Was The Irish Famine Genocide?

Some people claim that the Great Famine was an act of genocide committed by the British Empire against the Irish people. This theory is most popular among Irish-Americans (who strangely enough are more nationalist than people from Ireland) and on the internet, though it has little if any credence in Ireland. It has been booted out of conspiracy theory land after one of the most respected Irish historians; Tim Pat Coogan supported the allegation in his new book, The Famine Plot. The Great Famine (or Great Hunger as it is also known) was the most cataclysmic event in Irish history. Sparked by the failure of the potato crop (due to blight) it led to roughly one million deaths and roughly … Continue reading “Was The Irish Famine Genocide?”

March 5, 2013PoliticsBooks, Britain, Famine, Genocide, Great Famine, History, Ireland, Irish Famine, Irish History, Irish Politics, Politics, The Famine Plot, Tim Pat Coogan Leave a comment

Laissez Faire And The Irish Great Famine

Right wing libertarian politics have never really caught on in Ireland. Part of this is due to the memory of the Great Famine of 1845-8. The Famine, though caused by blight, was made worse by the prevailing conservative doctrine of laissez faire. This was the prime example of politicians believing the free market will solve everything, that it would be unethical for the government to intervene and that helping the poor would only make them lazy and dependent. This was an experiment of a world with only minimal government, of free market principles in practice, the result was so disastrous that a million people died. The normal market is governed by supply and demand. Goods are sold to whoever will … Continue reading “Laissez Faire And The Irish Great Famine”

August 25, 2012Economics1845, Economics, Gorta Mor, Great Famine, Great Hunger, History, Ireland, Laissez Faire, Neo-Classical, Politics Leave a comment