Watching my country go down the tubes

[lesbiassparrow]

Holy feck, Ireland is totally screwed isn't it?

Watched the Paxman interview with Brian Lenihan. Favourite moment (and a question no one in Ireland would ever dare to raise) was the bit where he said 'wouldn't your assertion [that Ireland will regain its financial health] be rather more plausible were this crisis not entirely a result of your own incompetence."

Sad fact: Cowen, Lenihan, Harney and the lot of them will retire on immense pensions and my sister will have her meagre wages cut further because everyone knows that the public sector is overpaid. Except for the politicians. You can't pay enough for the clowns we have! (Did you know out esteemed leader is paid more than the President of the US?)

Comments

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I have long thought that the leader should make the same amount as what the average person makes. Especially if they get a house and car service.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I feel that ours should get paid less. Because clearly Cowen takes incompetence to new and unexpected heights... (Seriously, there's incompetent and there's Cowen incomepent.)

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

The sort of stupid where you clap slowly because if you did it any faster he might have a seizure?

[lage-nom-ai.livejournal.com]

More details, for those of us woefully uninformed?

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Apparently we're on the verge of calling in the EU. All the while insisting we don't have to. Next stop the IMF... As long as the government collapses - this shower make Bush look like a genius. And moral. And incorruptable.

[lage-nom-ai.livejournal.com]

Ouch. Yeah, I just saw a headline today calling Ireland the next Greece. Still, neither country has the shame of Dubya, so really, you're still a winner.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes and we've spent 70 billion bailing out our banks. While insisting that we cannot change our laws so that those in negative equity aren't on the hook for every penny they borrowed.

[cill-ros.livejournal.com]

Apparently if we hadn't bailed out the banks, our credit rating would have been something like France's. It look as if Cowen and co were following orders for the sake of the European banking system.

(Ironically, I was at a lecture yesterday where the speaker talked about native inadequecy in relation to the present state of the economy, and the went on to talk about the faded glories of empire. Fortunately there were other better speakers.)

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Hmm. While I'd like to blame outsiders for this one, I suspect that Cowen and co bailed out the banks because they genuinely were clueless were enough to believe the banks in the first place and because the main investors in the banks were their cronies and donors and they wanted to protect them - and were willing to use the Irish taxpayer to do that.

[queenthesixth.livejournal.com]

What gets me is that we're in this pickle because the old boys network kicked into gear when it come to developing property and they were giving each other handouts to beat the band. I mean, half of the places that got flooded last year had buildings on areas where there never should have been. The government created this mess and now they're going around saying 'We did this as a nation'. Dude, I was housebound with crohns when all this was going on, I never even got a chance to go mad in the celtic tiger economy.

What really pisses me off though is you hear about drastic cuts. That's all they have. It's not inspiring leadership because it wouldn't hurt them to promote entrepreneurship because someone or someones out there has/have some good ideas to promote economic growth but they just can't get the funding. Taxing people who have little to start with isn't going to solve this and when the more I hear about taxes and tolls on the roads, the more I think I'm about to fall into a Robin Hood story.

Bah!

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

If I read one more person suggesting that by wanting some of the people responsible for this to be punished, answers and a new government that people are betraying the state. My sister didn't wallow in Euros. She had none of the fancy holidays. She bought a house with my mother because there was no renter protection at all in Ireland and rents were sky high. And now she has to listen the powers that be talk about how she's overpaid and that the 14% of her meagre income they've already cut isn't enough - as they drive around in their expensive cars and earn huge sums of money.

I honestly can't believe FF is still in with a chance in Donegal. My old county, too...

[ginger001]

Everything you say in your post, same here (to say the least) *sigh*

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

At least you lot took to the streets. We've just sat and took it.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

It's not the least bit comforting to know the entire world is going to hell in a handbasket. *sigh* I adore that question, though. How did Lenihan respond?

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Lenihan just said he didn't accept that at all. Paxman must have thought it was like shooting fish in a barrel because he didn't press the question at all. Sadly....

[meret.livejournal.com]

Favourite moment (and a question no one in Ireland would ever dare to raise) was the bit where he said 'wouldn't your assertion [that Ireland will regain its financial health] be rather more plausible were this crisis not entirely a result of your own incompetence."

I would pay money for someone to ask the republicans here that, especially bush. *hugs* Do you think it is actually incompetence on your leaders part, or they just only care about the rich?

(Did you know out esteemed leader is paid more than the President of the US?)

Did not know that!

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I think it's a mix of incompetence and wanting to protect their friends and donors. At least for the banking bailout because they're certainly not keen on letting anyone end up in court. I wish we were like the Icelanders. They knew how to toss a crooked government out - and charge people.