Last 10 years.........good or bad?

wowa

Just like back in 2006, now is maybe not the time but how do people think the last 10 years will be viewed?

For example.......

-If things turn around quickly levels akin to mid-Tiger could be seen (NAMA turning out a profit for example).
-It highlighted the country's complete ineptitude at a financial and political policy level therefore prompting massive overhaul of regulation etc. leading to better times ahead for all.

or
-The place is ruined and our moment to stand up and be counted is gone, never to return.
-Not a jot will be learned such is the arrogance of the institutions/politicians responsible for this mess.

bamboozle

most definately the latter. Bertie and his buddies did their best to p1ss away all the money the state raised during the boom, we're now left with a huge budget deficit, many people with negative equity on their homes, over 300k unoccupied homes, the highest paid nurses, teachers, Taoiseach, Ministers in europe not to mention the billions committed to through NAMA.

All i'm hoping for is a few years of moderate growth, a new government to come in and make sweeping changes to how this country is being run.

FFS we had our taoiseach in a tribunal saying he didnt own a bank account!!!!!

zootroid

Definitely the latter.

The most damning thing of all is that this country never learns. How many times have financial institutions had to be bailed out now? There was PMPA, the AIB owned ICI, and that bank Ken Bates was involved in. There are probably more that I'm not aware of. The taxpayer picks up the tab every time.

And that is without mentioning the DIRT scandal, Ansbacher, and overcharging by financial institutions.

Then there are the problems of the government wasting money as though it was just monopoly money. Everything is paid for. Fly first class on junkets, stay in 5 star hotels, bring your wife for a little holiday. When people find out, you get a nice pay off. How nice it would be to be Rody Molloy. TDs can claim numerous pensions, and claim them before they retire. Everything is just one big boys club, where the taxpayer picks up the tab. There are so many examples, you could write a book.

This country will take a generation to recover, and even then I have little confidence it will, as things such as the above examples will still continue to occur. There will always be some scandal, as we never learn.

The_Honeybadger

Broadly agree with bamboozle, we will remember this past decade as a wonderful opportunity lost due to woeful policy mismanagement and gombeenism. However if FF had done anything differently they would have been voted out and replaced with FG, who wouldn't have done anything differently IMO. All FF did was give people what they wanted, developers rode roughshod over 1st time buyers with lax planning and banking regulation, PS unions wrote their own cheques, welfare increased at twice the rate of inflation, most PAYE workers were removed from the tax net and so on. All election driven policies that were completely unsustainable, however those who questioned the foundations of our "economic miracle" were told to go away and kill themselves by our leader, a man so out of touch with reality that he believes if he were still in charge we wouldn't be in the mess we are in. That this man is now paid a fortune to make speaking appearances at various engagements really makes you wonder.

RichardAnd

mickeyk wrote: »

Broadly agree with bamboozle, we will remember this past decade as a wonderful opportunity lost due to woeful policy mismanagement and gombeenism. However if FF had done anything differently they would have been voted out and replaced with FG, who wouldn't have done anything differently IMO. All FF did was give people what they wanted, developers rode roughshod over 1st time buyers with lax planning and banking regulation, PS unions wrote their own cheques, welfare increased at twice the rate of inflation, most PAYE workers were removed from the tax net and so on. All election driven policies that were completely unsustainable, however those who questioned the foundations of our "economic miracle" were told to go away and kill themselves by our leader, a man so out of touch with reality that he believes if he were still in charge we wouldn't be in the mess we are in. That this man is now paid a fortune to make speaking appearances at various engagements really makes you wonder.

You raised a very good point in that post, that if FF had acted differently they would be out. If you look at Ireland's earnings and expenditures for the boom years, you will see that we spent nearly every cent we took in. Now alot of people will look at this and say it's FF being idiots but not ask why they spent this cash.

The answer? Well in my opinion they led the nation by example. How many people I knew p!ssed out their wages each year on holidays, cars and rubbish. If anyone in government had been wise and decided to save a few billion every year then he would be voted out. Why? Because people would look at our crappy health service, poor roads and other things and allow themselves to believe that that Ireland's rainy day fund should be thrown into these sink holes.

Money really is the root of all problems .

scr123

For goodnes sake we had 10 years of prosperity we could never dream of in days gone by. Second homes, homes abroad, holidays galore, the best of cars, endless consumer products. Could spend all day writing about the goodies we enjoyed from 1997 to 2007. Yes it was a bit of a fools paradise but we got a beautiful taste of what could be if we put our minds to it.
First thing to do now is fill a few boats with all the negative people and let those willing face the challenge of developing the country get on with the job
Another thing, those who oppose the government and FF should stop the sickening gloating when bad news arrives, kindly remember there are genuine people at the end of that bad news. Using our problems as a political football is totally disgusting and the truth is these type of people care little or nothing about the country other than gaining a mickey mouse score sheet !
God bless Ireland and those who want our country to succeed

The_Honeybadger

scr123 wrote: »

For goodnes sake we had 10 years of prosperity we could never dream of in days gone by. Second homes, homes abroad, holidays galore, the best of cars, endless consumer products.

Problem with all those nice things you mentioned is that it was all bought with borrowed money which now has to be paid back by people with less income, thats if they have a job at all

sceptre

scr123 wrote: »

Yes it was a bit of a fools paradise

This is the key part of your post. That clause modifies everything that comes before and after it.

paddyland

scr123 wrote: »

For goodnes sake we had 10 years of prosperity we could never dream of in days gone by. Second homes, homes abroad, holidays galore, the best of cars, endless consumer products. Could spend all day writing about the goodies we enjoyed from 1997 to 2007. Yes it was a bit of a fools paradise but we got a beautiful taste of what could be if we put our minds to it.

Talk about sucking the Earth dry. There's only so much you can eat and drink, and you can only live in one home at a time. Ask where all your endless consumer products came from, who made them, at what cost. You sound like the Fat Kid from the Gary Larson cartoons, sitting spreadeagled on the floor gorging on cakes while poor, emaciated kids stare through the window with hollow eyes.

You should aim to put back in what you take out. It can't be all take, take. That's why we are where we are. FF, Feck the Future.

ei.sdraob

for average person on street

last 10 years good
next 10 years bad

Dannyboy83

mickeyk wrote: »

Problem with all those nice things you mentioned is that it was all bought with borrowed money which now has to be paid back by people with less income, thats if they have a job at all

Many of whom didn't live it up at all!