The Frontline

I watched the new Pat Kenny fronted RTE programme The Frontline last night and I must say that I enjoyed it. I thought the audience were well picked, the guests (including the celebrity ones in the front row) were mostly worth having there and I thought that a good, indepth discussion was allowed to develop on the whole NAMA issue.

As to whether it helped me to make up my mind on NAMA, I'm less sure. But with such diametrically opposing views from seemingly equally well-informed and qualified people coming from both sides, it's very difficult to know who's right.

However, two things make up my mind for me: firstly, I do not trust Fianna Fail. That's just the way it is. They are too associated and intertwined (interbred even!) with those in the banking, (non) regulation and developer communities. I have written on this blog before about this issue and everything I see and hear just confirms it for me. It would be a very interesting exercise to map out the inter-relationships within those circles. That might open a few eyes. (Lets include the media for the craic!)

The second thing that made me sit up and say no-way last night was the information from Fintan O'Toole that around €30 billion of the €54 billion buy out/bail out, whatever you want to call it, is going to one Anglo Irish Bank!!! This is extraordinary. A dead bank with less than 50 clients who, between them have bankrupted the bank and the country. For why, I have to ask? Nothing good can come of it for the ordinary taxpayer and as a result of those two things I am anti-NAMA.

That is not to say that I either have, or understand the complexities of the alternatives and Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore do not fill me with confidence on that front either.

I suppose that this is the nub of the issue politically, really. Fianna Fail, whenever the next election comes, should be finished - although there is no way that I believe their core support is as low as some polls are indicating - but when you look across the Dail Chamber at the alternative you have to ask yourself: what's better about them? Other than a lack of those invidious inter-relationships I mentioned earlier. In my book anyway, they probably deserve their chance at this stage.

As for the Greens? Well, historically, any party that has propped up a Fianna Fail administration has suffered subsequently. Look at Labour and the Progressive Democrats. They were punished by a combination of the 'Anyone But Fianna Failers', their own voters and the swing voters. I suspect the Green Party may suffer a similar fate.

And as for NAMA - can it be stopped? The only way to stop it at this stage, in my humble opinion, would be to topple the Government.

What would that take? Could we do it? Do we care enough? Is it worth it? Now there's an interesting question........ Maybe they could debate that one on The Frontline next Monday!