I was contacted last week by the US magazine /Synthesis/Regeneration: A Magazine of Green Social Thought/ (S/R) published for members of the Greens/Green Party USA. The S/R Editorial
Board is interested in printing my essay, "The rise and fall of the Irish Greens." Rather appropriate as there are many Irish Americans and Irish emigrants in the US. Their website is here www.greens.org/s-r/
Board is interested in printing my essay, "The rise and fall of the Irish Greens." Rather appropriate as there are many Irish Americans and Irish emigrants in the US. Their website is here www.greens.org/s-r/
The news from Ireland of splits (Donegal) and disbandment (West Cork) does not surprise me. As someone who travels to Ireland regularly to see family and friends (just had another friend from Dublin to dinner last night) anger and disillusionment with the Irish Greens in this Fianna Fail dominated government is rampant. The signing up to the NAMA toxic banks deal is the last straw as far as many Green members and voters are concerned.
Friday saw a massive trade union march through Dublin of public sector workers determined to fight the cuts of the present government which seem targeted at the poor and public sector workers. There is also talk of a general strike later this month. Rough times ahead and the cuts agenda being implemented by the present government in Dublin gives a taste of what may lie ahead here under a Tory administration.
Joseph,
ReplyDeleteNeither the Donegal Greens nor the West Cork Greens have split or disbanded. In both cases, a handful of people have - after a very public (as is their right) and prolonged period of handwringing, resigned from the Party.
What they do now is entirely up to them. Given how little some of them did as members and, in cases, election candidates, we're not holding our breath for a Barack Obama style grassroots green movement rising triumphantly out of the moss.
There was a recent meeting in Dublin of (mainly) anti-Nama members and other former party members. According to one of the organisers 30 people turned up.
So yes there is frustration, disillusionment and anger within the Irish Green Party - about how we were punished at the polls in June, about some of the distasteful policies that we've had to accept (as the price of getting other good policies implemented), and about a range of other issues, some legitimate, others less so.
Rampant anger? I don't think so.
Joseph, if the only people you talk to are ex members with axes to grind, it's not surprising that you have a very distorted and pessimistic view of what's going on here.
On which note, I thought it was very unfair of you to discuss the Irish Greens at the GPEW's conference, and invite an ex councillor who is now working for another political party, yet the same courtesy was not extended wither to any of our currently elected representatives, or our staff, who could have provided another perspective.