Ireland's incomplete coup? -
the “Ireland in crisis” conference, UC Berkeley July 10 and 11
(as printed in "The Irish Herald" May/Bealtaine 2012 P 15)
While the economic crash in
2008 Ireland was both foreseeable and not untypical for that historical year,
there are many indications that recovery this time will be both more difficult
and more multi-faceted than its 1990's equivalent. A related issue is the
dearth of real analysis that characterizes Irish studies, which allowed the
absurdities of the so-called “Celtic tiger” period to reach vertiginous
heights. This conference can perhaps begin to address at least the latter
issue.
Unlike the case in the 1980's, this economic crash has occurred at a time of fracture in the major national narratives. It may be the case that Irish people have had difficulty adjusting themselves to living in a state that is the result of imposed borders, versus an island that is unequivocally their home. Simultaneously, it is perhaps true that the Irish state has perfected a totalizing corporatism that has replaced Roman Catholicism with neoliberalism as its dogma. What is certainly arguable is that the cultural output of the Irish, exemplified in popular music, has never been of worse quality in the history of the state, and perhaps indeed before the state came into being.
A second major difference from the 1980's crash is the vastly different economic context, both at the macro and micro levels. At the former level, the country has signed on to a set of EU agreements that restrict its ability to govern, both in fiscal and monetary terms. At the latter level, the transaction cost of simple commercial activity in Ireland has grown enormously, due both to vastly higher costs for infrastructure and labour and the incursions by the state into civil society that have made Ireland the most regulated country in the world. Paradoxically, these incursions have been accompanied by a dearth of real corporate enforcement, resulting in the rest of the world losing faith in the now surely doomed Irish stock market.
Finally, the fact that EMI was compelled to sue the Irish state to get it to conform to EU copyright law did not surprise many of those working in area that need to protect intellectual property. The dearth of corporate enforcement is attested by the assignment of a laughably small team of investigators to the Anglo-Irish bank investigation, a tiny investment in cleaning up one of the greatest financial scandals in recent world history, and one that the head of the commercial court in Ireland has frequently criticized. In fact, may one ask whether we are living through the aftermath of a fortunately incomplete coup, one devised to destroy ancient and well-functioning aspects of civil society while placing power and money irrevocably in a very few hands?
Unlike the case in the 1980's, this economic crash has occurred at a time of fracture in the major national narratives. It may be the case that Irish people have had difficulty adjusting themselves to living in a state that is the result of imposed borders, versus an island that is unequivocally their home. Simultaneously, it is perhaps true that the Irish state has perfected a totalizing corporatism that has replaced Roman Catholicism with neoliberalism as its dogma. What is certainly arguable is that the cultural output of the Irish, exemplified in popular music, has never been of worse quality in the history of the state, and perhaps indeed before the state came into being.
A second major difference from the 1980's crash is the vastly different economic context, both at the macro and micro levels. At the former level, the country has signed on to a set of EU agreements that restrict its ability to govern, both in fiscal and monetary terms. At the latter level, the transaction cost of simple commercial activity in Ireland has grown enormously, due both to vastly higher costs for infrastructure and labour and the incursions by the state into civil society that have made Ireland the most regulated country in the world. Paradoxically, these incursions have been accompanied by a dearth of real corporate enforcement, resulting in the rest of the world losing faith in the now surely doomed Irish stock market.
Finally, the fact that EMI was compelled to sue the Irish state to get it to conform to EU copyright law did not surprise many of those working in area that need to protect intellectual property. The dearth of corporate enforcement is attested by the assignment of a laughably small team of investigators to the Anglo-Irish bank investigation, a tiny investment in cleaning up one of the greatest financial scandals in recent world history, and one that the head of the commercial court in Ireland has frequently criticized. In fact, may one ask whether we are living through the aftermath of a fortunately incomplete coup, one devised to destroy ancient and well-functioning aspects of civil society while placing power and money irrevocably in a very few hands?
It is surely self-evident
that a state should exist for the welfare of its citizens. The U.S. A.
uncontroversially identifies this welfare with “life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness”. The Irish state now exists apparently to serve neoliberal
ideals, even if this service can be performed only at the cost of its citizens.
As this service continues, EU policy dictates that an economic depression will
in turn continue to tighten its grip on Ireland as all liquidity in the state
is to be used to pay down debt that has for the most part been imposed in the
country in a way that stretches conventional financial practice beyond breaking
point.
These neoliberal ideals have been extended to justify an attack on many ancient and well-functioning aspects of Irish civil society. For example, EU competition law was used, with the collusion of the head of Ireland's largest union, to prevent musicians from negotiating a living wage for their services through their own union. Ireland is by some accounts the most regulated country in the world, making it a nightmare for anyone outside the elite (who continue to enjoy impunity) to set up a profitable business. In fact, this state's policies are simultaneously causing Irish citizens to emigrate to find work and increasing the number of non-Irish at work in Ireland.
These neoliberal ideals have been extended to justify an attack on many ancient and well-functioning aspects of Irish civil society. For example, EU competition law was used, with the collusion of the head of Ireland's largest union, to prevent musicians from negotiating a living wage for their services through their own union. Ireland is by some accounts the most regulated country in the world, making it a nightmare for anyone outside the elite (who continue to enjoy impunity) to set up a profitable business. In fact, this state's policies are simultaneously causing Irish citizens to emigrate to find work and increasing the number of non-Irish at work in Ireland.
The “Ireland in crisis”
conference, at ihouse UC Berkeley July 10 and 11, 2012, 9am to 5pm each day
will discuss these matters as well as looking at current trends in the arts
(including theater), and the attempt to destroy academic freedom in Ireland. It
is sponsored by the department of Theater and Performing arts at UC Berkeley,
whose chair, Peter Glazer, will be the first speaker. Other world-renowned
speakers include Ishmael Reed, the great African-American writer and winner of
a Macarthur”genius” grant, Ignacio Chapela, Micheal o hAodha of UL, and Melanie
O'Reilly. We are still accepting abstracts ; these and other inquiries can be
sent to contuirt2012@gmail.com
