Thousands of students had gathered to vent their rage. Marching, waving placards and shouting.
We’re standing here united as students; we’re not taking this any longer.
One of their leaders shouted at the nation.
The situation is not acceptable anymore.
Was this the ‘revolution’ Elaine Byrne wrote about recently?
Had the young people of Ireland finally woke up to the wholesale destruction caused to their country by corrupt politicians and bankers?
Had they woken up to the fact that corruption had destroyed any prospects for their future in their own country; that they and their children would be paying for the greed and corruption for generations to come?
Alas, no. The anger and fury was sparked because a dispute in the college was preventing the publication of some exam results (RTE News, 13th report).
Every day I check the headlines, beat the bushes, scan the horizon, waiting for the revolution but, to date, nothing. Not a sign of a ‘revolutionary’ student to be seen.
Vincent Browne was writing about student ‘action’ in the Sunday Business Post yesterday. A group of Trinity College students were invited to give their views on the constitution to the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution.
Boring and entirely pointless writes Browne. He concluded that nothing can be done about the people who have destroyed our country until the next election.
We can see by this that Browne is just as ‘revolutionary’ as the young people of Ireland. Imagine the revolutionaries of 1916 saying.
The situation is intolerable but let’s waits for the next election and then we’ll show them what’s what.
Sadly, there’s not a revolutionary bone in the body of a single young Irish citizen and ‘revolution’ for most older citizens like Browne involves switching allegiance from one corrupt, ultra conservative party to a slightly less corrupt, ultra conservative party and five years later switching back again.
Everyone is out of step except you, eh ?
Just what do you propose, as you seem to have no faith in democracy ?
Yeah, I don’t understand who exactly your anger is directed at.
Students are a load of nonsense, that Trinity event was for political nerds who adore the process but are empty of ideals. Fuck them, it’s the unemployed who need to organise. I’m not going to get into a debate on the internet but sometimes I wish that the 60s student nostalgia would fuck off.
I attended the committee on the constitution the week before the one in Trinity and found it to be quite similar to a college lecture. Take notes, listen to questions and chat after. I’m great aren’t I?
Ask a TD and they’ll set you up with a visit. Catch them afterwards off guard. Do you think they’re used to seeing the “rabble” in their buildings.
Actually I’ll use this time to ask anyone who’s bothered if they wish to attend and annoy the dail on a regular basis.
Apathy may be more due to lack of choice than anything else. People are “switching allegiance from one corrupt, ultra conservative party to a slightly less corrupt, ultra conservative party and five years later switching back again” because there’s no alternative. Anyone who’s really angry has left without a backward glance.
Ref. Formal submissions by TCD students on electoral reform
All for the proposals are coming in as I would have expected for privileged students, who don’t seem to realize that they are living in a dream world created no doubt by the elitist surroundings at Trinity
The inevitable suggestions coming from the floor is just typical and predictable
A few changes, to the existing system or variations of some foreign system and then they must mention the woman’s card (not enough woman represented etc)
The sad fact is the majority of people in Ireland view this body as nothing more than a talking shop for eccentric carrachters who evidently like to lecture the rest of us and get paid enormous amounts of money.
As far as I can see the Oireachtas is full of self interest individuals, waiting to make a breakthrough into the Dail or some are quite happy to just waffle on in the chamber biding their time and collecting their ill-gotten pay check, and enjoy the trappings of been a “senator” (an Irish Lord)
This of course is view as the Irish “house of Lords” and is just as corrupt!
This house should be abolished as it is the view, of the vast majority of the disenfranchised public an attempt of the ruling elite to maintain a class structure within the republic.
This is of course contravenes the constitutions stated guarantee to treat all citizens equally
Unless there is to be submissions from all the citizens of Ireland, the vast majority of the people of Ireland view this process as a waste of time
Thomas http://thepressnet.com/2010/02/08/on-electoral-reform/