Has Paddy Cosgrave overstepped the mark?

kennethsmyth

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

In this instance he was correct in his statement and I would not be a fan of him. However I actually think he was wrong to apologise for what was a fair statement. As google and stripe (especially as Irish based) have pulled he should double down and look to shame them as he hasn't said anything actually contentious! He may as well come off as the good guy and google as shameful.

Finty Lemon

He wasn't correct in his statement though.

PD2019

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121265214#Comment_121265214

What was incorrect about his statement?

Grey123

What did his initial tweets say? Had he deleted stuff?

Craig_David

Taken from the Irish Times;

In a post a week ago on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Cosgrave said he was “shocked at the rhetoric and actions of so many western leaders & governments, with the exception in particular of Ireland’s Government, who for once are doing the right thing. War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are.”

Maybe its a case that he said more than that and it was deleted afterwards?

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121264466#Comment_121264466

Sorry to nitpick but isn't that the essence of Capitalism?

awec

Cosgrave's problem is he is a deluded narcissist.

He wasn't wrong in his tweet, but his mistake was him thinking people needed to hear his opinion on this matter. He's an event planner trying to act like a politician or a social justice warrior, and he's a very public face of his business, so much so that what he says is basically what WebSummit says. It was stupid of him to wade into this, but I think he's a person who has had such a sheltered and privileged upbringing, and is surrounded by nodding dogs, that he is not used to facing consequences for his words or actions, and the reaction to this must have come as a big shock to him.

To be honest, the guy is a complete dickhead, he's been more than happy to abuse people, lie, manipulate and post misinformation online for years. He makes a big statement about Israel, says he won't relent, then as soon as it becomes apparent it's going to hit him in his pocket he's out with the retraction.

He has ended up annoying both sides of the fence here which is quite the feat, but consistent with someone who isn't as smart as they act like they are. On the one hand, the pro-Isreal side dislike him due to his original statement. On the other hand, the pro-Palestine side dislike him as he had no courage of his convictions and folded like a deckchair as soon as it became financially inconvenient for him.

I am in the odd position where I mostly agree with what he said, but I simultaneously am enjoying the pain he has brought on himself. He deserves no sympathy whatsoever.

Given his relentless attempts to smear individuals and parties over the past number of years, there is a delicious irony that it's a tweet in support of the government that might be the end of him.

Grey123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121265327#Comment_121265327

He posted that on the 13th. The attacks were on the 7th.

I think there were posts before that. From my understanding he responded to the Hamas attack with something inappropriate. Probably some "what about". That's what the issue is. What's been said since seems more balanced but is just him backtracking.

From the Independent.

"In his apology this week, Mr Cosgrave said: “I understand that what I said, the timing of what I said, and the way it has been presented has caused profound hurt to many. To anyone who was hurt by my words, I apologise deeply."

Frank Bullitt

If this is properly the end of Web Summit, I will feel for the staff more than anything.

As for Paddy, I have written in the other thread how I am quite happy to see him pay the price for his own ego here. There are plenty of stories online about him and past behaviours, he is a bully, plain and simple.

ednwireland

Israel has quite a large IT industry. its always been a player in security. lots of stuff you've never heard of is running systems. so I suspect you might want to at least think about your comments in this sort of situation.

lmao10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121265371#Comment_121265371

It's not like narcissism is a rare trait today. Serious wack of it off him but you could say that about an awful lot of people who seem to love putting their thoughts/image out there.

For Forks Sake

..

https://twitter.com/RayMinehane/status/1715430581570257161?t=DdZGQZKAa2lt-ufnfybvNQ&s=19

Kermit.de.frog

This is an interesting discussion in the context of Sinn Féin. You see these companies running a mile from Cosgrave.

Is there a risk to a lot of multinational tech jobs and FDI in Ireland if SF was in government saying the same thing?

All well to back comments from someone until you lose your job perhaps? All well for the population until all that tax revenue disappears?

I do actually think there is a risk here the public may need to consider that they may not have thought of.

geographica

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

Weren’t Siemens in bed with the German Nazis, I think so

Hoboo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121265820#Comment_121265820

Whats you take? I’d prefer some pain and backbone over watching in silence and allowing a genocide take place.

jackboy

All lot of public figures did not realise as soon as they publicly commented, they picked a side, regardless of how measured they thought their comments were. All of those who commented in favour of the Palestinians after the Hamas attack, supported Hamas in the eyes of the western world. There is no getting away from that, it may be incorrect, but these people may as well have Hamas supporter stamped on their forehead.

PokeHerKing

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121265820#Comment_121265820

America sided with Ireland/Republicanism so this would not happen.

America sides with Israel, if Paddy the knob had come out supporting Israel there would be no boycott.

Annasopra

Paddy is all over the place really

Supports human rights for Palestinians but doesn't give a crap about Qataris human rights. Supports Israel only when his business is threatened. Very bloody quiet on Russian war crimes too.

Many overseas websummit supporters are really seeing the real Paddy. An egotistical narcissistic smug git who jumps on bandwagons when it suits his agenda but will abandon all principle and value if it harms his bank balance.

Luxembourgo

I'd be lying if I didn't admit to enjoying this a bit.

A smug rich prick

JVince

There's a phrase in business "The Ratner Effect"

Named after Gerard Ratner who told a business audience that a 4.95 decanter can be sold at 4.95 because it is "total crap". He went on to say a £1 set of earing is cheaper than a prawn sandwich - but probably wouldn't last as long. He forgot there were journalists in the room and they had a field day. It cost him him job and the company value dropped by £500m and they had to rename all the stores (signet group)

Ratner is probably sipping champagne as there's a new phrase in town. "The Cosgrave Tweet"

Bobson Dugnutt

Cosgrave will be in the business books and spoken about on the MBA courses of elite universities worldwide. Not for the reasons he had imagined in his own head though.

howiya

CEO of a company needs to understand his customer base. You won't see many CEOs take to twitter or X with the prevalence that Cosgrave did. It doesn't matter what he said this time, there was always going to be a time when he would say something that would end up hurting his business.

TooTired123

Anyone surfing around X on the morning of the Hamas attacks would have seen the pieces of film shot by the go-pros of the attackers.

To comment other than to express disgust and horror at the pictures reveals a lack of humanity that is frightening.

Paddy was always going to be hoist on his own petard, he just didn’t think it would be this one.

LowOdour

Does this Cosgrave / Web Summit story make you consider what you post, like and retweet on social media?

I don't mean extreme views, but liking post for pro-Palestinian marches in Dublin or retweeting criticism of Von der leyen support of Israel.

Not radical stuff. But feel that it now it could used as a reason for, example, a perspective employer not to hire you

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121266588#Comment_121266588

Indeed, but this also illustrates the power of the pro-Israel lobby among governments and in big corporations. As a state, the Israeli regime is probably hated by the general population in many countries, even across Europe and the US, but they have massive influence much further up the chain.

Northernlily

Yeah it seems timing was his downfall.

circadian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121264231#Comment_121264231

https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/war-crimes.shtml

I'd like to point to sections;

2.a.iv

2.b.i, ii, iii, iv, v, ix, xx,

And so on. Are Hamas in breach? 100% but that doesn't somehow absolve the Israeli behaviour.

As much as a twat Cosgrave is, he wasn't wrong.

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121264231#Comment_121264231

I'd imagine bombing and levelling a hospital is a war crime?

keynes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121266872#Comment_121266872

Jews have higher IQs and have disproportionate influence among leading corporations and the intellectual elite. Very silly of Cosgrave to commit this gaffe (aka, telling the truth in public). All he needed to do was upset one bigwig to set off the inevitable bandwagon.

Peter Flynt

I'd agree with much of what Paddy would state about FF/FG and that's the reason why he attracts so much bile on here because he upsets their supporters and cronies.

If you have a very high profile, and clearly PC does internationally as well as nationally, you need to tread very carefully if you're going to criticise Israel in any capacity.

There are others who do quite the reverse and profit quite handsomely from it. They support Israel quite vociferously with the oul trope of "Israel has a right to defend itself", brush aside Palestinian issues and they do very well for themselves. Piers Morgan is at that a lot these days.