I am proud of my country, but humiliated by my Government

RussellTuring

I agree with what Dudess and others have said. I did not vote for FF, nor did I buy three houses and a car for every day of the week. I grew up very poor and the Celtic Tiger never visited my house. I played no part in the disaster that has befallen this country but now am not only expected to fix it but take the blame for it also.

I'm a student and when I graduate I'll face the dilemma of either staying in a country that will most likely still be in pieces, paying back massive loans from the EU, IMF and whatever other initialism from which we're not getting a bailout and take responsibility for the greed of others or leaving behind my friends and family to look for a country that didn't have such inept leadership.

Blame whomever you want for this situation but don't tell me it's my fault.

Dudess

It would be wrong to say it's solely down to the government, senior bankers and developers - plenty of people who aren't members of any of those groups helped to prop them up. But someone buying a modest, if quite high-priced (very few weren't) house during the good times who has since lost their reasonably paying job because of the company going bust - that is not an example of the kind of greed that has helped bankrupt the country, and it's sickening when people (who are obviously still in employment) point the finger at those like the above.

Piste

I am neither proud of my country nor proud of my government. I am proud of aspects of our culture and history, but my pride extends no further than that. I will probably emigrate to a country that doesn't fill me with despair every time I open a newspaper/turn on the TV/ listen to the radio.

DonJose

Latest photo of Cowen and the IMF team.

AckwelFoley

Im proud to be Irish.

"Ah sur it'll all be grand. Relax."

flutered

september 08 i asked that anglo be left implode, then the good banks be ringfenced, this i but down to the following, anglo would take 40% of the budget, health and social welfare 35% each, this would leave us 10% over broke before a bob was spent on anything else, i was riddiculed, now i stand proven, as some one born in the 50s i could see what was happening, i had seen two many hard times, i hoped that by kids and grand kids would not have to go through what i did, unfortunatly they now will have to, we are a resilient race, we will get even some day, this goverment were pointing out that labour were dangerous to vote for, as they had the ear of the unions, it is the gov that have their ear, they kept pointing out that sinn feinn were a danger to our country, no they were not, the danger to our country was and is d.f.f, (dispicable fcukin failures), the traitors of my country had fat bellys, fat expense accounts, fatter wages, i pointed out to a mod on there boards that the gomgreens aided and abetted in the rape of my country, i will not forget, i hope the suscribers to these boards do not EVER forget, anyone who has travdled through the southern states of america will have seen bumper sticker with the slogan <we aint forgettin> we need them on sale over here as well,.

scientific1982

Whats wrong with this country is that our politics are too parochial. These monumental **** ups wont end until the older generation die.

PeterIanStaker

RussellTuring wrote: »

I agree with what Dudess and others have said. I did not vote for FF, nor did I buy three houses and a car for every day of the week. I grew up very poor and the Celtic Tiger never visited my house. I played no part in the disaster that has befallen this country but now am not only expected to fix it but take the blame for it also.

I'm a student and when I graduate I'll face the dilemma of either staying in a country that will most likely still be in pieces, paying back massive loans from the EU, IMF and whatever other initialism from which we're not getting a bailout and take responsibility for the greed of others or leaving behind my friends and family to look for a country that didn't have such inept leadership.

Blame whomever you want for this situation but don't tell me it's my fault.

Well f*cking said, wish I could thank you five times.

PeterIanStaker

scientific1982 wrote: »

Whats wrong with this country is that our politics are too parochial. These monumental **** ups wont end until the older generation die.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swvf3w6hcY4

randylonghorn

CDfm wrote: »

I notice you havent mentioned trad musicians.

Ok, apologies if I'm being dense and have missed the point, but how tf did trad musicians contribute to our current troubles?

RussellTuring wrote: »

I agree with what Dudess and others have said. I did not vote for FF, nor did I buy three houses and a car for every day of the week. I grew up very poor and the Celtic Tiger never visited my house. I played no part in the disaster that has befallen this country but now am not only expected to fix it but take the blame for it also.

...

Blame whomever you want for this situation but don't tell me it's my fault.

Hear hear!

I have never voted for FF (not an adherent of any party, but was always especially suspicious of them).

I have many witnesses to my cynicism during the diseased Celtic kitten years about (a) the chances of it lasting (if I had a tenner for each time I pointed out that you can't export houses, and got myself mocked for doing so, I could treat myself to a round-the-world cruise!), and (b) the effect it was having on our *society* and its values, let alone our economy. I'll admit I didn't expect it to go quite so sour, but then I, any more than most others, didn't know the full story at the time.

I have no mortgage hanging over my head, nor any other major debts ... I consider myself lucky tbh.

I can live with the idea that we will all have to "share the pain" ... it may not be fair, but it's the reality, and there's no point in getting my knickers unduly in a knot about it.

But I feel no obligation whatsoever to "share the blame", and those who keep mindlessly preaching that message piss me right off!

homerjay2005

government are w*nkers yes and a played a big part in where we are, BUT, the majority of the blame goes to greed of a small proportion of the population who spent money they didnt have.

CDfm

Dudess wrote: »

Well I'm referring more to the "We voted them in" rubbish so it's FF I'm talking about, but agreed, plenty of less than gilt-edged politicians across the board.

I agree Dudess - its easy to get party political on these things but it affects all of us job security and everything else.

We are all hurting.

The opposition is supposed to work for us too.

CDfm

scientific1982 wrote: »

Struggling to see how the voter is somehow responsible for this mess.

Voters aren't stupid. Esapecially not nowadays. We are educated.

If a politician came out and said take the IMF money, spend it and dont pay them back would we vote for them. Well thats what we did. We spent money that we didn't have. Thats the general idea that you cannot do that.

If you dont pay your phone or gas or your electricity for your home -it gets cut off. Thats what we face as a country.

Knowing what you know now -what are you looking for from a politician, someone who spends money without caring where its going to come from.

Are you interested in how a politician costs their policies? Once this mess is sorted , would you vote for the same again.

So we should not vote based on blind faith again.

K-9

CDfm wrote: »

Voters aren't stupid. Esapecially not nowadays. We are educated.

If a politician came out and said take the IMF money, spend it and dont pay them back would we vote for them. Well thats what we did. We spent money that we didn't have. Thats the general idea that you cannot do that.

LOL, you just reminded me of a brilliant Apres Match piece during the World Cup, a send up of Vincent Browne, Joan Burton and Lenihan.

I think this was the plan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybhroG408SU

PARKHEAD67

gaz wac wrote: »

blame us...we put them there!

Never ever voted for the FF.Didnt property develop.I didnt put em there.

CDfm

randylonghorn wrote: »

Ok, apologies if I'm being dense and have missed the point, but how tf did trad musicians contribute to our current troubles?

I wish I'd said that

EDIT - what you said was sensible .

We had Christy Moore during the last recession

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApHj9vOu2eQ

chucken1

The-Rigger wrote: »

Ok, aside from honest politicians, here is what I want:

I want intelligent qualified people whom are the experts in their area to be in charge of the various government departments.
You can increase their salary 10, 20, or 100x for all I care if they are the best people for the job, not random career politicians.

For example, I don't want lawyer after lawyer as our finance minster, ffs, I want economists, the best we can get.

The same goes for the other departments. And stop shuffling them about every few years. You don't take Lionel Messi and stick him in goals for a couple of seasons so he can 'have a go'.

What I don't want is this small minded constituency based bull**** whereby people get into power by knocking on doors, being from a family of politicians, sorting out medical cards, getting trees moved and other bollox to garner votes.

I want the smartest people in each department to address the nation on television when they want my support, not at my door. I don't need to shake their hand, I don't need them to kiss babies and I don't give a shite whether or not I'd go for a pint with them.

And I don't care if the are Irish either, I care that they are the best at what they do and that they are honest and properly incentivised.

This is some of what I want.

This has to be the most sensible thing I've read here all week. It deserves its own thread. How could this be done? Im deadly serious,not tongue in cheek.

EDIT..I dont mean how could it get its own thread..I mean I agree with everything you said,so your comments need to be heard.

Dudess

homerjay2005 wrote: »

government are w*nkers yes and a played a big part in where we are, BUT, the majority of the blame goes to greed of a small proportion of the population who spent money they didnt have.

Not true - some blame lies with them yes, but hardly the majority of it.