PARTIES CANNOT AFFORD TO FLINCH IN THIS DARK HOUR

THE wheels of government seem destined to spin in mid-air, with still no sign of rubber meeting the road. In recent decades we’ve had ample reason to be suspicious of “movements” that rallied blindly around an ideal; regardless of the direction they were headed.

Patriotism, like nationalism, populism and a number of other -isms, fell from favour.

But pride in your country – a respect for the dignity of people, and a shared commitment and common concern for their interests – must not be at the mercy of the mood of the moment.

According to the writer Sumit Agarwal: “Patriotism means to stand by the people, not to stand by the party.”

This is something members of the Greens, Fianna Fáil, and Fine Gael might ponder as the programme agreed between all three for going into government looks to be in real trouble.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney is right to say there is too much uncertainty out there without fomenting more difficulties.

As he pointed out, the country desperately needs a government that has a majority and authority to make decisions.

He is also right to state there is no reason why the new coalition cannot be strong and radical. Indeed, it will have to be to survive what will be thrown at us, very soon.

Fuzzy notions like “this is not the change the country voted for” are beginning to sound infantile. No one voted for the scale of turmoil the pandemic unleashed. Everything has changed.

It is not as if providing for a future which includes dealing with Covid-19 was not daunting enough.

When you factor in the increasingly likely prospect of a no-deal Brexit, a mushrooming deficit of tens of billions, and hundreds of thousands of newly unemployed, you cannot conclude anything other than we are drifting into dire straits.

There is a political and moral imperative to provide a government in this dark hour in our history. Parties cannot afford to flinch. Otherwise, we court disaster by floating aimlessly into the path of a potential economic tsunami.

At the height of the lockdown it was customary at appointed hours to acknowledge the efforts of health workers by clapping. It was a small, but heartfelt salute to their everyday, extraordinary heroism.

By their efforts to date, politicians can expect little in the way of spontaneous outbursts of approval for their exertions in government formation.

Indeed, one fears for the kind of hand gestures they are likely to be shown by the public should they continue to shirk their responsibilities. Experience shows doing nothing costs more. The scale of risk does at least make the choice simple, however stark.

Show leadership now and shape the future, or step back and be part of the salvage team that picks up the pieces.

Let’s see which side of history that would leave them.

Experience shows doing nothing costs more. We need leadership now