Michael McDowell on Tubridy Tonight

Daithio

God I hate this guy. Both of these guys actually. McDowell's ridiculous attitudes about crime and drugs just highlighted the gulf that exists between the public and the politicians, and Tubridy was embarrassingly bad at grilling him on important issues. What a farce.

The Corinthian

Daithio wrote:

the gulf that exists between the public and the politicians

What gave you such a clear insight into the vox populi?

Kernel

The main question behind the whole interview, for me, was: do you need any kind of charisma to be in the PD's, or RTE!?

EDIT: Ah no, Ryan isn't the worst, I suppose, but I stand by my PD comment!

DadaKopf

I was just shocked by his "endearing" story about how he met his wife. At an FG or L&H UCD bash in the prehistoric times, he was annoyed that this girl interrupted his conversation with some other dolt so he poured a bottle of beer over her. But she stayed, so he knew she was the girl for him.

Smoooooooth.

What a wanker.

Kernel

Oh, btw, I've just noticed the OP's statement about McDowells "ridiculous attitudes about crime and drugs", but I happened to think that one of the points he made is very valid. Namely, that people in Ireland think they can innocently smoke a few joints every week, or do a few lines of coke, without any of the gangland trouble we have seen. I thought he was spot on with that, if many people in our society support criminal activities (drugs smugglers/distributors) without suffering the repercussions, then they are living with their heads in the sand.

If you buy an illegal substance, you are funding a market for people who deal with illegal substances. And they ain't always nice.

Kernel

DadaKopf wrote:

Smoooooooth.

What a wanker.

Yepp! I actually said those last 3 words of yours while I was watching the interview! haha.

Nuttzz

DadaKopf wrote:

I was just shocked by his "endearing" story about how he met his wife. At an FG or L&H UCD bash in the prehistoric times, he was annoyed that this girl interrupted his conversation with some other dolt so he poured a bottle of beer over her. But she stayed, so he knew she was the girl for him.

Smoooooooth.

What a wanker.

quite, sure students these days never do silly things :rolleyes:

damien

Nuttzz wrote:

quite, sure students these days never do silly things :rolleyes:

Not if McDowell has his way.

Nuttzz

damien.m wrote:

Not if McDowell has his way.

show me his campaign against students....

w66w66

McDowell and the state are the biggest supporters of the criminal underworld. Without them and their futile war on drugs, they’d be out of business.

w66w66

w66w66 wrote:

McDowell and the state are the biggest supporters of the criminal underworld. Without them and their futile war on drugs, they’d be out of business.

Could you explain what you mean there?

I'm losing patience with this thread, its full of one liners and lacks discussion...

therecklessone

DadaKopf wrote:

I was just shocked by his "endearing" story about how he met his wife. At an FG or L&H UCD bash in the prehistoric times, he was annoyed that this girl interrupted his conversation with some other dolt so he poured a bottle of beer over her. But she stayed, so he knew she was the girl for him.

You'd think with an approach to life like that he'd be an enthusiastic supporter of extending pub opening hours, wouldn't you???

w66w66 wrote:

McDowell and the state are the biggest supporters of the criminal underworld. Without them and their futile war on drugs, they’d be out of business.

Earthman, I imagine the argument is that criminalising recreational drugs plays into the hands of organised crime as much as the use of said drugs do.

If cannabis was legalised, then a few joints of a weekend would put money in the pockets of a business man and the government, rather than the criminals.

TheBigLebowski

He did come across an awful muppet on the show. I'm sure his wife was thrilled by the comments he made about how they got together. Although she is married to the gimp so that doesn't say too much for her anyway.

Always amuses me to see how quickly any thread about McDowell on any board turns into just abuse about his looks and nonsense like the post above saying he is the biggest supporter of crime. All we need now are the references to Hitler and fascism to cap it off...

The Corinthian

Deleted User wrote:

Always amuses me to see how quickly any thread about McDowell on any board turns into just abuse about his looks and nonsense like the post above saying he is the biggest supporter of crime. All we need now are the references to Hitler and fascism to cap it off...

Indeed. Agree or disagree with him, he's elected and in office. He may not reflect the opinions of the under 25's who like to talk bollocks in the pub about him, but then again most of them don't bother voting in the first place.

He had an interview on television that confirmed that people here don’t like him and that they feel he’s a wanker. Great stuff - why don’t you go back to the pub to bitch about it and let the grown ups run the country.

In the meantime, this thread is hardly a political debate.

FTA69

Kernel wrote:

If you buy an illegal substance, you are funding a market for people who deal with illegal substances. And they ain't always nice.

Sure by that logic if you drink in a pub you are funding the machinery which is responsible for the terrible drink problem we have in Ireland. There's no point in getting all worked up about people smoking a substance which is less dangerous than alcohol simply because it breaches the law. Perhaps if politicians had the slightest bit of vision they would legalise cannabis and that would eliminate the criminal element surrounding it altogether. Besides, there are plenty of people who grow their own cannabis and smoke it themselves, what harm is that doing to society?

maccor

The Corinthian wrote:

Indeed. Agree or disagree with him, he's elected and in office. He may not reflect the opinions of the under 25's who like to talk bollocks in the pub about him, but then again most of them don't bother voting in the first place.

He had an interview on television that confirmed that people here don’t like him and that they feel he’s a wanker. Great stuff - why don’t you go back to the pub to bitch about it and let the grown ups run the country.

In the meantime, this thread is hardly a political debate.

it may have whizzed past when you werent looking, but mcdowell has more who hate him that the under 25s or students. many people who actually vote, myself included, wonder at what is going on in the country when the minsiter for justice introduces things like ASBOs while the crime rate soars. gangland warefare is on the increase, as is drug use - in fact has the man done anything whatsoever to help justice in the country?

all he does is whinge about how he and the PDs will be ousted by Sinn Fein, though he does say all that in coded language. things like Gerry Adams is in the IRA (no proof but sure mcdowell apparently doesnt need it) plus the good old IRA done the bank robbery (on proof again, but gawd, sure isnt he minsiter for justice). He's obviously a closet Shinner.

The man's a waster.

Dave!

FTA69 wrote:

Sure by that logic if you drink in a pub you are funding the machinery which is responsible for the terrible drink problem we have in Ireland. There's no point in getting all worked up about people smoking a substance which is less dangerous than alcohol simply because it breaches the law. Perhaps if politicians had the slightest bit of vision they would legalise cannabis and that would eliminate the criminal element surrounding it altogether. Besides, there are plenty of people who grow their own cannabis and smoke it themselves, what harm is that doing to society?

Indeed, just what I was going to say.

Snickers Man

FTA69 wrote:

Sure by that logic if you drink in a pub you are funding the machinery which is responsible for the terrible drink problem we have in Ireland. There's no point in getting all worked up about people smoking a substance which is less dangerous than alcohol simply because it breaches the law. Perhaps if politicians had the slightest bit of vision they would legalise cannabis and that would eliminate the criminal element surrounding it altogether. Besides, there are plenty of people who grow their own cannabis and smoke it themselves, what harm is that doing to society?

But then let's put it another way. Less than a generation ago, some young working class workers in Dunnes Stores refused to handle South African produce, because it would involve doing business with the reprehensible apartheid regime which we were all asked to oppose, peacefully of course.

Now what's your attitude there? 'Ah sure it's only oranges and pineapples. What harm did they ever do anyone?'

But the point that buying SA produce was supporting the sort of undesirable that was creaming the most cash out of it was an accepted one by many people of the day.

I'm afraid that argument would be lost on today's generation of over-paid (you'd have to be to afford cocaine) narcotic-snorting hedonists.

I say jail them on first offence for posession of cocaine.

That'll soon sort them out.

All it does is make you talk ****e anyway. And **** up your nose.

Kernel

FTA69 wrote:

Sure by that logic if you drink in a pub you are funding the machinery which is responsible for the terrible drink problem we have in Ireland. There's no point in getting all worked up about people smoking a substance which is less dangerous than alcohol simply because it breaches the law. Perhaps if politicians had the slightest bit of vision they would legalise cannabis and that would eliminate the criminal element surrounding it altogether. Besides, there are plenty of people who grow their own cannabis and smoke it themselves, what harm is that doing to society?

I think you've completely missed the point. The point is, hash, coke and many other illegal substances are brought into the country and distributed by nefarious criminal gangs. If you buy your hash or your coke, you are funding these gangs, and you are a part of why there are so many gangland shootings happening at the moment.

If I go to a pub, I pay my money to have a legal product, sold by a business which pays tax and is subject to the law and to legal guidelines. You don't see one chain of superpub carrying out drive-bys on a competitor.

Legalising cannabis is not the solution to every criminal problem in this country. :rolleyes: And has little to do with this debate tbh.

w66w66

I didn’t mean to suggest that McDowell wants to deliberately support criminal activities, I was merely trying to make a quip about what I perceive to be the absurdity of are drug laws. Considering the massive social ills that drugs brings to this country, and the fact that the problem has been consistently growing worse over the years, it just amazes me to see the lack of innovation displayed by are politicians in dealing with this issue. Watching McDowell talk about this issue, I just get the impression his churning out the same old populist approach in dealing with this issue, the same approach which has been a consistent failure over the years.

Freelancer

Kernel wrote:

I think you've completely missed the point. The point is, hash, coke and many other illegal substances are brought into the country and distributed by nefarious criminal gangs. If you buy your hash or your coke, you are funding these gangs, and you are a part of why there are so many gangland shootings happening at the moment.

If I go to a pub, I pay my money to have a legal product, sold by a business which pays tax and is subject to the law and to legal guidelines. You don't see one chain of superpub carrying out drive-bys on a competitor.

Legalising cannabis is not the solution to every criminal problem in this country. :rolleyes: And has little to do with this debate tbh.

And you've completely missed the point, if the substances were legalised they would no longer be a source of revenue for criminals.

The Corinthian

Freelancer wrote:

And you've completely missed the point, if the substances were legalised they would no longer be a source of revenue for criminals.

Let's legalize everything then...

Freelancer

The Corinthian wrote:

Let's legalize everything then...

I'm certainly not arguing that, I was just clarifying two posters misreading of FTA69s argument.

The Corinthian

Freelancer wrote:

I'm certainly not arguing that, I was just clarifying two posters misreading of FTA69s argument.

I’m not saying you are, simply pointing out that one cannot make the simplistic argument that legalisation is a cure-all. It may deny a black market in whatever it may be, but it forgets that there may well have been a good reason why it is illegal in the first place and would appear to be as guilty of the same knee-jerk politics as McDowell is often accused of.

Freelancer

The Corinthian wrote:

I’m not saying you are, simply pointing out that one cannot make the simplistic argument that legalisation is a cure-all. It may deny a black market in whatever it may be, but it forgets that there may well have been a good reason why it is illegal in the first place and would appear to be as guilty of the same knee-jerk politics as McDowell is often accused of.

Well exactly cigarettes and alcohol are legal yet we still have a thriving black market in them both.

People don't want to pay duty, apparently vast quantities of vodka in the north in produced by the IRA, and border cigarette smuggling was and (maybe still is) a thriving trade.

The suggestion that legalisation will end the black market ignores this, it's not a cure all.

Turner

w66w66 wrote:

McDowell and the state are the biggest supporters of the criminal underworld. Without them and their futile war on drugs, they’d be out of business.

What rubbish, if you really think that you shouldnt be allowed post here.

earthman wrote:

I'm losing patience with this thread, its full of one liners and lacks discussion...

With posts like the one above I see what you mean.


Mc Dowell is an excellent Minister for Justice, he took on the prison officers and won, Operation Anvil has forced many criminals in dublin to go to ground or move to Alicante/Malaga, and he has vowed to keep this going indefinitely and even extend it to Limerick and Cork. His plans to move moutnjoy and try and clear up the drug problem within the prison show he is committed to both criminals and the general population.

He has got an irratible stubborness which I think ideally suits a Minister for Justice, when the prison officers tried it on with him he dug in the heels closing Spike Island and set in motion plans for Gardai to take over from striking prison officers.

Chief.

Kernel

The Corinthian wrote:

I’m not saying you are, simply pointing out that one cannot make the simplistic argument that legalisation is a cure-all. It may deny a black market in whatever it may be, but it forgets that there may well have been a good reason why it is illegal in the first place and would appear to be as guilty of the same knee-jerk politics as McDowell is often accused of.

Thanks Corinthian, at least you have some common sense and understand what kind of logic people are posting.

Freelancer

Chief--- wrote:

Mc Dowell is an excellent Minister for Justice, he took on the prison officers and won, Operation Anvil has forced many criminals in dublin to go to ground or move to Alicante/Malaga, and he has vowed to keep this going indefinitely and even extend it to Limerick and Cork. His plans to move moutnjoy and try and clear up the drug problem within the prison show he is committed to both criminals and the general population.

Can I ask what, exactly he's done to clear up the drug problem in the prison population, and what exactly has he done in cork and limerick?

By the sounds of your description he's just translated government immirgration police and applied it crime.

It's just we've had over 20 gun related deaths in the capital this year, and by the looks of it a massive gang war taking place, we've had the collaspe of trials in limerick of serious criminals. Mc Dowell has allowed the crime problem in Ireland sky rocket while he rants about Sinn Fein, and his holiday home in Cavan. Himself and Harney have two cabinet positions and both departments have been disaster areas for their time in government and show no real sign of improvement.

And this is a bug bear, what about Garda reform? We've been waiting four and a half years for the independent police investigative force. It was a campaign promise, it's been years in the pipeline and it appears to be going nowhere.

mike65

I love a minister that the kids can't stand. Long may he be pissing off student card holders and wastrels. Next leader of the PDs?

Mike.

Freelancer

mike65 wrote:

I love a minister that the kids can't stand. Long may he be pissing off student card holders and wastrels. Next leader of the PDs?

Mike.

Another one liner adding nothing to the debate. I generaly think the caveat that the someone is doing a good job if they p*ss someone off should be limited to rockstars and boyfriends.

Now if Mc Dowell was a Minister for justice that criminals can't stand that'd be a good criteria for measuring his success.