Domesticky

Were we sold a fairy tale?

A story about democracy where your vote matters, where politicians work for you, and where governments act in the interests of the people.

It was once true. And maybe even partially true today. But less and less so as time goes by.

Meanwhile, back in the real world…

Politics is business, and business is politics.

And in Ireland, as in most capitalist democracies, the real power isn’t held by the people. It’s bought, sold, and traded in backrooms, boardrooms, and Brussels corridors where you will never set foot.

Lobbying: The Real Seat of Power

Let’s start with the truth: corporations and special interest groups don’t just influence government policy, they write it.

Ever wonder why housing prices are soaring, why climate policy is watered down, or why workers’ rights are an afterthought?

Follow the money.

Every major industry in Ireland – like every major industry in the capitalist world -big tech, pharmaceuticals, agri-business, construction, banking – has an army of lobbyists whispering into the ears of ministers, TDs, and EU policymakers.

These aren’t conspiracy theories; they’re line items on financial reports. Legally documented and yet somehow conveniently ignored by mainstream media.

When a business sector doesn’t like regulation? It gets rewritten.

When a multinational corporation wants tax breaks? Suddenly, a “pro-business” policy appears.

And when a bank or investment fund needs a bailout after gambling away millions? The government steps in, while you foot the bill.

Meanwhile, you get to vote once every four or five years, choosing between two or three parties who all answer to the same economic forces.

A tiny, mixed-up say in a game rigged before you ever stepped into the booth.

Ireland’s Political Evolution: From Civil War to Corporate Capture

Irish politics has evolved from the old tribal battles of Fianna Fáil vs. Fine Gael into something more insidious: a landscape dominated by career politicians who see the Dáil as a stepping stone to consultancy gigs, corporate boards, and EU sinecures.

The civil war politics of the past have been replaced by a new loyalty. To capital.

Take housing. The government, in theory, should regulate the market to ensure people can afford homes. But why would they?

Many of the very people setting policy own investment properties, have developer connections, or are backed by lobbyists from vulture funds. The result?

Rent caps that don’t work, social housing that never materialises, and policies designed to funnel taxpayer money into the pockets of landlords and developers.

Healthcare? We have a two-tier system because private interests want it that way.

If everyone had equal access to public healthcare, private hospitals, insurance companies, and pharma giants wouldn’t make billions.

So, we keep a dysfunctional public system and let those who can afford it buy their way out.

The Illusion of Choice

Here’s the kicker: no matter who you vote for, the fundamental system doesn’t change. Why?

Because the economy isn’t run by the government. It’s run by corporations, financial institutions, and global markets. Ireland isn’t even fully in control of its own tax policies, never mind its housing or health systems.

The European Union, the IMF, and multinational conglomerates hold the real levers of power.

We are given the illusion of choice, the pageantry of elections, the false hope that a new party or leader will come in and “fix” everything.

But the political machine doesn’t work for you.

It works for those who fund it.

So, What Do We Do?

First, let’s stop pretending that electing the “right” party is going to solve systemic problems.

Real change doesn’t come from the ballot box alone—it comes from disrupting the system itself.

Do not shoot the messenger, but it’s a fact that mass movements, worker strikes, rent strikes, direct action, and sustained political pressure have historically done more to shift policy than any election ever could.

Second, demand accountability.

Not the kind where a politician gets bad press for a week and then walks into a high-paying lobbying job six months later.

Real accountability. Where corruption leads to prosecution, where public officials are forced to declare every private meeting and financial interest, where corporate influence is stripped out of the political process.

Third, stop waiting for politicians to save you. They won’t. They work within a system designed to benefit the powerful.

Any that are genuinely interested in working for the people are 1. few and far between and 2. only holding the line. It’s really super difficult for them to instigate any kind of change at all. Never mind get any momentum going.

If you want change, build alternatives – cooperatives, grassroots political organisations, local support networks – that bypass the state entirely.

Politics is business, and business is politics.

If we ever want an Ireland that works for its people, we have to stop playing by the rules of those who profit from our struggles.

“But what can I do?” said the whole population of Ireland.

All 7,026,636 of us. North and South.