Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Amid last week's budget business, I found myself some time to think and I thought about how important labels are, not on food or fragile boxes, but on people. I remember a brief time around eight years ago when western society's attitude towards labels was that they were not for people, that the fullness of human expression and complexity could not be placed into neat boxes and that swathes of people could not be tarred with the same brush.That lasted up until 2016, when the one-two punch of Brexit and the election of Donald Trump upset the ruling progressive elite to such an extent that they changed tactics. The message of individual empowerment and self-determination had yielded dissatisfying results. People were deciding to think the wrong thoughts so the powers that be arranged for a return to cultural tribalism. No longer would they be individuals, varied and unique. There would only be the labels placed upon them, based on what they supported or chose not to support unquestioningly and unreservedly. Someone who has concerns about Black Lives Matter is just a racist. Someone who questions uncontrolled migration is a xenophobe. Someone who thinks life in the womb is vulnerable and worthy of protection obviously just hates women.

The year 2016 gave us the worn to death catch-all phrase for when people did not like something and had to slap a label on it to deplatform, discredit, cancel and silence, namely, "far right". Wanting houses for your own citizens - far right. Wanting Irish girls and women to feel safe and have their identity as women protected and respected - far right. Asking for robust mental health assessments by professionals prior to subjecting children to irreversible medical intervention - far right. Wanting to protect communities from crime - far right. Supporting women in politics, not just those with the right ideas - far right. Not supporting gender quotas and believing the right woman or man should get the job based on merit - far right. Opposing the commodification, buying or selling of children via contract - far right. Allowing each man and woman to have their own national and religious identity and to be proud of it - far right. It is a cheap trick. It is political and intellectual laziness and it is a crying shame that this low level of discourse has infiltrated Irish politics through social media. At the end of the day, when someone is sitting on the far left and has zero perspective, everything looks far right.