It looks like the current government will not take action on the urgent issues of our time. The most urgent is climate change but it’s not the only one.
Any maybe no future government take action either. It’s the nature of our political system that governments ignore long-term problems.
There is only one way to force the issue.
We must find a single issue with overwhelmingly popular support. Then we organise a national strike over it.
It must be a specific actionable realistic issue. For example
- A fair sales tax on all products which produce carbon dioxide or methane, in proportion to their global warming effect per kilo. This would include concrete, beef, fertilizer, fossil fuels, steel. The money shall be used to fund a cut in the general VAT rate. So these products rise in price and everything else, every less polluting product, drops in price.
- A boycott on Israel until it grants non-Jews in territories it controls equal civil rights.
- A ban on vulture funds owning housing.
First we need a public figure, or anyone influential or persuasive, to spearhead this action.
Who can do it?
I don’t know the Irish political system too well but what is stopping another party from addressing these issues? From what I understand, our current government has been in power for a long time and haven’t made much progress on anything. Not sure how the coalition changes this though.
If someone wants to correct me or explain what I said better, please do.