Enda Kenny on the cover of Time magazine: 'The Celtic Comeback'

Sergeant

Just wait till the money trees in Enda's back garden start to spout their fruit. That €12 billion euro hole in the public finances will just disappear, and we'll soon have a hospital in every village, an ipad for every child, and €1000 a week pensions. It will also mean that Biggins won't have to replace the Shift and 1 keys on his keyboard.

Monty Burnz

bbam wrote: »

However, did they say that given a Decade in power they might do something?? NO, they didn't

Bear in mind that the two government parties ran on their own platforms, not as a coalition, and bear in mind that they have to allow for the stupidity of an electorate who expect results within a year of them taking office, not a decade.

bbam

Monty Burnz wrote: »

Yup, I agree with you re. the senate, but cutting the senate would save peanuts compared to other stuff. It still should be done, even if only to show that the (failed) politicians are taking a hit too.

Leadership is the key... not PR stunts and cringworthy articles.

seamus

bbam wrote: »

http://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/labourmarket/principalstatistics/seasonallyadjustedstandardisedunemploymentratessur/

Has unemployment, including long term unemployment not increased since they took over.. or maybe the CSO are against the government too.

By a whole 0.5%? Those idiots!
If you can't see how a 0.5% increase in two years after a 9.4% increase in the preceding 3 years is a positive indicator, then there's not really any helping you.

I think you'll find that to many of those who have emigrated or the broken families left behind that it's not such a good thing at all, and putting it in small font doesn't make it any easier.

Sentimental nonsense. We're trying to fix an economy here, not keep people happy.

patwicklow

Should be headlined Celtic Traiter would be more in keeping!

Monty Burnz

patwicklow wrote: »

Should be headlined Celtic Traiter would be more in keeping!

Time would probably spell it right.

Monty Burnz

bbam wrote: »

Leadership is the key... not PR stunts and cringworthy articles.

The article is positive for the perception of this country abroad - it will increase confidence and make investors more likely to create jobs here.

I'm not sure what you mean by PR stunts though?

bbam

Monty Burnz wrote: »

Bear in mind that the two government parties ran on their own platforms, not as a coalition, and bear in mind that they have to allow for the stupidity of an electorate who expect results within a year of them taking office, not a decade.

No, you see your missing the point because you're talking about the real world...

They gained office based on specific promises that they would deliver. now I appreciate that their tennure in office isn't over but thus far its been a list of disasters, u-turns, lies, stroke politics.
Never mind that they promised what couldnt be delivered by anyone, they only promised that because the electorate wanted to hear it, because it would get the protest vote to get them into power, hardly a strong platform for government, they either knew it was lies or they are as stupid as the general public you speak of.

Brain Stroking

bbam wrote: »

Leadership is the key... not PR stunts and cringworthy articles.

Honestly. Stop.

Monty Burnz

bbam wrote: »

No, you see your missing the point because you're talking about the real world...

They gained office based on specific promises that they would deliver. now I appreciate that their tennure in office isn't over but thus far its been a list of disasters, u-turns, lies, stroke politics.

Such as?

bbam wrote: »

Never mind that they promised what couldnt be delivered by anyone, they only promised that because the electorate wanted to hear it, because it would get the protest vote to get them into power, hardly a strong platform for government, they either knew it was lies or they are as stupid as the general public you speak of.

I'm not sure of the point you are making here - apologies.

Brain Stroking

[QUOTE=bbam;81104009

They gained office based on specific promises that they would deliver[/QUOTE]

They had to make promises or else the stupid short-term thinking electorate would have voted for someone else! Please please please stop talking about pre-election promises. It's pointless and irrelevant.

bbam

seamus wrote: »

By a whole 0.5%? Those idiots!
If you can't see how a 0.5% increase in two years after a 9.4% increase in the preceding 3 years is a positive indicator, then there's not really any helping you.Sentimental nonsense. We're trying to fix an economy here, not keep people happy.

Right..
So where you stated they had stopped unemployment from rising, you actually ment to say they haddn't stopped unemployment from rising..

I'm sure that those in the 0.5% who lost their jobs will see it as a mere blip on the good name of the government, nothing worth telling the truth about.


Its either a fact or its not, its either stopped or its not, claiming one thing when in fact the opposite is true is called a LIE

I'm seeing the connection here with the pre-election stuff...
Thanks for helping me with that...

Brain Stroking

patwicklow wrote: »

Should be headlined Celtic Traiter would be more in keeping!

Fail

washman3

Brain Stroking wrote: »

Using the above i think Enda and the present government are doing well.

We can only dispair at the fact we still have people in this country with attitudes like this... God help us.

Brain Stroking

bbam wrote: »

Right..
So where you stated they had stopped unemployment from rising, you actually ment to say they haddn't stopped unemployment from rising..

I'm sure that those in the 0.5% who lost their jobs will see it as a mere blip on the good name of the government, nothing worth telling the truth about.


Its either a fact or its not, its either stopped or its not, claiming one thing when in fact the opposite is true is called a LIE

I'm seeing the connection here with the pre-election stuff...
Thanks for helping me with that...

Yes but instead of getting in a twist please take a breath and realise that all political parties have to lie pre-election because the general population are not smart enough nor interested enough to base their voting preferences on anything other than short, sharp statements. It is sad but true.

Brain Stroking

washman3 wrote: »

We can only dispair at the fact we still have people in this country with attitudes like this... God help us.

I hope you all survive your "dispairing" intact.

I will sit at home and despair about other things.

bbam

Brain Stroking wrote: »

They had to make promises or else the stupid short-term thinking electorate would have voted for someone else! Please please please stop talking about pre-election promises. It's pointless and irrelevant.

Right.. brilliant..

Now the lies were for our own good and we should stop talking about them but instead be greatful we were lied to to save us from ourselves..

Honestly.. stop

Defiler Of The Coffin

washman3 wrote: »

We can only dispair at the fact we still have people in this country with attitudes like this... God help us.

What are the government not doing that you would like to see them doing? Defaulting on our debts?

Brain Stroking

bbam wrote: »

Right.. brilliant..

Now the lies were for our own good and we should stop talking about them but instead be greatful we were lied to to save us from ourselves..

Honestly.. stop

I never said the lies are for our own good at all. There is enough to argue about here rather than put words in my mouth.

jank

So the man who is elected to the highest office in the Republic gets on the cover of one of the world's most influential magazine with a positive spin and what do most people do.

Have a good ol Irish moan. Great jobs guys, keep up the good work, dont forget to ring up Joe this afternoon!.

Id say most haven't even read the article, saw a headline and like an irresistible itch just had to give it a moan or two. These same tools probably voted for FF in droves in 2002 and 2007 as the boom was getting boomier. I suppose you want to have a new property boom again.

Sorry but this is the real world, you are not going to get a government, any government to turn around the sorry economic mess that Ireland had become less than two years ago, but sure vote away for the ULA types that promise the earth moon and stars to gullible idiots. " I want, no sorry demand free everything and I want the government to pay for it, oh and also turn around the economy in a matter of weeks!! Thanks!"

seamus

bbam wrote: »

Right..
So where you stated they had stopped unemployment from rising, you actually ment to say they haddn't stopped unemployment from rising..

So shoot me for brevity. The unemployment rate is practically stable. You're aware that in relative terms, the unemployment rate increase between 2001 and 2003, at the height of a boom, was five times greater than the increase between Feb 2011 and now*? A 0.5% increase on 14.3% is stability, for all intents and purposes.

As I say, shoot me for brevity.

I'm sure that those in the 0.5% who lost their jobs will see it as a mere blip on the good name of the government, nothing worth telling the truth about.

More sentimental rubbish. Tell me why a 0.5% increase in 20 months against a 14.3% total unemployment rate is something worth worrying about.

Between 2001 and 2003, the number of people on the live register increased by 18%. Between Feb 2011 and now, it's increased by 3.5%

Sorcha16

I can just imagine the response if Enda told the world 'We're fcuked, your potential investments are wasted here'

Politics is a game, whether we like or not so of course our political leader is going to project a positive outlook -you don't reveal you've ran out of ammunition when you're in the middle of a battlefield!

washman3

Brain Stroking wrote: »

I will sit at home and despair about other things.

you can indeed...;)
while your gold plated public service pension and increments remain intact.:D
dont rock the boat, somebody may just notice..;)

geetar

jesus, the typical AH anti-gov posts are reeally getting old.

if you want to know how ireland is improving read a newspaper or two. Comparatively, Ireland is leading the way in terms of recessionary countries.

Look at Spain, Greece et al, and tell me what problem you have with this article? We've adopted strict austerity measures (correctly) and are on the way to recovery, and making every target along the way.

Look at the bond markets, and youll see they are the strongest they've been in the last 3 years.

the moaning about what happened is getting old at this stage. how people arent moving on and looking at the future is beyond me.

bbam

seamus wrote: »

Tell me why a 0.5% increase in 20 months against a 14.3% total unemployment rate is something worth worrying about.

Two things..

Every single job lost is worth worrying about, its an income lost, a fmaily in toruble, less spending power in the economy which leads to more jobs lost, it causes further SW claimns which are added expences to the already overburdened system.. Every single job lost is the be worried about and its either arrogant or ignorant of you to suggest otherwise.

Secondly there is the matter of the truth, you didnt say unemployment had virtually stabilised, you said it had stopped rising, it simply isnt true.

Monty Burnz

geetar wrote: »

Look at Spain, Greece et al, and tell me what problem you have with this article? We've adopted strict austerity measures (correctly) and are on the way to recovery, and making every target along the way.

Not strict enough, I would say - but can you imagine the reaction here (and in the real world) if the government were to tear up Croke Park or cut social welfare?

washman3

Sorcha16 wrote: »

I can just imagine the response if Enda told the world 'We're fcuked, your potential investments are wasted here'

Politics is a game, whether we like or not so of course our political leader is going to project a positive outlook -you don't reveal you've ran out of ammunition when you're in the middle of a battlefield!

welcome to boards.ie.....:)
have you just been summoned by 'the Party' ?
technology is amazing these days.!!

we've got plenty ammunition left. only problem is we've got nobody in power with the know-how or more inportantly the balls to use it.

Biggins

Monty Burnz wrote: »

Give us the list of incompetence and cronyism from this government there while you are at it. Here's what I can recall:

1. Trying to cut stuff that people don't want cut.
2. The health minister (seemingly, at least) trying to get a health centre or something located in his constituency.
3. ?

* Failed so far to tackle the removal of the Seanad.

* Failed to stop shoving money abroad with bondholdeers.

* Failed to prosecute ANY one of the religious criminals! (15,000 victims of sexual and physical violence known. 800 individual abusers identified. 18 Religious Orders named. ZERO Prosecutions.)

* Failed to cut expense claims: http://bigginsblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/no-dail-it-dont-stop-the-expense-claims/

* Failed on third level fees - Labour alone did a u-turn on that!

* Failed of Recapitalisation - anyone remember Varadkar saying that not another “red cent” would be put into the banks?

* Failed on the The Programme for Government which promised that banks in receipt of state support would be forced to forego a 25 basis point increase on their variable rate mortgage.

* Failed on the EU/IMF deal. Anyone remember "The EU/IMF deal was a bad deal for Ireland.” ( Eamon Gilmore), and “a disaster and an obscenity” (Micheal Noonan) ?

* Failed to cut 75 million in perks - - massively reduced to 3.5 million. the unions said thy were happy - well schite, I wonder why! LINK

* Failed over fathers rights, its still on the long finger, going nowhere!

* Failed on even getting 750 million from the culprits in the religious orgs that have actually left us with a bill of 1.5 billion!

* Failed to see the creep Cardinal Brady arrested. LINK LINK
They rather entertain him!

* Failed with their Programme for Government states when they stated “we will establish a Strategic Investment Bank”. They failed with a massive u-turn!

* Failed with upward Only Rent Reviews!

* Failed on the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy - they upped it again! LINK

* Failed on the use of state revenue in conjunction with wasteful websites which duplicate information already available on other government websites! LINK.

* Failed with Competition & Consumer Protection.
FG Manifesto: Promised a new “powerful consumer champion”, giving it “additional powers – by constitutional change if necessary – to break up public and private sector monopolies and cartels.”
Whats happened - NOTHING!
No mention of this in the prior Competition Bill 2011, and no commitment to constitutional change.

* Failed on the ban of corporate donations!

* Failed to deal with Dr James Reilly - Mr Kenny actually stated at one stage that James Reilly’s business affairs ‘entirely in order’ – and he stated this to the Dail! LINK

* Failed on the issue of "Golden Handshakes" in relation to severance Pay for Senior Civil Servants, another part issue they failed to address!

* Failed on the reducing the number of TDs.

* Failed in may ways over the Household tax.

* Failed over their supposed Climate Change initiatives/bill.

* Failed on their supposed cuts to junior ministers (instead of cutting 12 - they appointed 15!) LINK.

* Failed on their cuts to quangos.

* Failed on Ministerial advisors and their salary caps which was supposed to be within guidelines - broken constantly and massively!

* Failed on the Programme for Government when they promised to legislate to restore the Freedom of Information Act.

* Failed on protecting persona data! Re-quoting myself from here:

The Sunday Times (England) reported (09/09/12) that state agencies will be soon able to access data on people’s borrowings under plans to set up a national credit register.

The legislation, demanded by the bailout troika, has meant that Billy Hawkes, the data protection commissioner, is to raise concerns with the Department of Finance. The legislation has also been challenged by credit unions, which fear it will impose additional costs on lenders and deny some borrowers access to credit, forcing them to deal with moneylenders.

Under the plans, Revenue, the Department of Social Protection, and other state agencies will be able to ask the finance minister for access to the register, which will hold details of all loans in excess of €500. State agencies would have to demonstrate that access is for “the public good” (whatever the hell that is!).

Ireland’s finance department is claiming state agencies will not be allowed access to individuals’ credit files, only to aggregate data on borrowing patterns across the population however, this restriction on access is not specified in the draft legislation. The Irish League of Credit Unions has told the government it additionally fears the proposed register will be a money-making racket for the exchequer and the Central Bank, which will run the register.

…Yet another invented money rake-in racket which will be eventually passed on to the Irish people as banks pass down the cost?

Cronyism?
You want cronyism?

To requote myself from here: http://bigginsblog.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/the-cronyism-nepotism-continues-no-change-then-from-fianna-fail/

After returning from their luxury think-in’s from their hotel residences, Labour, Fine Gael and its members continue to do what they please despite even breaking their own rules and guidelines.

A case in point is left-winger Colm Keaveney. Against what was supposed to be allowed, he went and only hired his own wife, giving her a wage of €52,000 a year. Nice eh?

This is the same Colm Keaveney that denounced cuts to funding for the old and those relying on home care.

The decision to hire his wife is in direct contradiction to what the party headquarters tells its TD’s and senators not to do. The same ethos is supposedly (supposed to be) practised by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail following a public outcry over ‘jobs for the boys’ during the last administration and when when Fine Gael saw on Enda Kenny’s own watch, Brendan Griffin and Alan Farrell hire their own wives too on taxpayers wages!

Colm Keaveney is currently paid €92,672 as a standard TD and has claimed… wait for it… €50,543.23 in expenses last year alone. His expenses bill for this year is expected to be larger as the total for last year does not include January and most of February.

Since his job awarding move has been exposed, it appears now that there has been come rapid ‘changes’ in the home of Colm Keaveney and now the job his wife was awarded, has become available again? He’s now states to the media that he now plans to advertise her job.

— — — — —

Figures from earlier this year showed that one in five Labour and Fine Gael TD’s has hired their own family on a full-time basis even after calls for the practise of cronyism and nepotism to end! They defy the calling with the arrogance of a two fingered salute!

Some have even hired two family members including Kerry South FG TD Brendan Griffin who after hiring his wife and cousin then also succeeded in getting yet another cousin elected to his vacant council seat.

When it was exposed that Dublin North TD Alan Farrell tried to get his wife onto his vacant Council seat after he was elected to the Dail, such was the outcry that he instead hired her as his parliamentary assistant! This became exposed – and then suddenly as with the previous Colm Keaveney, came the claim that the wife was only hired of course, temporarily! He then replaced his wife with yet another supporter of his close to home!

Even senior Dail members such as FG chairman Charlie Flanagan are flouting nepotism in the face of the people of Ireland. He employed his wife for PART-TIME work …on a wage of €41,092 paid of course as usual, by the tax payer. That's you!

Other Fine Gael TD’s also guilty of nepotism. These include Kildare South TD Martin Heydon who hired his sister, Dublin South Central Catherine Byrne who hired her daughter and Cork North central’s Dara Murphy who also hired his wife to jobs paid by the public. Junior minister Shane McEntee hired his daughter and Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett employed his daughter also.

Great stuff. Its wonderful to look after the family at taxpayers expense!

Want more?

Mickeroo

Fair play Enda ya must be doing something right, Mayo colours on the cover too I see

Brain Stroking

washman3 wrote: »

you can indeed...;)
while your gold plated public service pension and increments remain intact.:D
dont rock the boat, somebody may just notice..;)

I am a Solicitor in the private sector who has seen 50% (at least) of my year in Blackhall unable to carry on a career in law despite having spent roughly 6-8 years studying for it. I know what the recession is. I was one week from losing my job last year and it took a stroke of luck to keep it.

You have the opinion that i am in the public sector yet you've assumed incorrectly. I'm simply not driven by self-interest. Especially when it comes to international economics.

Brain Stroking

bbam wrote: »

Every single job lost is worth worrying about, its an income lost, a fmaily in toruble, less spending power in the economy which leads to more jobs lost, it causes further SW claimns which are added expences to the already overburdened system.. Every single job lost is the be worried about and its either arrogant or ignorant of you to suggest otherwise.

I'd view the above as an absolute admission that you've nowhere left to go in this argument.

Brain Stroking

Biggins wrote: »

* Failed so far to tackle the removal of the Seanad.

* Failed to stop shoving money abroad with bondholdeers.

* Failed to prosecute ANY one of the religious criminals! (15,000 victims of sexual and physical violence known. 800 individual abusers identified. 18 Religious Orders named. ZERO Prosecutions.)

* Failed to cut expense claims: http://bigginsblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/no-dail-it-dont-stop-the-expense-claims/

* Failed on third level fees - Labour alone did a u-turn on that!

* Failed of Recapitalisation - anyone remember Varadkar saying that not another “red cent” would be put into the banks?

* Failed on the The Programme for Government which promised that banks in receipt of state support would be forced to forego a 25 basis point increase on their variable rate mortgage.

* Failed on the EU/IMF deal. Anyone remember "The EU/IMF deal was a bad deal for Ireland.” ( Eamon Gilmore), and “a disaster and an obscenity” (Micheal Noonan) ?

* Failed to cut 75 million in perks - - massively reduced to 3.5 million. the unions said thy were happy - well schite, I wonder why! LINK

* Failed over fathers rights, its still on the long finger, going nowhere!

* Failed on even getting 750 million from the culprits in the religious orgs that have actually left us with a bill of 1.5 billion!

* Failed to see the creep Cardinal Brady arrested. LINK LINK
They rather entertain him!

* Failed with their Programme for Government states when they stated “we will establish a Strategic Investment Bank”. They failed with a massive u-turn!

* Failed with upward Only Rent Reviews!

* Failed on the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy - they upped it again! LINK

* Failed on the use of state revenue in conjunction with wasteful websites which duplicate information already available on other government websites! LINK.

* Failed with Competition & Consumer Protection.
FG Manifesto: Promised a new “powerful consumer champion”, giving it “additional powers – by constitutional change if necessary – to break up public and private sector monopolies and cartels.”
Whats happened - NOTHING!
No mention of this in the prior Competition Bill 2011, and no commitment to constitutional change.

* Failed on the ban of corporate donations!

* Failed to deal with Dr James Reilly - Mr Kenny actually stated at one stage that James Reilly’s business affairs ‘entirely in order’ – and he stated this to the Dail! LINK

* Failed on the issue of "Golden Handshakes" in relation to severance Pay for Senior Civil Servants, another part issue they failed to address!

* Failed on the reducing the number of TDs.

* Failed in may ways over the Household tax.

* Failed over their supposed Climate Change initiatives/bill.

* Failed on their supposed cuts to junior ministers (instead of cutting 12 - they appointed 15!) LINK.

* Failed on their cuts to quangos.

* Failed on Ministerial advisors and their salary caps which was supposed to be within guidelines - broken constantly and massively!

* Failed on the Programme for Government when they promised to legislate to restore the Freedom of Information Act.

* Failed on protecting persona data! Re-quoting myself from here:





Cronyism?
You want cronyism?

To requote myself from here: http://bigginsblog.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/the-cronyism-nepotism-continues-no-change-then-from-fianna-fail/





Want more?

As already pointed out Biggins, there are bigger issues facing this government than any other Irish government since the formation of the free state. And you are worried about things like the Seanad?

Sorcha16

washman3 wrote: »

welcome to boards.ie.....:)
have you just been summoned by 'the Party' ?
technology is amazing these days.!!

we've got plenty ammunition left. only problem is we've got nobody in power with the know-how or more inportantly the balls to use it.

Thank you but no, I've been summoned by nothing but my own intolerance to BS so you can take your tinfoil hat off now.

Where's all this alleged ammunition we have left? You are aware that the country is basically bankrupt, yes?

tayto lover

mmcn90 wrote: »

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2126069,00.html

Looks like a "Where's (the) Wally?" picture

token101

Jesus, as a PR move, this is dire!

ScumLord

seamus wrote: »

The title of the article is massively premature,

By the look on Enda's face it's not the only thing that was premature.

Biggins

Brain Stroking wrote: »

As already pointed out Biggins, there are bigger issues facing this government than any other Irish government since the formation of the free state. And you are worried about things like the Seanad?

Its one of MANY things which all add to the state bill we all get!
Its one of MANY things which exposes just how much of a failure, two faced u-turn artists are present lot still are.

We have now got to suffer in the next budget so that next year our 'betters' in government can give away 18 BILLION to unsecured bondholders.
Ones they say they cannot identify (Hint, one of them is very own government minister! Our very own FINANCE minister! LINK).

patwicklow

Brain Stroking wrote: »

Fail

One big FAIL he sure is alright!

Brain Stroking

Biggins wrote: »

Its one of MANY things which all add to the state bill we all get!
Its one of MANY things which exposes just how much of a failure, two faced u-turn artists are present lot still are.

I suggest you swallow your anger and read a little more.

petersburg2002

'Celtic comeback' my arse. The tiger is dead and buried.

Brain Stroking

Biggins wrote: »

our 'betters' in government can give away 18 BILLION to unsecured bondholders.

And you're blaming them for that?

Ps. you seem to have a chip on your shoulder. The very definition of government means that they are the people representing the people. Referring to them as "our betters" shows that you have an inferiority complex and/or feel they suffer from a superiority complex. Either/or it isnt healthy and results in you not being able to comment objectively.

tayto lover

Brain Stroking wrote: »

And you're blaming them for that?

"Not another cent" ???

Biggins

Brain Stroking wrote: »

And you're blaming them for that?

Is that a rhetorical question?
I ask because the answer is bloody obvious!

* “Is it Labour’s way or Frankfurt way” – Eamon Gilmore.

* “Fine Gael in Government will force certain classes of bondholders to share in the cost of recapitalising troubled financial institutions” – Manifesto.

Brain Stroking

tayto lover wrote: »

"Not another cent" ???

I refer you to about 3 pages back

Biggins

Brain Stroking wrote: »

Ps. you seem to have a chip on your shoulder.

The only thing they are representing now is the Eu and bondholders.
Don't tell me FG and Labour are fighting the corner of the average citizen/worker/unemployed person!

You would be wasting your time trying to convince me.
Please continue with the excuses for them! For every one of their failures! For every one of their u-turns. For every one of their lies. For every one of their double-standards!

Let the excuses continue!

bluecode

Monty Burnz wrote: »

The fact that anybody is surprised that things are still getting worse is the most depressing thing of all. Did you really think that a new broom would make all the bad stuff go away? Did you really think we could vote away our massive current account deficit, and everything would be back to how it was in the Celtic Bubble dreamworld?

You claim you know how politics works. I don't mean to be rude, but it seems you don't have a clue how economics works.

You do mean to be rude. Instead of answering my point you make a veiled ad hominen attack on me. Something I note you're good at judging by your other posts. Your affected knowing attitude on this subject is very clear.

To answer your point, no I was not surprised, no I did not expect it all to be solved in a couple of years and no I didn't benefit from the Celtic Tiger bubble dreamworld. But I did expect or more realistically hoped this government would grasp the nettle and actually deal with the issues in a more forthright manner. But no, it turns out they are just as helpless in the tide as the last lot. Also I expected them to be honest about how difficult it's going to be and how long it will take. Maybe even acknowledge their failings at times. But instead it's all smoke and mirrors.

Oh yes Kenny and Gilmore et al are happy to bask in the glow of being the poster boy of the PIIGS. But on the ground it's one gaff after another and a continuing failure to address some of the real issues we face as a country. Biggins has neatly addressed all the failures so far in his last post. Do we really have to wait ten years before it becomes clear they don't know what they're doing?

Brain Stroking

Biggins wrote: »

Is that a rhetorical question?
I ask because the answer is bloody obvious!

* “Is it Labour’s way or Frankfurt way” – Eamon Gilmore.

* “Fine Gael in Government will force certain classes of bondholders to share in the cost of recapitalising troubled financial institutions” – Manifesto.

Christ. The decision was never in our hands. The above statements are designed to inspire confidence in the party amongst the electorate and to get people to vote for them. As i explained earlier, anyone that focusses on pre-election promises (especially in times of global recession) fundementally misunderstands how politics works.

Brain Stroking

Biggins wrote: »

The only thing they are representing now is the Eu and bondholders.
Don't tell me FG and Labour are fighting the corner of the average citizen/worker/unemployed person!

You would be wasting your time trying to convince me.
Please continue with the excuses for them! For every one of their failures! For every one of their u-turns. For every one of their lies. For every one of their double-standards!

Let the excuses continue!

I havent excused anything. You talk about lies and u-turns. I have never once said that those lies and u-turns werent made. That will probably shock you because you havent paid attention to me.

Ps you are forgetting something. WE are the EU.

Sorcha16

Biggins wrote: »

Don't tell me FG and Labour are fighting the corner of the average citizen/worker/unemployed person

I do agree that there are still far too many of our public representatives only out to line their own pockets, James Reilly has left us under no illusion there -but publicly slating our country to one of the most influential publications in the world would have only been another nail in our coffin

Biggins

Brain Stroking wrote: »

Christ. The decision was never in our hands. The above statements are designed to inspire confidence in the party amongst the electorate and to get people to vote for them. As i explained earlier, anyone that focusses on pre-election promises (especially in times of global recession) fundementally misunderstands how politics works.

We could debate endlessly over the above and I would disagree entirely for a number of reasons but anyway...

Would you care to come up with more excuses for some of their other failures?

Can we really call a government "good" when they fail, fail, fail and all we get is more walloped, more excuses and more lies, double-standards and cronyism - to say the least?

Is any government good when all it has to do is dream up yet another daily excuse for yet another failure?