Selfish Politics.

Politics in this country is at most times selfish. We are increasingly driven by greed and that is not necessarily a good thing. Now I know many of ye are going finally after all this time Simon has renounced his evil low tax ways and joined the shiny happy world of Socialism That I am going to start writing about the joys of a planned economy and such like. However sorry to disappoint you I am not I am talking about things like Child care.

The big issue around the time of the local elections was child care provision. The people were up in arms about the cost of child care about how parents were spending so much money on crèches. Yet how much of the debate was centred on the most important issue of child care. The Child.

Increasing numbers of our children are being raised by crèche workers. Parents claim they have to work jobs and put their kids in crèches to pay for their high mortgages. Yet with the high cost of child care and travel are they really saving money. Also why are so few people willing to do what our parents did. Buy/build the house with four walls and then furnish it over years. People now are getting huge morgages and loans and a good portion of it is going to make sure the Plasma TV is installed before they moved in. And indeed does this even matter.

The one thing that we should of learned after the Ferns report was that we should never take our child’s safety for granted. Not saying that crèche workers are doing what the priest did. But that same attitude where children’s safety comes secondary to other consideration is dangerous attitude to get into.

The debate we should be having is. What effect is the fact that the countries children are being raised by people who are not their parents. Is it good or bad (there are arguments on both sides.) Should we be encouraging a parent to stay at home with the children. Doesn’t have to be the mother indeed could be both with different days off. Could be helped with the roll out of broadband to enable teleworking. These are the issues that should be debated. Instead the debate is about how much money should the government be giving people for child care. That is selfish.

Take Foreign policy. One of the greatest black marks on recent European history was the Balkans. Europe stood ideally by as thousands were slaughtered. Why? Because in one case China vetoed UN action because one of the countries (I think Macedonia) recognised Taiwan. Ireland could not do anything because of our Triple Lock system. The system that many in this country love. Why because it makes us look moral. But what is moral about letting thousands die in Kosovo? What kind of a country lets anothers perceived “internal” politics dictate ours. I am not calling for us to invade Iraq or anything. But wouldn’t the moral thing be for Ireland to do what the elected representatives of this republic and not what China decides we should do. Alas we do not want to suffer the consequences of war, the cost, the lives most of all I think we don’t want to be disliked by anyone even Milosevic. That is Selfish.

Likewise the call for school league table is selfish. Parents know that a good school is about the ability to raise children potential not a joining together of similar class and intellectual children. Yet school league tables do just that. They tell not what school is the best but what school has the best pupils. The reason is often class and status. Again Selfish.

The above three are merely 3 examples of loads.

And before anyone says ah but selfishness is what the right is all about us socialist are about sharing. Sorry but I have to disagree. What do you hear from most socialists? Calling for the government too tax them more or for others to be taxed more. They are being greedy with others money. Humans are not good enough to be socialists hence why I believe the rights model works best. It embraces human nature warts and all.

I am so asking for a bollicking