the Crowe brothers

mike kelly

TD's are not elected to run the country, they are elected to look after their constituency. How many civil servants has Brian Cowen moved to his constituency?

Amhran Nua

nuac wrote: »

I think Chinese classes in schools is a good idea. It is a huge country and a huge market. We may not like their human rights record, or their expansion into Tibet or threats to Taiwan, but if we want jobs we will have to do business with them. For that you need to know their language.

The Chinese market has a nasty habit of taking whatever you bring to it, making it its own, and kicking you out. Look what happened to twitter and youtube, they are trying the same thing with Google now as well. Given the massive social inequalities in the country I wouldn't give too much for their chances over the coming decades in any case, along with the fact that a solid third of their competitive advantage is due to currency manipulation, which is being rowed back on rapidly.

The vast majority of jobs that will come from there are ten euro a week jobs, they ain't the future of Ireland.

Amhran Nua

mike kelly wrote: »

TD's are not elected to run the country

So who is?

mike kelly

Amhran Nua wrote: »

So who is?

The country is "run" by senior civil servants who, under the direction of their political masters, ensure that the lives of property developers, big farmers, publicans, gardai and teachers are as comfortable as possible.

Amhran Nua

mike kelly wrote: »

The country is "run" by senior civil servants who, under the direction of their political masters, ensure that the lives of property developers, big farmers, publicans, gardai and teachers are as comfortable as possible.

You think it might be a good idea to remove permanence from among the benefits available to the civil service so? Wouldn't be that hard to do, a referendum would probably breeze through.

kippy

mike kelly wrote: »

The country is "run" by senior civil servants who, under the direction of their political masters, ensure that the lives of property developers, big farmers, publicans, gardai and teachers are as comfortable as possible.

Technically they are elected to make the decisions in order to run the country and to make representations on their constituents behalf. I dont think it was ever the case that the dail was set up so that Joe could get his passport that bit faster or that Michelle could get her college grant or that John could get onto that fas scheme that bit faster.........Senior civil servants mearly act upon these decisions.
Local Politics - ie country council/city councilers should be worried about local issues (which in fairness to crowe with the trees thing was what he was doing) however at Dail level the issues are national and local politics SHOULD not but does come into it.
These city councilers are allegedly looking after the interests of Galway people. Cutting down trees in one area of the city to move the problem to another area of the city is not looking after the interest of Galway city as a whole.......
Some of the decisions that come out of city hall and indeed some of the arguments/hold ups that happen for important events and/or infrastructure are laughable.

mike kelly

Amhran Nua wrote: »

You think it might be a good idea to remove permanence from among the benefits available to the civil service so? Wouldn't be that hard to do, a referendum would probably breeze through.

Absolutely. They should have to re-apply for their jobs every 5 years. They should also have to declare their political affiliations, as in the case in other european countries.

Actually, if you want to know how Ireland really works, read The Heather Blazing by Colm Toibin

Amhran Nua

mike kelly wrote: »

Actually, if you want to know how Ireland really works, read The Heather Blazing by Colm Toibin

Thanks, I'll take a good look at that. A lot of people are getting very uncomfortable with the long term sotto voce agendas which flash a fin now and again in government policies, and the talk of pressure being put on elected representatives by unelected beaurocrats (the Dept of Finance's recent NAMA fiasco comes to mind, as well as clangers being dropped in speeches by politicians which can be traced back to their research teams). I'll also put the proposal before the party so, and flesh out the idea a bit more.

mike kelly

Amhran Nua wrote: »

I'll also put the proposal before the party so, and flesh out the idea a bit more.

which party would that be?

Amhran Nua

mike kelly wrote: »

which party would that be?

www.amhrannua.com

mike kelly

Amhran Nua wrote: »

www.amhrannua.com

thanks, it looks like an interesting web site. Why don't you call into Crowes some evening and have a chat with Mike? he's always looking for new ideas :-)

Amhran Nua

mike kelly wrote: »

thanks, it looks like an interesting web site. Why don't you call into Crowes some evening and have a chat with Mike? he's always looking for new ideas :-)

I've spoken to senators, TDs, and councillors over the past while, and they are almost uniformly in support of what we are doing, but they won't move until we have more ground level support. Which means the doorsteps and looking after the potholes, mending the fences and small favours for big families, and we have been making a spirited effort to do that, but the country needs action now, not in ten years time when the system feels we have paid our dues.

Its like getting a bank loan - you can't get one until you don't need one.

Zzippy

mike kelly wrote: »

TD's are not elected to run the country, they are elected to look after their constituency.

mike kelly wrote: »

The country is "run" by senior civil servants who, under the direction of their political masters, ensure that the lives of property developers, big farmers, publicans, gardai and teachers are as comfortable as possible.

I can only assume the irony of these 2 statements is lost on you... :rolleyes:

As someone who is speaking up for FF here, its funny how you say that senior civil servants are directed by their political masters i.e. Fianna Fail, then go on to lament what they are doing under this direction. You would swear there was no connection between the 2...

mike kelly

Zzippy wrote: »

I can only assume the irony of these 2 statements is lost on you... :rolleyes:

As someone who is speaking up for FF here, its funny how you say that senior civil servants are directed by their political masters i.e. Fianna Fail, then go on to lament what they are doing under this direction. You would swear there was no connection between the 2...

The "political masters" are puppets who represent property developers, big farmers, publicans, gardai and teachers

Zzippy

mike kelly wrote: »

The "political masters" are puppets who represent property developers, big farmers, publicans, gardai and teachers

Aren't the "political masters" Fianna Fail TDs though? Seeing as you were speaking up on behalf of FF, yet giving out about how the country is being run... I fail to see how you can't reconcile the two statements. So on the one hand, FF are good - "sure who else is there?" and on the other hand they are puppets representing big business and public servants ( I like how you've lumped gardai and teachers in with property developers as if they somehow are as responsible for the economic crisis we are in :rolleyes: )

So which is it - are FF the answer, or are they puppets?

mike kelly

Garadi and teachers represent everything that is wrong with this country

mikom

mike kelly wrote: »

Garadi and teachers represent everything that is wrong with this country

Garadi??
I'm beginning to agree with you on the teachers........... obviously not doing their job.

dolphin city

china owns America

kippy

dolphin city wrote: »

china owns America

No one owns Americia. Americia owes china a lot of lula but the yanks still have one of the biggest nucleur arsenals in the world.....no one owns them....

mike kelly

going a bit off topic here

mikom

kippy wrote: »

No one owns Americia. Americia owes china a lot of lula but the yanks still have one of the biggest nucleur arsenals in the world.....no one owns them....

kippy

mike kelly wrote: »

going a bit off topic here

A tad alright.........

Zzippy

mike kelly wrote: »

Garadi and teachers represent everything that is wrong with this country

Oh sorry, I must have missed something - did the guards and the teachers cause the property boom (and bust)? Did they borrow billions and not repay their loans? Did they hand out over-inflated mortgages and loans to the rest of the country? Did they hang out in the tent at the Galway Races???

Did they fuck!

The did their jobs, like they're supposed to do. They got paid, like everyone else who did their jobs. They paid their taxes, like everyone else (oh hang on)... how is that representative of everything that is wrong with this country? :rolleyes:

Fianna Fail, on the other hand, represent everything that is wrong with this country. But you've been taken in so much by the FF spin that its the public sector worker who caused the mess that you can't see that. Sad.

Amhran Nua

dolphin city wrote: »

china owns America

7% of US debt, thats what China owns. Seven percent. This reminds me of Japan in the 80s, everyone was hysterical they'd buy up everything in the US, and yet here we are thirty years later, they're stuck in semi permanent recession and the US is doing great, comparitively. The lads across the pond have more than a couple of tricks up their sleeves, never fear.

McDougal

mike kelly wrote: »

Garadi and teachers represent everything that is wrong with this country

What sort of uneducated rubbish is that?

Sponge Bob

McDougal wrote: »

What sort of uneducated rubbish is that?

Feck all guards and teachers live in (or drink in) Bohermore, never did eiither. :cool:

Fuinseog

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Feck all guards and teachers live in (or drink in) Bohermore, never did eiither. :cool:

thats because within living memory an uncouth element lived there.

Fuinseog

mike kelly wrote: »

What did he get in the Leaving Cert?

bish boy if I am not mistaken. i wonder do they have his portrait hanging up there.

mike kelly

McDougal wrote: »

What sort of uneducated rubbish is that?

how many teachers do we have in the Dail? Your arrogance is unbelievable. Teachers here are way overpaid compared to other countries.

mike kelly

Fuinseog wrote: »

thats because within living memory an uncouth element lived there.

come on now, ollie is a nice lad