Ireland is a gigantic pantomime of pretend

beejee

Just paid the TV licence there. For what, I don't know! And the next thing is that broadcast charge that's on the cards, where essentially you'll have to pay for television even if you live in a cave with no electricity. Genius!

Paid another few bills too, all always on the increase.

Meanwhile, I'm seeing people spending huge amounts of money on complete crap in the shops. Thronged. Lots of credit cards being used, then out to the packed carparks full of, what I suspect are, many pcp funded new cars.

Then I met up with a friend, and conversation turns to consumerism and all that. She tells me that last year she got in contact with social welfare because for the 12th or 13th time she got random social welfare cards coming in the post, most were "foreign" names and pictures. Talking to some guy in social welfare, he says there are 12/13 "active claims" against her address. But she lives on her own!

Then theres the stories you hear the odd time of homes being rented on the sly to 10 and 20 people on the sly, crazy conditions, all cash in hand.

Just mulling over these things in general I find myself asking what's the point in playing things straight and normal? Is Ireland becoming, or already is, a nation brimming over with chancers and pretenders?

It really does feel like there are two realities here. The one where we all pretend that things are roses and brilliant, and the other where everyone is scamming everyone until the cows come home! Of course, only one of these is presented publicly.

Naturally there is always an element of putting on a "better" face for an unknown audience. But has this phenomenon grown to monstrous levels? Are we all in a gigantic pantomime?

This is rant territory, but does anyone else feel like they're living in the bloody matrix? All these seemingly separate things are indeed related, after all.

Ireland is gas, I'm telling ye! Happy Christmas

Ubbquittious

All of western society is like that and now you have all the climate change and be seen doing the right thing nonsense thrown in on top of it.

But governments and companies promoted this behaviour for the past 100 or so years and eventually people throw the old ways of life behind them and join the madness / rat race / treadmill. It is hard to be a refusenik though when you have the government demanding euros off you in the name of a broadcast tax or whatever simply for existing. You have to obtain those euros from "the economy" so there is no opt out anymore. Also since most money is debt if you decide to keep it in your pocket rather than spend it you are putting some indebted fella's livelihood at risk or at least putting him under more pressure

Jurgen Klopp

Twas always there, it's known as cute hoorism

jk23

The thing I notice more about Ireland in general while there is more wealth. People are more impatient and angry on the roads and in general :O

tdf7187

beejee wrote: »

Just paid the TV licence there. For what, I don't know! And the next thing is that broadcast charge that's on the cards, where essentially you'll have to pay for television even if you live in a cave with no electricity. Genius!

Paid another few bills too, all always on the increase.

Meanwhile, I'm seeing people spending huge amounts of money on complete crap in the shops. Thronged. Lots of credit cards being used, then out to the packed carparks full of, what I suspect are, many pcp funded new cars.

Then I met up with a friend, and conversation turns to consumerism and all that. She tells me that last year she got in contact with social welfare because for the 12th or 13th time she got random social welfare cards coming in the post, most were "foreign" names and pictures. Talking to some guy in social welfare, he says there are 12/13 "active claims" against her address. But she lives on her own!

Then theres the stories you hear the odd time of homes being rented on the sly to 10 and 20 people on the sly, crazy conditions, all cash in hand.

Just mulling over these things in general I find myself asking what's the point in playing things straight and normal? Is Ireland becoming, or already is, a nation brimming over with chancers and pretenders?

It really does feel like there are two realities here. The one where we all pretend that things are roses and brilliant, and the other where everyone is scamming everyone until the cows come home! Of course, only one of these is presented publicly.

Naturally there is always an element of putting on a "better" face for an unknown audience. But has this phenomenon grown to monstrous levels? Are we all in a gigantic pantomime?

This is rant territory, but does anyone else feel like they're living in the bloody matrix? All these seemingly separate things are indeed related, after all.

Ireland is gas, I'm telling ye! Happy Christmas

Ireland Inc is essentially a money laundering venture for globalism, has been for decades. If the full truth ever comes out, then TPTB are screwed. That's why it has to continue - they have too much invested in it not to.

snotboogie

tdf7187 wrote: »

Ireland Inc is essentially a money laundering venture for globalism, has been for decades. If the full truth ever comes out, then TPTB are screwed. That's why it has to continue.

True but it was the absolute correct course of action. Most successful small countries do it; Singapore, the Netherlands, Macau, Switzerland etc etc. We're better off being in that group than stayinh the Albania of Western Europe with any half useful young person emigrating. Maybe there is a grand plan to up the population, unite the island and be a 10 million+ country with a somewhat viable domestic market of scale?

Ubbquittious

jk23 wrote: »

The thing I notice more about Ireland in general while there is more wealth. People are more impatient and angry on the roads and in general :O

Arrogance sets in, people start letting themselves be put under fierce pressure. Cocaine use surges

Then the crash comes along and they'll all be licking their wounds and reflecting on what fools they all were only for the same sh1t to happen in 10 years time.

Thats what Ireland has become unfortunately.

When I was a secondary school student,
The Young Scientist competition was a respected competition. The projects were praised for their own sake.
Now we hear mostly about the wonderful young winner and their grandparent who was instrumental. The project gets a cursory mention.

The game of soccer and the Irish soccer team were ascending in fortunes.
Just look at the state of the fai now.

Also Irish personalities seem to be milking the bejaysus out of any tiny business technical development they can find with an Irish context.

4068ac1elhodqr

Overall GDP has increased, but so has wealth inequality, and will likely continue to do so.

Mules

snotboogie wrote: »

True but it was the absolute correct course of action. Most successful small countries do it; Singapore, the Netherlands, Macau, Switzerland etc etc. We're better off being in that group than stayinh the Albania of Western Europe with any half useful young person emigrating. Maybe there is a grand plan to up the population, unite the island and be a 10 million+ country with a somewhat viable domestic market of scale?

I see your point. I actually hate the increase in population though. I live in an area that used to be rural, it's in the suburbs now and I just think it's got worse. I like living surrounded by fields, trees etc, not people and traffic and houses but it seems everyone is talking about increasing the population to grow the economy. It seems like a giant Ponzi scheme.

BDI

A huge swirling toilet. A giant faecal merry go round.

Sultan of Bling

Ubbquittious wrote:

Then the crash comes along and they'll all be licking their wounds and reflecting on what fools they all were only for the same sh1t to happen in 10 years time.

And they will blame everyone else but themselves. It will always be soneone else's fault.

You'll see the sad couple in the papers who maxed out their credit cards to go shopping in new York or get pillars built outside their front door.

Now they've lost their jobs and can't afford to pay it back. They weren't responsible though, it was the banks and credit card companies fault for lending them the money in the 1st place.

The papers will lap it up of course. Just like the ones in the paper who whinge cos they've been "homeless" the last year and living in a hotel and don't know what they're going to do when their next sprog arrives in 3 months time.

Bigbagofcans

Don't be a sheep, don't get a car on PCP, avoid keeping up with the Joneses and you will not be part of the pantomime.

jk23

Yes we seem to follow every American trend. The last few I can think of the top of my head were the Christmas engagement frenzies, any product endorsed by the Kardashians and wedding day events like flash mob dancing!

LirW

jk23 wrote: »

Yes we seem to follow every American trend. The last few I can think of the top of my head were the Christmas engagement frenzies, any product endorsed by the Kardashians and wedding day events like flash mob dancing!

Gender reveals.

Ubbquittious

LirW wrote: »

Gender reveals.

Never seen one of those in Ireland. Do people have them? I find it hard to imagine a granny in a little stone cottage in Mayo getting excited over one

nthclare

Home is where I want to be
Pick me up and turn me around
I feel numb, born with a weak heart
I guess I must be having fun
The less we say about it the better
Make it up as we go along
Feet on the ground, head in the sky
It's okay, I know nothing's wrong, nothing
Oh! I got plenty of time
Oh! You got light in your eyes
And you're standing here beside me
I love the passing of time
Never for money, always for love
Cover up and say goodnight, say goodnight...

And so on...

Rubberchikken

i pay the tv licence and we cant and dont want to get rte on our tv.
have absolutely no interest in it but willing to give 160 if for nothing else than to keep Dee 'whinger' Forbes and her talentless bunch of 'entertainers' overpaid.

jaxxx

Ireland's a $h1thole.


In fact the entire world is now a $h1thole.


I'm just waiting for the inevitable cleansing. Just taking it's f*cking time is all.....

dhaughton99

Bigbagofcans wrote: »

Don't be a sheep, don't get a car on PCP, avoid keeping up with the Joneses and you will not be part of the pantomime.

Have a few kids and the children’s allowance pays for it.

wakka12

beejee wrote: »

Just paid the TV licence there. For what, I don't know! And the next thing is that broadcast charge that's on the cards, where essentially you'll have to pay for television even if you live in a cave with no electricity. Genius!

Paid another few bills too, all always on the increase.

Meanwhile, I'm seeing people spending huge amounts of money on complete crap in the shops. Thronged. Lots of credit cards being used, then out to the packed carparks full of, what I suspect are, many pcp funded new cars.

Then I met up with a friend, and conversation turns to consumerism and all that. She tells me that last year she got in contact with social welfare because for the 12th or 13th time she got random social welfare cards coming in the post, most were "foreign" names and pictures. Talking to some guy in social welfare, he says there are 12/13 "active claims" against her address. But she lives on her own!

Then theres the stories you hear the odd time of homes being rented on the sly to 10 and 20 people on the sly, crazy conditions, all cash in hand.

Just mulling over these things in general I find myself asking what's the point in playing things straight and normal? Is Ireland becoming, or already is, a nation brimming over with chancers and pretenders?

It really does feel like there are two realities here. The one where we all pretend that things are roses and brilliant, and the other where everyone is scamming everyone until the cows come home! Of course, only one of these is presented publicly.

Naturally there is always an element of putting on a "better" face for an unknown audience. But has this phenomenon grown to monstrous levels? Are we all in a gigantic pantomime?
This is rant territory, but does anyone else feel like they're living in the bloody matrix? All these seemingly separate things are indeed related, after all.

Ireland is gas, I'm telling ye! Happy Christmas

Don't think its any different to any other western european welfare states

lawred2

Know a girl with six in a house. Not paying a cent in tax. Nor has she any plan to.

Not even going to the bother of pretending it's her PPR and doing a licensee job...

She's just going to trouser it all and feed it to her ponies. Pocketing about 4800 a month.

MrAbyss

tdf7187 wrote: »

Ireland Inc is essentially a money laundering venture for globalism, has been for decades. If the full truth ever comes out, then TPTB are screwed. That's why it has to continue - they have too much invested in it not to.

What is going on with the FAI right now is a microcosm of the Irish establishment in general.

I find it amazing how much corruption goes on in this country among the establishment, yet the most pressing concern is reducing our carbon emissions. A society built upon dissociation.

and Ireland is a microcosm of Western society as a whole. I really can't see any happy ending. Maybe that's a good thing.

Ubbquittious

lawred2 wrote: »

Know a girl with six in a house. Not paying a cent in tax. Nor has she any plan to.

Not even going to the bother of pretending it's her PPR and doing a licensee job...

She's just going to trouser it all and feed it to her ponies. Pocketing about 4800 a month.

Don't worry the recesh will be along soon and you'll hear her crying how "nobody will rent my poor little housheen now" and how terrible it is

Mrs OBumble

Maxim Warm Sophomore wrote: »

increased, but so has wealth inequality

Have you got a source for that?

lawred2

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Don't worry the recesh will be along soon and you'll hear her crying how "nobody will rent my poor little housheen now" and how terrible it is

I don't want another depressing recession and another decade lost with everyone moping about the place just because that wagon could do with some comeuppance.

To be honest, I'd prefer an anonymous tip off to the revenue.

They have a facility for that right?

It’s not worth complaining. Us, of all people, will do absolutely nothing about it.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Can't believe we've got this far without 'oh, no it isn't'... For shame....

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Can't believe we've got this far without 'oh, no it isn't'... For shame....

That’s because sadly, it is.

Ubbquittious

lawred2 wrote: »

I don't want another depressing recession and another decade lost with everyone moping about the place just because that wagon could do with some comeuppance.

To be honest, I'd prefer an anonymous tip off to the revenue.

They have a facility for that right?

You gain nothing with it. If revenue take the money they'll only give it to some other entitled little sh1t. Probably a wealthier one in another country and the recession will come anyway whether you want it or not

RobbingBandit

RTE FAI The Dail three examples of wretched hives of scum and villainy where culpability does not exist

snotboogie

Mules wrote: »

I see your point. I actually hate the increase in population though. I live in an area that used to be rural, it's in the suburbs now and I just think it's got worse. I like living surrounded by fields, trees etc, not people and traffic and houses but it seems everyone is talking about increasing the population to grow the economy. It seems like a giant Ponzi scheme.

The countryside is nice but cities come with practicalities; when you get old you can be close to a variety of doctors and healthcare options, aside from healthcare, as your mobility decreases you will have shorter distances to travel and more transport option for daily practicalities. When you are earning money and have a family; you are more likely to have variety of job options in a city, which will make your income more secure and you less dependent on one job or one market. Your children will have more options for education, hobbies and social activities, when they get older they will have the option to live at home if they go on to third level, saving your family vast sums on accommodation when they won't be earning a full time wage. if you yourself are younger; cities offer far more options to find a life partner to settle down with along with options in education and your career.

irishguitarlad

All you have to do is look at the FAI. Ireland is all pigs eating at the trough without a shred of empathy, responsibility or social cohesion.

Muahahaha

Mules wrote: »

I see your point. I actually hate the increase in population though. I live in an area that used to be rural, it's in the suburbs now and I just think it's got worse. I like living surrounded by fields, trees etc, not people and traffic and houses but it seems everyone is talking about increasing the population to grow the economy. It seems like a giant Ponzi scheme.

From what I've read we have no choice but to increase the population through immigration. This is because in about 30 years time there is going to be 1 pensioner for every 2 workers. The National Pension Reserve Fund comes nowhere near meeting that massive liability so the choice is either more immigrants to pay more tax to cover those pensions or the entire pension system collapsing with huge political and social upheaval. Also with advances in medical science people are living a lot longer so you've got the double whammy of having to pay their pensions for even longer than ever before.

4068ac1elhodqr

Muahahaha wrote: »

From what I've read we have no choice but to increase the population through immigration. This is because in about 30 years time there is going to be 1 pensioner for every 2 workers. The National Pension Reserve Fund comes nowhere near meeting that massive liability so the choice is either more immigrants to pay more tax to cover those pensions or the entire pension system collapsing with huge political and social upheaval. Also with advances in medical science people are living a lot longer so you've got the double whammy of having to pay their pensions for even longer than ever before.

Various problems with what you've 'read':
i) You haven't specificed what 'type' of immigration. If you don't have a points type system, or at very least some sort of criteria, legality, job offer or actual availability matching - then you can end up attracting large numbers of unskilled, who will only add to the welfare bill (for decades to come).

ii) Automation will make about 40% of all current roles redundant by the 2030s. The most at risk are low-skilled roles that can be automated e.g. retail, warehousing, taxis and basic grunt labour. These are exactly the roles typically filled by the young unskilled males during any mass migration events. I.e. There simply won't be blue-collar vacancies available to fill in 2030.

The solution may well be a mix of UBI, gig-economy support, free (higher level) education, fast-track points-based migration system (only take {from EU} what you need), and enterprise/remote workers policies for the ICT sectors.

Considering (in this boom) there is no where to live, and no hospital beds for the average Joe-Jane, there is also a need to re-look at public policy, ongoing corruption, rip-off insurance, compensation culture, crime, tax-evasion and thus actual real world wealth re-distribution.

That would be the source of any political and social upheaval when the next cyclical crash occurs, general mass migration will only add to it further.

Harry Palmr

I'd like to be able to pah my TV licence. For some reason they have stopped sending me a way to pay.

Harry Palmr

Harry Palmr wrote: »

I'd like to be able to pah my TV licence. For some reason they have stopped sending me a way to pay.

Thus year, they emailed rather than posted me the links, PINs etc. So it may be buried in your email somewhere

Harry Palmr

Nope I've checked and they haven't been after me by text or call. Very odd.

Ubbquittious

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Nope I've checked and they haven't been after me by text or call. Very odd.

They forgot about you. You can live free and live happily now safe in the knowledge this pesky bill won't come back to you until they day they make it mandatory for cave dwellers

dxhound2005

The good news for those who think they are paying too much, is that if they live to average old age they will get all their money back, and loads more on top. Pensioners are the ones getting the big chunk of the public money purse.

Ubbquittious

dxhound2005 wrote: »

The good news for those who think they are paying too much, is that if they live to average old age they will get all their money back, and loads more on top. Pensioners are the ones getting the big chunk of the public money purse.

That's the plan of course. But in the mean time to be on the safe side I'll have to limit my exposure to their money grabbing ways

dxhound2005

Ubbquittious wrote: »

That's the plan of course. But in the mean time to be on the safe side I'll have to limit my exposure to their money grabbing ways

Just hope that there are enough taxpayers to fund your retirement. It could be the golden age for pensioners will come to and end in your lifetime.

hognef

lawred2 wrote: »

Know a girl with six in a house. Not paying a cent in tax. Nor has she any plan to.

Not even going to the bother of pretending it's her PPR and doing a licensee job...

She's just going to trouser it all and feed it to her ponies. Pocketing about 4800 a month.

I'm sure you know how that particular case can be dealt with.

dxhound2005

hognef wrote: »

I'm sure you know how that particular case can be dealt with.

Especially when she is so willing to let that poster know exactly how much she is making from the scam.

Ubbquittious

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Just hope that there are enough taxpayers to fund your retirement. It could be the golden age for pensioners will come to and end in your lifetime.

Have to make hay while the sun shines I suppose. If I end up working till I drop I'd at least feel better knowing I gave them as little as possible to squander