What’s your most controversial opinion? **Read OP** **Mod Note in Post #3372**

I think the extra day would mess up your plan for every Monday to be the 1st, 8th etc.

There's nobody to look down on and get cross with in your plan. If we just trained people and gave them skills, viewed them as valued workers and paid them a living wage, there's would be no outlet for outrage. The preferred option seems to be to view them as still being on the dole and throw a few quid at then at the end of the week, with all the connotations that brings.

If they're not paid properly, they'll just be abused as cheap labour which means they'll be preferred to grown adults who demand at least minimum wage for the same work. They'll drive down wages for people who are already at the bottom of the pay scale.

There should be no such thing as cheap labour. Labour isn't cheap, it should pay a living wage.

Its not about abusing the workers, its about getting people with zero skills and future, off the dole, out of their bedrooms learning a trade and contributing to society. It was not unusual to have a under 21 age wage when I was young - almost 40 years ago - you have to learn your craft. YOu cant possibly expect to get an adult wage, the same as someone competent in the job, when you have never worked. Its not taking advantage either, it would be for a limited time until you could get your own job - you wouldnt have to to join the scheme if you could find your own job, this scheme would be for people on the dole or someone who wished to join the scheme. And its not abusing the poor, there are lots of young adults on the dole, from affluent homes, they just choose to not work. You can stay at home if you want, we just wont pay you to do it.

Well I beg to differ, there's always one isn't there.

Demarcation of roles, ie. keep the woman home and pregnant. That will never happen again, women were abused and chattels of men / fathers, it was a disgusting way to treat a human being.

Is it honourable to rob diesel of farmers? And then say, ah boss we were only lamping. Since when can you go on private land and do what you like, there is no honour in that. Is it honourable to attend a funeral and kill your brother with a machette? That's your idea of honourable? There is nothing honourable about never working, having lots of children and expecting everyone else to feed, clothe and educate them.

They have no fatih, see point above. People of faith shouldn't hurt animals, keep children from schools, marry your cousin at 16?

They never work, how can you possibly say they do hard work. The old tinker called to homes, fixed pans, would be given a mean and possibly milk and eggs from livestock, possibly clothing that the family had grown out of. Travellers haven't acted like this in 50 years and now 95% never work.

IMO there is nothing of value of the so called traveller culture - treating women like chattels, having numerous children you can neither feed, clothe or educate without government assistance, most adult travellers cannot even read or write - life has moved on for all citizens, they have to adapt like us all and move on - that doesn't mean they can't keep their culture, but they don't even try - selling drugs in my town seems to be the new culture.

Ah, I didn't ask if they could buy a house the moment they turned 21, i asked if they could hope to buy a house and raise a family some day. But you bought a house at 26. Fair play, you must have been a serious high flyer.

What was your incentive to get up and lean skills?

Most football fans dont want women on football panels on TV.

I hated the bank, became a receptionist and went to night school to learn shorthand, typing etc and then blagged a job as a legal secretary - worked as a legal executive for approx 20 years and then retrained as a foot health practitioner - working during the day and studying at night, weekends and having to take time off for clinical practical. I’m 6 months off 60 and have 2 years to go on on my first undergraduate degree. Life is not easy and every day is a learning day, literally but sometimes you have to go one step forward and two steps back to get where you’d like to be. And no, i no longer have a house (married badly but that’s another story) I’m renting and will now never own another house - that doesn’t stop me hoping that we can incentivise young people to look forward, work hard and learn new skills. The youth are the future and we do them a disservice by allowing them to stay in bed on mobile phones all day - soul destroying for them, what a dreadful existence.

Gormdubhgorm was blaming women for the breakdown in families, rearing children etc, I just said why cant men take on those roles too. It’s not all men’s fault, but it certainly isn’t all women’s fault either and women wont be going back to the auld days where women couldn’t work and were treated as chattels.

Shared parental leave like the UK is one solution. My wife and I shared our parental leave. She took the first 7 months and I took the other 5 months. Now were set up to be equal parents. He doesn't have a favourite parent. When he's hurt or sick, both of us can comfort him. So when he's ill we share taking days off to mind him until he goes back to nursery. Nobody looked at me funny for taking parental leave so it's in the work culture that it's a man's right to take parental leave.

It gave us the freedom to arrange our family life as we wanted. Maybe it would get more traction amongst some men if it was phrased as a men's rights issue.

I didn't mention the government.

I do feel sorry for the youth of toady though. And I'd like to change things so they have the same incentives to work and retrain as previous generations.

Having sympathy and doing nothing about it is of little use. But having empathy and trying to change things so they only have opportunities and incentives similar to previous generations, is not unreasonable.

That is not what I said at all I suggest you reread my two previous posts agian, perhaps they were too nuanced for you? And step back from your hyperbole.

I feel you need to think in broader sense, rather than think in the narrow framing you are currently on

You seem to be very dogmatic in your responses extrapolating statements from my posts which I never said.

Perhaps the controversial opinion thread is not the thread for you?

Particularly so in my opinion, if you only seem to be using this thread to rant and rave at posters, and manufacture statements that were never said, for reasons known only to yourself.

Take a deep breath, and relax.

Ireland is not "Rugby Country". Of all the sports in this country, the average rugby fan knows very little about "their sport" compared to fans of other sports, and I would argue fans of other sports know more about rugby than your Aviva going rugby fan. It's more about the day out and social media likes for them, if the game is good and the Irish get a win it's a plus.

Not that there's anything wrong with a bandwagon per se, every sport has them, counties that bring 40k to an All Ireland final yet can't must 5k for a league game in their home ground can testify to that. And rugby certainly has a professional side to fund. So there's no problem with it.

But I suspect if you took 100 Irish fans out of the crowd at the Aviva after an Ireland match, and asked them who their nearest AIL team is, who won the AIL last year, have they ever played rugby, and do they go to more than 5 rugby games a year, I reckon you'd struggle to get a 35% return rate for any of those questions.

Claims that Ireland is "Rugby Country" when so many of it's supporters know very little about it, rarely attend it, or have never played it, rings very hollow.

It's on the 'line' of morally questionable though, Brand never seemed like a likeable fella to me, a slippery type. Plus it turns out he is bipolar and has ADHD. Throw in drink and drugs addiction with that, along with his obvious high level of intelligence/flamboyance - he is dangerous if let run 'wild'.

The whole Brand furore made me look up the age of consent worldwide. Most seem to be 16.

But there are a few odd ones. 11 in Nigeria! There are a few 12's (Angola, Philippines), 13's (Burkino Faso, Japan, Comorra) 14's (surprisingly Austria along with 31 other countries). Another group of 15's (25 countries)

In the staunch Muslim countries it just states - 'must be married' it does not state an age.

76 countries have the age of consent at at the age 16 among them England.

Ireland's age is 17 (which I think is about right) but there no close age exemption that other countries have. For example a 17 year old and a 15/16 year old

Don't worry I am not going to advocate the age of 11 or 12 etc. 17 is a good age in my opinion I think as it is on the cusp of adulthood. If 16 was the age suddenly 15 could become the socially acceptable age.

But maybe there should be psychological assessment of boarder line cases? If the person is more emotionally mature for their age, or an innocent 17 year old 'emotionally immature'. Or somehow psychologically damaged etc.

Then there is the question of a power dynamic. But for some reason a situation of a male teacher and female student, is much more frowned up than a female teacher with a male student for example. If Brand was female would the outrage be less?

Then you have to factor in people who have low IQ or mental difficulties - retardation etc Should the age of consent be the same for such people?

There was nothing nuanced about your post - build a bridge and get over yourself.

You were saying bring back the good auld days when women were at home and did all the family stuff - and I said no, we are not chattels and we aren't for turning and men could take on some of the family burden. Is that nuanced enough for you!!!