Aside: I promised myself I would take the week off from blogging to recharge, but I can't help myself because I love my country and I have to speak up.

A Country Of Cynics?

Ever since I got back from Ireland earlier this year I've been trying to put into words my frustration with the attitude I encountered when I spoke with many Irish people. Everyone seemed to understand the problems we face and causes of those problems, but yet very few people were motivated to do something about them.

More than this, the few people who seemed motivated to act would almost immediately be torn down, not by those they were speaking out against but by their fellow Irishmen and Irishwomen. It almost seemed like the Irish had become so used to their own cynical views of the world that they could not stand to see others try to bring about positive change.

Put Better Than I Can

Its sad to say but I left Ireland more depressed than when I went over there. I wish I could properly dismantle the folly of such cynical views. Fortunately I don't have to, as someone has beaten me to the punch in an article detailing how "Cynicism is Intellectual Cowardice".

I could go into great detail and expand on every point made by the author, but instead let me give you probably the most pertinent quote from it as I think it is particularly relevant to the Irish people.

“Cynicism is not realistic and tough. It’s unrealistic and kind of cowardly because it means you don’t have to try.”
- Peggy Noonan

I suggest you take some time to read the full article itself (link above) and then consider how you view the problems we face today.

We Decide Who We Are

Finally I want to leave you with this. There are two types of people in this world, the Irish and everyone else who wishes they were Irish. I am very proud to be Irish and I'm not alone. I know we can overcome the problems facing our country, but only if we the Irish people remember who we are.

We are a strong proud people. We have survived invasion, occupation, war, famine, disease and a climate that is less than mild eleven months out of the year. Nations attack us, only to become like us. We face into the Atlantic with stiff backs because we have the strength of our communities behind us.

Nobody can keep the Irish people down forever no matter how hard they try. Even now in the depth of a financial disaster we can and we will persevere because that is who we are. We are The Fighting Irish and its time we got some fight back in us!