Charles Haughey Has Died + Poll

mountainyman · 13-06-2006 03:12PM

Depart from us ye cursed into everlasting fire

Pigman II · 13-06-2006 03:15PM

"Deep down, a very shallow person"

constitutionus · 13-06-2006 03:17PM

"MARA!!!!!". obviously,:D

or

"here lies charley haughey, we think...."

the Shades · 13-06-2006 03:20PM

"he lies as he lived; beneath us"

um7y1h83ge06nx · 13-06-2006 03:25PM

Sleepy wrote:

Why does it mean you were brought up properly Ray777? Respect is something which must be earned, it is not an automatic privilige for anyone regardless of their state, condition or history.

Haughey got away with his crimes because he was afforded that respect which he didn't deserve.

"Evil prevails when good men don't act"

Great post!

Automatically handing respect to people in positions of power is in my opinion what led to the decades of abuse by the Catholic church, which is a little off topic but illustrates the point I think.

um7y1h83ge06nx · 13-06-2006 03:27PM

Ray777 wrote:

I don't use a person's death as an opportunity to immediately bitch about them.

True, I have always bitched about CJ!

the Shades · 13-06-2006 03:31PM

I don't see a person's death as a reason to immedately gloss over all the wrong they've done in their lives and proclaim them a saint. He was an extremely flawed character to suggest otherwise is naieve.

MrJones · 13-06-2006 03:40PM

he should get a state funeral. ok you can't gloss over all the wrong-doings he did while in office but cant ignore the fact that he served this country in public office for 40 odd years and he also did alot of good things for this country.

ChityWest · 13-06-2006 03:48PM

MrJones wrote:

he should get a state funeral. ok you can't gloss over all the wrong-doings he did while in office but cant ignore the fact that he served this country in public office for 40 odd years and he also did alot of good things for this country.

Couldnt agree more - who cares if he got his shirts from paris - he was the leader of the country and some people would have preferred him in dunnes t-shirts by the sounds of it.

Yes he had wealth and affairs but at least he had character and was a bit more interesting than garret fitzgerald. Who would you prefer a cad /rogue who got things done or an incompetent ****wit ?

Look at the likes of mary harney now ? Can you honestly say we would be better off with her in power ?

Plus he had a backbone - he actually spoke out about the british handling of the falklands - cant remember bertie standing up to blair over iraq in the recent past.

I think people can forgive a lot on the basis of results - and he put down the groundwork for a lot of results in the economy and in the peace process.

fuzzywiggle · 13-06-2006 03:53PM

He was a proper gangster alright

the Shades · 13-06-2006 03:56PM

ummm... totally unproven and surely it couldn't be true... but was his involvement in gun running part of the peace process?

ChityWest · 13-06-2006 03:56PM

fuzzywiggle wrote:

He was a proper gangster alright

No he wasnt. He just liked his bling.

nesf · 13-06-2006 03:58PM

I'm always amazed how people never seem to grasp that the reason one respects the dead is for that person's family and those close to them, not the person themselves or their past life. What you might say in private is your own business but what you should watch your tounge in public imho.

woodyg · 13-06-2006 04:07PM

I hate to put a dig in to a person that has just died or is dead,

but Charlie is a man i have no respect for due to his morales or complete lack off!

Dragan · 13-06-2006 04:07PM

nesf wrote:

I'm always amazed how people never seem to grasp that the reason one respects the dead is for that person's family and those close to them, not the person themselves or their past life. What you might say in private is your own business but what you should watch your tounge in public imho.

Why?

I would prefer to just be honest with everyone instead of say one thing to one person and one thing to someone else.

chump · 13-06-2006 04:07PM

I think it's right he gets a state funeral. Now I don't profess to know the ins and outs of his collection of misdeeds but from what I have heard and understood of the man, he worked very hard, he contributed significantly to our country, and led his government well. Of course it transpired he was lining his pockets while doing all this.

All said I don't think someone like me is qualified to appraise the character of the man, as I'm only 24, never dealt with the man directly (or suffered due to him) and only have garnered opinions from those who speak about him in the media and in general conversation.

Of course it seems people writing here have a much greater knowledge of the man.

darkman2 · 13-06-2006 04:11PM

No-one should forget either that the IFSC would never have been built if it wasnt for him. He was the only one who could see the potential and thats one thing the man had: tremendous foresight. If ppl actually looked at the man properly and his political career instead of jumping to populist pre-mature opinion then they would see that he wasnt as evil as is being made out. The only thing that makes him more corrupt then any other political figure in this country is that ppl knew about it.

Dragan · 13-06-2006 04:15PM

darkman2 wrote:

No-one should forget either that the IFSC would never have been built if it wasnt for him. He was the only one who could see the potential and thats one thing the man had: tremendous foresight. If ppl actually looked at the man properly and his political career instead of jumping to populist pre-mature opinion then they would see that he wasnt as evil as is being made out. The only thing that makes him more corrupt then any other political figure in this country is that ppl knew about it.

True, and i don't think too many people are disgreeing with you....however to say the something like the IFSC never would have happened had he not been around is rubbish.

Ireland would have developed either way, "commeth the hour, commeth the man."

As for the bit about he was caught, yes he was, and i don;t care if he was more corrupt or less corrupt that anyone else. Simple fact is that he was corrupt, and as he pretty much got away with it the lesson was "you can be corrput and never have to pay the price for it!".

Like i said, i won't be forgiving him, or any other bent politician for there corruptions and there greeds.

If you want to settle for a "best of a bad lot" mentality then feel free.

cujimmy · 13-06-2006 04:22PM

I sincerely hope that he died roaring and may he forever rot / burn in hell

Maxwell · 13-06-2006 04:23PM

darkman2 wrote:

I am entitled to my point of veiw, now answer the question - what was he ever found guilty of?

Of course he wasn't found guilty and that is the problem.On that note - are ANY of our corrupt politicians going to be found guilty as they have the comfort of never ending tribunals? Haughey even got out of these. The same man who had the money (the country's ill gotten money by the way) to hire the best solictors to get him out of the tribunals. He got off on the fact that he was "too sick" to participate, but then a few weeks later is seen on his horse going around his "ill gotten" land.????

You were contradictory in your previous posts in that you mention he wasn't found guilty, but in the same paragragh mention that he was just like the rest of them.

He was a crook of the highest order and its a disgrace that he will never been brought to justice!

is_that_so · 13-06-2006 04:25PM

cujimmy wrote:

I sincerely hope that he died roaring and may he forever rot / burn in hell

I do hope people have nicer things to say about you when you pass on.

Maxwell · 13-06-2006 04:29PM

nesf wrote:

I'm always amazed how people never seem to grasp that the reason one respects the dead is for that person's family and those close to them, not the person themselves or their past life. What you might say in private is your own business but what you should watch your tounge in public imho.

The same family that have enjoyed the wealth received by the corrupt Haughey you mean?

Liam Lawlor didn't have a patch on this sad excuse of a man.

the Shades · 13-06-2006 04:31PM

unless cujimmy is planning on ripping off an entire country I'm certain they will

woodyg · 13-06-2006 04:33PM

hang on where are people getting the idea that Charlie was responsible for the development of the IFSC? the centre was mainly funded by the EU. The idea was floated about the government by a series of developers to build the centre.

nesf · 13-06-2006 04:35PM

Dragan wrote:

Why?

I would prefer to just be honest with everyone instead of say one thing to one person and one thing to someone else.

I'm not advocating lying. I'm saying that you should hold your tounge in public discussion versus private discussion with others. i.e. this is a public discussion it's viewable by anyone including his family. A chat with a friend over tea isn't.

shnaek · 13-06-2006 04:36PM

I cannot get over the vitriolic posts by some here regarding a man who I would bet none of them knew. It is beyond belief that so many would leap to judgement, and I suppose those that do are purer than pure.

For all that was wrong with the man, he was good for the country. He made decisions, unlike many in government who avoid that responsibility. If he had not been corrupt he would have been one of the best leaders this country had.

And let me be clear here, I do not condone corruption - and I believe Haughey did a lot for self gain. But to leap to judgement about someone in such a vicous fashion is not very honourable and not, I would hope, very Irish.

shnaek · 13-06-2006 04:42PM

DaveMcG wrote:

But what difference does it make? Hitler built lots of autobahn and so on :rolleyes:, doesn't mean he should get a monument for his good work...

http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Godwin's_Law

Argument lost.

Zascar · 13-06-2006 04:44PM

I cannot belive how much of a thrashing he is getting. Charlie Haughey did a LOT of good things for this country and really helped drag a backward country into the new age to be come a very well respected country for the size of us. Ireland would be way weay behind where it is if it wasn't for him. Yes of course he took backhanders along the way, but that was part and parcel of doing business in that time, and it if wasn't him in office, there would have been someone else taking all the money but probably not giving as much back into the country. He really helped changed this countrys focus from agriculture to business. So he led a high lifestyle and had a big house, but as people have already said, comparing him to Hitler etc is just plain ridiculous - just look at how much of the (3rd) world is currently run by dictators etc who really are a joke.

Of course he deserves a state funeral.

Originally Posted by DaveMcG
But what difference does it make? Hitler built lots of autobahn and so on , doesn't mean he should get a monument for his good work...

That is a compelely rediculous statement. Hiteler massacered millions of people. Charlie Haughey lined his pockets a little. No comparison.

Dave! · 13-06-2006 04:52PM

Zascar wrote:

I cannot belive how much of a thrashing he is getting. Charlie Haughey did a LOT of good things for this country and really helped drag a backward country into the new age to be come a very well respected country for the size of us. Ireland would be way weay behind where it is if it wasn't for him. Yes of course he took backhanders along the way, but that was part and parcel of doing business in that time, and it if wasn't him in office, there would have been someone else taking all the money but probably not giving as much back into the country. He really helped changed this countrys focus from agriculture to business. So he led a high lifestyle and had a big house, but as people have already said, comparing him to Hitler etc is just plain ridiculous - just look at how much of the (3rd) world is currently run by dictators etc who really are a joke.

Of course he deserves a state funeral.

That is a compelely rediculous statement. Hiteler massacered millions of people. Charlie Haughey lined his pockets a little. No comparison.

Depends whether you think the good he did outweighs the bad, or not.

I'm not "comparing" him to Hitler, it's a f*cking analogy.

Hitler did some good, he did alot of bad
Haughey did some good, he did alot of bad

Tadahhh, analogy explained!

nubbintom · 13-06-2006 04:54PM

Let me get out my over-sized clown hanky and wipe away the tear's.

Charles Haughey Has Died + Poll

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