frustrated powerlessness of a caged animal

Furious_George

There is an article in the online version of the times by Fintan O'Toole where he speaks about the Irish peoples reaction to the financial crisis and in particular the payment of the promissory notes.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/1113/1224326525808.html

I dont want this to turn into another bondholder thread. I just wanted to share a piece from it with you from it which sums up how I feel about the whole situation and I think is very relevant, particularly today with strikes and protests all across Europe, but majority of the Irish sitting calmly at our posts.

If you talk to people around the country, as I’ve been doing in recent weeks, you get the sense that the raw anger of two years ago has been replaced by a sense of powerlessness. But “powerlessness” is not quite an adequate word – it implies a passivity and resignation that are not really there.

This is not the apathy of those who have simply given up. It is the restless, frustrated powerlessness of a caged animal pacing the floor and glaring through the iron bars. People are desperate, but desperate to do something. This is the question again and again: what can we do?

What we can do is concentrate. The Irish people desperately need to win something, to exert themselves collectively in a way that is focused, dignified and, above all, effective. They need to become a presence in their own futures. But they can’t do that by raging impotently at one injustice after another. They need to pick a single big outrage and stand up against it.

This is how I have been feeling for a while now and I think it might explain how a lot of us are feeling and why some of the people who are constantly involved in protests and the likes call the rest of us "the sheeple".

Is it just me or would this strike a chord with any of you?

tldr? Tough sh1t, your loss.

Daroxtar

Like an angst ridden hamster

poeticseraphim

The the turnout for the children's ref sums it up.....people hate Ireland through apathy...they wish they lived somewhere else....

Young people have had it with this previous political generation..and the electorate that voted for them....

There is a feeling that once young people have a job....they are ok prices are cheap..etc

The truth is when a referendum is won or lost the govt puts off putting it into legislation for years or has another one.

One parties cronies are the other parties cronies. Endas wife is Charlie Haughie's old PR spin doctor.

Enda is obviously just waiting until he gets a better job in Europe and thus all the kissie kissie.

And we know they are lying and lining thir pockets and thir friends.

A TD'S pension and salary can end up costing the state 3 million per head.

And they are dishonest idiots.

And when the electorate gets a chance to vote ...it does not

Mr Benevolent

Not quite sure why people worry about this stuff, there's enough problems in life without people whining about politics. The people who want to protest think there's a panacea. There isn't.

Hitchens

ah ****e, I thought this would be about a polar bear

SafeSurfer

Apathy?...Meh

dr.bollocko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBgc8UqIpMY

Thread saved.

donvito99

Article by Fintan O'Toole.


Next thread please

Chuck Stone

poeticseraphim wrote: »

people hate Ireland through apathy

Hate Ireland through apathy? What does that gibberish even mean?

Quit projecting your Ireland hate and self-loathing of your Irish identity onto the rest of the population will you?

Speak for yourself.

Richard Hillman

We are spiraling uncontrollably into the direction of a socialist country.

We need an Ireland with small government and no more stealth taxes. A country where people are rewarded for their talents and not punished. A country that punishes crime, not sit down and chat with it. A country where its people aspire to be the best, not to be the rest.

woodoo

I would like to see us make an issue of the promissory payments. We are about to have a budget to make savings of 3.5 billion. It will be painful and people will complain like hell about it. Then we make a payment of 3 billion on these promissory notes that basically goes into a black hole. People don't seem bothered about it.

I hope it catches the imagination, but i fear it won't .

Cookie_Monster

/pictures shopkeepers across the country padding back and forth across their shop windows in frustration

Dyr

Richard Hillman wrote: »

We are spiraling uncontrollably into the direction of a socialist country.

We need an Ireland with small government and no more stealth taxes. A country where people are rewarded for their talents and not punished. A country that punishes crime, not sit down and chat with it. A country where its people aspire to be the best, not to be the rest.

We're so apathetic we can't even come up with relevent platitudes, we just nick them off the yanks

opinion guy

Furious_George wrote: »

Is it just me or would this strike a chord with any of you?

tldr? Tough sh1t, your loss.

Grunge and angst was like, so 1991 dude

Napper Hawkins

opinion guy wrote: »

Grunge and angst was like, so 1991 dude

In that case it should be due a revival any day now.

Furious_George

Confab wrote: »

Not quite sure why people worry about this stuff, there's enough problems in life without people whining about politics. The people who want to protest think there's a panacea. There isn't.

You know what this thread bores even me and I started it. It was just something I read that struck me because it put words on how i was feeling regarding wanting to do something and taking a stand but not knowing against what. Anyway please accept this clip as an apology and let the thread die

Firefox11

People are too well paid in this country to go out protesting or give a toss about the economic crisis.