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Volume 2 (2000/2001)
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Issue 1 (Sept. 2001)
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Politics? Young People? What? Where?

Elizabeth Geary
S.H.M. Ferrybank, Waterford

Politics. Young people. Usually teamed in the same sentence with ‘hate’. And who can blame us? Which one of us wants to oversee and work out the nitty-gritty details involved in running this little country of ours? And who, exactly, wishes to have their every move scrutinised and criticised by the media? In the eyes of most people, politicians are up there with crooks, criminals and serial liars. The disappearance of the noble, honest-to-God politician has resulted in unanimous hatred and disdain for the select few that do the hardest work in the land. What worries me is that when the Bertie Ahern generation has passed, who is going to take over?

There is a huge lack of interest in politics amongst the young of today. With the Celtic Tiger purring its heart out, there are so many other things to do that are so much more exciting. To be stuck in an office, dressed in a stuffy suit with the burden of the country on your shoulders, is a young person's hell. But will Ireland be in ten or twenty years time? Most young people haven't the interest to even vote, let alone run the country. Will there be major changes in the political system? A dictator? (Can you imagine a devious, power-craving bossy-boots)? Or, heaven forbid, complete and utter mayhem? Unsupervised pandemonium of the highest degree? Now that's scary. How can we get the youth interested? Big money? Free holidays? Chauffeur-driven Mercs? The best tickets in Croke Park. The invitations to all the glam functions. I can see why people aren't enthusiastic. By the way, you can take Political Science through the Arts.

1. Section I: Effective lying.
2. Section II: Advanced lying. And you work your way up to your final year.
3. Section III: Advanced corruption.

Then all you need is a Masters Degree in Incomprehensible Bumpkin Accents and/or Ridiculous Laugh. Your seat in Croker's booked already.

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