Clare Herbert

So, it’s Oscars night! The most narcissistic show in town; gorgeous gúnas, blubbery speeches and far too much pomp for far too little talent. In advance of International Women’s Day tomorrow (more on this, well, tomorrow), shall we take a look at how women do at the Oscars? Over to you Guerilla Girls. Good job I don’t set my sights on the Academy.

Politics is a career that I’ve considered in the past, and maybe I will again, but after the past few weeks I doubt it. If anything the shambolic loss of George Lee, Deirdre De Burca, Willie O’Dea and Trevor Sargent have served to remind me to steer clear of this volatile, unrewarding and all-encompassing career.

Here are my reasons.

• Politicians are stuck in an antiquated system where you can get nothing done. Every few years, we talk about political reform. We have committees, reports, op eds and proposals. But, there’s never any action.
• You risk being fired every 5 years (or less). You can never rely on a political career. You must learn to live with the humiliation and financial cost of defeat.
• The headaches of public office. In this country, ministers are saddled with an oppressive sense of misplaced responsibility for every misdemeanor on their watch: every delayed diagnosis, every misbehaving prisoner,every child without a school place. Is it really the Minister’s fault that some forgetful civil servant forgot to stamp a form in some office somewhere? In Ireland, apparently it is.
• A bitchy media. The public don’t absorb the nuance of political debate, and the media certainly don’t present it. Politicians keep Joe Duffy in business. You may attempt reasoned political debate (maybe on The Frontline), but you’ll likely be shouted down. Do I want to work in an increasingly hostile,  cynical and confrontational environment? No thanks!
• Could I be a foot soldier in an army that doesn’t believe in anything, except maybe power? In Ireland, we don’t do ideological politics. You can just as easily be FG as FF – so, is there any point in being either?
• It’s open season on your family, friends and loved ones. Look at what happened to Martin Cullen, with the Monica Leech affair. “It was like being raped”. No more privacy, no more nipping to the take away in your dressing gown, no more sunbathing in the garden lest someone snap a pic for the Sunday papers.
• No more ‘my opinion’. I’d hate to loose my own voice.  As a party member, your views don’t matter. Your job is to whisht and get elected. I blog because I can’t stay quiet. Political office is a gag order I don’t want.
• Everything I’ve ever said, thought or written (including this piece) could become ammunition against me. To damage my reputation, embarrass me, or criticize my views, or how they chane. Every photo on Facebook, every Tweet, every guy I’ve ever chatted to at a party – it could all come out and quickly paint a picture of me as, well, a dope.
• To be a local ombudsman; responsible for every pothole, every green bin, every missing cat. To have to attend every resident’s meeting, listen to complaining constituents and take the abuse deserved by your others. Is that the best use of my 24 hours?
• It’s not easy to get elected in Ireland. If you’re not  from a political dynasty or “famous”, getting on the ballot is a challenge. And then,  it’s an up hill battle requiring a large financial investment and plenty of effort, determination and grit. And, there’s no guarantee of success. Most candidates fail.
• As a woman, I’d leave myself open to plenty of misogynistic nonsense. Do we really need commentary on politician’s hair, weight and fashion sense? Women are judged more and differently than men, and I don’t need that kind of hassle.  Look at what’s happening to Lucinda Creighton – a lady I’ve always admired for her decision to enter politics.
• Plus, the infighting. Would I join a party to fight for the greater good. Nope, I’d join a party to compete with my colleagues both in my constituency and for promotion. Political party members don’t bond together to work towards the greater good – they fight each other mercilessly to get ahead. What a waste of energy.

But, really it comes down to 1 point. I could (maybe) tolerate the above if I felt I could make a difference, if I thought it was worth my while to make these sacrifices and bide my time. But, could I get anything meaningful done?

I doubt it. The civil service, the permanent government, see the real changes. Perhaps if I kept my head down, maintained the right loyalties, and kept quiet, perhaps I’d become a Minister. Then, what would I do? Spend my days cutting ribbons and fighting with the opposition. Maybe I’d have a few policy proposals implemented. 10? 20? 50? I’d say max 5. Not much to show for a lifetime of public service.

No Thanks. Not for me.

I’d rather a quiet career in the non-profit sector. There’s plenty that needs doing in the world and I don’t need a political mandate to do it. And there is a role for non-politicians in the political process; as advocates, communicators, agenda setters, lobbysists and watchdogs.

Sure, politics has it’s advantages. Sure, the money is good. Sure, it’d mean a seat at the most influential table in the country. Sure,  I’d have the inside track on the the story of the day, a permanent invitation to pontificate on RTE, a spot in every political book index, invitations to posh places to shmooze famous people.

But I wouldn’t get anything done! And that’s the deal breaker.

The greatest threat to out democracy is that we do not participate in it. When we expect perfection in our politicians, we’re asking to be either deceived or disappointed. When we fuel snide media commentary, choosing the cheap personal shot rather than nuanced political debate, we do ourselves and our politicians a disservice.

We’re quick to talk about what our politicians should do for us. But slower to recognise our failings in the political process. We voted FF for the last 25 years, and now we must live with the consequences of that.

Things won’t change unless we change them.

I’ve been AWOL for ages – apologies for that. I’ve still been reading lots and here are a few of my fave links. More to come on this blog in the coming days.

Abigail Rieley recalls Celine Cawley’s sister’s emotional victim impact statement. Given how much Celine’s reputation was attacked, it makes for worthwhile reading. Here’s a great summation of the trial.

Mark Little has a great piece on how journalists report tragedy.

Why Northern Ireland’s politics are doomed to failure.

Why run for the Dail, if you’ll only be a local ombudsman?

Why woman who wear make-up are more likely to get promoted. Disgraceful.

“Our short attention span is the biggest threat to Haiti’s recovery.” Have we already forgotten? Try this to refresh your memory.

And lastly, Ryanair is one of the most unethical companies operating in Ireland.

And for some pictures – try Oprah’s first ever power list.

There has been some great press coverage of Haiti in recent days and weeks.

Jon Snow has been blogging on the “toughest, most harrowing assignment ever” – Haiti. Well worth reading.

A timely and important article by the late Nuala O’Faolain on the effectiveness of overseas development aid.

An interesting piece on how Haiti’s environmental situation impacts on its happiness and susceptibility to tragedy.  I read somewhere that an earthquake measuring 7 in the Richter scale killed 63 in the USA, the same quake killed more than 150,000 in Haiti. Poverty kills.

A good intro to the history of Haiti.

The importance of logistics in the delivery of aid.

Lara Marlowe’s coverage in the Times has been fantastic.

SIX-YEAR-OLD Faimi Lamy’s screams pierce the morning air as a Cuban nun, a trained nurse, draws needle and thread through the raw meat that is the stub of the little girl’s left arm.

“Aiee, aiee. Give me water so it will stop hurting. Stop, stop,” Faimi cries.

Sr Lazal Guevara cleans and sutures the infected wound without anaesthetic, and the pain is more than the child can bear.

Lastly, some pictures.

Let’s start with a great piece by Ann Marie Hourihane on why women rarely die. No, that’s not right, why women really make it onto the obituaries page.

Continuing on the women theme, a wonderful piece on daily life in Afghanistan.

An interesting, shocking, piece on gold mining.

Brenda Power reckons young women are enticed into motherhood by the Lone Parent’s Allowance – nonsense.

Martin Cullen’s speech to a conference on media defamation, worth reading in its entirety.

Breda O’Brien examines how society views physical and mental agony in different ways.  As she notes, this is Depression Awareness Week so take a look at Aware for more info and support.

An interesting piece on the role of journalists in Northern Ireland – not as protectors of a fragile peace process, but as independent observers. This made me think.

“The painful complexity of moral choices” An interesting piece on abortion rates among mothers carring babies with Down’s Syndrome. 91% chose to abortion. Again, this made me think but not change my view.

And lastly, it’s true: money doesn’t make you happy. But, experiences might. The novelty value of a material object eventually dies, no matter how much you once wanted it but new experiences (particularly ones tha bring you closer to friends/family) can make you happy.

Continuing on the American Maps theme, I saw this and couldn’t resist.

Via The Tallyman, I just love this American Version of the world map.

Again, a picture’s worth 1000 words. Reminds me of the episode of The West Wing, where CJ is being lobbied to change the maps that are used in teaching. Great episode. I’ve a Peterson’s Projection map over my desk. Love it. It makes me feel appropriately small in a big world, every morning.

Over the Christmas period, I’ve been reading more than ever. Here are a few bits you may have missed over the festive period.

Noel Whelan writes on the appalling Stephen’s Day story on Brian Lenihan’s health. Matt Cooper also has a lovely piece on what Lenihan should do now.

Stephen Kinsella writes on what Ireland will be like in 2050. I’ll be 63. Yikes.

An interesting article on how individuals need to take responsibility for the state that the world is in, by John Bruton. Worth a read.

Another great article on the challenge of the decade, which isn’t terrorism, Swine Flu or even financial doom, but Climate Change.

Glad to see that Dermot Ahern has noticed the lack of women on State Boards and in politics generally. The rest of us have noticed for a long time, but welcome to the party Dermot. What are you gonna do about it?

A worthy piece on Darfur, on the Congo and the shocking numbers of missing migrant children that have been keeping me up nights.

And lastly, a great round up of the international year that was.

Dear Blog Readers,

Just a quick word of thanks for reading, sunscribing, visiting, commenting, emailing me or in some way, making contact with me over the past 12 months. It’s been a pleasure.

I think I’ve gotten more into the blogging in the last few months, following a long hiatus due to work commitments and having far too many balls in the air for one person. I’m also conscious though, that my blogging tends to be image, link or quote-based, so I hope to expand to more opinion-style pieces. If not though, that’s fine, I’m sure there will be a good reason. I’m also toying with writing more personal pieces, although I don’t think I’m that brave just yet.

Thank you for your loyalty and engagement – I do appreciate it.

To my fellow bloggers, thank you for your commitment. I know it eats time and it’s hard to measure the impact of your work, but thanks for doing it all the same.

Here’s to a fantastic 2010.

Clare