The Green Party leader John Gormley recently stated on RTE Radio that he believed that the fundamentals of the Irish economy were still strong and that he was happy with the establishment of the assets management agency NAMA. To me this is further proof that John Gormley is ill equipped to hold a cabinet ministry. Many believe he has sold his soul to the devil for the trappings of power.
His colleagues are equally inept. Mary White on being asked on TV how the Green Party would deal with the property crash replied with the asinine statement “The Greens are very thrifty.” Well Mary, I am afraid that bringing back money-back bottles, holding cake sales and saving discount coupons will not solve our problems. Such idiocy in the ranks of our policy makers is frightening. This is not children’s playtime and it is past time we got rid of the play-pretend politicians. The country cannot afford to indulge such buffoonery any longer.
John Gormley sits at the cabinet table. He is supposed to be a key decision maker. However his having an informed opinion is probably irrelevant, as it would appear that nobody in Fianna Fáil cares what he thinks or says. They are probably correct in this as he clearly does not understand the importance of many issues. His influence at the cabinet table is negligible. He is in effect an environmental lobbyist promoted way above his level of competence. Remember he was in bed asleep the night of the bank guarantee and nobody bothered to wake him or consult with him most probably because they felt that he had nothing of value to offer. This is a serious indictment of the low esteem in which he is held by his coalition partners.
More importantly it was disingenuous and deceitful of him to say that the country has sound economic fundamentals. It was simply political spin attempting to justify an indefensible position. Such political posturing displays his inability to understand the issues at hand and demonstrates his lack of respect for the electorate. The issues are well documented and require little research. Off the top of my head I can give ten good reasons why he is wrong in this claim:
1 ) Interest rates are now at the bottom of the cycle and are destined to increase both from the ECB and from rate increases from an increasingly avaricious banking sector. This will inhibit an Irish recovery.
2 ) Deflation. As people keep waiting until prices go lower markets will continue to stagnate, more jobs will be lost and tax receipts will plummet.
3 ) Unemployment. Over 450,000 on the live register, an estimated 100,000 more self-employed now unemployed not counted or supported by the state and another 200,000 emigrated.
4 ) Numbers employed in public sector are still high with much operational inefficiency.
5 ) Exports are dominated by foreign multinationals who always repatriate their profits. So the financial benefit is limited as the money goes abroad.
6 ) Impact of red tape and cost on business. There is simply far too much bureaucracy, red tape and regulation facing business in Ireland.
7 ) A stable property market is essential for recovery.
8 ) A strong stable banking system is essential. Available lines of credit should be always available in a functioning economy.
9 ) Anglo Irish Bank: This €30 Billion obscenity will in itself be sufficient to prevent Ireland having sound economic fundamentals for years to come.
10 ) NAMA will lose billions and will once again prohibit economic recovery for years to come.
The Green Party maintains the current charade that masquerades for democracy and effective governance. They do this simply to protect their personal interests. Their reputation for integrity is in tatters, yet it may yet prove to be all they have left. They could put an end to this fiasco and respect the will of the people for it is clear that the people want change. Even at this late stage they could vote against Government and go to the country. It is never too late to do the right thing. However I fear John Gormley and Co have lost sight of what the right thing actually is. It has been obscured by their ignorance and ego in equal and generous measure.
Martin Luther King once said that “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity” He could easily have had the Green party in mind.
Pearce Flannery, founder of acclaimed business advisors Pragmatica is widely regarded as Ireland's premier business consultant, business coach and motivational speaker. He is a board member of Autopolis, leading international automotive consultants. His blog www.grabbingtheoyster.com is hugely popular having a reputation for straight talking and innovative thinking on socio-economic and political matters.
Contact Pearce: [email protected].
