Why the hell should we care what Bill Clinton thinks about Ireland?

goose2005 · 01-10-2010 09:01PM

Rented Mule wrote: »

Clinton was the best USA President that Ireland has ever know.

He probably doesn't really give a **** about Ireland any more(and why would he), but would you be more pissed off if he told you that 'Ireland screwed itself' and 'is dead in the water' ?

I guess someone else is always to blame for everyone else's troubles.

Speaking of troubles.....he was the first USA President to address this from a different point of view.

Maybe because, after the Cold War, America had to invent a new role for itself on the world stage?

ejmaztec · 01-10-2010 09:02PM

Cowen borrowed €10 from Lenihan and gave it to Clinton, telling him to say good things about the Irish economy.

steelcityblues · 02-10-2010 01:22AM

Tell it to the folks in the Balkans about what a 'cool' guy he is!

Sisko · 02-10-2010 01:39AM

liah wrote: »

You people confuse me. You rip your own government to shreds at any given opportunity, but the second someone who isn't Irish says something you get your knickers in a twist and start getting all defensive.

Make up your minds, either you hate your government or you want to stand up for it, don't get mad at other people for saying the exact same things you are. Makes no sense.

Its pretty straight forward really, the irish - like the americans, are pretty patriotic , only we spend all our time bitching and slagging ourselves instead of constantly proclaiming to be the best country in the world etc.
In america if you say anything bad about your country your a terrortist/ anti american.
In Ireland if you say anything good about your country your a 'RA head'.

However if someone else says the same bad things we say about ourselvs, someone not irish, well holy jaysus.

Non Irish Person: "Oh wow you're Irish! Whats Ireland like , it must be awesome"

Irish Person: "Nah it's shite"

Non Irish Person: "Ahhh Ireland really is a shitty country then"

Irish Person: "WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU:mad:"

etc

Sharkey 10 · 02-10-2010 01:46AM

Rented Mule wrote: »

Clinton was the best USA President that Ireland has ever know.

He probably doesn't really give a **** about Ireland any more(and why would he), but would you be more pissed off if he told you that 'Ireland screwed itself' and 'is dead in the water' ?

I guess someone else is always to blame for everyone else's troubles.

Speaking of troubles.....he was the first USA President to address this from a different point of view.

Please expand this argument
Edit : sorry i misread this part I thought you meant he was the greatest American president but im still not fully sure what you mean

Fjoc74 · 02-10-2010 02:03AM

Watch Bill Clinton's speech in UCD here

bnt · 02-10-2010 11:58AM

Well, John F Kennedy isn't around, so Clinton will have to do.

As for the original question: why should you care what Bill Clinton thinks about Ireland? Because other people care what he thinks: people with influence and money. His visit on Thursday resulted in a slew of positive news stories about Ireland's prospects, on the very day when Ireland needed some positive news, and you lot are complaining? It may be only Politics - the Entertainment division of the Military-Industrial Complex - but when you're on the other side of the Atlantic, you only see what the Media chooses to show you.

orourkeda · 02-10-2010 12:40PM

We Dont, do we?

Sisko · 02-10-2010 01:58PM

Fjoc74 wrote: »

Watch Bill Clinton's speech in UCD here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IFKf9lAI-w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUih0GYUXD4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeNNwRa45X4

PeterIanStaker · 02-10-2010 02:40PM

Sisko wrote: »

Its pretty straight forward really, the irish - like the americans, are pretty patriotic , only we spend all our time bitching and slagging ourselves instead of constantly proclaiming to be the best country in the world etc.
In america if you say anything bad about your country your a terrortist/ anti american.
In Ireland if you say anything good about your country your a 'RA head'.

However if someone else says the same bad things we say about ourselvs, someone not irish, well holy jaysus.

Non Irish Person: "Oh wow you're Irish! Whats Ireland like , it must be awesome"

Irish Person: "Nah it's shite"

Non Irish Person: "Ahhh Ireland really is a shitty country then"

Irish Person: "WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU:mad:"

etc

you pretty much hit the nail on the head there.

southsiderosie · 02-10-2010 05:19PM

Overheal wrote: »

Didn't he have an interest in Ireland when he was in office? Came to visit in the 90s did he? Thought as much..

Clinton came three times as President - in 1995 1998 and 2000, and he made a point of going to both Dublin and Belfast. His visit to Belfast in 1995 carried a great deal of symbolic importance, especially since he stayed at the Europa Hotel.

There is plenty you can knock Clinton for, but he paid a hell of a lot more attention to Ireland than most other US presidents.

thee glitz · 02-10-2010 06:26PM

Good Friday, 10 April 1998: At 5.36pm (over 17 hours after the deadline) George Mitchell stated:
"I am pleased to announce that the two governments and the political parties in Northern Ireland
have reached agreement". It emerged later that President Clinton of the USA had made a number
of telephone calls to party leaders to encourage them to reach this agreement.

A lot of people care what he has to say, he's earned $65m since 2001 in speaking fees.

Jeboa Safari · 02-10-2010 06:44PM

SuperInfinity wrote: »

As if Bill Clinton would have an absolute clue of what's going on Ireland.

Any old fool can get up and say "I think Ireland can start growing again"... it is completely meanginless drivel.

Bill Clinton wouldn't even know what's going on in USA financial terms anymore either, because it's all different now. He's just going by whoever he's listening to, he has no insider information about it and he especially doesn't have any insider information on what's going on in Ireland. I'd have doubts over if even the president of america really knows about the true finanaces of the USA.

We need to stop putting people on pedastals, as if they would know things magically.

He's the ex-president of the most powerful nation in the world, his wife is currently secretary of state of the US and he's always had an interest in Ireland. I would have liked to go see him and hear what he had to say. And I don't see how free advertising from someone as well know as him could be a bad thing, especially if people who are thinking about investing here hear him speaking positively about the country

ascanbe · 03-10-2010 03:11PM

southsiderosie wrote: »

Clinton came three times as President - in 1995 1998 and 2000, and he made a point of going to both Dublin and Belfast. His visit to Belfast in 1995 carried a great deal of symbolic importance, especially since he stayed at the Europa Hotel.

There is plenty you can knock Clinton for, but he paid a hell of a lot more attention to Ireland than most other US presidents.

I'd wager that that estimate is a bit on the low side..

Why the hell should we care what Bill Clinton thinks about Ireland?

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