In an Irish election, there can be no conservative swing—conservatism is a way of life. After the rebellion that brought independence from Britain in 1922, the Irish settled down to a succession of governments content to recall the heroics of the past rather than innovate or modernize. Last week's election was no exception, despite a strong bid for power by the Labor Party, which fielded a slate of intellectuals, most notably Dr. Conor Cruise O'Brien. A onetime United Nations representative in the Congo, and most recently Albert Schweitzer Professor at New York University, O'Brien returned to Ireland, as he...
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