Popular anger has been "parked", but for how long?

One of the newspeak-style phrases which emerged during the recent Lisbon Treaty referendum was the apparent need for people to "park their anger" with the political establishment, and give a resounding thumbs up to Europe.And no matter what side of the Lisbon debate you were on, it's clear that people took a deep breath, and duly "parked" that anger - anger which has welled up and festered, in light of all that has happened to this country over the past eighteen months.People are justifiably angry. Blitzed by incompetent policies and no end of sleaze and extravagance, and lumbered with a political establishment which lies supine to the desires of the banks, it's no wonder our TDs and councillors treated us with kid gloves when asking us to change our minds on Lisbon.On Friday last, the people of Longford-Westmeath and indeed all of Ireland Ireland placed their trust in politicians, as they have done so often before.They voted 'Yes' in the belief that being close to Europe would aid us on the road to recovery, pulling us out of the depths of what could turn out to be the worst economic quandary since the foundation of the State.They voted 'Yes' as a final donation of trust to a political establishment which has let them down badly over the past twenty years.Now it's up to those in charge of the destiny of this country to reciprocate.Speaking after the delivery of Friday's unanimous 'Yes', Finance Minister Brian Lenihan - answering questions on RTÉ - said that Fianna Fáil "never promised jobs as a result of a Yes vote".Granted, much of Fianna Fáil's campaign centred on maintaining a "strong voice in Europe", but in the Irish Times on September 27, Taoiseach Brian Cowen himself endorsed the opinion of "small, medium or large companies" that "a Yes vote will help to protect and create jobs".Fine Gael, on the other hand, ran a poster campaign focusing on the message of "Yes to Recovery" and "Yes to Jobs".IBEC and Intel, who both ran very public Yes campaigns, did so by impressing upon the Irish people that a vote for Lisbon is a vote for direct foreign investment.So it's fair to say that when the Irish people went to the polls, 67 percent of them did so hoping that oiling the cogs and wheels of European integration will benefit the economy.And it's also fair to say that having stressed that Europe and economic recovery are not mutually exclusive, politicians will have to pull a few economic rabbits out of the hat to ensure that public fury remains "parked".The John O'Donoghue fiasco isn't the best way to get the ball rolling, as all sides of the political divide get down and dirty in yet another shameful episode in Irish politics.That some Fianna Fáil TDs would stand up for the excesses of the past fifteen years is hardly surprising.But even worse is the pathetic partisanship of the Opposition (i.e. Fine Gael and Labour) which, this week, began to show real concern about the Ceann Comhairle's expense sheet only when it became politically expedient to do so.Apparently, extravagance with the public purse is only a pressing issue when there isn't a referendum to be won.The O'Donoghue - and, lest we forget - Molloy affairs are playing out at a time when the economy and jobs should be first and last on the agenda.Instead, days after the Irish people made an incredible gesture of good faith, we are beset by the noise of a Punch and Judy show, as one side makes a push for power and privilege, and the other desperately holds on.All this, before NAMA and the expected pre-Christmas hatchet Budget land on the doorsteps of the people who will ultimately have to deal with the economic realities of the present time.When that happens, like a car in Dublin City Centre on a busy Friday evening, there may be no more spaces left for us to park our anger.