Sir, – While Colm Keaveney’s defection to Fianna Fáil is bizarre, it is not the strangest candidate recruitment of recent years. That must surely go to Labour’s own recruitment of the former Progresstive Democrat TD, Mae Sexton, to stand for the party in 2011.
The Irish idea that a politician is someone who can speak for any number of contradictory points of view, depending on policy decided by the leadership of their current party, is not something that would be acceptable to the voters in most democracies. It reduces politicians to the level of lawyers, on hire to argue any case. There is no place for conviction in our system. Since the basic premise of democracy is the best approximation of truth emerges from the open conflict of different convictions, it is arguable that we have a very flawed non-functioning democracy.
Far from recognising this flaw, our politicians and commentators continually praise the consensual non-confrontational nature of our politics. They should reflect that it is our political system which led us into the morass of the bailout, while those countries in Europe with rational, conviction-driven, deep right-left divisions seem to have devised economic policies that kept them afloat. – Yours, etc,
TIM O’HALLORAN,
Ferndale Road,
Finglas, Dublin 11.
Sir, – It is interesting to see reports of Colm Keaveney's tweet which includes the words "Audentis Fortuna iuvat" or "Fortune favours the brave" following his defection to Fianna Fáil (Breaking News, December 3rd). I wonder what fortune says about the opportunistic? – Yours, etc,
GEOFF SCARGILL,
Loreto Grange,
Bray, Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Chris Andrews leaves Fianna Fáil to join Sinn Féin, Colm Keaveney leaves Labour to join Fianna Fáil. Does this prove there is no difference between any of the politicial parties in Ireland? – Yours, etc,
DEREK NILAND,
Upper Abbeygate Street,
Galway.