Proficiency in law linked to proficiency in economics? How??

tenant_ · 03-10-2010 12:51AM #1

Basically as the question says. The two Brians expert in law.
And both ended up finance ministers.
Where is the connection between expertise in
(a) law.
(b) economics.
Are they related subjects?

ei.sdraob · 03-10-2010 06:29AM

tenant_ wrote: »

Basically as the question says. The two Brians expert in law.
And both ended up finance ministers.
Where is the connection between expertise in
(a) law.
(b) economics.
Are they related subjects?

As i mentioned in another thread, these 2 are not good at law either. We are now in a situation where bondholders are preparing to sue the state due to a gray area in our laws when it comes to them.

SkepticOne · 03-10-2010 06:32AM

They are not linked. In fact proficiency at one works against proficiency in the other. When you look at the likes of Lenihan, you see someone who is an excellent arguer yet seems to completely lack any intuition as to what is actually going on. In some respects these are good qualities in a barrister but when it comes to managing an economy, well the evidence is fairly clear.

ashleey · 03-10-2010 07:59AM

Yes, but the idea is that their departments are staffed with trained specialists to advise them allowing the minister to focus on 'the bigger picture'. ...

and as it's Ireland, that means...

Amhran Nua · 03-10-2010 09:01AM

ashleey wrote: »

Yes, but the idea is that their departments are staffed with trained specialists to advise them allowing the minister to focus on 'the bigger picture'. ...

and as it's Ireland, that means...

...trained specialists with plenty of investment properties that don't want to lose out. I mean thats not politically biased, right? Ah the wonderful world of the civil service.

mikemac · 03-10-2010 09:41AM

I wouldn't expect a minister to be an expert in everything, does anyone?

It doesn't have to be a case then ministers who were teachers get Education and former economists become Ministers for Finance and so on.

In fact, it might take someone coming from outside the sector to see new areas for improvement, a fresh approach.

The Minister has to know their portfolio inside out and become a leader on it. But focus on the overall plan, they don't have to know every exact detail, nobody does.

They have a civil service department to work out the smaller details on the policies and support the Minister.

P. Breathnach · 03-10-2010 09:57AM

There is a wonderful irony in threads like this: people who show no sign of expertise in anything post here to offer views that they would have us believe are based on an extensive knowledge and profound understanding of the things on which they post.

Amhran Nua · 03-10-2010 10:10AM

P. Breathnach wrote: »

There is a wonderful irony in threads like this: people who show no sign of expertise in anything post here to offer views that they would have us believe are based on an extensive knowledge and profound understanding of the things on which they post.

When posters on boards are paid hundreds of thousands of taxpayer euros a year to make decisions affecting the lives of millions of people, you can complain about the profound level of understanding hereabouts.

wowa · 03-10-2010 10:17AM

Being good at law will help anyone in Ireland these days as it has become 'sue-nation' due to the breakdown of society and its people's inability to accept anything that means the world doesn't revolve around them. People's expectations in this country are obscene and peoples 'mistakes' will be punished, mistake or no mistake! It is this mentality that will keep the state in the doldrums for as long as I can foresee.

As for the bankers/politicians, they conrol the legal system so they are alright.

ashleey · 03-10-2010 10:21AM

I used to be a bond trader. Does that count?

Waits for abuse.

Proficiency in law linked to proficiency in economics? How??

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