Recent election results

Right-wing commentators, (and some lefties), have used variations of the "contented middle class majority" argument to explain the recent election result. Many people however, want genuine change, (protecting the environment, investment in health and services for people with disabilities, opposition to the Iraq war etc).

In reality it was due largely to the three main left parties!

Five years ago, Fine Gael was on its knees, but Pat Rabbitte gallantly sacrificed Labour, dragging them to their feet through local alliances between Labour and the terrible trio, FF, FG and the PDs, notably in Dublin and Clonmel councils.

The pre-election pact with FG, (and watering down of Labour policies), put nails in the coffin of any possible left breakthrough in Dail Eireann as it precluded the possibility of a united left alternative to the Tweedledum/Tweedledee politics of the two big parties. Many who wanted change voted for the FG option, (no real alternative), with smaller parties and independents being squeezed.

Sinn Fein, the "protest party that did not protest enough", similarly compromised principles, hoping to form a coalition with FF. Fat lot of good it did them!

As for the Greens, do they really think they can achieve anything by keeping FF in government?

Ireland's collaboration with Bush's war continues! If minister Gormley cannot change the route of a motorway, what hope has he of dealing with global warming?

A few points to console your readers.
 
First: The near demise of the PDs.

Second: The irony of FG voters transferring to the Greens, only for the Greens to put FF back in office.

Third: The performance by part of the left, People before Profit, went against the general trend.

Richard Boyd-Barrett in particular, showed that campaigning on real issues, (Save Our Seafront, Anti-war etc), as part of an alliance, can present credible candidates of the left.

This shows one way toward a left breakthrough. Not through deals with parties of big business, but by encouraging ordinary people who want to fight on particular issues to mobilise and to link those issues with a generalised political opposition to the system!