Very few rioted. But that’s not news.

Let´s face it, most of those calling for “revolution” are just looking for cover for a bit of looting.

That’s nonsense Neil. We do need a serious change – and absent the democratic process doing whats it meant to bloody do and deliver that change – than perhaps other methods will be required.

@Dave
No form of democracy will handle the fact that a country is spending more than it can afford . People will vote for whoever promises low taxes and high rates of spending. But the maths just don´t allow it. So they´ll vote in the next crowd who promise it. But I still agree with that old quote about democracy being the best of a bad lot as regards political systems.

Anyone looking for an armed revolution has no love of democracy. They just want money and power that the ballot box does not allow them.

I´ll stick with the ballot box in Ireland thank you very much. If this government can´t get Ireland back on track then they´ll get voted out. That´s the system.

Meanwhile I´d ask all those who claim to be on the side of the “people” in their calls for running the troika out of town, why aren´t the unions on your side?

If the government CAN get Ireland back on track, they will get voted out; there’s no way to do it without hugely unpopular cuts. THAT’s the system :)

Neil – I never suggested violent revolution! I’m more the peaceful civil disobedience kind. :-) my position is simple. Stop paying bank bondholders. Stop wasting our money on bloated government – and then I will pay what taxes need paying to sort the mess out. Til then – no deal!

Dave. Neil only hears what Neil wants to hear. I’m all for peaceful revolution too but he pictures me armed with a bayonet. Talk to the wall ;)

Neil if you can wait 4/5 years to change things I don’t think you fully understand the seriousness of the situation.

@Dave
well, peaceful demonstrations is one thing, those applauding rioting is another.
But immediately when you say one of the things you want is to stop “wasting our money on bloated government” then who decides where the bloating is? Maybe you just mean the really highly paid politicians and civil servants. But Irelands huge primary budget deficit means the country is borrowing money to fund the pay of even mid-ranking civil servants . You could raise income taxes to cover that. But then your average private sector worker won´t be happy. You could raise the corporation taxes, but then your export sector will complain.
You can decide to default, but if you can no longer borrow then you need to cut spending and raise taxes. Who decides who pays?

That´s the thing with politics. It´s different sections of society fighting their corner, with everyone claiming they represent the real interests of the country (as long as their section of society is taken care of first). It´s messy and its far from altruistic or idealistic.

People get frustrated, and the idea of “revolution” to cut through it all seems tempting. But after the revolution who will run the country? What rates of taxes will be paid? Where will those taxes go? You´re back to the messy business of politics.

Well put Dave,
I think most reasonable people would be in agreement with that. It’s time to put an end to TD’s bloated wages and expenses, overpaid public sector workers like college lecturers, and all other forms of waste in public spending. If we can’t afford to pay back loans borrowed by defunct banks we shouldn’t pay them back either.
On a sidenote I’m not a public sector basher but there are some sections that are grossly overpaid.

@Aydo.
We had an election a year ago. Will we have an election every 12 months until your party finally wins? Because guess what, the party that runs on a policy of unilateral default won´t win anyway when they have to make clear the impact of no longer being able to borrow to fund PS pay and SW.

So what is the answer when you have nothing left to lose?
If you don’t know don’t worry, you’ll see how it feels in another couple of years when Ireland is inthe same boat as Greece.

Neil,
There are tough decisions to be made, not just here but in alot of countries. I don’t think anyone is denying that. Greece’s problem is that it put off making those tough decisions for a long time and is now a basketcase.
We have tough decisions to make here too, I think most people accept that. But those making the tough decisions are not feeling the impact of those decisions, they are passing bills to pay themselves more while all around them are suffering.
Repaying bonds to a defunct bank is a tough decision and the wrong decision in my opinion, maybe not in yours. But when you look at it from our elected representatives point of view, they wouldn’t have much of a case for paying each other 40K+ in expenses if they couldn’t pay back debts.
Make no mistake, these tough decisions have to be made, the sooner the better, if they are not made others will make them for us.

Well said.

The last big protest here was the paye marches that brought hundreds out on to the streets.That was called and organised by the unions and it brought change.
Until the unions put their weight behind a protest it will struggle to reach those big numbers.
The problem now is that O Connor and the lads will do nothing as long as their deal suits them
They have been bought and paid for so O Connor and his ilk will do nothing until the austerity calls at their doors.
Pull up the ladder Jack !!!

Who said the germans were supersmart? Who said the greeks were useless? Greece was allowed into the euro because it effectively cooked its books to meet the criteria. It also mismanaged its revenue and spending. The EU is lending it money because it has a vested interest in the stability of its member states and the stability of the currency, same reason they’ve lent to us and portugal. You speak about german greed, and yet, the irony is, that german tax payers have more than likely posted comments with a similar sentiments regarding paying for greek, irish and portugese greed.

As somebody has mentioned above, everybody seems to want to protect their own interests, so who’s right? and who’s wrong?

Seriously telling me that Germans had no idea of Greece’s civil & fiscal culture before they entered the Euro? & I did say they may well have good intentions but they certainly come off as superior beings, which is the general impression & tone that abounds at the moment… facts & history are paramount yes but impression & tone is vital in volatile situation.. and probably nobody knows who is right and wrong because everybody is right & wrong, would be nice to see the Germans put their hands up too and admit that…

Taxes, through the direction of the government, are used to offer many public services from education, transport, health, county council funding etc.. When tax revenue is low, or borrowing too high, the options are, unfortunately, either to increase taxes, reduce spending on services, or in our case, a bit of both. The reason hospitals have been closing isn’t because “politicians can well afford private hospital treatment for there loved ones if something goes wrong that’s why they shut hospital beds down. They really don’t give a shit about any off us…”, it’s because at the minute, we’re looking to reduce expenditure to something more in-line with the tax take.

Absolute BS comment SeanS

They the politicians keep giving massive pay rises to there advisors. They keep ripping the country off on god knows untold amounts of expenses claimed.

Our politicians have ZERO accountability for anything they have done. They have destroyed this country…. A country needs to be run like a business and not by a bunch of school teachers

For god sake with all due respect school teachers can’t nogotiate with the Trioka henchmen it’s laughable except its sad.

They keep doing stupid deals with private companies e.g. Mr Rabbit and the latest round of mineral exploration license granted… Any direction u look u find nightmares resulting from very poor policital decisions. The politicians look after there there familes and there buddies……