Eddie Hobbs

Basically, the way i look at it is that the 'Celtic Tiger' only really happened for big business. They may have made an absolute mint over the past few years but the PAYE worker is still roughly in the same position he always was.

Difference now is that the average Joe is now given the impression that if he doesn't have X,Y and Z the there's something wrong with him, because ,hey, the Irish economy is booming . So people borrow and drive themselves deeper into debt because they feel the need to have to for some reason.

All this increased spending makes us look like a prospering nation, when in reality we're all spending money we don't have. The 'Celtic Tiger' was a myth, created to make us spend more to give the illusion of a thriving economy in order to attract multinational investment, problem now is that the arse has fallen out of it and the multinationals are leaving.

Alot of what is happening is down to the consumer though.

If you are willing to pay 20 quid for product/service X, then the manufactuerer or provider will charge 25 quid and see can they get away with it, which in this country they usually do.

However, the suggestion that people combat this by not using the service/buying the product simply does not work because people need these products and services.

It's a vicious circle of greed that, unfortunately, will be difficult to end because people have very little real power to effect this kind of thing.

People say that things could be better with a change of government but i think replacing one set of crooks and liars with another set isn't going to change a thing.

RicardoSmith wrote:

After many years of the celtic tiger, you still saying "vast majority of people find it hard to make ends meet" . There must be a problem with that. Where is all this money going? The public services don't have it, people don't have it, where is it?

The money has gone back to the multinationals parent countries and to other big business interests. Or it's been pissed away on projects that the current government undertook so that they'd be remembered, such as:

-The National Aquatic Centre - the roof blew off and now it's leaking water, there's talk of scrapping it, cost of millions

-The Port Tunnel - gave the developers a blank cheque, it was built too small to fit containers that have been in use since the early 90's on the continent, had to be fixed as a result, cost of hundreds of millions)

-The Millenium Spire - finished after the turn of the millenium, ugly, waste of space and money, costs hundreds of thousands to keep clean, serves absolutely no purpose, could be seen as a monument to the decedance and stupidity of the 'Celtic Tiger' era.

-The Luas - Nice idea, the two lines aren't connected unlike any other light rail system in the rest of the western world, ran over budget, get crashed into on a nearly daily basis because of idiotic traffic layouts and complete lack of formal driving education in this country

-The GAA- my personal favourite. Last year the GAA received 40 million from the government. This was intended to pay for the upgrading of Croke Park, which the GAA claim was completed at a price less than that. They kept the balance. Plus they receive more every year from the Government than the FAI even thought they do not compete on a global stage like the Irish team have to. Count in the personal donations that the GAA receive from businesses and individuals, and the sponsorship of teams, product endorsement ,etc. All tax free of course. Homeless people are dying on the streets and 400+ people a year commit suicide (which could potenially be remedied if they had a properly funded organisation to turn to, or maybe not, i'm not an expert and will never claim to be), but at least we have a well funded sports body controlling our national sport.

But not paying the players for their time and effort of course.

Our government is full of vested interests and cute hoors (excuse my french). And yet we'll all be suprised when scandals are revealed in the newpapers in years to come.

We're as much to blame for letting them lead us down the garden path.

And what can we do?

Absolutely fudging nothing!

When you elect these people you are giving them the right to decide how you will live your life. There's no such thing as 'government by the people, for the people'. Once someone is elected they are essentially above and beyond your average man on the street and can then decide how he lives his life.

Phew. Long rant, thanks to the grand total of no-one who bothered to read it .