Vitis: Protests and politicians
The G20 Summit in Canada from June 26th to 27th was as notable for the lively rioting outside the meeting as the lack of resolutions taking place inside. Ironically, the Obama administration had just passed the toughest piece of financial- market regulation in half a century in an effort to prevent the bubble and ensuing meltdown that brought the system to its knees over the past two years from ever happening again. Surely the protesters should have welcomed this move?
Dawson Street
in the heart of Dublin
was the scene of protests (pictured above right) on June 24th. This time, it
was to protest against the decision by Ibec to hold the President's dinner in
the Mansion House.
The protests were far more orderly and certainly weren't marred by the violence that marked the G20 protests, although arriving guests were greeted with a chorus of "scumbags" as they negotiated the tightly guarded front entrance.
Inside the Mansion House, the audience comprised of (struggling?) business people who are providing much needed employment and growth in what is a very challenging environment. None of the bankers at the centre of recent controversies were in attendance. Could it be that the protesters were directing their fury at the wrong targets? Much like the G20 Summit, there was a huge amount of impotent rage on display.
At a national level, the Government needs to make more tough decisions and introduce unpopular reforms to return the economy to a fit-for-purpose state. At an international level, there may be a second round of bail outs.
The protests in Canada and Dublin may be isolated to a handful of professional naysayers or they may be symptomatic of a much deeper and widespread malaise. If the disconnect between politicians and the public grows, then the ability to manoeuvre could be severely hemmed in.
