Has Paddy Cosgrave overstepped the mark?

Kermit.de.frog

Seems to be going from bad to worse to awful for his company on the back of his comments on the Israel/Hamas conflict.

Google the latest to pull out of Web Summit following Intel and Siemens.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2023/10/20/google-pulls-out-of-web-summit-over-cosgraves-israel-hamas-comments/

This chap has been commenting on politics all over the world but mostly in Ireland.

A classic example of why it's best for companies to concentrate on their own business rather than making statements on current affairs that have nothing to do with them IMO no matter what one thinks.

Surely his position is untenable and this should be seen as a warning to others?

Self inflicted wound and has done serious damage to his company.

Or maybe you think he and other CEO's have every right, maybe even a duty, to speak up?

prunudo

He's not wrong, war crimes are war crimes, even when committed by your allies. The world is full of hypocrites with no moral backbone. I wouldn't be Cosgraves biggest fan, but in this scenario he is right.

Kermit.de.frog

In a personal capacity he can comment on whatever he wants.

But surely given his position his first priority is to his company's shareholders, employees etc?

He has clearly damaged his company maybe even beyond repair.

I don't think it is right for him or any other CEO to be making pronouncements on current affairs (he's not the only one to be fair).

yagan

he's a dick, but he's not wrong in this case.

Edit to rephrase, he always oversteps the mark, except this time.

SouthWesterly

Google and stripe are now gone.

His empire is crumbling suddenly.

Responder XY

He's deserved this reaction so many times before, but in this case I can't understand the reaction. What he said was entirely reasonable.

JeffKenna

Lesson for anyone as to what happens if you question Israel

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121263907#Comment_121263907

The US are gone all in behind Israel. There would be pressure on US companies to punish his commentary. He is a bit unlucky. I thought the US would have moderated their position after a few days of Gaza being bombarded. However, they have done the opposite, they now see Hamas as equivalent to ISIS and so will have to be completely destroyed.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121263907#Comment_121263907

Manufactured consent in western means Israel can repeatedly do things to Palestinians that warrant UN sanctions, but the US vetoes any such reproach. The western consumer never gets to fully appreciates this iniquity so big companies don't want to risk any flak.

Irish people as a post colonial society don't pay lip service to the US's little monster in the middle east.

MisterAnarchy

He has a big mouth and is constantly shooting it off on Twitter.

However the sad thing is that in this case what he said is the truth, and speaking out against Israel means getting cancelled as Zionists have infiltrated so much of US politics and the global media.

Its abhorrent the pro Israel propaganda machine.

hotmail.com

It's a warning for Irish policy makers as well. Clearly America won't be happy if Michael D or Leo shout off about Israel.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121264070#Comment_121264070

They might drop some of their version of democracy on us.

When the lads walked into the GPO they knew it was a death sentence.

OneEightSeven

Don't forget about how the Ditch reacted to the news about Hamas massacring Israeli women and children. This was posted on the day of Hamas' incursion into Israel:

https://twitter.com/wereontheditch/status/1710758110862700918

Bobson Dugnutt

Retweeting and liking that was the most damaging part of it all for Padzer. He wasn’t dealing with a story about some FF councillor from Donegal not having car tax for 3 months.

Oscar_Madison

Its the equivalent of Bitching about your guests before they arrive ….at YOUR party 🤪

Its all about brand dawling , brand- you’re either in or you’re out- looks like this guys OUT😀- and so are Meta and Google

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/meta-google-and-stripe-to-boycott-web-summit-on-back-of-paddy-cosgraves-israel-comments/a1235054615.html

Kermit.de.frog

Meta has abandoned Web summit now too.

Bobson Dugnutt

As one pithy tweet on Twitter said: “the dildo of consequence rarely comes lubricated”.

PokeHerKing

Jesus the irony. First time I've ever agreed with anything this bellend has ever uttered and it's what gets him cancelled 🤣🤣

Glad to see the back of him either way. First good thing Israel has done for humanity.

chrisd2019

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058318958/has-paddy-cosgrave-overstepped-the-mark

Definitely should have stuck to the day job, not social media commentary.

unkel

Like our beloved President, he has no idea what the definition of a war crime is under international humanitarian law. With these comments, he is making a fool of himself and attracting unwanted media attention. Where this association was good for business befofe, now it has turned sour and those associated companies are pulling out

Very much like a sports hero convicted of rape, all his sponsors would be gone asap

jaffusmax

Elon Musk would not even be able to pull off getting out of this one!

IRE60

He's a pretend media mogul with a dog and pony website. All mouth and trousers at home, but stepped on a corporate landmine straying out of his lane. Infintile. Honestly, if he's mixing in the money end of tech, he should have known his audience and stayed in the middle lane. Have your hard-line 'SF' flower throwing in D4 - bring that to a bigger arena and you get your arse handed to you.

markodaly

Delighted the jumped-up fool is getting his comeuppance.

He weighed into a top that was over his head and bit the hand that fed him at the same time.

If your gut reaction in regards to Hamas is to play the "There are good and bad guys on both sides" shtick, then you are a fool.

We are seeing his business crumble right before our eyes.

Maybe he can spend more time shilling his wife's €1000 woolly jumpers.

hurikane

Good enough for him. Smug git.

Quantum Erasure

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121264047#Comment_121264047

Zionists have infiltrated so much of US politics and the global media.

Careful now...

helimachoptor

I assume web summit bounces back next year as this will be forgotten, but he’s an incredibly irritating man, I’d like it to be the end of him in his company but his ego wouldn’t let him stand aside.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058318958/has-paddy-cosgrave-overstepped-the-mark

His comments were correct in this case but I cant feel sorry for him given his links to Russia and Qatar.

He's a classic case of everything wrong with capitalism. Created by it, tried to use and abuse it for his own insane power games and vanity, destroyed by it.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121264389#Comment_121264389

I don't think it can actually bounce back. He's singlehandedly destroyed it.

For Forks Sake

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121264389#Comment_121264389

The next Web Summit event is scheduled for Qatar, current hosts to the leaders of Hamas

Doubt Paddys going to attract too many Israelis and/or jewish delegates to that.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121264526#Comment_121264526

Or American...

Fred Cryton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058318958/has-paddy-cosgrave-overstepped-the-mark

It's good news that the Shinners and the hard left headbangers in this country are finally going to feel some pain for their loony and irresponsible remarks. I hope this is the beginning of the end for that fool.

Lets remember Hamas is an organization that wants to eliminate the Jews. Another Holocaust. And last weekend they managed to kill 1400 Jews, about 0.025% of the entire Israeli population. That included burning people alive and killing babies. These are not freedom fighters, they are like ISIS or Al Qaeda.

The immaturity of the hard left and Michael D is finally going to come right around and bite them in the face.