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What can the world learn from Ireland?

  • 23-10-2013 12:05AM
    #1
    Cody Pomeray
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,648 ✭✭✭


    In 1900 Ireland was one of the poorest countries in the western world.
    In 1900 Britain was the richest country in the western world.

    In 2013, The Economist's Where To Be Born Index has Ireland as Number 13.
    In 2013, The Economist's Where To Be Born Index has Britain as Number 27.

    And although we have high unemployment in Ireland, we are among the very highest level of work, housing and community, standards in the OECD.

    We are also above average for life satisfaction for the OECD, and rank considerably higher than Britain for work - life balance.

    Although there are still a small number of countries which are more desirable places to live, Ireland is of special interest.

    Because while Norway, Sweden and Denmark may recall a long established tradition of social responsibility, Ireland is a new state which has completely diverged from the path that the rest of the (former) United Kingdom took.

    What can the world understand from Irish independence? It seems to me that, despite all our self-criticism, there is an important lesson to be learned from modern Ireland.


«134

Comments

  • #2
    FionnK86
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,218 ✭✭✭FionnK86


    Don't go to war


  • #3
    Banjo String
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,380 ✭✭✭✭Banjo String


    How to make a decent cup of tay, and serve decent sausages for breakfast.

    I've been in Australia before. Spain too.

    That's my two cents.


  • #4
    joe swanson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,124 ✭✭✭joe swanson


    Learn from our excellent public servants, the great job they do under great scrutiny and abuse for little pay.


  • #5
    lkionm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,407 ✭✭✭lkionm


    That it will always be grand


  • #6
    keith16
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,061 ✭✭✭keith16


    How not to get rid of their Senate / upper house.


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  • #7
    BNMC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,231 ✭✭✭BNMC


    How to get pissed on €2.


  • #8
    Stinicker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭Stinicker


    BNMC wrote: »
    How to get pissed on €2.

    Drink Dutch Gold piss?


  • #9
    Amirani
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,622 Mod ✭✭✭✭Amirani


    We generally have a very relaxed attitude towards things and have a very caring view towards our fellow citizens. We strike a fairly good balance between capitalism and socialism.


  • #10
    Banjo String
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,380 ✭✭✭✭Banjo String


    BNMC wrote: »
    How to get pissed on €2.

    Go on...........

    :confused:


  • #11
    131spanner
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,305 ✭✭✭131spanner


    Milk floats can be death-traps, and the beast is as big as four cats.


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  • #12
    FionnK86
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,218 ✭✭✭FionnK86


    Every time Bono claps his hands someone will die


  • #13
    wolfpawnat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,124 ✭✭✭wolfpawnat


    That we are a charitable nation and behind all the moaning and groaning, we have a good sense of justice.


  • #14
    Push Pop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 262 ✭✭Push Pop


    How to laugh about yourself and not take things too seriously. I think we are one of the very few ethnicities who have relatively nothing to be embarrssed or ashamed about. Relatively being the most important word there.


  • #15
    Wattle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,075 ✭✭✭Wattle


    Learn to imitate our accent. It gets you laid everywhere even if you're pig ugly.


  • #16
    greenflash
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 499 ✭✭greenflash


    Cody Pomeray wrote: »
    In 1900 Ireland was one of the poorest countries in the western world.
    In 1900 Britain was the richest country in the western world.

    Er... there's an obvious flaw in there.


  • #17
    Markcheese
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,240 ✭✭✭Markcheese


    greenflash wrote: »
    Er... there's an obvious flaw in there.

    Yeah I thought that too,
    By that logic, excluding all the poor bits like us, the highlands,bits of Wales,Northumberland and probably anywhere else piss poor the bits left were quite rich.really...
    On a more serious note hopefully the rest of the world will have copped on to fact that if you keep electing shisters and crooks you' ll b#gger yr economy...
    I don't think we've copped it yet, fianna fail back within 2 elections ??

    Slava ukraini 🇺🇦



  • #18
    strongback
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 523 ✭✭✭strongback


    We can teach the world to be cute whores.

    Jackie Healy Rae would be the lecturer.


    Ireland really is a country of mealy mouthed, small minded sh1t heads. I don't think I can take it for much longer.


  • #19
    beks101
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,802 ✭✭✭beks101


    No matter how sh1t the circumstances, we always know how to have a laugh


  • #20
    K-9
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 43,305 ✭✭✭✭K-9


    keith16 wrote: »
    How not to get rid of their Senate / upper house.

    We are very sore losers, we'll go on about it for years and years.

    Mad Men's Don Draper : What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons.



  • #21
    policarp
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,680 ✭✭✭policarp


    Well Bertie is going round telling them we were the best.
    €+ several 0, per speech and the funny part is they're swallowing it.


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  • #22
    Cody Pomeray
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,648 ✭✭✭Cody Pomeray


    greenflash wrote: »
    Er... there's an obvious flaw in there.
    I hate to unravel your moment, but not at all.

    It is common for Ireland's economic history to be assessed separately to Britain in the modern era.

    We were among the poorest countries in the western world, with about half the GDP/ head of Britain at the turn of the 20th century.

    European Review of Economic History.The Human Development Index and changes in standards of living: Some historical comparisons. 1997. Cambridge University Press.


  • #23
    bodhrandude
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,324 ✭✭✭✭bodhrandude


    That we have damn fine traditional music, having lived in Galway city for the last 20 years and playing at the sessions there, there is a good chunk of European interest in our traditional music, Galway is a melting pot of European Irish traditional musicians who can rock it with the country's own.

    If you want to get into it, you got to get out of it. (Hawkwind 1982)



  • #24
    FISMA
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,616 ✭✭✭FISMA


    Just imagine what Ireland would be like if it did not have generational brain drain...


  • #25
    General General
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,900 ✭✭✭General General


    Conservative Roman Catholicism as an ideology pays off, provided you are in Northern Europe.

    Also, lots of alcohol & rain sums up to good news, provided that you keep the sunny days down.

    Getting sunburn has some kind of positive effect on the socio-economic state of a nation.

    All of this, of course, is long term... no country can copy us & expect instant results.


  • #26
    cerastes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,592 ✭✭✭cerastes


    Cody Pomeray wrote: »
    In 1900 Ireland was one of the poorest countries in the western world.
    In 1900 Britain was the richest country in the western world.

    In 2013, The Economist's Where To Be Born Index has Ireland as Number 13.
    In 2013, The Economist's Where To Be Born Index has Britain as Number 27.

    And although we have high unemployment in Ireland, we are among the very highest level of work, housing and community, standards in the OECD.

    We are also above average for life satisfaction for the OECD, and rank considerably higher than Britain for work - life balance.

    Although there are still a small number of countries which are more desirable places to live, Ireland is of special interest.

    Because while Norway, Sweden and Denmark may recall a long established tradition of social responsibility, Ireland is a new state which has completely diverged from the path that the rest of the (former) United Kingdom took.

    What can the world understand from Irish independence? It seems to me that, despite all our self-criticism, there is an important lesson to be learned from modern Ireland.

    Yes, the OECD must be barking, and there are some high quality drugs available

    How to fcuk up a country in 100 years or less.


  • #27
    Cody Pomeray
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,648 ✭✭✭Cody Pomeray


    cerastes wrote: »
    Yes, the OECD must be barking, and there are some high quality drugs available

    How to fcuk up a country in 100 years or less.
    Are you saying Ireland is a relatively worst place to live in 2013 than it was (again, relative to other jurisdictions) in 1913?

    The facts suggest this opinion is badly wrong.

    Guess what. Irish independence was good for us.


  • #28
    Wotsername
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 367 ✭✭Wotsername


    1. Get yourself an opinion about absolutely everything. (Tabloid rag should suit purpose)

    2. Get yourself a bandwagon.

    3. Get yourself a soap box. (high stool is usually sufficient)

    4. Get yourself drunk and complain (lots, and about everything)

    5. This is the most important step..... DO NOTHING!


  • #29
    General General
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,900 ✭✭✭General General


    Cody Pomeray wrote: »
    Are you saying Ireland is a relatively worst place to live in 2013 than it was (again, relative to other jurisdictions) in 1913?

    The facts suggest this opinion is badly wrong.

    Guess what. Irish independence was good for us.

    I agree wholeheartedly. London did not & would not give a flying f`ck about us.


  • #30
    ardle1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,521 ✭✭✭ardle1


    IRISH


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  • #31
    Amirani
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,622 Mod ✭✭✭✭Amirani


    cerastes wrote: »
    Yes, the OECD must be barking, and there are some high quality drugs available

    How to fcuk up a country in 100 years or less.

    What countries have you visited that are far better to live in?


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