From a philosophical point of view, I have always had a deep rooted sense that as humans , we will simply never be happy. We will destroy what we build , including relationships for multiple reasons.
The likes of Brexit, far right and Trump cults comes from people who are ignored and people who don’t feel they are benefiting from what society is currently giving them. Foreigners, different skin Color or whatever pathetic xenophobic/racist tag that can be used, is the dividing factor and the unifying factor.
You can’t reason with it, as it’s a war in the most extreme cases and they don’t want to discuss what they believe. It’s like trying to reason with staunch religious folk. It’s probably closer to United v Liverpool fans debating a subjective incident in a game. You just know the most passionate on each side will absolutely “know for sure” that their team was in the right.
Ireland is doing well financially and generally most people are doing ok. We have a very generous welfare state which I think is very important. The more people invested in society, they less influence the more extreme folk can have.
But you can see how quickly chinks in the armour can be made. That stabbing incident at the school, led to a Dublin riot. The extreme bullsh*t that’s infected so many other countries is in the post for Ireland. All we need now is some sort of event or even financial meltdown and it’s gonna be not so calm Ireland.
Wicked Austerity in the 00s was a huge lightening rod for people being unhappy. A literal bail-out for the f^^ckers who caused the mess and everybody else had to suffer consequences. I’ve always said we live in a feudalist kind of system and do believe it, when times get hard people realise the bullsh*t of double standard democracy.
There is logic to decisions , like protecting the financial system from collapse, but there’s zero moral hazzard for the psychotic clowns at the top of corporate ladders, running the show so they inevitably cock it all up again.