Ireland forgets its fragile society

The Yes vote by the Irish in the referendum on the EU fiscal compact last Thursday has shown how fragile Ireland's society is, writes the liberal daily the Irish Examiner: "[T]he way we apply austerity is by cutting services to those whose protests won't amount to more than a whimper, and by applying bureaucratic techniques to the delivery of what's left. We say no to those without a voice, and we whisper yes to those with power and influence. Despite everything, we've managed to preserve entitlement for some. So if we can't end austerity, let's put it to work instead, in ending entitlement and in ensuring fairer and more equal shares of a humbler cake. We've done what we can for the fragile economy. We must start concentrating, before it's too late, on our fragile society. At least let's start talking about it."

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