Soden for Ireland becoming the 51st state

oppenheimer1

I'd like to congratulate Ronald Quinlan for cherry picking quotes to make a story more sensational. This is at least better than the Independents usual ploy of making up quotes to unattributable sources (See main headline article today for a perfect example of this).

Mr. Soden merely put forth an argument but does not state his own opinion. This is rather a discussion on the pros and cons of such a move. This is of course utter pie in the sky nonsense and is only a theoretical possibility. Politically, socially and economically we operate differently. Convergence to the US model would be next to impossible.

southsiderosie

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

I'd like to congratulate Ronald Quinlan for cherry picking quotes to make a story more sensational. This is at least better than the Independents usual ploy of making up quotes to unattributable sources (See main headline article today for a perfect example of this).

Mr. Soden merely put forth an argument but does not state his own opinion. This is rather a discussion on the pros and cons of such a move. This is of course utter pie in the sky nonsense and is only a theoretical possibility. Politically, socially and economically we operate differently. Convergence to the US model would be next to impossible.

You could probably get by with being the lost county of Massachusetts.

oppenheimer1

southsiderosie wrote: »

You could probably get by with being the lost county of Massachusetts.

I don't get the reference, can you explain?

old_aussie

It will not happen, the US is pretty right for potatoes.

old_aussie

It will not happen, the US doesn't have a shortage of potatoes.

southsiderosie

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

I don't get the reference, can you explain?

Massachusetts is a state on the far Eastern coast of the US that is full of third and fourth generation Irish people. Between the political machines, the bars, the overpriced infrastructure projects, the Catholicism, and Southie, Ireland could easily be the lost county of Massachusetts; sure it's only a five hour flight anyway.

starre

Ireland joining the USA used to be a regular opinion piece trotted out in the newspapers back in pre celtic tiger days. I remember debating it in school.

johngalway

"maybe an annual payment for a number of years to get our finances back in balance"

Ah now, what have you been smoking Mr Soden?

The USA, where "In God we trust, everyone else pays cash" giving us a handout.

They'd need their heads examined.

Plus I'd strongly object to being under the, ahem, "leadership" of Obama, who's as bad as Cowan any day of the week.

*waits for the rabblerabblerabble of our own left wing nutjobs*

Don't believe me? Wait for the mid terms, then we'll talk about it.

ei.sdraob

"We were always at war with EastAsia"

I for one welcome our new Oceanic overlords :P


jokes aside, the indo just went down a further notch (if that was even possible!), the quality of writing in the media which pays the likes of this guy and Alison is one of the reasons this country is where it is, but yeh as long as people keep buying their rag and they keep selling adspace....

southsiderosie

starre wrote: »

Ireland joining the USA used to be a regular opinion piece trotted out in the newspapers back in pre celtic tiger days. I remember debating it in school.

Really? What were the arguments back then?

Cabaal

Yeah because the US is better then Europe
:rolleyes:

LookingFor

Count me in. Most of my earnings are in dollars now anyway, and converting to euros sucks.

Also, I want netflix.

edit - Also, half of south Dublin already speaks with 'American' accents, so...

not even wrong

saywhatyousee wrote: »

i hate the E.U with a passion.I cant understand why Irish people defend it so much.it robbed ireland out of 70bn euro

Absolute rubbish

getz

its not as daft as you think,check this out,on august 28th 2000,the US international trade commission[USITC] released a report on its findings on the impact on the US economy of including the UK in a free trade arrangement with the US,CANADA and MEXICO,this was from a request by the british goverment

southsiderosie

getz wrote: »

its not as daft as you think,check this out,on august 28th 2000,the US international trade commission[USITC] released a report on its findings on the impact on the US economy of including the UK in a free trade arrangement with the US,CANADA and MEXICO,this was from a request by the british goverment

But a free trade agreement is a far cry from "joining" the US. NAFTA countries don't even have the automatic right to work in other member countries; it is a far less integrated system than the EU's.

aDeener

Sanjuro wrote: »

I don't dislike America. Or Americans. The many Americans I've met have been very pleasant people. But there is absolutely no way in hell I'd want to live in their idea of democracy. We have our problems. And they are many. But when you look at the US' medical system, their judicial system, their electoral system, then there's something to be said about our way of running things. Badly.

whoah wait now, i can't comment on all the states but our judicial system is in need of a complete overhaul. it is a farce

getz

southsiderosie wrote: »

But a free trade agreement is a far cry from "joining" the US. NAFTA countries don't even have the automatic right to work in other member countries; it is a far less integrated system than the EU's.

it is very different, but as you can understand most UK citizens have no love for the EU,if they could have voted [like ireland did] we would have been out of it now,the politicians know this,and that is why they are all reluctant to fully commit, so if for some reason the EU goes down the plug hole,the UK has already has done the ground work, and has a way out.and i would like to think irealand would join them

HavingCrack

getz wrote: »

it is very different, but as you can understand most UK citizens have no love for the EU,if they could have voted [like ireland did] we would have been out of it now,the politicians know this,and that is why they are all reluctant to fully commit, so if for some reason the EU goes down the plug hole,the UK has already has done the ground work, and has a way out.and i would like to think irealand would join them

Geographically speaking North America is simply too far away even with aeroplanes for a free trade agreement to work particularly well I'd imagine.

getz

HavingCrack wrote: »

Geographically speaking North America is simply too far away even with aeroplanes for a free trade agreement to work particularly well I'd imagine.

not all trade is shipping cows about,inthe 2000 report it says the US is the UKs single largest trading partner and accounts for about 90%,of the UKs trade with north america,www.tradeobservator.org/libray.cff?=24995 .ihope this will upload for you

Liam Byrne

saywhatyousee wrote: »

there should be a union of english speaking countrys

:whistle:

fontanalis

johngalway wrote: »

"maybe an annual payment for a number of years to get our finances back in balance"

Ah now, what have you been smoking Mr Soden?

The USA, where "In God we trust, everyone else pays cash" giving us a handout.

They'd need their heads examined.

Plus I'd strongly object to being under the, ahem, "leadership" of Obama, who's as bad as Cowan any day of the week.

*waits for the rabblerabblerabble of our own left wing nutjobs*

Don't believe me? Wait for the mid terms, then we'll talk about it.

Because the "fiscal conservatives" will win?

southsiderosie

fontanalis wrote: »

Because the "fiscal conservatives" will win?

Hey if the lady who claims she is not but is a witch wins, then maybe she can make all of our national debt disappear.

ejmaztec

old_aussie wrote: »

It will not happen, the US is pretty right for potatoes.

old_aussie wrote: »

It will not happen, the US doesn't have a shortage of potatoes.

If at first you don't succeed, give up! That's my motto.:P

The Agogo

All in all, we at least agree that the Sindo is absolute rubbish though, right?