be found in the most thought provoking part of the piece:
We are in the worst crisis in our history and our parliament is impotent.Bullseye.
Is there any hope for democracy? Yes. While the Dail may be dead a new parliament is emerging. It is to be found in ordinary people, community and support groups who come together to discuss a way forward. A second wave is already there though social networks.
One commenter to the post suggested that the most effective uprising would be through organizations similar to the Tea Parties.
* Gaelic name for the Irish Parliament
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