Sunday, May 24, 2009

Irish Economy: Arsonist Cowen claims credit for dousing the fire

In the week, the Ryan Commission reported on forty years of abuse at Irish juvenile prisons, known as industrial schools run by Catholic religious orders, and the conspiracy of the high and mighty in keeping the official more wholesome image of Ireland intact, an arsonist claimed credit for assisting in dousing the fire he allowed start and rage out of control.

Brian Cowen together with Bertie Ahern and Charlie McCreevy, through negligence and self-interest, head the guilty for responsibility, in the crash of the Irish economy.

His speech on Thursday night last, blaming the Opposition for the loss of Ireland's international reputation and claiming a "rapid recovery" is in store for the Irish economy next year, would not happen in most advanced democracies.

Given his own and his party Fianna Fáil's record of monumental misgovernance, people power elsewhere would have ousted such an appalling government from office and forced a general election.

In the past, "republican principles" were bragged about but the reality was grimly different.

The senior leadership of Irish banks have left or are on the way out, but Cowen like his predecessors, accept no responsibility for 12 wasted years.

What would suit him best is if the majority of the people remain as the eejits, Cowen' believes they are!

A Finfacts visitor made the following comment last Friday:

The guillotine is the only thing that this idiot Cowen would understand.
Either he believes the rubbish that comes out of his mouth, which means he is a
cretin, or else he doesn't, which means he is a lying, manipulative bastard. I
would prefer if it was the second, but I think it might be the first.

"The politics of the past" is about someone taking responsibility for the
dreadful state of Ireland's economy. Doubtful that this will happen, as
politicians need to fear the electorate to implement change, and there is no
fear in Irish politics. If FF lose power the life of an Opposition TD probably
isn't that bad, just sit on your hands and wait for the next election, bickering
over the minutiae, not addressing the real questions.....I really don't know
what it would take for a people power revolution, maybe the finances of the
country getting much worse.

I am coming around to the idea that the country actually needs some civil
unrest, needs the change and engagement that this might entail. The complete
inertia in the system seems totally incapable of coping with the requirements of
a small open economy.

Finfacts articles:

Irish Economy: Cowen says his policies will bring “rapid growth” in 2010; Rejects “dead-end politics of the past” but provides no credible vision of change for the future

Irish Economy: The 2001 economic consensus that paved the road to economic ruin

Ireland's economic recovery will be dependent on America's but President Obama's isn't making economically idiotic statements on a "rapid recovery" in 2010 even though the recession is expected to end in the second half of next year:

US Economy: V-shaped recovery unlikely: Recession has further to go; Prolonged convalescence likely

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Choice in Dublin Bye Elections on June 5th: Crony Ireland or New Ireland

There is no better illustration of the stark choice facing the Irish electorate, than the forthcoming Dublin bye elections on June 5th.

I have recently written how the Irish and Japanese systems have many similarities.

They both have a dominant political party which has ruled for decades.

Nepotism is a strong characteristic of both systems and the dominant parties have strong links with their construction sectors.

This week the governing Fianna Fáil Party, selected the 72-year Maurice Ahern to stand in the Dublin Central constituency and 35-year old Shay Brennan to stand in the Dublin South constituency.

Ahern wishes to join his brother former Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Bertie and another brother Noel in the Dáil (Lower House of Parliament ) while Shay Brennan wants to inherit his late father's seat as did current Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Mary Coughlan and Minister for Finance Brian Cowen.

Days after Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said he needed to retain his teaching job after 20 years on leave and prevent another person having a full-time job, because the job of a TD is "precarious," George Lee, the economics editor at the State broadcaster RTÉ, decided to run for the main Opposition party, Fine Gael, in Dublin South.

Lee had become a household name for his warnings of risk and bad policy making during the runaway property boom and the wreckage in recent time, left by the bust.

Ireland desperately needs hope of change from the current motley cocktail of teachers, auctioneers, small-town solicitors and farmers, who preside over a broken political system.

George Lee has left a secure job behind and Ireland needs more like him.

It's laughable that teacher and minister Micheál Martin had charge of enterprise policy when he encouraged entrepreneurs to take risks.

We need to leave behind the "bogman" politics and build a modern democracy with people of ability taking risks in politics and business.

I took risks myself in becoming a business entrepreneur and I applaud George Lee for his decision.

New approach needed to fix broken Irish political system

Ireland and Japan; the Human Cost of broken political systems