Why are we subjected to it to day after day, political show after political show. Countless newspaper articles and the new online super mouth that breaks the news faster than we break.....! The it I refer to is the economy, you know the ECB and the IMF and Fianna Fail and Fianna gael. The whole thing adds up to a bad dream poisoned by the presence of some malignant infection. I guess the sad part of all of this really is that some people get off on it. Media types and political correspondents, bland journalists and university educated producers, this is real time for them and they love every minute of it.
Caught up in all the mayhem is the stark reality that the backbone of this society ie- the voting public elected their peers to deal with the mess, yet all I hear are people cribbing and moaning about austerity and many seem to lack any positives regarding politicians or politics in general. One ends up unable to sleep asking the relentless question who actually did vote for these people, come on hands up. Of course the reality is that if you did vote for any of these middle right parties you more or less deserve everything you get.
The people I feel most sorry for are those who voted for Independents, the left wing alliance, or Sinn Fein, they are most unlikely to see the fruits of their labours within their life time. Now trouble sleeping is one thing but how about waking in a cold sweat trying to come to terms with the actual awful truth that capitalism just doesn't work for the majority of the people. The sudden realisation that we are sold the lines again and again. I will list a few of the lines we here in Ireland are sold every day and evaluate their truth level.
'The Atm's will run out of money and we will have no money to pay our Doctors and nurses!' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- there is no proof to sustain this argument.Can you really imagine the EU allowing this to happen?
'If we higher Corporation tax foreign multi-nationals will leave immediately!' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- Foreign multi-nationals come to Ireland for tax breaks in the main but also for a strategic position to service European and world markets using our highly educated work force etc. They also pay very little taxes here and indeed repatriate most of their profits. If the strategy of inviting and in forming a dependence on foreign multi-nationals works for Ireland how come we have ended up in the trouble we are in. It must also be stated that we pay billions on the bureaucracy we have created with the knock them out with a mallet and bring them to Ireland doctrine.
'All left wing economic thinking is for the birds!' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- Most left wing economic thinking comes from the same area used by the main political parties they all consult economists for example some of the Sinn Fein economic policy in the last election was straight from the David Mc Williams school of economics. In television debates the right wing politicians usually start to shout down their opponent screaming the now standard,'where on earth the money is going to come from?' As soon as answer is attempted they shout down their opponent again.
'Fianna Fail will come up with some radical policies' Verdict: Absolute nonsense- Fianna Fail are fast becoming the rural party- they have a new support comprised of mainly middle aged rural women.Many of these women are from families that have been favoured by association with Fianna Fail. Does this explain the shift to the right since the new leader sat on the throne, lots of anti-social welfare talk in the pubs where I live from people I know to be Fianna Fail supporters.
Now am I glad to get nagging thoughts off my chest so early in the day, I might even sleep better tonight. Before I nod off I promise myself I wont restart the whole bandwagon effect by wondering where have all the real people gone? The people who know we are been hoodwinked- people who know for example Irish people can actually control our natural resources. We can also control health, education, maybe even a bank or two. Hark I hear a voice sweeping over the Atlantic telling me that the dumb Irish are not capable of manufacturing a generic version of Lipitor, or that we cant make Stents for Angioplasty cheaply and supply them to our hospitals. No we need a multi-national to come in and make them sell them into our public health service at enormous cost before eventually going to India or Poland because the labour costs are lower. Verdict total nonsense and I never mentioned Vincent Browne once, the father of the Irish poor will sleep peacefully this night.
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
'Vincent Brane,' Update
I have decided that this will be my final Vincent Browne [Brane] blog, one could spend a lifetime on him and the various subjects he covers and drops with such abandon, safe to say that the only subject sure to stay on the agenda is anything to do with the economy. I sit up nights worrying about this but I console myself in the knowledge that it is money that makes the world go round and indeed capitalism by it's very nature is the only true ideology befitting a human race that really doesn't care for their fellow time travellers.
You see I find it hard to empathise with people who agree to live in a system which allows limitless potential in return for a small select group hoarding all the wealth, this thesis survives on the notion that those privileged few hold all the power. Does anyone else worry that our sole mission at present is to return to gamblers and bookies in order to regulate our finances, does nobody else care that we are constantly fed lies and inaccuracies in order to retain this system that has served us so badly since the foundation of the state?
This system that has failed the poor and the needy for years it has stifled development where people from working class backgrounds didn't make university and if they had work it was generally manual in nature, so our patriots who fought for Irish freedom gave their lives so that the British upper class left this Island to be replaced with our own merchant class who in effect just continued the working doctrine of our colonists.
Well you may wonder what has Vincent Brane got to do with all of this, the answer just watch his show very carefully and listen and it will become apparent, last night he had three suits discussing a bland interview given by the very smug governor of the central bank Patrick Honohan. The very cheerful Patrick basically told us nothing and revealed only that the then minister of finance Brian Lenihan was disturbed by the whole process and that events eventually wore down his natural enthusiasm and certainly it would appear his naivety. Vincent then discussed this with his panel and introduced a panellist as one of TV3'S innovative new panel of guests which by the way judging from last night still does not trust the working classes.
Why does Vincent Brane not tell the truth , well if his whole handling of the Brian Lenihan's sad death is to be examined we will see. I for one have great sympathy for Brian Lenihan and his family and even though he was ill he kept up the brave fight, and I have no doubt worked very hard during the financial crisis that led to the bank guarantee and the eventual deal with the IMF and the ECB. However Vincent has made no attempt to discuss or properly analyse Brian Lenihan's role in all of this, instead he has patronisingly referred to the human side of the former minister and felt it un-important that we should get any closer to the truth as to why a sovereign country should sign away it's independence.
Perhaps in years to come the Irish media will examine the truth about this period of Irish history, but the influence of our elitist media will probably dictate that such discussion will be brushed aside so we can eulogise those responsible and seek to lay the blame elsewhere. Am I the only person that actually thinks that Brian Lenihan was out of his depth, if Brian Lenihan was English he would have been at Oxford or Eton, he came from the Irish privileged classes. He was born to govern rather than be governed his people are steeped in political blood. I am hearing that he was one of our brightest and possessed a great intellect, perhaps this is true but he didn't show this in any of the political interviews he gave during this crucial period of negotiations with our overlord's. As I said I have great sympathy for Mr Lenihan and his family on a personal basis but how many lives are affected by the economic mess we find ourselves in, how many people will actually die prematurely because of cutbacks in our health service etc.
I think me and Vincent Brane will part on a sound note, his show is different to the usual spoof journalism practised by RTE, where Miriam O' Callaghan calls people minister in her reverent dart accent, at least Vincent Brane gets at the odd gobshite. In my view he did the people of Dun Laoghaire a great favour by exposing Mary Hanifin as the political reptile she is, in the week of the election thus costing her a seat. Alright Vincent this is the end of the road my final comment will you ever get rid of the solicitor's suit, and learn how to use the autocue, and also will you practise the ending of your show like try to say good night to us all properly.
You see I find it hard to empathise with people who agree to live in a system which allows limitless potential in return for a small select group hoarding all the wealth, this thesis survives on the notion that those privileged few hold all the power. Does anyone else worry that our sole mission at present is to return to gamblers and bookies in order to regulate our finances, does nobody else care that we are constantly fed lies and inaccuracies in order to retain this system that has served us so badly since the foundation of the state?
This system that has failed the poor and the needy for years it has stifled development where people from working class backgrounds didn't make university and if they had work it was generally manual in nature, so our patriots who fought for Irish freedom gave their lives so that the British upper class left this Island to be replaced with our own merchant class who in effect just continued the working doctrine of our colonists.
Well you may wonder what has Vincent Brane got to do with all of this, the answer just watch his show very carefully and listen and it will become apparent, last night he had three suits discussing a bland interview given by the very smug governor of the central bank Patrick Honohan. The very cheerful Patrick basically told us nothing and revealed only that the then minister of finance Brian Lenihan was disturbed by the whole process and that events eventually wore down his natural enthusiasm and certainly it would appear his naivety. Vincent then discussed this with his panel and introduced a panellist as one of TV3'S innovative new panel of guests which by the way judging from last night still does not trust the working classes.
Why does Vincent Brane not tell the truth , well if his whole handling of the Brian Lenihan's sad death is to be examined we will see. I for one have great sympathy for Brian Lenihan and his family and even though he was ill he kept up the brave fight, and I have no doubt worked very hard during the financial crisis that led to the bank guarantee and the eventual deal with the IMF and the ECB. However Vincent has made no attempt to discuss or properly analyse Brian Lenihan's role in all of this, instead he has patronisingly referred to the human side of the former minister and felt it un-important that we should get any closer to the truth as to why a sovereign country should sign away it's independence.
Perhaps in years to come the Irish media will examine the truth about this period of Irish history, but the influence of our elitist media will probably dictate that such discussion will be brushed aside so we can eulogise those responsible and seek to lay the blame elsewhere. Am I the only person that actually thinks that Brian Lenihan was out of his depth, if Brian Lenihan was English he would have been at Oxford or Eton, he came from the Irish privileged classes. He was born to govern rather than be governed his people are steeped in political blood. I am hearing that he was one of our brightest and possessed a great intellect, perhaps this is true but he didn't show this in any of the political interviews he gave during this crucial period of negotiations with our overlord's. As I said I have great sympathy for Mr Lenihan and his family on a personal basis but how many lives are affected by the economic mess we find ourselves in, how many people will actually die prematurely because of cutbacks in our health service etc.
I think me and Vincent Brane will part on a sound note, his show is different to the usual spoof journalism practised by RTE, where Miriam O' Callaghan calls people minister in her reverent dart accent, at least Vincent Brane gets at the odd gobshite. In my view he did the people of Dun Laoghaire a great favour by exposing Mary Hanifin as the political reptile she is, in the week of the election thus costing her a seat. Alright Vincent this is the end of the road my final comment will you ever get rid of the solicitor's suit, and learn how to use the autocue, and also will you practise the ending of your show like try to say good night to us all properly.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
How did Vincent Browne get God on his show?
Well Vincent really brought the house down last night, I was expecting the usual bland Tuesday night guests when to my amazement he introduced God as a guest explaining how he had just written this great book about statistics and how he really cared about our attitudes to things.
God came complete with white beard and saintly expression and he informed us that we were much better off in general now than we used to be with women taking their rightful place in society, and that our standards had improved so much since God last checked us out in 1989. However Vincent was only tolerating God in his generalisation of the state of our nation he was far more interested the plight of our travelling community and as he put it more than once, 'they really are the most discriminated people you know.'
Now I have great sympathy for God and am a sucker for statistics but to see my favourite Fianna Fail politician Éamon Ó Cuív lord it archangel like promoting travellers rights was a bit hard to take, as as recently as the last budget this guy wanted to reduce disability benefit and more recently in a snippet from one of those new breed of TV3 shows he explained that if we get the dole cheats we will basically clear the national debt. This man is in favour of travellers rights? Perhaps there may be some votes in this for him but if Vincent can find a more right wing voice from west of the Shannon please let me know.
God sort of faded a little in the discussion once we got the statistics out of the way, and we found ourselves in Vincent territory he is very good on statistics and also he can conjure the odd obscure and even deleted word that nobody in the pub ever uses and more to the point he probably doesn't use himself that often. Vincent spoke and the chap from the travellers group spoke very well and suddenly the Irish audience were not just faced with God but with an articulate traveller.
It all faded out without much of a sting and my friend Éamon reminded us much to Vincent's annoyance about Francis Barrett and the Olympic games, Vincent went on to read some texts and tweets which were offensive but not much more than you hear on the average bar stool, you know when the orator is absolutely sure you agree with him and you don't but are quiet for the sake of peace. Now to the issue of travellers in general, people are wary of the subject as it is one of the no win scenarios common in Irish society, and to my mind it is an issue for which political correctness will not contribute to a solution.
In the main people are people and if some people choose to live a life by the side of the road or moving from place to place well there isn't much I can do about it, and children in Ireland from all backgrounds can suffer, and many from poor and disadvantaged area's are discriminated against all their lives. I sometimes wonder about shows of this nature, the debate will hardly change what is a cultural issue, we are a people who are mortally wounded by chronic indifference this is a society which has lost it's moral soul. I was all set for my my bed when I remembered that God had said that he himself lived with the travellers for a while, then I was reminded of time in my first life when an traveller girl was fitted out for her confirmation by my mother, she called regularly to our door for clothes-and I see her now as a jolly polite girl who thanked my mother profusely for her kindness. She called on us many times but then it stopped abruptly and we never saw her again.
God came complete with white beard and saintly expression and he informed us that we were much better off in general now than we used to be with women taking their rightful place in society, and that our standards had improved so much since God last checked us out in 1989. However Vincent was only tolerating God in his generalisation of the state of our nation he was far more interested the plight of our travelling community and as he put it more than once, 'they really are the most discriminated people you know.'
Now I have great sympathy for God and am a sucker for statistics but to see my favourite Fianna Fail politician Éamon Ó Cuív lord it archangel like promoting travellers rights was a bit hard to take, as as recently as the last budget this guy wanted to reduce disability benefit and more recently in a snippet from one of those new breed of TV3 shows he explained that if we get the dole cheats we will basically clear the national debt. This man is in favour of travellers rights? Perhaps there may be some votes in this for him but if Vincent can find a more right wing voice from west of the Shannon please let me know.
God sort of faded a little in the discussion once we got the statistics out of the way, and we found ourselves in Vincent territory he is very good on statistics and also he can conjure the odd obscure and even deleted word that nobody in the pub ever uses and more to the point he probably doesn't use himself that often. Vincent spoke and the chap from the travellers group spoke very well and suddenly the Irish audience were not just faced with God but with an articulate traveller.
It all faded out without much of a sting and my friend Éamon reminded us much to Vincent's annoyance about Francis Barrett and the Olympic games, Vincent went on to read some texts and tweets which were offensive but not much more than you hear on the average bar stool, you know when the orator is absolutely sure you agree with him and you don't but are quiet for the sake of peace. Now to the issue of travellers in general, people are wary of the subject as it is one of the no win scenarios common in Irish society, and to my mind it is an issue for which political correctness will not contribute to a solution.
In the main people are people and if some people choose to live a life by the side of the road or moving from place to place well there isn't much I can do about it, and children in Ireland from all backgrounds can suffer, and many from poor and disadvantaged area's are discriminated against all their lives. I sometimes wonder about shows of this nature, the debate will hardly change what is a cultural issue, we are a people who are mortally wounded by chronic indifference this is a society which has lost it's moral soul. I was all set for my my bed when I remembered that God had said that he himself lived with the travellers for a while, then I was reminded of time in my first life when an traveller girl was fitted out for her confirmation by my mother, she called regularly to our door for clothes-and I see her now as a jolly polite girl who thanked my mother profusely for her kindness. She called on us many times but then it stopped abruptly and we never saw her again.
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