I have been out of the country, and away from my computer, for a week, and it was good. However, I had the iphone with me, which meant I didn’t take a total break from what was happening at home; kept in touch enough to add to my belief that our little country is going increasingly daft, and, worst still, very unpleasant.
I am glad to see today that Sarah Carey has taken to writing in the Independent. I was a faithful follower of her column in the Irish Times, until they dropped her for some form of excessive political correctness; and they kept on people whose opinions had got so tired that it was easy to know exactly what they would say on every issue without reading them. (Did anyone notice the marvellous letter in response to an article by Fintan O’Toole in yesterdays Irish Times? A classic!)
I think the first paragraph of Sarah Carey’s article in today’s paper is worth quoting:
“There’s a thriving industry in Ireland.
Using the media as its retail point, it sells masochism and national self-loathing by the bucketful. Marketing cynicism to a people crushed by stress and despair, the customer base is ripe.
The salesmen, for they are mainly men – mostly old, bitter and cranky – are not short of acolytes. They are to be found amongst the hacks and Independent politicians who believe they are so wonderfully clever they should be running the country.
Alas the former are too scared to run for office and the latter too scared to take it lest they be required to make a hard decision. And yes Stephen Donnelly, that includes you.
So, enraged by the lack of power to which they feel entitled, they content themselves by undermining those who get on with the dreary business of running the country.”
Looking forward to reading more from you, Sarah.
