US billionaire calls out Ireland as "no one wants to live here"

Gruffalux

sparkledrum wrote: »

I can't understand why people are agreeing with him on food. I'm presuming he's talking about restaurant food. We have so much choice. It's a bit of a broad statement to make.

I presume its the restaurant food. I begrudge paying for what I can make far better myself. We do have great ingredients.

Idbatterim

Infrastructure is a joke. Insane marginal rate of tax over a pittance, insane housing costs in Dublin, free accommodation if you are a waster, partially explains the need for an insane marginal tax, which even hits the working poor salary in Dublin... we have a relatively tiny elderly population and no military expenditure either...

Graces7

It would be interesting and informative if posters on this thread state if they are Irish or incomer?

Incomer here over 20 years in Ireland

Re the weather; depends where you came from. I moved from Orkney.

Welcoming? varies and yes has gone downhill recently. Definitely and noticeably. I was watching a tourist series on youtube. a UK couple here in a van and the episode re the overwhelming welcome the locals gave them was breathtaking!

But that is when you are visiting;living here can be very different. For many reasons.

So maybe it depends on your expecatations?

Dufflecoat Fanny

Nobody sent for him he can stay in silicon Valley

Dempo1

Level 42 wrote: »

He ain't wrong. Terrible weather, poor food all spud based and a country where its not what you know its who you know regarding a career.

He's certainly not and how refreshing to hear a blunt assessment of Ireland in the 2000"s.

Lets be honest here, we Irish seem somewhat obsessed with the notion the world thinks Ireland is the bastion of hospitality, welcomingness, fantastic food and the land of fairytales. Its a nonsense, I don't know why, I could guess, but we've become very unwelcoming (unless there's a few bob in it), Ireland has lost the plot in terms of general cost of living and Nevin Maguires, delightful recepies does not make Ireland the gastronomic centre of the world.

We also don't react well to the slightest critism, you've only got to look at TripAdvisor, Irish hospitality business owners are by far the most vocal when it comes to reacting to tourists less than acceptable experiences, some are just Hillarious albeit cringe worthy.

We have sadly become quite, Adept at the principle of Gouging.

I'm more curious about this Guys personal experience, it seems to me its not an isolated experience and he's clearly getting feedback.

Failte Ireland, I'm afraid should infact Rebrand to 'Mé Féin'

Slasher

It appears he got his information from Paddy Cosgrave. Enough said.

lawred2

Level 42 wrote: »

He ain't wrong. Terrible weather, poor food all spud based and a country where its not what you know its who you know regarding a career.

All spud based?

Sorry the 1840s just called..

ImAHappyCamper

Gruffalux wrote: »

Haha He is not wrong about the food and weather. It is often shyte but with moments of heart stopping revelation.
I love this country and the people but the whole blather about the wonderful "Irish" is a bit condescending.
I am not all that sad about him thinking we are unfriendly. A bit of honest Eastern European style grumpiness would do us no harm. The top o the morning milking the brim of the hat shyte has long worn thin.
A few years ago I was having a month in Bulgaria and the locals were delightfully unimpressed and misanthropic. None of this licking your arse spiel. They could not give a toss where you were from, had barely the patience or interest to take your order, much less converse. I loved their honest humanity. I found the same in Hungary. Nobody putting on a show. Other countries too. I enjoy it. Plamas is unnerving. Let us be honest and unfriendly and grouchy and say fcuk you Mr Billionaire, like it or lump it, we are done pretending to be nice and oozy all the time like some creepy paedophile uncle. No more sycophancy.

Well said. I lived in Austria and Germany for 8 years combined and while at the time I considered the people there to be distant, aloof,rude etc I now look back and think at least they were being honest and not putting on a show. You knew EXACTLY where you stood with them.

lawred2

Personal taxation however is obscene here

Sky King

ImAHappyCamper wrote: »

Well said. I lived in Austria and Germany for 8 years combined and while at the time I considered the people there to be distant, aloof,rude etc I now look back and think at least they were being honest and not putting on a show. You knew EXACTLY where you stood with them.

Our indirectness is really fukin weird, and it's only when you experience direct cultures that you notice it moreso.

Interesting article on it:
https://www.watershedassociates.com/learning-center-item/direct-communication-vs-indirect-communication.html#:~:text=In%20indirect%20cultures%2C%20on%20the,even%20in%20a%20business%20setting.

There's loads of this stuff online.

buried

Oh no, distraught I am at the thought that some Ayn Rand worshiping cardigan jumper from the valley of Silicon doesn't want to come here. Lets us all jump in the river.

Idbatterim

lawred2 wrote: »

Personal taxation however is obscene here

It's actually not. Low income earners contribute virtually nothing in employment taxes, way less than the share they would pay in other countries.there is as good as no property tax. It's the mid and particularly high earners shafted here and get sfa back for it!

Blondini

Best country in the world to live in. If you don't like it, fcuck off somewhere else to live.

COVID

Level 42 wrote: »

He ain't wrong. Terrible weather, poor food all spud based and a country where its not what you know its who you know regarding a career.

I'm guessing, by your name, that you prefer to eat the Chinese way.

fits

Sky King wrote: »

Our indirectness is really fukin weird, and it's only when you experience direct cultures that you notice it moreso.

Interesting article on it:
https://www.watershedassociates.com/learning-center-item/direct-communication-vs-indirect-communication.html#:~:text=In%20indirect%20cultures%2C%20on%20the,even%20in%20a%20business%20setting.

There's loads of this stuff online.

Agree 100%. I find it much easier to deal with when folks are straightforward

As for this businessman so what. Not everyone has to like ireland and not everyone does. It’s no big deal.

titan18

buried wrote: »

Oh no, distraught I am at the thought that some Ayn Rand worshiping cardigan jumper from the valley of Silicon doesn't want to come here. Lets us all jump in the river.

Tbf, considering he has a company that employs people here, and likely knows others with companies who employ people here, we should be worried cos if enough of those Silicon Valley guys start going nah, not Ireland, we're fcuked

Level 42

COVID wrote: »

I'm guessing, by your name, that you prefer to eat the Chinese way.

Care to share that guess I have no idea what the fcuk you are referring to

Dempo1

Slasher wrote: »

It appears he got his information from Paddy Cosgrave. Enough said.

Poor Paddy, must be a terrible time for him at the moment, my heart bleeds daily for his woes. At least he'll be quite snug in his absurd woolly jumpers this coming winter.

Bigus

People from very hot dry countries, really appreciate our Irish weather, I’ve been told this, numerous times , first hand from both tourists and full time immigrants to Ireland from Australia,Florida,Texas, the Middle East and even met people from Germany and Italy, who come here summertime for the cool.

Their quest for colder climate, helped me appreciate our actual weather and also how get the most out of it ,by adapting my outdoor activities to suit. I also have experience of living for extended periods in hot countries so I’m not blinkered and would much prefer our mix, rather than intense heat, especially now with actual global warming.

buried

titan18 wrote: »

Tbf, considering he has a company that employs people here, and likely knows others with companies who employ people here, we should be worried cos if enough of those Silicon Valley guys start going nah, not Ireland, we're fcuked

They'll only leave when they lose the cushty tax breaks they get for basing some centre here, not when they suddenly decide that they don't like the weather, which they knew all about anyways.

Wanderer78

Elite Genetics wrote:

Quoting crap weather and unfriendliness.

Maybe if we lowered our corporation tax a little more, It would make him happy then

Sam Hain

Blondini wrote: »

Best country in the world to live in. If you don't like it, fcuck off somewhere else to live.

God only knows where hes getting the idea, that we are unwelcoming to outsiders.

jackboy

Dempo1 wrote: »

Poor Paddy, must be a terrible time for him at the moment, my heart bleeds daily for his woes. At least he'll be quite snug in his absurd woolly jumpers this coming winter.

I don’t get why Paddy is so disliked in Ireland. The only people he has a go at are corrupt politicians and other wealthy dodgy characters.

Feisar

An American... telling us our food is shíte...

Level 42

Feisar wrote: »

An American... telling us our food is shíte...

Cheese on everything

lawred2

Idbatterim wrote: »

It's actually not. Low income earners contribute virtually nothing in employment taxes, way less than the share they would pay in other countries.there is as good as no property tax. It's the mid and particularly high earners shafted here and get sfa back for it!

How is that an opposition point?

atilladehun

Off the top of my head I've eaten in/from some delicious restaurants this year Allta, Mister S, 777, Etto, Mulberry garden, Achill oysters, Bastille, clanbrassil house, Masa, Uno mas, Featherblade, Nightmarket, Michael's, Shouk, Bullet, asador, kerela kitchen, Forrest avenue, the butcher's grill, the chop House.

Anyone who thinks we're just spuds is an idiot spouting stereotypes.

It's not like all the food I had in America was great either.

lawred2

atilladehun wrote: »

Off the top of my head I've eaten in/from some delicious restaurants this year Allta, Mister S, 777, Etto, Mulberry garden, Achill oysters, Bastille, clanbrassil house, Masa, Uno mas, Featherblade, Nightmarket, Michael's, Shouk, Bullet, asador, kernels kitchen.

Anyone who thinks we're just spuds is an idiot spouting stereotypes.

It's not like all the food I had in America was great either.

Never felt so unwell as I did coming home from the states after a month long honeymoon...

irishguitarlad

Gruffalux wrote: »

Haha He is not wrong about the food and weather. It is often shyte but with moments of heart stopping revelation.
I love this country and the people but the whole blather about the wonderful "Irish" is a bit condescending.
I am not all that sad about him thinking we are unfriendly. A bit of honest Eastern European style grumpiness would do us no harm. The top o the morning milking the brim of the hat shyte has long worn thin.
A few years ago I was having a month in Bulgaria and the locals were delightfully unimpressed and misanthropic. None of this licking your arse spiel. They could not give a toss where you were from, had barely the patience or interest to take your order, much less converse. I loved their honest humanity. I found the same in Hungary. Nobody putting on a show. Other countries too. I enjoy it. Plamas is unnerving. Let us be honest and unfriendly and grouchy and say fcuk you Mr Billionaire, like it or lump it, we are done pretending to be nice and oozy all the time like some creepy paedophile uncle. No more sycophancy.

Great post.

Gruffalux

buried wrote: »

Oh no, distraught I am at the thought that some Ayn Rand worshiping cardigan jumper from the valley of Silicon doesn't want to come here. Lets us all jump in the river.

Haha I love that. Could be the start of a beat poem.

Edit. I read it in the voice of Paul Muldoon.