The Boss
The passing of Charlie Haughey will no doubt lead to much national introspection and soul searching. What is great about these events, and something which Haughey would no doubt have revelled in, is the fact that everybody will be talking about him for the next few days. The nation as a whole will engage in a discourse on his various pros and cons, his positive policy reforms and his weakness for Charvet shirts, his apparently affable nature and his ruthless politicking. There will be much heated debate but most people will eventually settle in the ‘love him’ or ‘hate him’ camp, for there are no half-way houses where Haughey is concerned.
Not since the national tragedy of Saipan in 2002 has there been such a collective debate centred on one person. But it isn’t just about one person is it? It delves far deeper than that, striking at the hearts and minds of the nation. The Keane saga wasn’t about a lack of preparation or a personality clash. The whole affair was like a moral play on the Irish psyche; do we want to succeed and challenge to be the best or do we want to just ‘have the craic and sure won’t it be grand anyhow’. Haughey emerged at a crucial period in Ireland’s history, a time when traditional modalities were clashing with a push for more modern/liberal attitudes. His reforms to give women inheritance rights were commendable as were his various attempts at achieving a political solution to the troubles in the North. He is also credited with laying the foundations for the Celtic Tiger and initiating the corporatism that is social partnership. You could say these were Haughey’s towering performances for Ireland and Manchester United.
But then there were also the numerous red cards, temper tantrums and bone-crunching tackles. The arms trial, the tax evasion, the unexplained opulent lifestyle and the ‘payments to politicians’ scandal all leave a sour taste in the mouth when considering Haughey. As with Roy Keane, his supporters seem quite capable of a collective amnesia when it comes to that tackle on Alfe-Inge Haaland. The same applies to Haughey. His supporters can easily gloss over his darker side while for his detractors it is all they can see.
His tendency for contradiction is undoubtedly a result of the pragmatic/populist style of his governance. For Haughey, pleasing the people was more important than following any strict ideological doctrine. Anyone with the slightest notion of how politics works knows that this is an extremely reliable method of gaining and maintaining power. Some vox-pops from Haughey’s old constituency of Dublin North Central on RTE yesterday portrayed a community which still harbours great feelings of admiration for the former Taoiseach. (However, it must be noted that these sentiments were wholly positive because RTE would not broadcast anything derogatory about Haughey so soon after his death, and rightly so).
And so the national debate will continue. You cannot help feeling, however, that there are a lot of people sharpening knives in readiness for a veritable bloodbath that will happen after Haughey’s body has been laid to rest. It seems at the moment people are remaining quiet out of respect for the Haughey family. I have not witnessed anyone questioning whether or not he should be receiving a state funeral which, to my mind, is a legitimate apprehension. There will be a lot of fawning and a lot of vitriol but it's what finally gets recorded in the history books that will decide how Haughey's leagacy will be perceived.
tags:[Charlie Haughey]
Published by El Commandant P.
Not since the national tragedy of Saipan in 2002 has there been such a collective debate centred on one person. But it isn’t just about one person is it? It delves far deeper than that, striking at the hearts and minds of the nation. The Keane saga wasn’t about a lack of preparation or a personality clash. The whole affair was like a moral play on the Irish psyche; do we want to succeed and challenge to be the best or do we want to just ‘have the craic and sure won’t it be grand anyhow’. Haughey emerged at a crucial period in Ireland’s history, a time when traditional modalities were clashing with a push for more modern/liberal attitudes. His reforms to give women inheritance rights were commendable as were his various attempts at achieving a political solution to the troubles in the North. He is also credited with laying the foundations for the Celtic Tiger and initiating the corporatism that is social partnership. You could say these were Haughey’s towering performances for Ireland and Manchester United.
But then there were also the numerous red cards, temper tantrums and bone-crunching tackles. The arms trial, the tax evasion, the unexplained opulent lifestyle and the ‘payments to politicians’ scandal all leave a sour taste in the mouth when considering Haughey. As with Roy Keane, his supporters seem quite capable of a collective amnesia when it comes to that tackle on Alfe-Inge Haaland. The same applies to Haughey. His supporters can easily gloss over his darker side while for his detractors it is all they can see.
His tendency for contradiction is undoubtedly a result of the pragmatic/populist style of his governance. For Haughey, pleasing the people was more important than following any strict ideological doctrine. Anyone with the slightest notion of how politics works knows that this is an extremely reliable method of gaining and maintaining power. Some vox-pops from Haughey’s old constituency of Dublin North Central on RTE yesterday portrayed a community which still harbours great feelings of admiration for the former Taoiseach. (However, it must be noted that these sentiments were wholly positive because RTE would not broadcast anything derogatory about Haughey so soon after his death, and rightly so).
And so the national debate will continue. You cannot help feeling, however, that there are a lot of people sharpening knives in readiness for a veritable bloodbath that will happen after Haughey’s body has been laid to rest. It seems at the moment people are remaining quiet out of respect for the Haughey family. I have not witnessed anyone questioning whether or not he should be receiving a state funeral which, to my mind, is a legitimate apprehension. There will be a lot of fawning and a lot of vitriol but it's what finally gets recorded in the history books that will decide how Haughey's leagacy will be perceived.
tags:[Charlie Haughey]
Published by El Commandant P.
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