O'Blainey who?

I do enjoy taking the Irish politics course, mostly, after being the only one to be able to explain the Irish voting system, our tutor from time to time find me a bit interesting in that way that a Norwegian goes Continental to study politics, and then ends up in Dublin, taking Irish politics. None the less, some embarrassing moments do occurs. I do, I guess, compared with other Norwegian, have a bit broader understanding of the Irish society and its politics, but I'm still a foreigner. And, importantly, I have been here for only 2 month. Therefore it is quite limited the depths in Irish politics I have managed to go into, so when it's coming to local elections in the early 80s, referendums in the 70s, the personalities to the TDs in general, local issues in county Wicklow..I find myself a bit...helpless, in the discussions. Furthermore I do not possess a broad knowledge in the Irish social thought. For example: We were discussing the fact that the right to free health care for they over 70 have been cut away from this years budget, and I get the question: what is your opinion about that? For the first, I think the entire population should have the right of free health care, therefore this cut, in my view, are a right winged policy who only gains them who have the most in the beginning, taken to account that the tax level here are ridiculous low. In another way, the whole idea with free health care for them over 70 are a quite new policy here, introduced back in 97, so in another perspective: Easy come, easy go, and easy come again. Hence, at least a positive development at that front until the recent set back. I just find it quite hard to start arguing internal Irish affairs. I have no idea who proposed what when. I do not know which kind of legitimacy the health system has after it was transferred from the Church to the public some years ago, hence would the people rather go back to the Church than paying the public; the Irish isn't that secular, yet. I have no ideas about the actual extend of the social security net here, if they over 70 have other good deals who may weigh up for the los of health care. It's just: If I'm going to have personal meanings about an issue, I also want to know the context. Bad enough for me the context way to often goes local, concerning primary schools in Mullingar and Kilmacanogue and TDs not elected to the Dàil.

As mentioned in the last amendment to this blog, Kjell Aukrus would love this place, and for those of ye who have read his works, mainly the Flaaklypa Telegraph, know how it from time to time refer to totally unknown people who get their names mentioned during late evenings in Slidre, unknown persons who never attend, invited or not so on and so on. This is a bit like the Irish politics tutorials I got. Today, wiles talking about the actual power of TDs representing a party versus the TDs who are independent and different situations were some of the last mentioned have a habit of declare their dissatisfaction at the floor of the Dàil. "I guess you all know the Independent and their speeches...and of course then O'Blainey" Ten people around me start laughing, and I keep smiling polite wondering who the Hell is that man?

O'Blainey did not attend the tutorial or any other activities organized by the National University of Ireland, Dublin -University College Dublin.