Minister of State for Finance Martin Mansergh is a dangerous fool.
He’s a fool because he’s a great admirer of the corrupt Haughey and numbers himself among those who have publicly admitted that they believe Bertie Ahern’s fantasy tales.
The Minister is dangerous because he’s one of those politicians who find democracy to be very inconvenient.
During the Dail debate on the Lisbon Treaty referendum Mansergh strongly suggested that perhaps it’s time to ‘re-interpret’ the Crotty Judgement, not as an attack on democracy you understand but because it would save the peasants, er citizens from having to deal with complex matters and would make things easier for our fellow EU partners.
“It is with good reason that all our other European partners chose to seek parliamentary ratification of the Lisbon treaty and the ruling party in France won a mandate to do that last year.
Referendums on something as general yet as complex as this treaty are vulnerable to all sorts of cross-currents, some quite unconnected with it. While many people passionately cherish the right to vote directly on such treaties now and in the future, I encountered many others who implicitly and sometimes explicitly resented a matter this complex being referred to them.
While I am certain the decision to hold a referendum was based on both clear legal advice and sound political considerations, it could be argued that since 1987 we have taken an expansive interpretation of the Crotty judgment.
While no longer relevant in relation the referendum just past, it is an issue that needs to be looked at carefully if we are not continually to be hampered in the future vis-à-vis all other member states. While our strict constitutional requirements must be respected, we do not necessarily have to go well beyond them.”
Mansergh is a practitioner of “the end justifies the means” mentality. In the nanny state, we peasants will not have to trouble our tiny minds on important issues, like war, taxes, and human rights. We will leave all that complicated business to those of the elite political class of Euro bureaucrats. We will accept all that we are told and be willing give up our children to the war machine. In return, if we are good, we will be allowed to eat food we pay too much for and don’t know the source of and live in a house they can tax yearly. Maybe Ireland would have retained a veto on taxation should the treaty have passed, but based on the mentality of people in positions of power like Mansergh would they have used it? Do we really trust our politicians, especially those in the “horse and pony club”, to protect our freedom and rights?
The Lisbon treaty was just a step in the Sate takeover planned by the Eurocrats.
The Irish voters are sadly only a pebble in the road for his kind, bent on a bureaucratic dictatorship and globalization, they won’t stop at the “NO” vote. They will change the rules to suit their agenda. Beware.
Democracy is inconvenient and messy – and I like it like that. I plan to vote NO again when they try and pull the wool over our eyes once more.
I am delighted that someone (else) sees mansergh for what he is. I have been banging on on politics.ie and elsewhere about him. I just feel sorry for the people of South Tipp, for a) having to put up with him as their representative an b) for being so stupid as to have elected him in the first place.
For me he represents the worst of our history, the Brit educated west Brit who gets elected to our Parliament becaue some people still tug the forelock…..just cos he talks posh…..
Anyway, what is he saying in this case “and the ruling party in France won a mandate to do that last year.” Bollox, they didn’t, they used a get out in the French constitution to avoid a referendum in the aftermath of an election that, if it was run today, would have a totally different outcome. Sarkozy is on record as saying there mustn’t be any referenda cos we’ll never get Lisbon passed….
Bye, Barry