Anyone else fed up with all this instability?

12Phase

Maybe this is bit heavy for After Hours but it's anyone else really fed up with all of this economic and political instability?

We've had a few years where the fundamentals were pulled out from under us with the Irish economy teetering on the brink and various suggestions that the Euro was going to implode.

I seriously never imagined a situation where I was going to be questioning those kinds of basic things like currency stability and ability to house myself.

Now we're facing into Brexit which could totally screw up thousands of Irish SMEs here who have deep connections into the UK market and possibly do major damage to Northern Ireland and the border counties economies.

It could also cause a major mess at EU level if it triggers a domino effect.

Then stateside you've a presidential election that would be a sketch worthy of a South Park episode if it weren't so serious. It's absolutely surreal that Trump is even a liklely candidate.

Meanwhile, Russia is regularly saber rattling to the east.

I just remember that 90s and early 00s as being far more optimistic times here in Europe anyway. I know they were far from perfect, and there were wars, famines and conflicts around the world but I still think things feel a LOT more politically and economically unstable now.

Then you've got all this terrorism bubbling away. I just got back from a trip to Brussels and it's just bizarre to see the airport looking more like a military camp and to have to walk past people with machine guns in every metro station.

Then the endless strikes in certain continental countries. I got caught in a cafe at a really screwed up violent protest in Brussels and I literally had to walk through razor wire defences around various parks and buildings.

Due to strikes I ended up missing flights and being stranded twice - cost me hundreds to rebook and get home.

I'm starting to regret not emigrating out of Europe (not to the USA though).

Maybe Australia, NZ, Canada etc might have been pretty solid oprions.

Probably too late to move now as I'm heading into my 30s.

Maybe I should just stop reading newspapers ... I don't know. I just get the impression the next few years are going to be very bumpy.

elastico

As long as people can afford a few cans of Dutch golds every week things are fine.

XR3i

currency stability could be replaced by eh, currency flexibility

Jack Killian

12Phase wrote: »

Maybe this is bit heavy for After Hours but it's anyone else really fed up with all of this economic and political instability?

We've had a few years where the fundamentals were pulled out from under us with the Irish economy teetering on the brink and various suggestions that the Euro was going to implode.

I seriously never imagined a situation where I was going to be questioning those kinds of basic things like currency stability and ability to house myself.

Now we're facing into Brexit which could totally screw up thousands of Irish SMEs here who have deep connections into the UK market and possibly do major damage to Northern Ireland and the border counties economies.

It could also cause a major mess at EU level if it triggers a domino effect.

Then stateside you've a presidential election that would be a sketch worthy of a South Park episode if it weren't so serious. It's absolutely surreal that Trump is even a liklely candidate.

Meanwhile, Russia is regularly saber rattling to the east.

I just remember that 90s and early 00s as being far more optimistic times here in Europe anyway. I know they were far from perfect, and there were wars, famines and conflicts around the world but I still think things feel a LOT more politically and economically unstable now.

Then you've got all this terrorism bubbling away. I just got back from a trip to Brussels and it's just bizarre to see the airport looking more like a military camp and to have to walk past people with machine guns in every metro station.

Then the endless strikes in certain continental countries. I got caught in a cafe at a really screwed up violent protest in Brussels and I literally had to walk through razor wire defences around various parks and buildings.

Due to strikes I ended up missing flights and being stranded twice - cost me hundreds to rebook and get home.

I'm starting to regret not emigrating out of Europe (not to the USA though).

Maybe Australia, NZ, Canada etc might have been pretty solid oprions.

Probably too late to move now as I'm heading into my 30s.

Maybe I should just stop reading newspapers ... I don't know. I just get the impression the next few years are going to be very bumpy.

Instability in itself is - to some extent - a natural law.

The issue I would have with most of the above is that it's a manufactured instability, designed to keep people anxious and keep the status quo, keeping people on edge over "what others might do"; it prevents people seeing what "their own" are up to.

"Look at what ISIS might do"; "What will the markets think of us"; "That person you don't know might be a terrorist (they might also be a decent skin, but that won't make headlines)"; "yada yada yawn.

In many ways it's a great time to be alive, but in others it's a horrible "trust no-one" vibe.

And in most cases it's "our own" that have their arm around our shoulders to "reassure" us, enabling them to knife us in the back.

Anti-war and neutrality ? Officially Ireland is both, but sure the Yanks will shun us if we don't allow them abuse Shannon for their illegal war on "terror".

Anti leech vibe? Let's get the media to point fingers at those on the breadline and make them account for every cent and forget those getting thousands in unwarranted and unaccounted-for "expenses" and ignore those getting multi-million contracts despite "advising" incorrectly re the crash, missing the Anglo corruption and subverting state licensing laws.

There's a cancer there alright, infecting every level of society. But no point letting it eat you alive.

Enough to get by, friends, sunshine, health. Once you have those then be happy.

padd b1975

I wouldn't class Ireland as being economically unstable.

It's not without it's problems admittedly, but generally speaking we're moving along quite nicely in the right direction.

12Phase

Maybe just that Brussels trip really shook my confidence. I don't know.

There's something very unsettling about Brussels in the rain with strikes and anti terrorist machine guns everywhere.

I just came back feeling like I've backed the wrong horse entirely and should have packed up and gone during the economic crisis like almost all my mates did.

_Brian

TBH it's about time instability visited Europe and the USA.

For decades we've enjoyed stability and luxury based on the back of cheap oil extracted from regions of the world where on our behalf the locals were being screwed about, piper governments installed and locals slaughtered, all to keep our supplies of cheap oil flowing to keep life stable for us westerners.

Well they finally got sick of our constant interference and here bringing the same to our shores, and guess what ? It's a shiit life, but it's the life we imposed on nations in Africa and the Middle East for decades.

The chickens are home to roost now and people aren't impressed.

Why do so many Muslim countries hate us?, because in general we've treated their countries poorly seeing them as nothing but a source of oil to be manipulated for our own benifet.

I'd say the current security measures were seeing are here for a while and in many cases may become more visable.

Alf Stewart.

elastico wrote: »

As long as people can afford a few cans of Dutch golds every week things are fine.

Czech gold is where its at these days lasty.

12Phase

I'm allergic to Dutch Gold
It's no wonder I'm noticing all this stuff!

Maximus Alexander

Europe spent pretty much all of history at war with itself and everyone else. Poverty and famine have been a mainstay of human history. Things are pretty astonishingly good for the majority of Europeans right now, even the poor ones, compared to where they'd have been a century ago. It's mostly a media frenzy tbh.

Labour strikes in France an the odd bit of terrorism are nothing new either.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Ireland's economy is not unstable. It seems the OP doesn't know a stable economy when he sees one.

Relax, enjoy, stop over thinking things,.

12Phase

Crosby Shallow Calf wrote: »

Ireland's economy is not unstable. It seems the OP doesn't know a stable economy when he sees one.

Relax, enjoy, stop over thinking things,.

Unfortunately, my job involves a lot of over-thinking this stuff.

I'm kinda thinking I need a career change. I used to be all chilled out and these days I've extremely high BP and feel totally stressed out 99% of the time.

I might just take up something more fun.

snubbleste

There has always been instability.
Difference is now with 24h news, technology and more humans on the planet, we hear more and more of it.

maryishere

12Phase wrote: »

I'm starting to regret not emigrating out of Europe (not to the USA though).
Maybe Australia, NZ, Canada etc might have been pretty solid oprions.

Life in this glorious Republic is pretty good. The IMF left us alone a couple of years ago, ok we are still borrowing but things could be worse. Ya would not even dream of desertin' us and going to those awful countries, which are constitutional monarchies with their head of state being the Queen. Vote with your feet and stay here, tis a great little country.

J Mysterio

I agree with the OP... It's very uncertain times right now and it is frightening.

Jack Killian

maryishere wrote: »

Life in this glorious Republic is pretty good. The IMF left us alone a couple of years ago, ok we are still borrowing but things could be worse. Ya would not even dream of desertin' us and going to those awful countries, which are constitutional monarchies with their head of state being the Queen. Vote with your feet and stay here, tis a great little country.

Really ?

http://www.irisheconomy.ie/index.php/2016/01/20/imf-post-program-monitoring-report-on-ireland-notes-the-unusual-risk-profile-of-the-irish-banking-sector/

indioblack

12Phase wrote: »

Maybe this is bit heavy for After Hours but it's anyone else really fed up with all of this economic and political instability?

We've had a few years where the fundamentals were pulled out from under us with the Irish economy teetering on the brink and various suggestions that the Euro was going to implode.

I seriously never imagined a situation where I was going to be questioning those kinds of basic things like currency stability and ability to house myself.

Now we're facing into Brexit which could totally screw up thousands of Irish SMEs here who have deep connections into the UK market and possibly do major damage to Northern Ireland and the border counties economies.

It could also cause a major mess at EU level if it triggers a domino effect.

Then stateside you've a presidential election that would be a sketch worthy of a South Park episode if it weren't so serious. It's absolutely surreal that Trump is even a liklely candidate.

Meanwhile, Russia is regularly saber rattling to the east.

I just remember that 90s and early 00s as being far more optimistic times here in Europe anyway. I know they were far from perfect, and there were wars, famines and conflicts around the world but I still think things feel a LOT more politically and economically unstable now.

Then you've got all this terrorism bubbling away. I just got back from a trip to Brussels and it's just bizarre to see the airport looking more like a military camp and to have to walk past people with machine guns in every metro station.

Then the endless strikes in certain continental countries. I got caught in a cafe at a really screwed up violent protest in Brussels and I literally had to walk through razor wire defences around various parks and buildings.

Due to strikes I ended up missing flights and being stranded twice - cost me hundreds to rebook and get home.

I'm starting to regret not emigrating out of Europe (not to the USA though).

Maybe Australia, NZ, Canada etc might have been pretty solid oprions.

Probably too late to move now as I'm heading into my 30s.

Maybe I should just stop reading newspapers ... I don't know. I just get the impression the next few years are going to be very bumpy.

Maybe you should stop reading newspapers!
You can't change most of what's going on - I'm not trying to be indifferent or cold or wise, just saying.
For myself I occasionally look back to the 70's and 80's and think they were more optimistic periods.
In truth, I'm looking back with a selective memory - there was plenty to be bleeding miserable about back then!
And I was younger and had more opportunity, [I only realise that now that I'm older].
Many things change, of course - but it's surprising how many things are essentially the same.

Harry Palmr

The cold war had a lot to recommend it.

The Labour party in Britain have just floated the state income notion for when the robots take over...it's like science fiction concepts are being made real before our eyes.

Iwasfrozen

Harry Palmr wrote: »

The cold war had a lot to recommend it.

The Labour party in Britain have just floated the state income notion for when the robots take over...it's like science fiction concepts are being made real before our eyes.

The labor party in Britain are floating a lot of science fiction lately. I wouldn't take them too seriously.

Harry Palmr

That's Labour with a U

Iwasfrozen

Harry Palmr wrote: »

That's Labour with a U

Its certainly without a me.

12Phase

Jack Killian wrote: »

Really ?

http://www.irisheconomy.ie/index.php/2016/01/20/imf-post-program-monitoring-report-on-ireland-notes-the-unusual-risk-profile-of-the-irish-banking-sector/

Well they look at stuff like that in all IMF member states really. It's nothing unusual.
They're also not exactly saying anything that the system here shouldn't already know.

The Irish establishment will tend to lean towards the mortgage & quick buck or developers approach.

It's pretty damn obvious we need an alternative way of providing housing or a lot of people. That's probably some kind of social and long term leasing model. That would undermine the greasy till, small scale, mini property speculator which are FF and FG's core constituency : people who bought into the buy to let idea for their pensions etc etc.

So basically the establishment here is making a choice of refusing to deal with serious housing poverty to avoid upsetting well healed mini speculators.

The left here is so disorganised that it's never been able to put forward a sensible alternative to take pressure off housing and is spending all its energy rating about water charges. The massive issue is housing, not a couple of hundred quid water bill.

maryishere

12Phase wrote: »

It's pretty damn obvious we need an alternative way of providing housing

There is plenty of housing in the country, and still too much in most of the 26 counties. Hundreds of ghost estates, and depressed property prices...in fact, in many counties you can buy a fine 2 bedroom apartment for the equivalent of one years gross public sector wage. No other country can you do that in.

Main problem is, the government
(a) promised decentralisation about 12/15 years ago, then cancelled it after the downturn, leaving so many empty houses / apartments outside the pale
(b) most of the jobs created this past 8 years were in Dublin. None in rural counties.

Hence the huge imbalance in the country. You can buy houses for 45k to 50k in some counties, which is way below the cost of construction. That is not right.

RobertKK

We could worry about what will happen or what might or could happen, or we can get on with our lives and make the best of what presents itself.

ToddyDoody

12Phase wrote: »

Then stateside you've a presidential election that would be a sketch worthy of a South Park episode.

Isn't it great!

(he said as things went tits up)

Sounds like you had a fun weekend?

elastico wrote: »

As long as people can afford a few cans of Dutch golds every week things are fine.

That happens to be exactly it in my case. Jeez.