Why does everyone hate kevin myers?

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.

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"

djpbarry

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

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...

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

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?

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?

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

oncevotedff

DrumSteve wrote: »

Why Is this?

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

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

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.

PaulieD

thebman wrote: »

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

The stats are from the cso.

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.

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.

thebman

PaulieD wrote: »

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.

When take into account all Nigerian's over the age of 15!!! How many of those are still in school or college?

Should every Nigerian over 15 be expected to be in work?

Nodin

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

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

So you think that a person cannot be a citizen of a certain state if they are a certain 'race' or skin colour?

herya

PaulieD wrote: »

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.

This is a valid issue all right.

But do you honestly think he does it because he cares for the Irish state? Duh. He couldn't care less, he despises it just as he despites "non Caucasian faces" in the London crowd. He does it to bring up the word "Nigerians" and sell more copies/get more clicks from people who display knee jerk reaction to it.

Manic Moran

He's clearly and blatantly associating race/skin colour with nationality.

Ah, no. Back to logic class for you. He actually is deliberately distinguishing between the two by acknowledging "and when there was, of course, that was no guarantee that it was British." This very much shows that he's aware that there are both British non-caucasians and non-British non-caucasians.

And it's not as if he's not saying that which many people are thinking. How many times on Boards have people complained that the Irish vote in the Eurovision keeps going to Eastern European countries due to the large numbers of foreigners living here? How often have people on Boards complained about the fact that it seems very rare that an Irish native is found behind the bar at the pub or the till of a shop (and the fact that American tourists are very confused)

So you think that a person cannot be a citizen of a certain state if they are a certain 'race' or skin colour?

I don't think it's a citizenship thing as much of a cultural thing. Ireland has a fairly unique, homogenous and identifiable culture and history behind it subject to influence from the fairly culturally similar UK. Unlike other countries such as the US was are identified by their immigrants, Ireland is not, and indeed, large-scale immigration probably dilutes Irish culture. Whether this is a good thing or not is an entirely separate issue, but that's not to say that it's not a change which is going to happen.

To that end, Mr Myers is quite correct.

NTM

Nodin

Manic Moran wrote: »

Ah, no. Back to logic class for you. He actually is deliberately distinguishing between the two by acknowledging "and when there was, of course, that was no guarantee that it was British." This very much shows that he's aware that there are both British non-caucasians and non-British non-caucasians.

Emmm...back to the drawing board for you, Sir. Thats admitting there are non-British caucasians, but not contradicting his central point that non-white = non-'British'.

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

Manic Moran wrote: »

And it's not as if he's not saying that which many people are thinking. How many times on Boards have people complained that the Irish vote in the Eurovision keeps going to Eastern European countries due to the large numbers of foreigners living here? How often have people on Boards complained about the fact that it seems very rare that an Irish native is found behind the bar at the pub or the till of a shop (and the fact that American tourists are very confused).

People thinking it and it being true are not the same thing....

Manic Moran wrote: »

I don't think it's a citizenship thing as much of a cultural thing. Ireland has a fairly unique, homogenous and identifiable culture and history behind it subject to influence from the fairly culturally similar UK. Unlike other countries such as the US was are identified by their immigrants, Ireland is not, and indeed, large-scale immigration probably dilutes Irish culture. Whether this is a good thing or not is an entirely separate issue, but that's not to say that it's not a change which is going to happen.).

Yet he's taking London as his starting point....



NTM[/quote]

population

Manic Moran wrote: »

I don't think it's a citizenship thing as much of a cultural thing. Ireland has a fairly unique, homogenous and identifiable culture.

A drinking culture

ih8northsiders

Manic Moran wrote: »

I don't think it's a citizenship thing as much of a cultural thing. Ireland has a fairly unique, homogenous and identifiable culture and history behind it subject to influence from the fairly culturally similar UK. Unlike other countries such as the US was are identified by their immigrants, Ireland is not, and indeed, large-scale immigration probably dilutes Irish culture. Whether this is a good thing or not is an entirely separate issue, but that's not to say that it's not a change which is going to happen.

NTM

Yes ancient culture Ireland has a very rich and excellent culture but our modern culture is by no means unique. Our culture is supporting British soccer teams, watching Eastenders and basically behaving like British people.:mad:

Manic Moran

Emmm...back to the drawing board for you, Sir.

You are correct, and I retract my first comment.

NTM

irish_bob

ih8northsiders wrote: »

Yes ancient culture Ireland has a very rich and excellent culture but our modern culture is by no means unique. Our culture is supporting British soccer teams, watching Eastenders and basically behaving like British people.:mad:

i can think of worse people we could behave like tbh

ascanbe

DrumSteve wrote: »

Not sure if this should be in politics ( so feel free to move it).

While I dont agree with some of what he says he does raise some valid points in his opinion pieces. but everytime i go to the politics forum and his name comes up a good majority of people say they would not piss on him if he was on fire(figuratively speaking).

Why Is this?

Not everyone hates Kevin Myers.
He loves himself, for one.
He's also beloved of people who use terms like 'i'm a straight talker', 'i call a spade a spade' and 'the PC brigade' in lieu of offering a coherent argument.

Kalashnikov_Kid

My 2 cents - since when did people value professional opinion-piece journalists as being a career worthy of note in society. Myers, Dunphy, O'Toole - all essentially cut from the same cloth. I doubt any of them have ever done an honest day's work. At the end of the day, we owe them nothing and vice-versa. They're paid to write pretty paragraphs that sell and that's it.

FlutterinBantam

I value them.

I may not always agree with them, especially people like Robert Fisk, but they make a valued contribution most balanced people can appreciate.

Who is this "we" you constantly refer to?

FlutterinBantam

ascanbe wrote: »

Not everyone hates Kevin Myers.
He loves himself, for one.
He's also beloved of people who use terms like 'i'm a straight talker', 'i call a spade a spade' and 'the PC brigade' in lieu of offering a coherent argument.

Coherent argument about what exactly?

imme

Sometimes he's right about what he says, but it's the way he says it, it's as if he goes out of his way to be objectionableincendiary.

PeakOutput

ih8northsiders wrote: »

Yes ancient culture Ireland has a very rich and excellent culture but our modern culture is by no means unique. Our culture is supporting British soccer teams, watching Eastenders and basically behaving like British people.:mad:

well 'ih8northsiders' maybe you should leave the city every once in a while,even as a born and bred dub i know our city does not our culture make

i dont hate kevin myers he can be funny and most of the time i find myself agreeing with him

he gets a bad rep because he tends not to pussy foot around class issues or race issues and we have alot of working class and alot of immigrants. besides that one article on single mothers he really is not all THAT controversial

FlutterinBantam

His biggest "problem" could be that he tells the truth, and exposes the scammers and wasters and jack-in -the-box merchants for what they are.

We tend not to like the truth in Ireland.;)

herya

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

His biggest "problem" could be that he tells the truth, and exposes the scammers and wasters and jack-in -the-box merchants for what they are.

Oh really. Why doesn't he go after the real rip off merchants and fat cat scammers then? Somehow he prefers to rant about single mothers, Travellers, immigrants and feminists - easy rant and automatic respect among taxi drivers.

irish_bob

herya wrote: »

Oh really. Why doesn't he go after the real rip off merchants and fat cat scammers then? Somehow he prefers to rant about single mothers, Travellers, immigrants and feminists - easy rant and automatic respect among taxi drivers.

he regulary brings up the rip off merchants that run this country , FAS , the goverment , other state run monopolys , as for what he wrote about tinkers , he was refering to a guy who raped an elderly woman despite having been a convicted criminal from an earlier offence , he also mentioned the rapists mum who defended him to the hilt , cant remember any other time he has brought up tinkers tbh

Nodin

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

His biggest "problem" could be that he tells the truth, and exposes the scammers and wasters and jack-in -the-box merchants for what they are.

We tend not to like the truth in Ireland.;)

As pointed out earlier, what he says and the "truth" are often seen to be at variance.

FTA69

Why does everyone hate Kevin Myers? Because he's a pompous blimp who can't engage a topic without blustering, ballooning sh*te-talk. Case closed.

As an aside, while I can tolerate your Harris' and your Myers' (they're madness is actually a bit of craic sometimes) I just can't abide that bloody John Waters. I plonked myself on the couch yesterday and had to be subjected to his bloody warblings on Nationwide with his arsish, sacharinely descriptive bullsh*t. I wish someone would just hit him a few good digs and tell him stop bloody whinging for once in his life. And will he ever cut his hair. The clown.