Labour Moves Further to the Right

by Mike Novack Thu Apr 29, 2010 12:45

""I really never held dear to any particular philosophical ideology.” she said."
"Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore described Ms Sexton as an effective and energetic representative during her five-year tenure in the Dail serving Co. Longford."
"Mae Sexton is one of the most respected and admired public representatives in County Longford," Mr Gilmore said.

95% of politicians DO allow their personal positions to govern the posiitons that they take as representatives. But perhaps 5% do not, see their job as representatives as being to REPRESENT their constituents, to speak for and work for what their constituents want. A good argument can be made that any place lucky enough to have such a person as their representative should keep returning them to office.

In other words, before calling this a "move to the right" you need to make the case that THIS PERSON (Sexton) isn't one of that small minority of representatives who really understands how to represent. I'm over here in western Massachusetts and while he's dead now, Silvio Conte, nominally a Republican, represented my district in Congress. He was returned election after election because he not only reprented the views of the people of the district in how he voted on issues, he even sent out information on the major issues to every voter explaining how he was going to vote on the issue and why.

I suspect you think it would be better to have a Labour representative who would vote "left" on each issue regardless of the opinions of the people who elected him. If that is the case, might I humbly suggest that you revisit your commitment to "democracy". In the debate within "Western Civ" going back at least that far, it's not dishonerable to take Plato's side of the case (vs Aristotle's) BUT you ought to at least admit to yourself that you are in favor of a system that results in the "right decisions" and not in "democracy" (where the decisions are what "the people" want, for good or for ill).

PS -- I am NOT saying that Mae Sexton IS one of these superior representatives. Haven't a clue. But since your article including quotes saying that she was, you need to rebut that.

by aunty trotsky Thu Apr 29, 2010 14:19

I take on board Mikes point that "it's not dishonerable to take Plato's side of the case " after all both Stalin and Hitler were fond of quoting him. However if parties are to follow the will of the 'people' where would Obama's healthcare plan be now? We would have capital punisghment here in the EU! and there would be no anti smoking bans etc. Sometimes politicans have to either ignore, repress, bribe or even lead the mindless mob instead of drinking its hemlock as Aristotle did.

by Clive Sullish - Garlic League Fri Apr 30, 2010 12:41

I don’t know that much about Mae Sexton, but I do know that she was first elected a councillor in the early 90s on an independent community ticket, with the support of public service trade unionists in Longford town. If there were Labour Party structures in Longford, she might well have been a labour candidate. Some years later, she was recruited by the PDs and held a Dail seat for them for a single term – possibly expecting that she would be more effective as a member of a political party. She wasn’t.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mae_Sexton

Knowing some west of Ireland towns rather better than I know Longford, I can say that there were good people in several places in 2-party land during the late 80s and early 90s who accepted the PDs claim to be ‘progressive’ and joined them for a period. Something similar, perhaps, is happening on the neighbouring island at the moment with the Liberal Democrats

Mae Sexton and people like her should be given a chance. The historical failures of Labour and others on the left meant that there was no genuinely progressive political force for people to join in many parts of the state for extended periods.

by MickNed - None Fri Apr 30, 2010 22:32

I don’t understand for the life of me how the writer can say that “Labour turns to the right” because the Labour party are already on the right and any further turns to the right are pretty inconsequential.
The Irish state is essentially is a type of business corporation set up by the super rich and the investors to run society in their interest. A “ steering committee” They recruit about 7 or eight percent of the population keep them really privileged by bribery, flattery, and by giving them the freedom to manage the minor details of the running the system. This is fun, profitable and makes the 7% feel important and privileged.

Every business needs line management. The line management gets a bit of power, the power to pick who gets hired, who gets fired and how hard people work, who locks the doors and puts out the trash. At their discretion is the power to give out contracts for all the services and supplies that the business needs. This is fun to certain people, makes them feel good, and it’s profitable too.

A wise business owner shouldn’t interfere too much with the line managers. If the line managers don’t have a certain amount of autonomy the owner would be forced to manage every little detail himself, which is a lot of hard work. This will bog the owner down and prevent him from setting up another business, with its own line manager and from exploiting a whole new batch of people.

So he recruits a guy to do the work for him, gives him a huge salary and says “Deliver on point A B C and D” and you can do whatever you like about X Y and Z, because those things are not terribly important to me and it’s your job to straighten out all the minor details. Every few years I’ll review you and if I’m happy I’ll keep you on but if I’m not I’ll get someone else.

And naturally he has to line his pockets. If he didn’t pay him well why would he bother co-operating? In fact, if you don’t bribe him you are heading for trouble because this man is likely to be talented and ambitious. He wants power. If you don’t buy him someone else will, a rival perhaps.

But even worse a disaster is possible. People like that might, if his ambitions are frustrated, go to the workers, the 99% and stir them up against you and get his power trip that way. So a greasing of the palm is in order. So you cut him in with a small percentage of the “action”. It’s a good business investment, and you’re only paying him with other people’s money after all.

This is, on a much larger scale is how the so called “Political System” works. Political business corporations called “parties” compete for the contract with each other. The politicians are one of the line managers, and have to compete with other potential line managers for the job when the term of employment comes up.

Like any other job, a specification is laid out. It’s usually not written or spoken as such but no doubt it reads a little bit like this if it was.

“Your clients are a network of Multinational Corporations and other powerful bodies. Collectively our businesses depend on the smooth co-operation of another organisation called the state which while being wholly controlled by us is not legally owned by us.

The overall requirement of this contract is that you ensure that the business continues to be profitable and ran in the interests of its controllers. Over the next four years you will be engaged to carry out a public relations campaign. The overall objective of the campaign is to ensure that the common herd stay exploited. You will do this by mesmerising them into passivity, division and distraction by repeating again and again that you are decent and honourable men and women who have the interests of the people at heart and that you run the country. The details of how this is done is down to you, that’s what we are paying you for. Although we have never discussed this plan with you explicitly, we see you’re intelligent chaps and can understand this without having to be told.

From time to time unfortunately, some of your people will not get the message and start losing the run of themselves, thinking that you guys actually run the show. Even worse some of the stupidest of you will actually believe the public relations scripts themselves and will show signs of having real moral qualms (as against feigned), or even worse of all start encouraging the herd to think for themselves. We expect you to deal with divisive individuals like that harshly and take vigorous steps to ensure that individuals like this don’t cause trouble again. So it’s far better that before you promote someone in your group you are sure that their only real priority is ensuring the party get the contract.

We understand there are hundreds and thousands of little people in the organisation who believe in the public relations script. We naturally don’t expect you to fire them. After all they are never going to get privileged, and there’s too many of them to buy.

They hardly matter anyway since they are only passive spectators in your party and can do nothing much that matters anyway. If they understood what the public relations scheme was really about they wouldn’t play ball being decent people. There job is in persuading the rest of the herd. Only if they believe it themselves can we get them to persuade the rest of the suckers of its truth”

Ms Sexton is just advertising to the world about her suitability as a candidate. She’s saying look I’m here to help the party get into power. That’s all I really care about. I’m not an awkward person and will read my lines and not ad lib. Appoint me. I can get the party another seat in the Dail and that means the party might be able to get a better deal from the owners when the contract comes up for renewal. If we promise A B C D to get elected I won’t start a fuss when the owners don’t allow it ”

“Political Power” is not the ability to run the country and implement policies and improve people’s lives. To do that you have to remove the privileges of the top 1%. If you did that you would be attacked isolated and incriminated night and day. That would be breaking the rules, “welching” on the “deal” “Going native”
Those in power will not forgive this and well you know it. You would be forced to be one of the herd again.

by Marty Davidson Mon May 03, 2010 10:52

If there were Labour Party structures in Longford in the early 90's Mae Sexton might well have been a labour candidate says Clive Sullish.

For the record the Labour Party structure in Longford in the early 90’s was as good as it is now. At that time Labour Head office did approach Mae Sexton to ask if she would support Labour policies and join the Party. The P.D.’s did the same.

Sexton rejected the approach from Labour and made it clear that she fully endorsed the policies of the P.D.’s

by Line Manager. Mon May 03, 2010 13:19

"And naturally he has to line his pockets. If he didn’t pay him well why would he bother co-operating? In fact, if you don’t bribe him you are heading for trouble because this man is likely to be talented and ambitious. He wants power. If you don’t buy him someone else will, a rival perhaps."

I never in my life worked for such an outfit.
Or even heard of one.

You must have worked in strange places "MickNed-None"

by Mary J. Tue May 04, 2010 22:27

Mae Sexton didn’t apply to join Labour or to become its candidate for the next General Election.

Mae Sexton was INVITED by the Labour leadership to join the Party and to be their candidate in the election.

As she says herself she is not hung up on ideology. Down the years she has fully endorsed and supported Mary Harney and the right wing policies of the PD’s. She will do likewise in supporting the Blueshirt policies of the new FG/Labour coalition.

by MickNed Tue May 04, 2010 23:04

You said

"I never in my life worked for such an outfit.
Or even heard of one."

You never worked for an organisation where the management were paid salaries which were multiples of the salaries of the other workers?

A workplace like this is the norm, not a "strange place"

The salaries managers are paid reflects the value which they provide to the owners, the "value" being their loyalty to the owners interests not just the managerial or other work they do.

by Marty Davidson Sat May 08, 2010 22:49

I see that the Labour Party has now invited the former Blueshirt Cllr Jimmy Harte from Donegal into the Party……and he has accepted.

With Sexton in Longford, McGarry in Sligo, Harte in Donegal etc, etc it paints a sad picture of a party desperate to make up the numbers.

Labour will soon be indistinguishable from Fine Gael.

by rianorr - na Sun May 09, 2010 13:15

I have worked in the public sector, small family firms, big corprate firms and professional consultant firms and they all have this structure so I don't see how you could not have come across this, it is the norm and yes it is strange too. You may be an independant self employed person on the internet, I don't know. One thing I can say about line managers is that they are tragic individuals, controling mindfucks and in Ireland usually incompetant because they got the job because of who they know, useless sons of the boss's family.

by Marie OB Sun May 09, 2010 17:56

Marty says “I see that the Labour Party has now invited the former Blueshirt Cllr Jimmy Harte from Donegal into the Party……and he has accepted.
With Sexton in Longford, McGarry in Sligo, Harte in Donegal etc, etc it paints a sad picture of a party desperate to make up the numbers. Labour will soon be indistinguishable from Fine Gael.”

What does he mean? In my opinion it is already indistinguishable from FG

by Line Manager. Sun May 09, 2010 19:23

"One thing I can say about line managers is that they are tragic individuals, controling mindfucks and in Ireland usually incompetant because they got the job."

Spot on description.

Just like the unfortunates trying to stop the oil from leaking out of the bottom The Gulf of Mexico.

by Cahir Devlin Sun May 09, 2010 21:17

The way the Labour Party is going it will soon affiliate with the Socialist International, whose president is George Papandreou, prime minister of Greece. Just look at the progressive policies comrade Papandreou is implementing in Greece. A Labour-led government in Ireland will surely impose similar alternative policies. Who said there is no alternative?

by Karl K. Thu May 13, 2010 18:43

Jimmy Harte, Mae Sexton and Jimmy McGarry would all make fine members of the Socialist International. I can hear them all singing the red flag with Rabbitte and his comrades. Labour has lost its soul.

by Plato Fri May 14, 2010 16:01

...and don't forget the great social democrat himself Cllr Lacey, merrily lumping service charges on pensioners and the like. Couldd there be a plot afoot to ressurect the PDs by stealth? There sure is a clutch of them now within the ranks of the Labour Party.

by Dermot Lacey Fri May 14, 2010 16:20

You never miss a chance to be wrong Plato.

But sure showing your ignorance is your stock in trade - once again here YOU ARE WRONG.

by trade union member Wed May 19, 2010 15:01

Well done UNITE but Where was 'yellow' Jack o Connor and Peter Fas Mc Loone and Mr. Blair 'vote yes for the lisbon referendum jobs' Horan and the rest of the Labour Party trade union officials? Last nights march was quiet impressive. there is now a need to take it to the next level and build it bigger. It is time to build a radical united front R.U.F.
I am not a member of UNITE trade Union but I now wish I was. What I would like to know the answer to is where was 'yellow' Jack o Connor and Peter Fas Mc Loone and Mr. Blair 'vote yes for the lisbon referendum jobs' Horan and the rest of the Labour Party trade union officials? Were they back in bed with their Partnership buddies? Shame on the Unions including my own who were not there last night and shame on the so called labour party which I am ashamed to be a member of (but not for much longer) Congratulation to People before profit, Sinn Fein, Eirigi and the Community and Anarchist groups who all did their bit. Last nights march was quiet impressive. There is now a need to take it to the next level and build it much bigger. This can only be done by all the groups that had the guts and the politics to organise on the streets last night coming together to form a radical united front to give the direction and the leadership that is sadly missing at the moment. Neither UNITE or any of the parties that played a great part last night are big enough to do this on their own but together they could tackle this comfortable partnership of mainstream parties including labour and trade union fatcats like o connor and Horan etc and IBEC that are determined to mislead, impoverish and pauperise the ordinary worker. If a United Front is formed it would give hope to many thousands of Trade Union members who have no voice at the moment in our stage managed Unions and parties such as Labour which dont care about the people any more than gordon brown and tory blair did in England.

by Labour Party Member - The Labour Party Thu May 20, 2010 13:01

You claim to be a Labour Party member who is about to leave ... well, my only advice to you comrade is to mind the door doesn't hit you in the ass when you're on your way out.

by Richard Thu May 20, 2010 14:07

Trade union member, now is actually a very good time to be in Labour. The party membership has if anything moved left in recent years. Labour people were at both of the Leinster House demos, and Labour members' involvement in grass roots movements is growing. The trots are good for the odd spectacular, but they will never be more than minor gadflies for real political change, which requires a big party.

by The Hmming Hmmer - Not Labour Thu May 20, 2010 15:01

"One Ireland of employers and employees" - Eamon Gilmore, 2010

"Not the role of a Labour Party leader to interfere in labour relations issues" - Eamon Gilmore, 2010

"Now is not the time for solo runs" - Eamon Gilmore, 2010

Yep, it's the radical alternative alright!

by Sceptic - None whatsoever . Fri May 21, 2010 06:42

Eamon was probably having one of his bad hair days when he made (up) those comments , sure he'd say mass just to
get into the govt, what bothers me is this , in the last two years or so Eamon Gilmore had every opportunity to 'oust' F.F.
Somedays he would amaze you & I with his practical speeches in the dail , hitting the right notes pushing the right buttons
and so on , but to no obvious avail , as history has told us , My Point ......If Eamon Gilmore could not shift F.F. given the
opportunities he has had then i'm afraid he will never make it to Aras an Uchtaran to form the next govt of Ireland .

The Back room boys & gals in Labour must get their heads together before they end up with a lesser amount of seats in the
next Dail , F.F are sitting pretty at the moment , they have weathered more storms than i care to remember & will snatch
any piece of good news to bolster their chances at the next general election , we can lose 300 jobs in one day & create
100 the next and what gets the most publicity , the latter of course . F.F. know how to run the media ( and the banks ) & are
quite pleased to rob us blind in order to keep the banks afloat whilst the unemployed just put up with their 'criminal minds'.

If Eamon Gilmore cant get a grip on his weakening position , given the state we are currently in , then in my humble opinion
he should abandon all hope of ever reaching his true path in life . No point in going on about the next election ''where all will
be well '' according to labour sources , it is now Eamon Gilmore should be putting up the fight of his political life & get F.F.
out NOW and let us begin to believe we have a true leader and not simply an opportunist who relies on red polls which
''tell him how he is '' so to speak , Be a leader now Eamon and rid us of the 70 odd vermin who are sleeping better than they
ever did, while the entire population of Ireland are in a state of panic where they should be in a state of calm .
Its up to you Labour , Make Eamon Gilmore a great man and not just a good Man .