Friday, April 03, 2009

Fine Gael fiddles while 700 people queue for Food in Dublin.

Blissett
Ógra Shinn Féin

No you didn’t read that wrong.

700 people queue for food.

In Dublin.

Ireland.

The same day that Ógra Shinn buried ‘education’ and with it the economy, making a point in a light hearted way, that same point was hammered home in a way that is all too serious, as 700 people queued for foodstuffs as basic as sugar, bread and beans outside the Capuchin Friary in Dublin in scenes akin to the Great Depression.

If ever a damning indictment of our economic system was needed, then this is it. Surely a sight to anger the most patient and decent citizens of the country, the failed policies of Fianna Fáil and the Green party has put our citizens on the breadline – literally.


And like a further slap in the face this week Fine Gael proposed the most callous and mindless economic policies imaginable. 15,000 public sector workers to be made redundant and no increase in Income tax. The logic is astonishing. The waning tax intake, which helps the capuchins provide food to these people, is not to be bolstered, and the amount of people drawing the dole is to be increased.

A note to those who believe that this will save money. The more people who draw the dole, the more money taken out from the exchequer. Tax, of course is not payable on this, and thus none of this is going back to the exchequer. These people have a very limited income, and thus will not be buying anything other than the absolute essentials.


The former Guard who bought a cup of Coffee on his break will no longer be doing so. The former nurse who liked to go to the pub on a Friday night can no longer do so. The redundant binman who used to go to the pictures with his wife on a Saturday won’t be doing that. What does this mean, multiplied by 15,000? More jobs lost in cafés, bars and Cinemas, and so on. More people on the dole. The cycle continues.

All the while the amount of people forced to destitution and the ignominy of queuing for food increases, with reduced money for the capuchins to provide this service – something’s got to give, and unless one of the friars can manage a fishes and loaves trick, then the food runs out. All the while, our vulture government will probably attempt to cut social welfare, limiting the quality of life for many of our citizens. Fine Gael would only do the same.

This is a reminder that Fine Gael can never be an alternative. I would volunteer that the only difference between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is that Fine Gael relish cutbacks and austerity even more than Fianna Fáil. Even in opposition, they remain as great a threat as the Government.

It’s up to us to continually provide a realistic alternative to these slash and burn economics. No cutbacks in frontline services, or in wages, or in social welfare, and if necessary, increase tax to support our public services, and the most vulnerable members of society.

Otherwise the grim reminder at the capuchin friary of the human cost of this recession will become more and more widespread.

For shame.

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