Any planned protest marches?

There is a lot of people stating that "we are giving away power to people we do not elect". Frankly speaking, the reality over the past 30 years since the rise of neo-liberal economics, globalisation, free markets is that elections matter less and less. Markets decide, and good governance dictates that common sense prevails above factions, lobby groups, and other self interested factions that put themselves first, friends and family next, county third, nation last.

The people who caused this have moved their money far away from Europe, as witnessed by David Drumm filing for bankruptcy in Boston. This indicates to me that a fundamental reform of our bankruptcy laws is required. Not for the likes of David Drumm, but for the likes of ordinary people owing exhorbitant amounts on mortgages. It should be carefully thought out however, in order to prevent a resumption of the grave moral financial hazard that has prevailed since 2008. No Bank should ever require recourse to Government assistance. It is an insidious form of welfare capitalism that should be consigned to the dustbin of kleptocratic regimes such as Abacha of Nigeria, and Suharto of Indonesia.

Common sense dictates that should be the other way around.

If in 2002, or 2007, the Government in its election manifesto stated the following:

- We are putting the brakes on this economic boom/bubble before it overheats, derails and becomes a train wreck.

Would Fianna Fail have been reelected?

I very much doubt it. Love them or loathe them, my naive view at the time was best to let them take the flak for the downturn, for they took the credit for the boom. Actually, I am glad they are taking the stick for the crash, could you imagine a leadership in charge being unjustly blamed for something they inherited, such as Obama is now in the United States?

The penny is beginning to drop for the people of Ireland, as an incestuous relationship between the Banks, Real Estate Agents, Auctioneers, Publicans, Union chiefs, Builders, Solicitors, Politicians and County councillors is being revealed. It permeates Irish society, poisons it, stifles it, and it is legal. Worse that legal, it is legalised corruption, where the laws are tailored to protect their exposure, under the guise of libel, slander, presumption of guilt before proof. Whatever it is called, and I cannot quite find the words to express it, it is wrong, and it has failed.

It is not a meritocracy, it is not a democracy, its a who you know o'crazy.

Personally, my suggested peaceful passive style of protest is to start making papier mache dolls of all the culprits, and have toy Guillotines. Sing Amhran na Bfhiann and hammer on pots and pans, as each toy effigy has its head chopped off. The pots and pans idea is taken from Argentina, and the Toy Guillotine - it should only ever be a toy, plastic blunt blade used on the toy, head can be reattached for usage in every small town.

The next aspect of the protest should be community and volunteer based. Start small, and work our way along. Look after your neighbours, and be the best and kindest you can if you can afford to.

Those who can afford to pay statutory taxes such as the TV licence, send a letter stating that you are donating the money to St Vincent De Paul, A Homeless charity, or many other worthy causes that need your money at this time.

They cannot possibly issue summonses on every single household that engages in a protest in this stealthy manner. What is more, you have been honest, transparent and honourable in informing that this is your method of protesting. State that you will willingly resume payment when the people who caused this answer and pay for their actions.

Mob rule and rioting will merely serve to discredit Ireland and its people. They wonder why we do not riot. I would like to believe that it is down to pragmatism and common sense on the part of the majority.

The situation is truly awful now. But I believe that creation cannot occur unless an old discredited system and order is removed and replaced. There have been silent revolutions before in Irish society, as witnessed in the early 1990's with the fall from grace of Charles Haughey, the Bishop Eamonn Casey scandal, the exposure of planning corruption. At each turn, while the tribunals cost hundreds of millions, the exchequer and taxpayer benefitted by billions. While I despise tribunals, they managed to unearth enough money at a cost-return ratio of 1,000% .

Some may call this an economic apocalypse for Ireland. Apocalypse however means revelation. A light will be shone and reveal the dark deeds of those entrusted with power, with our money, with our wealth in Irish society. If it takes an outsider from the IMF or ECB to reveal it, let it be. Our own leaders have failed, let the outsiders have a look, and then we will see their wicked deeds exposed for all to see.

Faustino wrote: »

Which is exactly how they would like to be perceived.. seriously, make no mistake.. they are here for their benefit, not ours.

There's no benefit in us having to forklift another few pallets of cash into Anglo, AIB and BOI this side of Christmas, then finding ourselves with 2-3 months of cash left to run the state and before we see Paddys Day, we have run out of cash to pay the Gardai, nurses, teachers, army, etc. Because if we allow that to come to pass, you may as well find yourself living in Bangladesh or Somalia.

The figures do not lie, do you think we can survive without this bailout, in the context of the markets being shut to us and the ECB nearly having been pulled down by our banks?!?! We should be lucky that the IMF are even talking to us and are not worried about being dragged into insolvency by the state of us...

wylo wrote: »

Whats the objective? FF are about to go out of power.
If its against the budget then people are STILL living in cuckoo land.

What a stupid post. FF will target the weakest in society with savage cuts. People should protest the budget.