Public Health (Alcohol) Bill being debated in the Seanad at the moment.

Wibbs wrote: »

For me the Catholic Church at its peak in Ireland was just another symptom of the seemingly inbuilt Irish need for authority and scrabble for same among a minority of power hungry gombeen gauleiters. The "Irish Rebel" image is a lot of my bollocks IMH. Outside of Ireland yes and thankfully a few pockets within, but generally this nation is a culture of forelock tuggers who prefer to be directed from on high. That "high" has worn different hats through the ages. The English wore it for a good while. They were barely gone from the place and the vacuum they left was rapidly filled by Vatican City. Now they're gone and we're still adrift slightly, though the EU fulfils that external authority with quite a few.

These Seanad muppets don't exist in a vacuum and their little monkey brains know it enough to milk it. Neither do the parish pump politics that repeatedly vomit forth ever more gobshítes come election. They're elected in FFS. The Catholic Church, that previous master and now boogyman didn't exist in a vacuum either, nor was it hidden, our forebears actively encouraged it en masse. That's why it's now a cartoon boogyman, just as the "Brits" were before and still. To look at things with more open eyes holds up too much of a shabby mirror to ourselves for comfort.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Interesting points.
Stop me if this goes too far off base. From the famine up until independence maybe we just lost too many people, too much money and too much power for it not to be filled by something (the Catholic Church)? The country needed a compass at the head of society as it had been so damaged and demoralised for so long up to that point.

I know 'millennial' is partly an American buzzword/marketing slogan, but I am prepared to use it in the context of applying it to the first people who grew up in the digital age of mass communication and connection. Maybe millennials are less willing to need an outside compass to help guide them in decision making? Having all the worlds information at the end of your fingertips may well churn out people who are less inclined to deference and more likely to trust in their own ability to reach a correct answer about something. It is yet to play out fully as most TD's and the electorate are born outside of the era but it will be interesting to see what, if any difference it will make overall.

The last Magdalene Laundry was closed 20 years ago today for what its worth. I don't think we'll ever be going back down that road anyway.

darkpagandeath wrote: »

Welcome to the RC Church hangover from the RC church for those not in the RC Church. We know better than you little people. Don't worry about us Drinking expensive booze and drinking large amounts … You are just not allowed to.

Wibbs wrote: »

Actually P my contention would be that Irish people are more likely to be centrists on damn near everything. That's very much reflected in our politics as a general rule. TBH I see this as a Good Thing(™). Unlike say the Latins who can go full on hardline en masse one way or t'other, the Irish have tended to be like our weather we don't run too hot or too cold either way.