Green Senator Ó Brolcháin - Boards.ie responsible for public hysteria over recession

simonj

The way I see it, its fairly simple.
RTE, as I pointed out today, did not report on meetings with the EFSF - they only started this avo after BBC covered the issue as item #3 in their news!!

Also, our borrowing rate is over 9% last time I checked. Thats up from circa 7% two weeks ago. If your mortgague went up that fast that quickly, you'ld be in serious bother - and we are as a nation at that point.

When our media do not raise very important issues properly, then its up to people like us to raise and debate the issues - and try to find solutions.

The FF/Green Government have failed to adress the issues, and like with Paul Gogarty in the Calley issue it is turning into a blame game.
Is it now our fault that we are in this situation because we dissent from the government line?

The thing is it is the fault of the current Government of FF and the Greens that we are in this predicement - were it not for the banking bailout, this would be a relatively minor recession, but with light touch regulation (i.e. virtually no control) the bank bailout happened.

I really think light touch regulation went ahead simply because TD's elected to fix potholes do not understand banking and finance properly.

RTE have also failed to address the problems we face in a fair and frank manner, so its up to us to deal with it here rather than stick our heads in the sand.

imme

DeVore wrote: »

wow....

The senator doesnt count the many people with mental illness we have helped with the PI forums.

Or the fact that I posted this http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055911944 trying to explain to people that burning our own house is not a good idea.

Or that we have diligently removed the "bank X is about to fail" threads.

Or perhaps he missed when his own party colleague, Mr Gogarty, debated on this very site?

No, its all our fault. I'm sick of being the messenger and I'm sick of being shot. :rolleyes:

DeV.

what does mental illness have to do with the point made by the senator. *baffled*

Boards.ie is not a political tool DeV.

It's a place where people come to discuss things, maybe have a laugh in After Hours, get some ideas etc.
That's how I see it.

Overheal

DeVore wrote: »

wow....

The senator doesnt count the many people with mental illness we have helped with the PI forums.

*cough*

We don't make diagnoses

johngalway

Hate to tell you this Senator, but, most of the posters here actually are part of what makes up society. Not only that but I'm in Galway West, and I still won't be voting for you if you run for Dail again.

This Democracy business is a tough gig :cool:

DeVore

Imme, if you read the full transcript it was made in the context of Boards.ie being responsible for causing or worsening the state of mental health of poeple in Ireland.

It's an accusation I take very very seriously.

DeV.

Elevator

I've mailed Niall on facebook to see if he wants to come on and try calm the whole situation that we've all created on boards! I often have to tear into him online with some of his outbursts on his wall, what a dick! I once had to remind him it wasn't very long ago he was sitting in front of me in the dole office when he danced around the wages, wastage and expenses in government! he never seen it coming.

anyway I'll eat my hat if he comes on here haha

imme

DeVore wrote: »

Imme, if you read the full transcript it was made in the context of Boards.ie being responsible for causing or worsening the state of mental health of poeple in Ireland.

It's an accusation I take very very seriously.

DeV.

this quote is from kildarestreet.com on the Seanad debate in question:
a quote from Sen. O'Brolchain:

Another phenomenon is that of group think on websites such as www.politics.ie where many people who are wound up to 90 are writing all types of vitriolic things. Those involved are purporting to be people representing society. However bad our public broadcaster is, sites such as www.boards.ie or www.politics.ie are creating hysteria in terms of their content in regard to how bad things are and how badly people are being hammered. That is not good for mental health.

DeVore

Exactly, so does that clarify your bafflement as per:

Imme wrote:

what does mental illness have to do with the point made by the senator. *baffled*

DeV/

Scofflaw

DeVore wrote: »

Imme, if you read the full transcript it was made in the context of Boards.ie being responsible for causing or worsening the state of mental health of poeple in Ireland.

It's an accusation I take very very seriously.

DeV.

Presumably, he's referring to last year's report about the mental health effects of the stress caused by the recession - see here for example:

THE FALL-OUT from the recession has provoked new burdens on mental health, President Mary McAleese has said.

Speaking at the College of Psychiatry of Ireland’s winter conference in Dublin yesterday, the President said more openness and understanding was key to changing attitudes about mental health.

Mrs McAleese warned delegates of the effects of the recession on mental health. She said there were “pervasive, high levels of anxiety and worry about the economy”.

Looked at that way, his comments have the capacity to actually harm the business of boards.ie, since he's in effect saying "for the sake of your sanity, don't go to boards.ie", something I'd only regard as applicable to certain forums whose purpose that more or less is. Mind you, in the light of the existence of those forums, boards.ie might have difficulty claiming to have had a pre-existing and solid reputation for sanity in the first place.

Ah well, hopefully it's a case of "all publicity is good publicity".

cordially,
Scofflaw

Overheal

Which respectfully Scofflaw, he can shove.

"the President said more openness and understanding was key to changing attitudes about mental health."

Would you not agree that the existence of PI has helped to foster attitude changes about mental health? I remember in 06/07 we were still ironing out debates about how "real" depression was, for instance. Still to this day you hear about people that think mental illness is a bunch of fabricated crap but the atmosphere has changed a lot more than most people acknowledge. I partially blame Boards.ie ltd. for this atrocious positively-inclining change in attitudes.

ToadVine

DeVore wrote: »

Imme, if you read the full transcript it was made in the context of Boards.ie being responsible for causing or worsening the state of mental health of poeple in Ireland.

It's an accusation I take very very seriously.

DeV.

Thats the way I read it too. Like you say DeV, a hell of an accusation by the good Senator with the potential to damage Boards.ie.

Is there anything you can (or intend to) do about this?

Overheal

ToadVine wrote: »

Is there anything you can (or intend to) do about this?

Like? Stir up a media frenzy? Have all eyes on boards because it takes offense to being called a Hysteria machine by a lonely TD?

I would think give it as much attention as it deserves: a finger wag.

Scofflaw

Overheal wrote: »

Which respectfully Scofflaw, he can shove.

"the President said more openness and understanding was key to changing attitudes about mental health."

Would you not agree that the existence of PI has helped to foster attitude changes about mental health? I remember in 06/07 we were still ironing out debates about how "real" depression was, for instance. Still to this day you hear about people that think mental illness is a bunch of fabricated crap but the atmosphere has changed a lot more than most people acknowledge. I partially blame Boards.ie ltd. for this atrocious positively-inclining change in attitudes.

Personally - funnily enough - I consider discussion forums to be an important part of public discussion. I'd go much further than just the PI forums in respect of their social value - I'd consider the very existence of all discussion forums as adding both to the mental health of individuals (who thereby don't have to be isolated, even if there's nobody in their geographical communities who shares their particular point of view, sexuality, politics, or whatever), and to the health of society more generally.

Sure, we get occasional hysteria, but which is worse - someone reading all the media and having nobody to discuss it with, or reading the media and being able to discuss it freely, even under conditions of "hysteria"? For my money, it has to be the first, because that person is isolated. No matter what degree of hysteria the person finds in a discussion forum, the ability to talk about the issues is vital - that's why people talk about their problems, why those who don't are more at risk, and why the heartfelt cry at suicide funerals is so often "if only they'd talked to someone!". Better shared hysteria than the hysteria taking place in one isolated head - down that road lie the mental health problems. Besides, it's often the case that when you see someone else airing your personal darkest fears, you realise that they're pretty silly, and the guy airing them is clearly a loon.

I don't like hysterical discussions, because I don't think they're as useful or productive as non-hysterical ones, but in case I haven't been sufficiently clear, I don't agree with O'Brollchain, I don't think he's looked beyond the completely superficial here, and I don't think he has a notion what he's talking about. Nor do I think he's done himself or the Greens any favours - he shouldn't meddle in the affairs of the Internet, for they are subtle* and quick to anger.

And that's aside from the feeling that the fecker is dissing my moderating skills. Let him come on and do it for a week, see how he gets on.

cordially,
Scofflaw

*not all of the internet, obviously

Amhran Nua

Overheal wrote: »

Like? Stir up a media frenzy? Have all eyes on boards because it takes offense to being called a Hysteria machine by a lonely TD?

He's not a TD, having failed to get elected in the local or national elections. He's an appointed senator in the Seanad pasture.

galwaystudent

NOB is a perfect example of the senate should be abolished. This loser who has been rejected in elections multiple times by the general public finally gets his seat on the senate gravy train because his party are in power with FFail. And like the rest of the senators all he is good for is talking ****e and waffle. Such as a 'bullet' train that takes longer than bus or car to get from galway to dublin lol.

And now he is having a crack at boards.ie and politics.ie....this NOB has gone too far this time. He has a problem with members of the public engaging with free speech on the net? People are saying the same stuff in real life as they are on these online message boards. Him and his party are an utter disgrace to the nation. Why is this moron getting 70K per year from the taxpayer to spout this crap? I will take great satisfaction voting FG in the upcoming GE knowing that I will be putting a nail in the coffin that is the Irish senate so we can clear the decks of these waffling idiots once and for all.

jmayo

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

Have a quick look over at the wild west that is politics.ie and you will see plenty of threads and posts written by people who would be best described as social arsonists. Whats worse is these people try and pass themselves off as having a deep understanding of economics... they will of course be able to link to the FT articles and blogs to make themselves appear credible. However any critical analysis will show that these people are talking through their arse and don't have a clue what they are talking about.

Are we talking about lenihan your hero or ó'brolcháin the uneletected one ?

BTW if you dislike P.ie then why have you or some other huge fan of lenny bearing the same nickname posted over 3,000 posts on there ?
Oh wait you are just trying to set everyone straight ? :rolleyes:
You know you should head over to Farnkfurt and Brussels to continue the work.

hallelujajordan wrote: »

He does have a point about those who come on here purporting to represent "the people" like the post above . . .

How many threads have we had on here calling for a revolution on the streets on behalf of "the people" . . Actions speak louder than words and the people clearly don't want revolution.

Neither do they want his party or your party.
Be gone with all of you.

feelingstressed wrote: »

The bould Brendan Burgess had a right go at Eddie Hobbs last week. Deleted all the posts that quoted him though
Maybe some rivalry or something between them

It's not a bad site for quick advice on some things. Maybe a technical question on mortgages or something.
And some posters for a laugh and a joke over the topic of the day. It's nearly all positive though, you won't see much negative there at all.

But certainly not where you'd go for discussion. Lots of things get locked, not for rants or personal abuse but the owner doesn't agree with it.

Their site, their rules I suppose.

Ah but good ould brendan has to to something to get on a those government created fact finding committees on personal mortgages and the guest slots on The Pat Kenny show on ff Radio, etc.
Just don't use brendan's share tips and you will be doing well.

evercloserunion wrote: »

He is very much correct about Politics.ie, which takes the hysteria and vitriol to a whole new level.

Did Dave ban you or what ?
Politics.ie doesn't often get the credit it deserves for things such as keeping the debate going on the lying slandering o'dea.
It played a major role in making sure that story did not die as the government mouthpieces would have liked.

ArtSmart wrote: »

If Ó Brolcháin is so concern about the people - why doesnt he demand an election?

you know, like in a ****ing democracy!

(end of emotional rant (honest)

ó' brolcháin doesn't believe in elections much like the electorate don't beleive in him come election time.

DeVore wrote: »

wow....

The senator doesnt count the many people with mental illness we have helped with the PI forums.

Or the fact that I posted this http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055911944 trying to explain to people that burning our own house is not a good idea.

Or that we have diligently removed the "bank X is about to fail" threads.

Or perhaps he missed when his own party colleague, Mr Gogarty, debated on this very site?

No, its all our fault. I'm sick of being the messenger and I'm sick of being shot. :rolleyes:

DeV.

You just don't get it, you are not patriotic enough.
If you were more patriotic you might have gotten onto a government created committee like the aforementioned mr burgess.

These people have started using internet discussion boards, like they have previously used newspapers and columnists to spread their propaganda, but because it is a discussion board open to all they don't like it when their spin and lies are highlighted as being utter tripe.

BTW you should have changed that thread title to "banks X, Y and Z are about to fail".

Liam Byrne

Question

If boards.ie is somehow responsible for the mental illness caused by people READING about the state of the country.....

....doesn't that mean that FF & The Greens are even more responsible for that mental state by (a) screwing up the country, (b) screwing it up some more, (c) keeping the "facts" all covered up and muddied by not taking minutes at important meetings and explaining their actions (d) ensuring that those who don't need money get more, out of our pockets, while simultaneously (e) putting cash-strapped people under even more unfair pressure by suggesting that they might need to fork out an additional €2,000 a year for the "privilege" of living in this cesspit ?

One wonders just how long the deluded prats in Leinster House will keep touting the "shoot the messenger" line........

Martin 2

ToadVine wrote: »

I just saw this on another website and decided it deserved a thread here.

In the Seanad on Wednesday, Green Party Senator Niall Ó Brolcháin spoke during a debate on the effects of the recession on mental health and said that boards.ie was responsible for "creating hysteria" over how bad things are.

Here's the quote from KildareStreet.com ...



I have to admit I'm stunned by this. I'm off to cool down for an hour or two before I comment here ... if I was to post now I'd definitely get banned :mad::mad::mad:

There is something a little ironic and elitist about a member of the Seanad/Senate, which is essentially a discussion forum for patricians, having a go at boards.ie which is essentially a discussion forum for ordinary citizens, however agitated, to discuss issues which concern them such as the recession and the role played by politicians in it.

Poly

Reading NOB's comments I'm reminded of one of Ab Lincoln's sayings, I think it sums up the Greens perfectly:

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

Scofflaw

Discussion of the issue raised by the Senator's remarks, please, rather than a lot of NOB-bashing.

moderately,
Scofflaw

BluntGuy

Martin 2 wrote: »

There is something a little ironic and elitist about a member of the Seanad/Senate, which is essentially a discussion forum for patricians, having a go at boards.ie which is essentially a discussion forum for ordinary citizens, however agitated, to discuss issues which concern them such as the recession and the role played by politicians in it.

Whether subconsciously or consciously, I sincerely feel many of these people see themselves as "above" the ordinary "pleb" like you or I. The electorate as a whole arguably made a misinformed and misguided choice, but that doesn't mean people are complete idiots, and I think as an electorate we deserve, at least to some degree, to be treated with a level of respect by our elected (in some cases :rolleyes:) representatives. Particularly when said representatives have delivered on almost nothing they promised and are severely impacting on many people's lives.

So it is gaulling when we see someone like Mr O'Brolcháin appear on national television and expect people to eat up vacuous arguments, make empty statements and dodge questions, and then proceed to blame sites such as this for creating what he calls "hysteria". The reason there's so-called "hysteria" is because people like him refuse to be open and honest and simply tell the truth. He can blame the media, social media, networking etc. all he likes, but when he was given a platform to address a legitimate concern, he failed to do so. He has no room to talk on anything.

And this doesn't simply apply to him, but to all politicians who feel that they are above accountability.

Disgrace.

Edit: Saw the post above, hopefully this is within the remit of "discussion of issue raised by Senator's remarks".

DeVore

As far as Politics.ie goes, they do their thing, we do ours. We have no axe to grind with them and indeed see them as fellow travellers facing the same equally idiotic and archaic defamation laws.

As far as the good senator goes, he made his comments in a protected space. Would that the rest of us were afforded such protections but as ever it appears to be one law for the politicians and another for the rest of us.

DeV.

Overheal

Scofflaw wrote: »

NOB-bashing.