When do people actually say enough is enough?

Langerland

Off the back of a discussion over lunch in work, how much more do you think the Irish People are willing to take before there is a revolution. Are we very far from that state of affairs? Or are people getting to the stage of desperation where they are looking for like minded and similarly distressed people to come together in groups to actively bring down this government? I see friends and family in dire straights through unemployment, mortgage arrears, negative equity, terrible health care facilities, dated & over crowded education facilities, huge utility and grocery bills, a non-functioning government, a paralysed opposition, etc etc. The people of Ireland seem to be standing around, dazed, confused and looking at each other wondering..."wtf has happened? What do we do?!"

For me, I am only being affected in terms of negative equity and will most likely bring up a family in a 2 bed apartment...but I have a job and at least am able to keep up payments....But I know so many people who were never out of work and now are....long term. Their initial reaction to to be proactive in getting back into the workforce....but after 12 -18 months and nothing happening, they are becoming so disillusioned with life here, the government and the EU holding a gun to our heads....they feel all this, yet it was not of their doing.

There is so much talk from politicians from all sides, yet things just get worse and worse....like the cost of borrowing gone to 9.25% today??? We were initially told that 5% is bad...6% is game over.....Now what does Minister Lenihan say?? "We are assessing market reaction"....wtf planet is he living on?

So....post lunch rant over.....I'm just really pi****d off now.....

legallyblonde86

enough is enough!!!

The irish aren't willing to stand up and fight. i don't know if its laziness or the fear of repercussions but its about time we all stood together and get those current eejits out and someone who can run the country properly!!!

johnboy_123

Langerland wrote: »

Off the back of a discussion over lunch in work, how much more do you think the Irish People are willing to take before there is a revolution. Are we very far from that state of affairs? Or are people getting to the stage of desperation where they are looking for like minded and similarly distressed people to come together in groups to actively bring down this government? I see friends and family in dire straights through unemployment, mortgage arrears, negative equity, terrible health care facilities, dated & over crowded education facilities, huge utility for grocery bills, a non-functioning governments, a paralysed opposition, etc etc. The people of Ireland seem to be standing around, dazed, confused and looking at each other wondering..."wtf has happened? What do we do?!"

For me, I am only being affected in terms of negative equity and will most likely bring up a family in a 2 bed apartment...but I have a job and at least am able to keep up payments....But I know so many people who were never out of work and now are....long term. Their initial reaction to to be proactive in getting back into the workforce....but after 12 -18 months and nothing happening, they are becoming so disillusioned with life here, the government and the EU holding a gun to our heads....they feel all this, yet it was not of their doing.

There is so much talk from politicians from all sides, yet things just get worse and worse....like the cost of borrowing gone to 9.25% today??? We were initially told that 5% is bad...6% is game over.....Now what does Minister Lenihan say?? "We are assessing market reaction"....wtf planet is he living on?

So....post lunch rant over.....I'm just really pi****d off now.....

I hear you langerlad the problem is that everyone is too interested in keeping there patch..IE OAPs want their pensions untouched, Students want no rises in fees, P.S want no cuts in their pay...I think for me personally it will be if they introduce a property tax....I am working have a family and I am struggling to make ends meet, this will tip me over the edge in the last 2 years I have cut out all extravegance..
.Me and wife hardly ever go out its been 5 months
we shop in aldi/lidl
cut down to one car
cut out sky
No holiday this year or next
Phone/Internet taken out
Stopped sending the kid to a creche..He now goes to his Grannies, even if its an extra 2 hours a day driving.
I have switched to Airtricity
I have installed the energy safer bulbs
I no longer have a bin I bring my wasite to work and feck it in there (shhhh)
I have stopped shopping for clothes in designer shops...IE we get most in dunnes or tescos...but the price of groceries seem to be just as high as they were during the boom...(is this just me) ......

Now I am not complaining I feel lucky to have a job but my house is in neg equity I have already paid stamp duty...I dont know where I will get another 80 Euros a month from and I will be down significantly more with the increase in income tax...

So for certain people it will be different things

iMax

I would guess at some point inside the next four to six months you will see real civil unrest. I'm fully expecting there to be escalating protests (with the usual bunch of idiots looking for a fight mixed in).

This will start small & grow. It's only a matter of time before someone is injured or killed on a protest & at that point it's too late.

The majority of the public cannot afford anything like €80 a month in property tax, the government know this, (the cynic in me thinks it was a strategic leak in advance of the budget). It's far more likely it will be a figure like the rental property tax of €200 & everyone will be so relieved, that most will pay. Then it'll increase over time. What amazes me is the amount of people willing to pay it irrespective.

I have an idea there's someone sitting in a little office in government buildings rubbing their hands with glee at the divide & conquer going on. They've got us fighting amongst ourselves, when we should be fighting them.

We no longer reside in a republic - From wikipedia: "A republic is a form of government in which the people or some portion thereof retain supreme control over the government" The government are no longer working for the interests of the population. We are now, like it or not living in a form of dictatorship - also from wikipedia: "A government controlled by one person, or a small group of people."

It's up to the public to make a stand. To refuse to pay. Some will out of fear of imprisonment (they can't jail everyone, unless they start converting some of those ghost estates to small crime prisons) or misguided trust in the very people who have screwed them over several times. People need to take control of their own destinies,

digme

when your not overly concerned about what other people think of you.

Langerland

After the last few days.....is this enough?

Or are we just content to be over this barrel? At least its not a famine after all....

Cavehill Red

The Irish taxpayer is about to be heisted for the umpteenth time, this time to pay debts owed by crooked banksters to the likes of Roman Abramovich.

If they don't say enough now, they'll soon find out what 'not enough' is about, because that's what they and their children will be enjoying for the next fifty years

sarumite

Langerland wrote: »

After the last few days.....is this enough?

Or are we just content to be over this barrel? At least its not a famine after all....

What are the options? I mean we can go out in the streets, throw a few rocks, burn a few cars and eventually bring down the government or have that revolution. After all thats done we are still faced with the fact that we spend more than we earn and that we are in massive debt with a banking sector that is heavily indebted and on its knee.

lucianot

A revolution may mean isolating from the rest of the world. The problem is self sufficiency is impossible and less here in this island with not enough natural resources.
What is worse, paying this huge debt or suffering poverty by isolation and lack of external investments?

Revolution is not an option, change is. Protesting to bring down this farse of a government and get better leaders is the way to go.
However I don't think that's going to happen. Middle class stays always at home watching the news.

Now, being myself from Argentina I believe that can change suddenly if the people's savings are "touched", i.e. deposits are frozen or just simply dissappear, reduced by devaluation, inflation, etc.

If this crisis means the savings are safe, do not expect protests, marchs, or riots. This will follow it's course and we all have to pay the debt during the next 20 years or so. Simply as that.
So wait for the budget, wait for the cuts suggested by the IMF and then see.

Leiva

enough is enough !

dreenman

There is a great romance in the notion that the Irish are rebels but when you look at our history its just another myth.

Independance was fought for by a very small minority - a volatile coalition of Republicans (both catholic and protestants), Trade unionists, communists, free thinkers. We then spent as long fighting among ourselves after the Free State was formed.

The Catholic Church very effectively took over the occupation of the country without resistence and by grabbing education were able dictate the agenda for the next 70 years. They also quickly isolated and removed all the progressive elements that helped win independance.

Lets be honest - as a people we've always allowed ourselves to be dictated to by those in power.

There is no chance of any sizable anti-goverment protest taking to the streets of Dublin this week, this year or this century. We know our place!