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Why does everyone hate kevin myers?

2

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,271 ✭✭✭irish_bob


    I appreciate that the majority media opinion may not be the opinion of the majority of Irish people (I think I said so in my post). However, I don't think that the media is disproportionately left wing. I think overall the Irish media is centre-right with a healthy does of liberal attitudes, much like most things in Ireland.

    Kevin Meyers' opinion can't properly be described as right wing either: some times his views could be considered extreme right wing, others fairly left wing. Usually though, I think he just shoots from the hip and disagrees with what he perceives as accepted wisdom.

    how anyone could deny the media in ireland is not left wing is beyond me , evidence is everywhere , joe higgins when he lost his dail seat in 2007 was just as big a feature on tv and radio afterwards , richard boyd barrett who only got elected to town council level this year has been a regular contributor on tv and radio this number of years despite being nothing but a proffessional protestor , both theese men represent a tiny minority of public opinion , if you watch vincent brownes show , he has academics like ciaran allen make regular appearanced in which they call for bolshevism from the irish public and more or less brand certain business people as being criminals , the poverty industry seems to have someone on brownes show at least once a week , telling us how unequal a society we have , i have yet to see anyone on brownes show make the case for an all out privitisation of the health service , the narrative in irish media is quite obviously liberal to me and many others


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,271 ✭✭✭irish_bob


    population wrote: »
    I do not care what accent anyone has. But his article last year on Africa was about the closest thing to incitement to hatred I think I had ever read in an Irish newspaper. I spoke to a very high ranking member of the Garda about another matter on the day that article came out, and he was genuinely shocked by it's content and it's potential to lead to pockets of violence towards members of the immigrant community.

    Myers got a rap on the knuckles from the press complaints commision and rather than take his medicine tried to blame it all on the Sub in the Indo who wrote the title. Noble brave man indeed.

    what did he say that was inaccurate in that piece , he mentioned the fact that sexual mores was different in africa than in europe and that ethiopia despite having a famine every decade is heading for a population of 140 million by 2050


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,077 ✭✭✭Rebelheart


    irish_bob wrote: »
    how anyone could deny the media in ireland is not left wing is beyond me , evidence is everywhere , joe higgins when he lost his dail seat in 2007 was just as big a feature on tv and radio afterwards , richard boyd barrett who only got elected to town council level this year has been a regular contributor on tv and radio this number of years despite being nothing but a proffessional protestor , both theese men represent a tiny minority of public opinion , if you watch vincent brownes show , he has academics like ciaran allen make regular appearanced in which they call for bolshevism from the irish public and more or less brand certain business people as being criminals , the poverty industry seems to have someone on brownes show at least once a week , telling us how unequal a society we have , i have yet to see anyone on brownes show make the case for an all out privitisation of the health service , the narrative in irish media is quite obviously liberal to me and many others

    You have got to be ****ting me: Anthony O'Reilly is running left wing newspapers?

    The "Irish" media is desperately at the service of capitalism, particularly of capitalism connected with that knight of the British crown, Anthony O Reilly.

    The only intelligent, thought-provoking, newspaper in Ireland is The Irish Times, although that has declined since it took on Miriam Lord from the Independent rag. The Sunday Business Post was good last time I read it, about five years ago. The Sunday Tribune was also refreshing when JJ Lee and Joe O Connor were writing for it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    Indeed, and you have Fergus Finlay who seems to me anyway to be practically on the staff out in RTE, banging the poverty drum day in day out!!

    Stand back and listen for a minute. The bould Fergus doesn't give a wet asswipe where his money comes from, as long as he gets it. He doesn't care if Joe and Annie can't pay their mortgage as long as his sector is catered for.
    He doesn't care if the Flutther is on his uppers, business gone to the wall, as long as his vested interest is supported.

    Always look BEHIND the person folks, you could learn a lot, always see where they are coming from;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 280 ✭✭Ziggurat


    irish_bob wrote: »
    how anyone could deny the media in ireland is not left wing is beyond me , evidence is everywhere , joe higgins when he lost his dail seat in 2007 was just as big a feature on tv and radio afterwards

    He's a well known politician, what do you expect?
    richard boyd barrett who only got elected to town council level this year has been a regular contributor on tv and radio this number of years despite being nothing but a proffessional protestor , both theese men represent a tiny minority of public opinion
    But they're well known to the public (at least I assume they are). People who are more well known are, obviously, going to be reported on much more. "The squeaky wheel gets the grease", after all.
    if you watch vincent brownes show , he has academics like ciaran allen make regular appearanced in which they call for bolshevism from the irish public and more or less brand certain business people as being criminals , the poverty industry seems to have someone on brownes show at least once a week , telling us how unequal a society we have , i have yet to see anyone on brownes show make the case for an all out privitisation of the health service , the narrative in irish media is quite obviously liberal to me and many others
    I wasn't aware that Vincent Browne constituted the entirety of Irish media.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    “What most struck me while watching BBC television news reports of the Christmas sales in the West End of London, was firstly obvious, and secondly, it was something that no one with the BBC would ever have remarked on. It was this. The shoppers — and there were thousands of them — were overwhelmingly of Asian or African origin. In the vast throngs of faces, there was barely a Caucasian face to be seen; and when there was, of course, that was no guarantee that it was British.” (Kevin Myers)

    I honestly can't see anything wrong with this statement - it is merely an observation without any real intent as far as I can see, unless you read your own opinion into it.

    I am well aware that Myers is an advocate of open discussion on immigration, but surely this cannot be a bad thing.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    “What most struck me while watching BBC television news reports of the Christmas sales in the West End of London, was firstly obvious, and secondly, it was something that no one with the BBC would ever have remarked on. It was this. The shoppers — and there were thousands of them — were overwhelmingly of Asian or African origin. In the vast throngs of faces, there was barely a Caucasian face to be seen; and when there was, of course, that was no guarantee that it was British.” (Kevin Myers)

    I honestly can't see anything wrong with this statement...
    If taken in isolation, there is nothing wrong with it, in the literal sense. However, when taken in the context of the entire article, there is something wrong (see my post above).

    Or let’s look at it another way; suppose we do take the above statement in isolation – what do you think he’s trying to say?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    djpbarry wrote: »
    If taken in isolation, there is nothing wrong with it, in the literal sense. However, when taken in the context of the entire article, there is something wrong (see my post above).

    Or let’s look at it another way; suppose we do take the above statement in isolation – what do you think he’s trying to say?
    :confused:
    Eh ? I suppose he was remarking on the factthat he noticed that the majority of the shoppers were non white!!

    If similar footage of similar scenes from Xmas shopping in Nairobi were shown and the majority of shoppers were Caucasian, it might engender a similar observation.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭MikeC101


    djpbarry wrote: »
    If taken in isolation, there is nothing wrong with it, in the literal sense. However, when taken in the context of the entire article, there is something wrong (see my post above).

    Or let’s look at it another way; suppose we do take the above statement in isolation – what do you think he’s trying to say?

    Given the amount of hotels, embassies, international organisations, tourist attractions and shops in the West End, it might not be all that surprising to see the majority of shoppers "overwhelmingly of Asian or African origin". Especially if it was filmed during office hours, then the vast majority of those shopping would be tourists, no?

    His statement though, I assume is referring to immigration, and he's trying to insinuate there has been too much in London? Or immigrants from certain geographical areas are over represented?

    Of course, if you're of a certain...political persuasion... it could be taken to mean the immigrants done took all the jobs and benefits and so on, and thus are the only ones who can afford to shop.

    I don't know, it's a bit of a nothing statement in my opinion - just trying to stir up some controversy on Myers behalf.

    For the record, I don't mind him really. I don't often agree with him, but he does occasionally have a good point to get across, and even when I disagree with him it's always interesting to read about a different viewpoint.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    MikeC101 wrote: »
    Given the amount of hotels, embassies, international organisations, tourist attractions and shops in the West End, it might not be all that surprising to see the majority of shoppers "overwhelmingly of Asian or African origin". Especially if it was filmed during office hours, then the vast majority of those shopping would be tourists, no?

    His statement though, I assume is referring to immigration, and he's trying to insinuate there has been too much in London? Or immigrants from certain geographical areas are over represented?

    Of course, if you're of a certain...political persuasion... it could be taken to mean the immigrants done took all the jobs and benefits and so on, and thus are the only ones who can afford to shop.

    I don't know, it's a bit of a nothing statement in my opinion - just trying to stir up some controversy on Myers behalf.

    For the record, I don't mind him really. I don't often agree with him, but he does occasionally have a good point to get across, and even when I disagree with him it's always interesting to read about a different viewpoint.

    You can read into it whatever you may... is it about immigration? Quite possibly, but I've heard Myers saying that we do need a proper open discussion on this issue, and as I said, an open discussion on this (and any issue) can surely not be a bad thing.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭MikeC101


    You can read into it whatever you may...

    Yeah, I'd agree with that. Without context it's easy to project what Myers means onto it.
    is it about immigration? Quite possibly, but I've heard Myers saying that we do need a proper open discussion on this issue, and as I said, an open discussion on this (and any issue) can surely not be a bad thing.

    I'd like to see more open discussion on immigration certainly, as it is it's hard to get any decent facts without them being to one extreme or the other.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3 Jesuss


    Myres makes good Paper and Radio. Stirs things up.

    Bit of a gobsh1te though. He has the pulse of the people and then misses the mark. the people being his people.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    MikeC101 wrote: »

    I'd like to see more open discussion on immigration certainly, as it is it's hard to get any decent facts without them being to one extreme or the other.

    Very true - one thing I like about Myers is that he's not afraid to broach any subject & though he may have his own opinion on the subject, he is never afraid to admit that he does not have all the facts, that he may be wrong or that he is open to arguments to the contrary.

    This is seen by many as him being controversial, and yes, he's gulity of leaning that way on occasions, but if the means justify the ends, I see no problem with that.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    I suppose he was remarking on the fact that he noticed that the majority of the shoppers were non white!!
    Right, ok.... so what? A snapshot of a London street, he notices a lot of non-white people, he feels compelled to put it in his column. Why?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,558 ✭✭✭✭dreamers75


    Hes the Eamon Dunphy of politics.


    Doesnt ahve an opinion as such, just creates one to generate a response.


    On "teh internet" they are called trolls.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    djpbarry wrote: »
    Right, ok.... so what? A snapshot of a London street, he notices a lot of non-white people, he feels compelled to put it in his column. Why?

    :confused:

    He is a social commentator, he is paid to make those observations.His job is to reflect in the paper what he sees and comment on it .


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,571 ✭✭✭herya


    dreamers75 wrote: »
    Hes the Eamon Dunphy of politics.

    Doesnt ahve an opinion as such, just creates one to generate a response.

    On "teh internet" they are called trolls.

    Exactly. I enjoy reading commentators whose beliefs are different to mine just to have a glimpse in somebody else's world and point of view but Myers doesn't have anything like this. He has no intellectual world construct of his, he just prods where he thinks it will hurt and he'll get a scream back. He comes across as a terribly spiteful human being so he must find it easy.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,271 ✭✭✭irish_bob


    Indeed, and you have Fergus Finlay who seems to me anyway to be practically on the staff out in RTE, banging the poverty drum day in day out!!

    Stand back and listen for a minute. The bould Fergus doesn't give a wet asswipe where his money comes from, as long as he gets it. He doesn't care if Joe and Annie can't pay their mortgage as long as his sector is catered for.
    He doesn't care if the Flutther is on his uppers, business gone to the wall, as long as his vested interest is supported.

    Always look BEHIND the person folks, you could learn a lot, always see where they are coming from;)

    fergus ( i dont believe any child should have to settle for 2nd hand books ) finlay is indeed a monotonous bore and the definition of a champagne socilist


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,271 ✭✭✭irish_bob


    Rebelheart wrote: »
    You have got to be ****ting me: Anthony O'Reilly is running left wing newspapers?

    The "Irish" media is desperately at the service of capitalism, particularly of capitalism connected with that knight of the British crown, Anthony O Reilly.

    The only intelligent, thought-provoking, newspaper in Ireland is The Irish Times, although that has declined since it took on Miriam Lord from the Independent rag. The Sunday Business Post was good last time I read it, about five years ago. The Sunday Tribune was also refreshing when JJ Lee and Joe O Connor were writing for it.

    the vast majority of people in ireland wish to live in a capitalist state , a tiny minority have the same views as joe higgins or richard boyd barrett or ciaran allen


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,271 ✭✭✭irish_bob


    Ziggurat wrote: »
    He's a well known politician, what do you expect?

    But they're well known to the public (at least I assume they are). People who are more well known are, obviously, going to be reported on much more. "The squeaky wheel gets the grease", after all.

    I wasn't aware that Vincent Browne constituted the entirety of Irish media.

    boyd barrett is well known due to the fact that he has always had easy access to the media , thats how hes well known , robbie keanne is well known because he plays for ireland and a large section of the country have a keen interest in this , the majority do not have a keen interests in the politics of boyd barrett otherwise he would not have taken untill 2009 to get elected to town council level


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    irish_bob wrote: »
    fergus ( i dont believe any child should have to settle for 2nd hand books ) finlay is indeed a monotonous bore and the definition of a champagne socilist


    Of course you don't Fergus,as long as you get someone else to foot the bill.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,271 ✭✭✭irish_bob


    herya wrote: »
    Exactly. I enjoy reading commentators whose beliefs are different to mine just to have a glimpse in somebody else's world and point of view but Myers doesn't have anything like this. He has no intellectual world construct of his, he just prods where he thinks it will hurt and he'll get a scream back. He comes across as a terribly spiteful human being so he must find it easy.

    i believe ciaran allen comes across as a terribly spitefull human being , ditto jack o connor , doctors differ and patients die etc


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    irish_bob wrote: »
    i believe ciaran allen comes across as a terribly spitefull human being , ditto jack o connor , doctors differ and patients die etc


    You have two right sackfuls of spiteful rhetoric there Bob, and thats the truth.
    Sling in Clare Daly and there is enough "anger" to power a small town;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,271 ✭✭✭irish_bob


    You have two right sackfuls of spiteful rhetoric there Bob, and thats the truth.
    Sling in Clare Daly and there is enough "anger" to power a small town;)

    forgot about that shrill witch :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    He is a social commentator, he is paid to make those observations.His job is to reflect in the paper what he sees and comment on it .
    You're deliberately dodging the question - we both know what the thrust of the article was (and why it spoke to the BNP).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 419 ✭✭RiverWilde


    Everyone doesn't hate Kevin Myers. Just those who can't stand people who speak their minds.

    From what I've read over the years Myers just speaks his mind, just puts it out there what he's seen or heard. His opinion is usually quite blunt and many people don't like that about him.

    They'd prefer if he kept his mouth shut.

    Riv


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    RiverWilde wrote: »
    Everyone doesn't hate Kevin Myers. Just those who can't stand people who speak their minds.

    From what I've read over the years Myers just speaks his mind, just puts it out there what he's seen or heard. His opinion is usually quite blunt and many people don't like that about him.

    They'd prefer if he kept his mouth shut.

    Riv

    In fairness that doesn't appear to be what he does. He appears to see what the norm is and aim for the polar opposite in order to attract attention to himself.

    He doesn't make his real opinions publically known IMHO.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 55 ✭✭ih8northsiders


    because hes an idiot. he seems like one of those people who believes ireland would be better off rejoining the UK.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 280 ✭✭Ziggurat


    irish_bob wrote: »
    boyd barrett is well known due to the fact that he has always had easy access to the media , thats how hes well known , robbie keanne is well known because he plays for ireland and a large section of the country have a keen interest in this , the majority do not have a keen interests in the politics of boyd barrett otherwise he would not have taken untill 2009 to get elected to town council level

    I still don't get what your problem is. What exactly are you trying to say here?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    because hes an idiot. he seems like one of those people who believes ireland would be better off rejoining the UK.

    So that makes him an idiot does it?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    djpbarry wrote: »
    You're deliberately dodging the question - we both know what the thrust of the article was (and why it spoke to the BNP).


    Not at all sir.

    A well written article provokes thought and discussion.

    Intelligent people reading such articles can evaluate the subject matter promulgated and make up their own minds .

    It may come as a surprise to a lot of people here that an opinion contrary to theirs is not necessarily wrong, or idiotic,it's another opinion.;)


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 7,466 ✭✭✭blinding


    People are smarter than we normally give them credit for.

    Myers is a wum making a very good income from it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    blinding wrote: »
    People are smarter than we normally give them credit for.

    Myers is a wum making a very good income from it.


    :confused:

    Eh? OK .


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    :confused:
    Eh ? I suppose he was remarking on the factthat he noticed that the majority of the shoppers were non white!!

    If similar footage of similar scenes from Xmas shopping in Nairobi were shown and the majority of shoppers were Caucasian, it might engender a similar observation.


    Considering that theres been non-white faces in Britain for a considerable period of time and a great number of them are in London, its like observing rain is wet.

    He's also associating skin colour with nationality. Even the right in America would tear into him for that.
    He is a social commentator, he is paid to make those observations.
    .

    ...if a wordy version of "O NOESSS!!11!! - DARKIES!!!!" constitutes social commentary.......

    I honestly can't see anything wrong with this statement - it is merely an observation without any real intent as far as I can see, unless you read your own opinion into it..

    See above.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    Nodin wrote: »
    Considering that theres been non-white faces in Britain for a considerable period of time and a great number of them are in London, its like observing rain is wet.



    He's also associating skin colour with nationality. Even the right in America would tear into him for that.



    ...if a wordy version of "O NOESSS!!11!! - DARKIES!!!!" constitutes social commentary.......




    See above.

    Stop putting your own meaning to his articles


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,271 ✭✭✭irish_bob


    Ziggurat wrote: »
    I still don't get what your problem is. What exactly are you trying to say here?

    im pointing out the dispropotionate level of air time , far left minority political views recieve in the irish media


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Stop putting your own meaning to his articles


    Acting the Myers are we? Allow me to quote the piece again....
    “What most struck me while watching BBC television news reports of the Christmas sales in the West End of London, was firstly obvious, and secondly, it was something that no one with the BBC would ever have remarked on. It was this. The shoppers — and there were thousands of them — were overwhelmingly of Asian or African origin. In the vast throngs of faces, there was barely a Caucasian face to be seen; and when there was, of course, that was no guarantee that it was British.”

    He's clearly and blatantly associating race/skin colour with nationality. Thus by Kev-think a Gurkha or Sikh, who may have fought for Britain in any number of wars, and hold a British passport is not "British". Thats racism pure and simple.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,255 ✭✭✭anonymous_joe


    thebman wrote: »
    In fairness that doesn't appear to be what he does. He appears to see what the norm is and aim for the polar opposite in order to attract attention to himself.

    He doesn't make his real opinions publically known IMHO.

    Pretty much bang on.

    He's spent years attempting to portray himself as the last bastion in the defence of the unstoppable tides of PC.

    I wouldn't be the most PC of people, but there's a time and a place for it. Myers on first glance comes across as someone offended by the evils of PC, but when you read his stuff regularly, you realise he just looks to piss people off. There's very little he writes for any reason other than shít-stirring.

    Mar shampla, his bástard incident. Yes, it's a technical term for the word, but one which has been out of favour for half a century or so. But are Myers seems incapable of copping that in his quest to offend. Lots of words have a change in meaning, when writing on a sensitive issue seriously, you'd hope someone would be smart enough to avoid using them.

    That'd be like writing an article on immigration to Ireland and complaining there are too many n*****s here. No decent person would do that, it's the kind of thing Myers has made a habit of.

    Also, the fcuk doesn't have the balls to support his home town team or his adopted town team but supported Munster. Cnut. :p


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,759 ✭✭✭✭dlofnep


    So that makes him an idiot does it?

    Yes, it does. The idea of Ireland rejoining the UK is an idiotic statement, and thus - the person who said it is by virtue of stating it - an idiot.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,510 ✭✭✭population


    :confused:
    Eh ? I suppose he was remarking on the factthat he noticed that the majority of the shoppers were non white!!

    So what!!! Please protect our children from all the non-whites!!! This is worthy of a newspaper column???


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,510 ✭✭✭population


    irish_bob wrote: »
    im pointing out the dispropotionate level of air time , far left minority political views recieve in the irish media

    Do you watch RTE? Do you read The Indo? I cant say I have ever switched over the 6 o clock news exacerbated at yet another opportunity for the Socialist party to harp on and on.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,510 ✭✭✭population


    Nodin wrote: »
    Acting the Myers are we? Allow me to quote the piece again....



    He's clearly and blatantly associating race/skin colour with nationality. Thus by Kev-think a Gurkha or Sikh, who may have fought for Britain in any number of wars, and hold a British passport is not "British". Thats racism pure and simple.

    Not only that, he is actually associating race/skin colour with something that is fundamentally "Wrong". It is blatant eurocentricism to associate white europeans with "normality", and to portray those different as "the other"


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    It may come as a surprise to a lot of people here that an opinion contrary to theirs is not necessarily wrong...
    True, but you’re the one that earlier stated...
    I read him an odd time and most of the time he is dead right.
    So I’ll ask again; with reference to the article originally quoted by Nodin (again, text here), what exactly is he ‘dead right’ about?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    djpbarry wrote: »
    True, but you’re the one that earlier stated... So I’ll ask again; with reference to the article originally quoted by Nodin (again, text here), what exactly is he ‘dead right’ about?
    :confused:

    In what he saw ,and is reporting on I presume.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 232 ✭✭oncevotedff


    DrumSteve wrote: »
    Why Is this?

    Because he calls a spade a spade and you're not supposed to do that in Ireland.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 932 ✭✭✭PaulieD


    He deserves major kudos for this excellent article.

    Second in the list of foreign groups availing of free accommodation, courtesy of the State, are who? Citizens of fellow EU states, such as the Poles, the Latvians, the Czechs or Slovaks? No, indeed not. The people who come second in the rent-allowance league table are the Nigerians -- barely less than the British, with 3,024 claimants. But whereas the British figure constitutes just 2.7pc of the total population of Britons living here, the figure for Nigerians is 18.6pc of their total Irish population of 16,300. Alas, just how many more Nigerian dependents are the beneficiaries of the rent allowances that are being granted to the 3,024 family-heads, I cannot say.
    Now this reliance upon the state for the accommodation of so many Nigerians reflects another rather uncomfortable truth which was revealed in the 2006 census, but which has never -- so far as I know -- been highlighted in the media. It is this: contrary to almost all predictions about the impact of immigrants upon an economy, a majority of Nigerians are not economically active at all. For even at the height of the boom, in 2006, only 38pc over the age of 15 were at work.

    http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/risible-lies-about-immigrants-no-substitute-for-honest-debate-1456226.html


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    PaulieD wrote: »
    He deserves major kudos for this excellent article.

    Second in the list of foreign groups availing of free accommodation, courtesy of the State, are who? Citizens of fellow EU states, such as the Poles, the Latvians, the Czechs or Slovaks? No, indeed not. The people who come second in the rent-allowance league table are the Nigerians -- barely less than the British, with 3,024 claimants. But whereas the British figure constitutes just 2.7pc of the total population of Britons living here, the figure for Nigerians is 18.6pc of their total Irish population of 16,300. Alas, just how many more Nigerian dependents are the beneficiaries of the rent allowances that are being granted to the 3,024 family-heads, I cannot say.
    Now this reliance upon the state for the accommodation of so many Nigerians reflects another rather uncomfortable truth which was revealed in the 2006 census, but which has never -- so far as I know -- been highlighted in the media. It is this: contrary to almost all predictions about the impact of immigrants upon an economy, a majority of Nigerians are not economically active at all. For even at the height of the boom, in 2006, only 38pc over the age of 15 were at work.

    http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/risible-lies-about-immigrants-no-substitute-for-honest-debate-1456226.html

    You can make statistics up to prove anything, 9/10 people know that.

    15 is very young, I'd like to know why that age is chosen. People over the age of 15 would be in education still in many cases. You'd need to know more about it before you can jump to his conclusion but he is just playing to the "darn those Nigerian" crowds rather than trying to be neutral on the subject. He doesn't want an honest story, he wants scandal and controversy.

    If no other journalist covered the issue, maybe they didn't because the stats have been selected carefully to show the picture Mr.Myers wants to paint.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 932 ✭✭✭PaulieD


    thebman wrote: »
    You can make statistics up to prove anything, 9/10 people know that.

    The stats are from the cso.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    PaulieD wrote: »
    The stats are from the cso.

    No sh** Einstein doesn't mean they are reflective of the situation. There could be a thousand other factors or even other stats in CSO that expain these stats. They are just standard stats from CSO, he is reading whatever he wants into it and presenting just enough to write the story he wants to write.

    He is a sh** stirrer, he stirs sh**. Its what he does. If no other newspaper is covering it, I'm guessing its because they have standards.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 932 ✭✭✭PaulieD


    thebman wrote: »
    No sh** Einstein doesn't mean they are reflective of the situation. There could be a thousand other factors or even other stats in CSO that expain these stats. They are just standard stats from CSO, he is reading whatever he wants into it and presenting just enough to write the story he wants to write.

    He is a sh** stirrer, he stirs sh**. Its what he does. If no other newspaper is covering it, I'm guessing its because they have standards.

    The fact is this, the majority of Nigerian citizens are being subsidised by the Irish state. Only Myers had the balls to touch the issue.


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