Kenny calls Time

Enda Kenny is the first Taoiseach since Sean Lemass to feature on the front cover of the iconic Time magazine. When Lemass appeared he shared the cover with a leprechaun. In honour of the current Taoiseach, the letters of the magazine’s title appear in green.
The reason the Irish leader was selected to appear on the cover is because of the great job he is doing imposing the prescribed cuts to public services, expenditure and all the other austerity demanded by the EU/IMF bailout that Ireland received in 2010.
Time’s European editor asks how the Taoiseach has managed to implement the demands of the paymasters without the people of Ireland taking to the streets to riot as has been the case in Spain and Greece.
His reply? “People understand that this is an economic challenge and it is really difficult for so many people but, at the same time, people understand you have to do difficult things to sort out our own public finances and negotiate with our counterparts in the European sense to deal with the Eurozone crisis.”
From what I have seen of this fiasco since it began to unfold, there has been precious little “negotiation” between Ireland and its “counterparts”. I would go as far as to argue that word “counterparts” is used inappropriately in this context. Despite what it says in the various treaties we have signed up to, Ireland does not enjoy the same status as other nations in the European Union. Ireland languishes at the bottom of the pile, far below the power elites who run the union not even in a utilitarian fashion but in their own best interests. Ireland had no choice but to implement the cuts and this makes the relationship that of ruler and ruled rather than anything approaching the equivalence implicated by “counterparts”.
The response of the Irish people to the cuts the Taoiseach recounted in the following way.
“This has been challenging for so many people but they say, ‘look, you were elected to deal with this problem, we know it’s difficult,’ provided you explain to people what your doing, provided that it’s seen to be fair and in the greater interests of everybody and the country we’re prepared to take on that challenge and sort it out because the prize at the end is greater for everybody.”
I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that it is highly unlikely that anyone in the street would say this if they were stopped and asked how they felt about the misery the country is being forced to endure.
There is also the phrase, “provided that it’s seen to be fair”. What the government have been doing is not fair. It is far from fair and people are very much aware of this fact. The cuts being implemented have a far bigger effect on low-income families and those in receipt of benefits. They unequally target the least well off and vulnerable in society. How on earth is this fair?
Before I am accused of naivety, I will state that I am well aware that the Taoiseach, in agreeing to this interview, had to put the best spin on this hideous story that he could. He, as Ireland’s leader, has the responsibility to sell the country and paint it in the best light. That said, such ridiculous statements as Irish people seeing the most savage cuts in living memory as “fair” is stretching credulity to breaking point and makes Irish people look foolish.
This is especially true in light of the latest report of the IMF that states the organisation totally underestimated the effects of austerity on the Irish economy. Ireland has the second most stringent austerity measures in the developed world after Greece.
The Irish Examiner reported this week that “The report says the IMF believed that for every €100 of austerity through higher taxes and spending cuts, the effect on economic growth and unemployment would be the equivalent of €50. But in reality the effect has been between double and three times that — stripping the economy of €90 to €150 for every €100 taken out in budgets agreed with the troika.”
Speaking to the paper, Tom McDonnell of the independent think-tank, Tasc, said the report called into question the Government’s budgetary strategy.
“It suggests recent budgets have actually been more damaging to the Irish economy than the Government was estimating. It would also help explain why growth has been lower over the last few years than the Government had expected — and why the vaunted ‘return to growth’ has failed to substantively materialise.”  
Speaking to Time before this report appeared, Taoiseach Enda Kenny had a plan of action to bring about this much talked about growth.
He told the magazine that Ireland has “Talent, technology and a tax system that allows for flexibility and for people to invest here.” So there we have it, Ireland will recover by continuing to cut public services and generate growth by attracting multi-national companies to come and avail themselves of our tax loopholes.
This, we must assume, is the “prize” everyone is working towards. Ireland will grow as a site of offshore activities and market itself as a tax haven where international corporations can shield themselves from the horror of paying tax.
The Taoiseach, already in bed with the IMF, is intent on consummating the union by taking Ireland further down the road of neo-liberal capitalism, the very road that led to disaster last time around. As is the case, we can expect to once again enter the cycle of international boom and bust that characterises this brand of economic practice.
Future generations will be subject to the whims of the market and international corporations. Services formerly provided by the state will be available through the private sector to the highest bidder. It will be fine though, just as long as people know that these measure are fair. No doubt the Taoiseach will be the first to assure them. Given that this is the path he intends to follow, we can expect the Taoiseach on many more magazine covers; the new poster boy for international neo-liberal capitalism.
Maybe he should get a Stetson and some six shooters to complete the image. His catchphrase? Delivered with a wry smile and a wink, “Just tell them it’s fair”.