The Impact Of Austerity in NI - Discussion by Journalist (Report)
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news report 
Wednesday November 23, 2011 10:59
by Expac Ltd
Expac event
Local journalists discuss impact of austerity at an event organised by the Conflicts of Interest project on 16th November in Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre.
Against a background of rising unemployment, inflation driving up the cost of living and budget cutbacks curtailing public service delivery, a group of local journalists met in Belfast to discuss the impact will hard-times have on the politics of N. Ireland. Alex Kane (News Letter), Brian Feeney (Irish News), Roy Garland (Irish News) and Malachi O'Doherty (BBC Louis MacNeice writer in residence at QUB) explored the impact of austerity on prospects for political progress in N. Ireland The three journalists, in spite of holding very different political viewpoints, did nevertheless agree that the economic prospects are grim and members of the panel expressed a considerable degree of scepticism about the ability of the local devolved government to rectify the problem. The panel pointed out that it the absence of a widespread political consensus in the north it will be difficult to address the underlying economic difficulties. The meeting concluded with questions from the floor.
This project is supported by the PEACE III Programme managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the Community Relations Council/Pobal Consortium
Comments (1 of 1)
Jump To Comment: 1Local Journalists meeting,whilst quite useful, just goes to show that the people we elect are, unable, ineffective or quite useless, depending on one's perspective in addressing the economic issues. Why do the politicians of the various parties not hold public meetings to explore ideas that might emerge? Perhaps Sinn Fein could be persuaded to hold public meetings as they have useful public forums on constitional issues.
The present crisis in the economy that is deteriorating daily, with stock markets worldwide going negative and a situation on the ground now clearly visible, reflecting a degree of hopelessness, that should be causing concern to everyone.
The problem is technology and it's advancement that is sidelining human participation in the means of production, in every work place and juncture of human activity. It may also be unstoppable and soon advance to the predicted Techno Singularity, whereby something more intelligent than humans is created, a sort of autonomous Artificila Intelligence. Even if the Techno Singularity is not achieved the technology close to this will still be controlled by a few elites. This could lead to large tranches of human input redundant and the unemployed possibly viewed as an unnecessary burden, by the elites, on the system.
We can already see the rise of the elites as evidenced by the ejection from Office of the democratically elected Prime Minister of Greece and Italy.
It is time to wake up and ask where or what is the purpose of our economic system as it relates to human existence and question whether we are just passengers in an evolutionary vehicle that has a hidden destination.
Good luck to the Journalists for kick starting the forum and remember we are really now all in this together.
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