Rip Off Republic - yea or nay?

vinnyfitz

Two episodes of Eddie Hobbes new show Rip Off Republic have now been broadcast. Both got massive viewing figures.

What do people really think of it?

Creamy Goodness

i don't like the show, he'll just babble on about some area that has high costs then just makes humour out of it.

example on the first show he was talking about molopys (sp.) and used a sweet shop and kids to explain it.

aidan_walsh

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=287698

thejovialhost

I watched scrubs each time it was on.enough said.he's boring

dahamsta

I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't seen it yet, despite the good reviews. When's it on?

adam

Drapper

does it make a difference? Eddie is playing on what we would love to change but cant!

Economic pornography !

eclectichoney

show me the money wasn't bad but i watched the first rip off republic and was bored to tears. nothing i didnt know already and i found the usage of kids and the sweetshop cringe-worthy!

Creamy Goodness

dahamsta wrote:

I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't seen it yet, despite the good reviews. When's it on?

adam

mondays at 9:30.

but as with RTE bad scheduling it could even be inbetween 9:25 and 9:40

dahamsta

Thanks Cremo.

dudara

I watched the second show after hearing good things about the first. Tbh, I was a little disappointed. He's trying to do a good thing, but by trying to be so humourous and by using analogies the whole time, I think that he's not getting his message across very well.

While his first suggestion of posting nappies to the minister in order to show your disapproval of the Groceries Order Act was interesting, I thought that his second suggestion of ordering a round of pints of water was badly thought through.

vinnyfitz

Cremo wrote:

mondays at 9:30.

True. But it's not on next Monday - bumped by the earthshattering Rose of Tralee.

dahamsta

Thank you for saving me from a horrific mistake vinnyfitz!

damien

Drapper wrote:

Economic pornography !

I like that phrase.

jrey1981

I liked it, only because there is nothing else like it on Irish TV.

However I did think that the format of the programme was copied from the Mark Thomas show that used to be on Channel 4.

However, that said, it is a good way of presenting facts and arguments about economics, politics, etc. in a reasonably entertaining way - the viewing figures are testament to this.

Cork

I think - many prices are too high.

He pointed out the waste charges but failed to mention we don't pay any local taxes.

That said, prices are too high in Ireland.

Garibaldi

He points out a lot of things that people really already know, but he doesn't really seem to present any solutions. It's just proving popular because it's a subject close to all our hearts, it sure isn't going to change anything, though. He's not charismatic enough to lead the revolution this country so badly needs.

Tazz T

Drapper wrote:

Economic pornography !

Yeah! Now we can see who's getting f**ked.

Drapper

Tazz T wrote:

Yeah! Now we can see who's getting f**ked.

we is baby ! lube me some more in the rear PAYE ! and smother me in more money baby,

rarrr your a celtic tiger ! rarrrrr

Michael Collins

dahamsta wrote:

Thank you for saving me from a horrific mistake vinnyfitz!

But wouldn't you like to see the lovely girls?

As for the show - it raises some good points, like the way when the pubs were faced with a declining customer trade what did they do? Increase prices... But I'd prefer if there wasn't so much manipulative crap thrown in to rally up the audiance. A few more facts and less analogies would be better.

daywalker

Its a step in the right direction, but only a small step, the problem with his subject is that economics is boring, so the only way to make it interesting is to bring it down to primary school level to try and make it interesting :rolleyes: , at the risk of alienating the more intellectual among us, maybe he should have taken it up to secondary school level, he seems to have gotten some reaction for example in the irish independant yesterday there are a lot of incensed FF politicans, who are leaning on RTE to axe the last two shows, something that has been hinted at by RTE as being very possible :eek: :rolleyes: .

what reaction will that get? A loud of shouting at the arrogance of the government, but we will probably still vote in the current government again.

dahamsta

Crap split here. Any more and I'm doling out bans.

Drapper

dahamsta wrote:

Crap split here. Any more and I'm doling out bans.

Thanks.

PatPete

We knew in the 70's and early 80's we were being ripped off (PAYE max rate was 60% plus PRSI and levies) and the ICTU organized a great big protest march. Hundreds of thousands turned out. Mr C. J. Haughey got very worried and promised a 'Commission of Enquiry' (anyone who ever watched Yes Minister will know what that was meant to do!).
Anyway ICTU didnt want public disorder to break out and agreed- so nothing was really done although eventually the max rate was reduced to 55% and over the years it reduced even further.

The bottom line is we were being fleeced then and we are still being fleeced now- the more people who admit this - including Mr. Hobbs the better. Maybe in 100 years the elite who run this country will be forced out.

We knew we

Our man in Havana

vinnyfitz wrote:

True. But it's not on next Monday - bumped by the earthshattering Rose of Tralee.

You mean live coverage of the Tralee cattle mart!

dermo88

The Elite who run this country are secure in their positions. They have planned to be there since the 1960's and did it quite nicely. They married the right connections. You'll see it in years to come who is well connected.

Watch out for any descendants of Bertie Ahern, particularly from Georgina and the Boyzone lad. They won't be short of a few quid from property speculation in shadow companies.

The Haugheys will have economic power, but only a female from their ranks can ever hope to gain power. Their name is mud because of Charlies carry on.

The rest of us can slog on. If we screw up, we go to court and get screwed. If they screw up, well, they get a Tribunal, an inquiry, and a slap on the wrist.

It will all carry on as usual. It will all be organised in the Fianna Fail Beer tent at the Galway races.

The opposition will moan all they like, they have'nt a hope.

9 individuals own the bulk of the available land in the Greater Dublin region.

Strange, they deregulated taxis first, not pubs. Thats just one example. Mind, I suppose we in Ireland moan about the price of drink so much because we happen to guzzle so much of it.

The rest of us will slog and plod on. We're better off than previous generations, who had a lot less. But we don't question the status quo enough.

RainyDay

dermo88 wrote:

Strange, they deregulated taxis first, not pubs. Thats just one example.

'They' didn't deregulate the taxis at all - that was a decision of the High Court, not of Government.

But your conspiracy theories seem a bit OTT - We do live in a democracy after all.

Razormac37

I think its important that at least people are made aware of where their money is going.

I have just returned from Europe and I am at a loss to explain the difference in prices between us and our european neighbours

dermo88

Maybe my conspiracy theories are a bit OTT, but we deserve to look at who the people in this country are, who they married, who they are related to. You'll see a pattern form. Very quickly.

Of course, perhaps you don't question that. Perhaps you believe, naively that Dublins streets are paved with gold and that anyone can make it in Ireland.

Which is a load of bollox. Its better than it was mind you.

One major explanation of our high cost of living is our island location. We don't have the liberty of border hopping that they have in Eastern Germany, where they can go to Hungary/Poland/Czech Republic/Slovakia. We don't have the same ability to chop and change accordingly like they do in France. Benelux, or West Germany.

So the Government knows that they can lash up the excise duty and rape us stupid on the likes of booze and fags, and we'll comply because "its good for us".

Which is rubbish of the highest order. The moment a Government says they want to help you, do the complete opposite.

The only place in Ireland where stretching salary through "border arbitrage" is Newry and Dundalk, some parts of Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.

There is very little room for price competition. This is also a feature of other peripheral high cost economies, such as Scandinavia.

The small market means that there are smaller economies of play. It is estimated that the island location can add as much as 25% on to the costs of doing business in Ireland, and having lived on other island countries, a common factor is high costs of living, even in relation to local salaries. I've seen 3rd world countries with costs of living far worse than Ireland and extreme rates of poverty. You want to find out, try the Caribbean.

RainyDay

You seem to forget that we get the Govt that we elect - Some would say we get the Govt that we deserve.l

dermo88

dermo88 wrote:

Watch out for any descendants of Bertie Ahern, particularly from Georgina and the Boyzone lad. They won't be short of a few quid from property speculation in shadow companies.

Is that an allegation of some dodgy deal? With respect, perhaps you should substantiate that.

dermo88

I don't have to substantiate anything, and with respect, Bertie deserves no respect whatsoever.