When forming the coalition government with the neo-liberal Fianna Fail, the Irish Greens enabled economic shock therapy and acted so as to corroborate traditional left wing criticism of Greens: i.e. that they are solely an environmental party, not for the workers, failing to give social justice appropriate weight; supporting for example cutting health care for the over 70s. Subsequently the once rising Irish greens; attracted to power like a moth to a light are now broken and perhaps a generation from rebuilding. If they had waited and continued building they could be set for a quite different outcome.
The great shame was their 2007 success was born of their anti-corruption credentials. A tonic from the besmeared reputation of Fianna Fail et al who they would ironically then form a partnership with. Caroline Lucas told a compass conference that it was a textbook example of how not to build a coalition.
A lesson in power politics, in electoralism, that the Liberal Democrats here in the UK would like to have learnt from. How long do you predict it will take Lib Dems to rebuild after being relieved from duties? Yet recall the rise in popularity after the initial televised 'leaders' debate.
Some coalitions do work. In Iceland the Left-Greens have been instrumental in rebuilding the country after a crash on a par with Ireland’s. But with neoliberal parties it is quite obviously not going to be a happy marriage. The Czech Greens moved to the right and as with other examples are now broken with no parliamentary seats. A recurring theme would seem to be that Greens are either ecosocialist or they are nothing at all. If this proposition is correct the 'rising' England and Wales Greens have to be wary - On the micro level of council politics, Brighton Green councilors have decided to retain power with the caveat of administering a cuts budget set by the neoliberal parties; (Tories and Labour). Note Caroline Lucas did not advocate this.
With every scandal, broken promise and manipulation the old guard of party politics weakens and the greens are (despite the latent acknowledgment from much of the 'left') the most vocal, influential and credible opposition to the increasingly homogenous big three parties.
We face the sixth major extinction, time is running out, we need a major G8 player such as Britain to implement the million climate jobs campaign, A player on the world stage to back up Latin American colleagues such as Evo Morales in calls for ecological rationality. My inclination despite much contemplation is that the Greens are (although susceptible to careerism and deviation toward the right) the best hope for ecosocialism. The overtly 'left' needs to continue to grow and the party be pulled further in and sustained in that direction. As Derek Wall says:
"Politics is endless struggle, Despite set backs, the left is the strongest I have seen it in the Green Party since I first joined in 1980, We must continue to build for ecosocialism"
In the video below (out of shot) Derek reprimands shock doctrine Irish Green at the recent party conference.
The great shame was their 2007 success was born of their anti-corruption credentials. A tonic from the besmeared reputation of Fianna Fail et al who they would ironically then form a partnership with. Caroline Lucas told a compass conference that it was a textbook example of how not to build a coalition.
A lesson in power politics, in electoralism, that the Liberal Democrats here in the UK would like to have learnt from. How long do you predict it will take Lib Dems to rebuild after being relieved from duties? Yet recall the rise in popularity after the initial televised 'leaders' debate.
Some coalitions do work. In Iceland the Left-Greens have been instrumental in rebuilding the country after a crash on a par with Ireland’s. But with neoliberal parties it is quite obviously not going to be a happy marriage. The Czech Greens moved to the right and as with other examples are now broken with no parliamentary seats. A recurring theme would seem to be that Greens are either ecosocialist or they are nothing at all. If this proposition is correct the 'rising' England and Wales Greens have to be wary - On the micro level of council politics, Brighton Green councilors have decided to retain power with the caveat of administering a cuts budget set by the neoliberal parties; (Tories and Labour). Note Caroline Lucas did not advocate this.
With every scandal, broken promise and manipulation the old guard of party politics weakens and the greens are (despite the latent acknowledgment from much of the 'left') the most vocal, influential and credible opposition to the increasingly homogenous big three parties.
We face the sixth major extinction, time is running out, we need a major G8 player such as Britain to implement the million climate jobs campaign, A player on the world stage to back up Latin American colleagues such as Evo Morales in calls for ecological rationality. My inclination despite much contemplation is that the Greens are (although susceptible to careerism and deviation toward the right) the best hope for ecosocialism. The overtly 'left' needs to continue to grow and the party be pulled further in and sustained in that direction. As Derek Wall says:
"Politics is endless struggle, Despite set backs, the left is the strongest I have seen it in the Green Party since I first joined in 1980, We must continue to build for ecosocialism"
In the video below (out of shot) Derek reprimands shock doctrine Irish Green at the recent party conference.
