Are we the greatest nation on the planet?

Edgware · 18-03-2019 8:41pm

corner of hells wrote: »

It wasn't decided on the basis of a county vote , the GAA would have sat and around 250 or so delegates voted.
You couldn't possibly have any vote with just 32 members governing such a huge body.

Sinn Fein and DUP are both elected representives of sections in society with a mandate to look for what they deem is best for whoever elected.

By the way , you heard of the saying " don't mix politics and sport" ?

The delegates from five of the six were mandated to vote no to opening reflecting the views at club level

Kermit.de.frog · 19-03-2019 7:00pm

My list of greatest nations in order...

1. United States of America (by some distance)
2. South Korea
3. Germany
4. Japan
5. China

...

105. Ireland (we don't even make the top 100 OP)
...

Franz Von Peppercorn · 19-03-2019 7:30pm

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

My list of greatest nations in order...

1. United States of America (by some distance)
2. South Korea
3. Germany
4. Japan
5. China

...

105. Ireland (we don't even make the top 100 OP)
...

Strange list. I think you just like their roads.

The US appeals to people who haven’t lived there. It has its charms but is horrible for many citizens.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 19-03-2019 7:33pm

Greatest nation? Nah. But I like Ireland. One thing I’m always grateful for is that we are not a nation prone to natural disasters. We truly are blessed in that regard.

Gimme A Pound · 19-03-2019 11:27pm

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

My list of greatest nations in order...

1. United States of America (by some distance)
2. South Korea
3. Germany
4. Japan
5. China

...

105. Ireland (we don't even make the top 100 OP)
...

Why so hard on yourself Kermie?

Snow Garden · 20-03-2019 12:36am

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

My list of greatest nations in order...

1. United States of America (by some distance)
2. South Korea
3. Germany
4. Japan
5. China

...

105. Ireland (we don't even make the top 100 OP)
...

I have been to China 5 times since 1998. Each time was an eye opener. Those guys are strategically superior to every other country in the world by a country mile. Their plan to take over the globe economically is now unstoppable. I don't understand how little coverage there is about how China are gobbling up resources everywhere to ensure global domination forever. Great bunch of lads.

Tuco88 · 20-03-2019 1:01am

I'm gona go with Finland.

Holding off the might of the Soviet Union and even taking the offensive at one stage.

Thats not balls of steel, thats balls of titanium status...

Ireland is the best a putting donkeys in Government. I'm sure we can all agree on that one, its people who only care about themselves and the party rather than the nation's long-term future.

They're so brainwashed its frighting.

Wheeliebin30 · 20-03-2019 7:51am

Tuco88 wrote: »

I'm gona go with Finland.

Holding off the might of the Soviet Union and even taking the offensive at one stage.

Thats not balls of steel, thats balls of titanium status...

Ireland is the best a putting donkeys in Government. I'm sure we can all agree on that one, its people who only care about themselves and the party rather than the nation's long-term future.

They're so brainwashed its frighting.

That’s what the people want though.

They won’t vote for politicians who think in the long term.

People here want things now and only vote for politicians who will fix their potholes now and put money in the pockets now.

It’s a vicious cycle.

Wanderer78 · 20-03-2019 8:02am

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

They wonâ€™t vote for politicians who think in the long term.

Politics isn't a long term game, and that's not just here, most western nations are the same, with Italy changing its government almost every year. Do we really have politicians that have long term thinking in their dna, I'm not convinced?

AMG1988 · 20-03-2019 8:15am

I don't disagree with anything from that opening post at all! Makes me proud being Irish & reading that.

Teddy Daniels · 20-03-2019 8:26am

Feisar wrote: »

Well Diageo is American isn't it?

Aurther Guinness was one of the landed gentry, basically a tan and would have identified as English. He had a brewery and went over to London and got a stout recipe. THE IRISH DID NOT INVENT STOUT. Guinness would not employ a Catholic in a management position until 1972 when they were forced to by the government.
Despite all this through the power of marketing Guinness is Irish.

Arthur Guinness's parents Richard and Elizabeth were both the children of tenant farmers in Dublin and Kildare. Richard's family claimed a descent from the Gaelic Magennis clan of County Down.[2] Recent DNA evidence however suggests descent from the McCartans, another County Down clan, whose spiritual home of Kinelarty included the townland of "Guiness" near Ballynahinch, County Down.

He was church of Ireland but not landed gentry and certainly not a tan. He was a supporter of Grattan and later of the act of union but would have identified as Irish and British. I don’t know about the management thing but I had herd that Guinness was a closed shop and still very much is.

jim-mcdee · 20-03-2019 8:28am

Squatter wrote: »

How could you omit Traveller Culture and Conor McGregor from that comprehensive list?

I think both could be included in the same category

janfebmar · 20-03-2019 9:46am

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

People here want things now and only vote for politicians who will fix their potholes now and put money in the pockets now.

.

That's the problem with Ireland, our politicians of all parties.

gormdubhgorm · 20-03-2019 2:46pm

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

My list of greatest nations in order...

1. United States of America (by some distance)
2. South Korea
3. Germany
4. Japan
5. China

...

105. Ireland (we don't even make the top 100 OP)
...

Ah you only have the USA there because of Miss Piggy (be honest).
USA greatest nation on earth? :eek:
Most hyped nation on earth more like - it ignores sh!te healthcare system (if you are poor yer f**ked), chronic obesity (oversized portion sizes), odd attitude to guns/gun laws, and plastic surgery as a lifestyle choice for the rich (how can anyone think it looks realistic?). Involvement in foreign wars on false pretenses WMD etc. The USA have a history of overthrowing democratically elected governments when it suits them.
https://www.oddhistorian.com/list-of-democratically-elected-governments-overthrown-by-the-us/-
My personal favourite is the first '9/11' Chile 1973
Plus they put Pol Pot in power in Cambodia.
http://www.redcafe.net/threads/how-the-us-backed-pol-pot.29317/
And obviously of course there is the blinkered backing of the Israeli state.

Have you ever tasted a Hershey chocolate bar? Rotten stuff! And to top it all off when you buy something in America it is not the price written on the label - you have to add tax yourself!
Oh and really unnatural looking white teeth is another one.

Worse still they are the cause of backward baseball caps, and they have the gall to say they won WWII for the French when the country who took the brunt in WWII was the Russians.' Freedom fries' me @rse.
Plus Americans have little knowledge of the world outside America - 'St Patty's day' etc.

It is because of America that teenagers all over Ireland talk with that stupid faux American accent with lots of 'likes' used as commas in speech.
It is because of America we don't even call films - 'filums' anymore it is 'movies' now apparently.
Greatest nation on earth me hole. Their two candidates in the last Presidential election were Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump which shows how broken American democracy/duopoly is.

Ash.J.Williams · 20-03-2019 2:49pm

Pronto63 wrote: »

A day before our National holiday this question must be asked.

Ok we're not perfect, we have our issues but seriously can any other nation punch above their weight like us?

1. Sport. Even though we have 4 main field sports on the island (hurling, GAA, soccer & rugby) we still manage to complete at the highest level in rugby - I know disappointing result today - well done Wales.

2. Literature. Joyce, Beckett, Heaney to name just 3. I know English is our de facto mother language but again we can express ourselves at the highest level.

3. Music. Boyzone, Westlife, U2 again naming 3 that just pop into my head and although I'm a U2 fan I think Bono talks some sh1te.

4. U.N. For a small nation we have an enviable record of UN service well served by our small but throughly professional Defence Forces.

5. What other nation, with the possible exception of the USA has the entire planet celebrate their National Holiday.
Examples:
- Saw a piece on morning TV this morning about a Paddy's Day parade in some Japanese city that was in its 3rd year. Complete with loads of little japanese kids dressed in green tryin to do jigs.

- A 1 on 1 with the leader of the free world (God help us!) every year - guaranteed.

- From the Eiffel Tour and Sydney Opera House to Niagra Falls some 290 global landmarks in 50 countries turn green to celebrate OUR national day.

6. The entire population of the planet claim to be Irish on the 17th. And they're allowed on the 17th.

Well?

Are we great or what?

rugby is a global minority sport
i'm ashamed of westlife and boyzone
we pay to turn things green, its a tourist bord thing.
the diaspora FLED ireland
Do you read much becket and joyce?

jimgoose · 20-03-2019 2:57pm

Proportional representation. One important upshot of it is that the individual vote actually means something and gets candidates' attention. God knows we fuck plenty of things up, but the way we go about business means that when complex, multi-faceted issues present, it is always possibly eventually to thrash out a consensus. Unlike jurisdictions such as the USA and UK, where you end up with Donald Trump and Harry Enfield. In fact, in the USA they don't seem to acknowledge the existence of anything bar a first-past-the-post voting setup. And they'll tell you the Electoral College is "The Problem". :pac::pac::pac:

Cina · 20-03-2019 3:05pm

I'd say... we're the second best nation on the planet.

Reati · 20-03-2019 3:08pm

We're 14th.

Overall Rank Country
1 Finland
2 Norway
3 Denmark
4 Iceland
5 Switzerland
6 Netherlands
7 Canada
8 New Zealand
9 Sweden
10 Australia
11 Israel
12 Austria
13 Costa Rica
14 Ireland

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Happiness_Report#2019_World_Happiness_Report

Cienciano · 20-03-2019 3:08pm

I wouldn't like to live anywhere else as I like Ireland, we do well as a nation, but as soon as someone says something like "Are we the greatest nation on the planet?" I just think "wánker"

Not directed at you OP, anyone from any country that says that would get the same reaction.

BorneTobyWilde · 20-03-2019 3:10pm

I do love how the French take no crap from their government. One fault of us, we get walked all over and just talk about it. French are people of action, they are willing to remind their government '' you work for us!! ''

Wanderer78 · 20-03-2019 3:11pm

BorneTobyWilde wrote:

I do love how the French take no crap from their government. One fault of us, we get walked all over and just talk about it. French are people of action, they are willing to remind their government '' you work for us!! ''

I admire them greatly for this

gormdubhgorm · 20-03-2019 3:15pm

Cienciano wrote: »

I wouldn't like to live anywhere else as I like Ireland, we do well as a nation, but as soon as someone says something like "Are we the greatest nation on the planet?" I just think "wánker"

Not directed at you OP, anyone from any country that says that would get the same reaction.

I agree it is like calling yourself 'the chosen people', that never ends well!

Edgware · 20-03-2019 7:28pm

Cienciano wrote: »

I wouldn't like to live anywhere else as I like Ireland, we do well as a nation, but as soon as someone says something like "Are we the greatest nation on the planet?" I just think "wánker"

Not directed at you OP, anyone from any country that says that would get the same reaction.

Wánker

KevinCavan · 20-03-2019 7:36pm

We have an overly inflated view of ourselves as a nation. We also want to be constantly relevant and important on the world stage, for example if a train crashes in China we want to find an Irish link. In such a scenario we will say there was a man of Irish descent on the train who died and forget the 99 others who died, this is an Irish tragedy because of the one man of Irish extraction who died on the train.

Pherekydes · 20-03-2019 7:52pm

I wouldn't say greatest, but we have to be in the top 200, at least.

I'd certainly put us ahead of the Vatican, Saudi Arabia and any other religious sh1tholes.

janfebmar · 20-03-2019 8:57pm

Reati wrote: »

We're 14th.

Overall Rank Country
1 Finland
2 Norway
3 Denmark
4 Iceland
5 Switzerland
6 Netherlands
7 Canada
8 New Zealand
9 Sweden
10 Australia
11 Israel
12 Austria
13 Costa Rica
14 Ireland

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Happiness_Report#2019_World_Happiness_Report

What do the top 10 countries have in common
- none of the top 10 are Catholic countries. Has to be a fault in that survey somewhere.

Edgware · 20-03-2019 9:23pm

KevinCavan wrote: »

We have an overly inflated view of ourselves as a nation. We also want to be constantly relevant and important on the world stage, for example if a train crashes in China we want to find an Irish link. In such a scenario we will say there was a man of Irish descent on the train who died and forget the 99 others who died, this is an Irish tragedy because of the one man of Irish extraction who died on the train.

"Local man dies at sea" headline when the Titanic went down

odyssey06 · 20-03-2019 9:35pm

KevinCavan wrote: »

We have an overly inflated view of ourselves as a nation. We also want to be constantly relevant and important on the world stage, for example if a train crashes in China we want to find an Irish link. In such a scenario we will say there was a man of Irish descent on the train who died and forget the 99 others who died, this is an Irish tragedy because of the one man of Irish extraction who died on the train.

What countries Tv news have you watched who dont do this?

Reati · 21-03-2019 1:57pm

janfebmar wrote: »

What do the top 10 countries have in common
- none of the top 10 are Catholic countries. Has to be a fault in that survey somewhere.

People who live in countries where the church has no impact are happier? Seems logical enough to me!

jimgoose · 21-03-2019 2:05pm

Edgware wrote: »

"Local man dies at sea" headline when the Titanic went down

We like to keep our eye on Russia, like the Skibbereen Eagle.

El_Bee · 21-03-2019 2:54pm

We're only as great as the least of us, and we've got some pretty least-y people.

Wheeliebin30 · 21-03-2019 3:00pm

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

I do love how the French take no crap from their government. One fault of us, we get walked all over and just talk about it. French are people of action, they are willing to remind their government '' you work for us!! ''

Yeah let’s trash our country to the tune of millions of euros of losses to business etc.

That’ll show them.

gormdubhgorm · 21-03-2019 3:07pm

KevinCavan wrote: »

We have an overly inflated view of ourselves as a nation. We also want to be constantly relevant and important on the world stage, for example if a train crashes in China we want to find an Irish link. In such a scenario we will say there was a man of Irish descent on the train who died and forget the 99 others who died, this is an Irish tragedy because of the one man of Irish extraction who died on the train.

Every country does that it is not just an Irish phenomenon- See The Telegraph - in their headline below from the 25th July 2013:

Briton injured and at least 80 killed in Spanish rail crash
A British traveller was among more than 100 people injured in a horrific rail crash in northern Spain that left at least 80 dead.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/10201394/Briton-injured-and-at-least-80-killed-in-Spanish-rail-crash.html

Or the Germanwings plane crash of 2015 Israeli perspective:

An Israeli citizen among the dead in Germanwings crash flight

https://www.jerusalemonline.com/an-israeli-citizen-among-the-dead-in-germanwings-crash-flight-12458/

American perspective on the same crash:

Three US citizens among 150 killed in Germanwings crash

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/other/three-us-citizens-among-150-killed-in-germanwings-crash/vi-AAa002u

gormdubhgorm · 21-03-2019 3:10pm

Pherekydes wrote: »

I wouldn't say greatest, but we have to be in the top 200, at least.

I'd certainly put us ahead of the Vatican, Saudi Arabia and any other religious sh1tholes.

High praise indeed considering there is only 195 countries in the world!
http://www.worldometers.info/geography/how-many-countries-are-there-in-the-world/

Pronto63 · 21-03-2019 3:23pm

Cienciano wrote: »

I wouldn't like to live anywhere else as I like Ireland, we do well as a nation, but as soon as someone says something like "Are we the greatest nation on the planet?" I just think "wánker"

Not directed at you OP, anyone from any country that says that would get the same reaction.

I'm highly offended.

I'm heading to my snowflake shelter for a rest!:D

Pronto63 · 21-03-2019 3:25pm

KevinCavan wrote: »

We have an overly inflated view of ourselves as a nation. We also want to be constantly relevant and important on the world stage, for example if a train crashes in China we want to find an Irish link. In such a scenario we will say there was a man of Irish descent on the train who died and forget the 99 others who died, this is an Irish tragedy because of the one man of Irish extraction who died on the train.

I think every nation is guilty of this.

topper75 · 21-03-2019 3:45pm

barrier86 wrote: »

Tax haven.

Haven yeah? Where can I find a haven from the effective income tax rate of >50c on the € regime* currently employed in Ireland?

*rate you find yourself on if you dare become any more ambitious than stacking supermarket shelves.

gormdubhgorm · 21-03-2019 7:59pm

janfebmar wrote: »

What do the top 10 countries have in common
- none of the top 10 are Catholic countries. Has to be a fault in that survey somewhere.

The alternative view could be that Ireland is the one of the best Catholic countries in the world!?

KevinCavan · 21-03-2019 9:11pm

I’ve been to other countries in Europe where you don’t have scumbags and feral kids loitering and acting the maggot. I’ve also been on trams in Europe where you don’t see junkies/ scumbags. Ireland has gone to the dogs with beggars, junkies, alcoholics and feral kids roaming city streets. The Irish aren’t as polite as other nations, teenagers in particular seem to be a lot more dignified in other countries. Over here teenagers habitually scream, roar and cause mischief.

namloc1980 · 21-03-2019 9:32pm

KevinCavan wrote: »

I’ve been to other countries in Europe where you don’t have scumbags and feral kids loitering and acting the maggot. I’ve also been on trams in Europe where you don’t see junkies/ scumbags. Ireland has gone to the dogs with beggars, junkies, alcoholics and feral kids roaming city streets. The Irish aren’t as polite as other nations, teenagers in particular seem to be a lot more dignified in other countries. Over here teenagers habitually scream, roar and cause mischief.

Went to the Euros in Paris in 2016. Have never seen so many scumbags, junkies and absolutely poverty stricken areas in my life and certainly not to the same extent in Ireland.

janfebmar · 21-03-2019 9:42pm

KevinCavan wrote: »

I’ve been to other countries in Europe where you don’t have scumbags and feral kids loitering and acting the maggot. I’ve also been on trams in Europe where you don’t see junkies/ scumbags. Ireland has gone to the dogs with beggars, junkies, alcoholics and feral kids roaming city streets. The Irish aren’t as polite as other nations, teenagers in particular seem to be a lot more dignified in other countries. Over here teenagers habitually scream, roar and cause mischief.

Not to mention, Irelands biggest export, the people Peter Casey goes on about. I was talking to a businessman abroad and he said they had a break in from errr Irish people of the travelling type.

Pherekydes · 21-03-2019 10:34pm

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

High praise indeed considering there is only 195 countries in the world!
http://www.worldometers.info/geography/how-many-countries-are-there-in-the-world/

The IAAF has 214 members; FIFA has 211; the IOC has 206.

The UN recognises 197.

/shrug

Are we the greatest nation on the planet?

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