The ones that are left are the frontline! They need Support as much as anybody but the type of public there up against are living in a fantasy world of politics and incoherant policies. The Grass is very green on the lawn of the central Bank.

They are protesting on behalf of you and I.

They are not protesting on my behalf..

Not on my behalf.

Not on my behalf

Not on behalf of the 92% of 3560 listeners who took part in a text poll on my show last weds. I agree with the right to protest but i spoke last night to one of the founder members of the Occupy Dame Street group and even he has abandon them and says they cant even agree with each other and feels they have overstayed their welcome in Dame Street . Once again i will state publicly that i will personally pay for the clean up what was once a trendy metropolitan meeting square . Time to move on guys !

Most definitely me neither

Nor are they protesting on my behalf.
The Occupy movement has made a big impact on peoples conciousness…. They are now just pissing people off.
They are the 0.01%

So Leigh, I take it you expect the German taxpayer to continue to find our overspending?

Not on
Mine

Buckwheat you are absolutely clueless as to what’s going on around you. First off, the reason we are in such debt is not due to the government overspending on welfare or such nonsense as some may like to assert- we kept well within debt limits and even ran a surplus in the years up until the recession.

The measures in the Fiscal Pact completely miss the point, it’s yet more austerity policies being hoisted on us. Austerity does not grow an economy, it retracts it. The only time it’s useless is when government spending is an issue in the first place, in conjunction with other measures such as devaluation of currency(which we can’t do).

The Germans are not somehow funding our lavish lifestyles and you’ve been severely mislead if you think that’s the case. The “Bailouts” are not for the Irish people, but for the banks, largely their own banks. If we did not proceed with the Anglo bailout, we would have to even consider many of the measures we have taken.

There is still time to do something about this. There is time to cut off all payment to bondholders and to do a full fraud investigation, seizing the assets of those who claims the taxpayer’s money and forcing them to suck up the gambling debts they legally earned for themselves. At the very least, given Europe relies on our stability, we have a great bargaining chip that can give us leverage in these discussions, which is not being used.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but the absolute, objective fact here is that yours is wrong- we were not “Overspending”, and the Germans are not funding it. We did not, again, run a deficit but a surplus before the recession, and the Germans are not “Helping” us but forcing policies that are damaging our economy and drawing out the recession.

Really it shouldn’t even be about “The voice of the people”. It should be about what is sensible to do and caving in like idiots to policies that will only hurt our economies while hurling abuse at protesters like useless skangers just shows us up for the shameful, spineless, amoral people we’ve become.

But the “Public” they’re losing the support of are acting like the same typical Paddy Men that voted back in Fianna Fáil. The Irish people are not a benchmark of anything worthwhile. They’re trying to stand up for you and you’re too stupid to see it.

Is Leigh just very simple or is he a troll or both?
Who can tell?

Or maybe I just hit a little too close to home? Someone in your family vote for Fianna Fáil? Ouch.

lol…. right.. so it’s simple then.
You’re so very far away from ‘close to home’ it’s comical. I was involved in ODS for the first month or more, until I saw it was going nowhere. I was ready for frustration, but the frustration of inertia was too much for me. Since I have left I have not seen anything worthwhile come out it. That is unfortunate.
Let’s be clear about this. YOU ARE NOT STANDING UP FOR ME. I stood up for myself as I see the elected representatives are not doing what they claimed they would (not that I thought they would). ODS has put the nail in my protesting days. I see now that any real movement for change will try and be co-opted by the Trotskyite parties and, to a lesser extent, attract the violent “republican” types.
Your attitude is not a helpful one. Do you think you can persuade people to your side of the argument by belittling, pigeon-holing and insulting them?

And what a fantastic job you’re doing of standing up for yourself now, having been “assimilated” into the viciously apathetic modern Irish mentality. If you don’t like what ODS are doing, organise your own protest.

You think your attitude is helpful? You’re ruling out any and all “protest” in a time when we most need it. You’re a disgrace.

“internationally failed to come up with a viable alternative to current capitalist economics. It’s true to say the current system is terrible……..it’s just so happens that it’s better than any other we can currently think of. ”

That’s not even remotely the issue. There is an alternative to the way we’ve been doing things, and it doesn’t even have to be completely removed from capitalism. The issue is not that we “haven’t come up with an alterantive”. It’s that the government, Merkozy, and apparently much of the Irish people refuse to hear an alternative.

Do you really think that as soon as someone comes up with a better idea, everyone’s going to stop everything and take it up? How naive are you with regards politics?

Your a disgrace. Coward tucked up away from the real world.

Joe- you’re the one tucked away from the real world. Do you not have bills to pay, family to take care of? Instead of living in a shanty town full of people that are high, or not the full shilling.

In honour of the dame street protesters they have a released a new shampoo for Mc Dermott and co ,its not called Wash n Go its called Go n Wash!!!!!

^ I think bigoted, stereotypical 1960s right wing comments like that are the real disgrace here. And the way people are voting these comments.

^ to the downvoters; Yes, down with that sort of thing. We should be clubbing hippies in the street instead.

You are the waste that caused this mess. Please realise this.

Work for a Charity????? There are 27000 charities in Ireland, which one do you Suppose i work for??? Simon Community? Where one wakes up in a bed and is subjected to the pharmacuitcal industrys latest drug on addiction remedy! You wouldnt Last a Day in occupy.

Well said Antoin
I find it funny how Cupids Daughter finds a Charity more abhorrent than a Political Party, especially since there are so many to choose from.

I picked the charity to make My point as a political Party has well lost its way, you obviously got a lot from your experience.

Antóin, it is achieving something as it’s drawing attention to how cuts have unfairly targeted the poor and favoured the wealthy. Would it be better to do nothing at all?

Spa

And then what? Forget about the situation we’re in? Get real. At least the ruckus here is drawing some attention to the case.

“eyes of the world” are you for real? And do you honestly believe ODS will change foreigners perception of ireland? I’ve heard it all now…

Are you a banker Hugh? (with a W)

are you a crusty joe?

At Last a man with reason.!

Really? Before it was ODS it was hyper teenagers either running around and getting in shoppers faces or sullenly sitting around competing on how emo they could get their fringes..
At night when they were all tucked up in bed it was the place for drunken girls to sit in their own vomit and guys to have a piss..

You’d prefer that? I hope you weren’t one of the types I described above because that’s all I ever ran into around there..

They are not the ones who turned the support into a general attack. It is the mean spirited individuals like yourself and John Murphy that have done this. Angela Merkel must be rubbing her hands in orgasmic delight now.

“Local business in the area is suffering.” Prove it? The occupy camp is the only visible thing drawing attention to the fact that local businesses everywhere are suffering.

Well maybe the head shops are doing ok !

^ Yeah, let’s generalise like idiots.

Worth 100 thumbs up Limo

Good argument there Eoin, very insightful.

Cheers Reada!

Give me back My glasses then!

tut tut David, bit much coming from a FG supporter whos party are in bed with former sinn fein the workers party brigade members who were in support of the quantitive easing economic policy adopted by North Korea and a few here too.

Grow up folks. Judge my views, not who I vote for.

But your views are shit immature as all hell.

You’re using a ridiculous Ad Hominem by dismissing the whole movement as “Hippies”.

I wonder if in Chile there’s an equally confused person commenting on national news as Augusto Pinochet, or in Spain as Francisco Franco..

Yes because we should aspire to be Chile. That must be good stuff you’re smokin’

*whoosh*

Or maybe the world will see that there is a serious issue in our country, that it’s not all fancy floats and “Sure will ya put up with it” nonsense?

Yes, that’s exactly how we should treat the few people in our country who give enough of a toss to engage in sustained protest, treat them like they’re on a Noel Edmond’s show from the 90s.

Also, our government should be removed on health grounds.

Jeez Leigh I hope you don’t embody the type of person involved in ODS. Real sweetheart aren’t you?

I don’t know. I’d say relevant to the people who want to teargas peaceful protestors, I’m pretty reasonable.

I’m being angry and in this situation, anger is a good thing. We don’t have enough of it directed at the right people.

Every bloody country has an occupy movement.

“our image abroad”

What a vague notion. What does that even mean? Are you just licking that up off the propaganda fed to us by the Blueshirts?

Dave – not every country…

Jimmy – the Blueshirts? You do know it’s 2012? Not 1920….

They didn’t exist in 1920!

What does “our image abroad” mean and what significance does it have? Why do you think that’s an important thing? And among which states is it more important to have a ‘good image’ in your opinion — I find “abroad” very vague.

Mr Lee. A very high number of wealthy, functioning and respected democracies have occupy movements. Its total bullshit to suggest ours somehow reflects badly on us alone.

neither is Edna!

either is our goverment

Jimmy – Image is everything, if you have a business and it has a bad image, people are less likely to buy a product. So if a country has a image abroad for being unfriendly, dirty etc people are less likely to visit that country.
When i say “abroad” i mean countries that we trade with and countries that give us a high amount of tourists.

Christine & Dermot – internationally Enda and the government are highly respected for implementing the bail out, and stabilising the country. whether you agree with their polices or like them personally or not, they have indeed done at least that.

Yes, we would look much better if we have no visible signs of opposition towards incompetent, sociopathic corporatist policy being enforced on us.

Nitwit.

Why don’t you go and ask them? Or would that be too much for *you* to do?

Ya,great. Typical reply from someone involved in the occupy movement.
Fact is you have no plan,there is no next step or plan b.
Well done, now clear up and fuck off to your next protest.

Hey B7485 if that is your real Name! Ods have 4 simple demands, and i can guarantee you not one person that comentated by saying they made their point actually Know what any of these demands are….if this government addressed at least one of their demands then Yes occupy should consider to mive the fuk on….but occupy have 4 demands….and this is one reason your words will never move them.

For the love of god…. What ARE the demands? And how exactly are you going about demanding these ‘demands’?
Thats all we hear ‘we have demands’ but yet no one including yourselves have the foggiest!!!!

“Ya,great. Typical reply from someone involved in the occupy movement.”

What, actually ask a question to someone relevant rather than complaining about not being handed an answer?

I haven’t been to an Occupy camp in a month or so so I couldn’t tell you. The last I heard they were trying to reclaim NAMA properties, with varying degrees of success. I Doubt they’re going to stay quiet forever somehow.

“What, actually ask a question to someone relevant rather than complaining about not being handed an answer?”

You ARENT relevant, you havent been the the camp in a month.

Well done Tom. Good thinking. But clerical error might just sway your way again!!!

Clerical error would be an ecumenical matter. (Sorry).

Social welfare inspectors actually knowing which hills are which, completly clerical.

HORF DORF UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE ARE WORSE HUMAN BEINGS, LET’S CRACK JOKES AT THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF A RECESSION I AM A CLASSY GUY

Get off the road!!!

?????????????????

@reada just posted a reply to David Higgins and managed to get North Korea into it.

Great John. I was worried you were getting soft. lol

St Patrick’s day has never exactly attracted the creme de la creme to Dublin city center. Most sane civilized people living around Dublin have generally avoided the festivities and its armageddon aftermath. I would approve of the protest staying on although I would have some concerns over their safety dealing with drunken yobs.

God i’d love to be wild like you Réada. You seem like great craic alright……..NOT!

They’re achieving something if they’re drawing this level of attention for themselves! And they’re sparking people to defend them by reminding us of the situation we’re in. They’re doing far more than the average amrchair conservative on thejournal.ie

Why not occupy the actual central bank? Or leinster house? Or Michael D’s house in phoenix park?

I became pregnant sitting in a tent in Dublin, there was an engagement in Cork, i think galway might have had the First ever incident of imprisonment due to assalt against an RTE Reporter, and then there is occupy Belfast but were all to scared to talk about that due to Propaganda and the continued inaction of a Government that seeks aproval for printing.

Cupid you almost seem proud of the fact that an occupy member was jailed for assault if that was the case .

Im proud to be Irish. Proud to have the constitution whispered in my ear during conception, and beyond proud for any wayward flying loaf of soda that happens to make contact with a representative/employee of RTE.

“. Jesus Christ have you no class woman.”

I have plenty of class. For example, I am classy enough not to swallow the Irish “viciously apathetic” anti-protest mentality so hard that I want to teargas people I disagree with.

Wouldn’t you say that’s pretty classy?

By the nature if the fact they are making a mess , it does . If they actually did something people might have supported them instead of telling us what we already know . Get them on Mastermind , specialised subject ” the blatantly obvious”

The problem is “The support of the Irish people” is not something that seems to have any integrity these days anyway, especially with a majority still for the Fiscal pact.

So will you pay the fines for not going the charge, or are you content to go to mountjoy on shower day?

sure along with the other million or so households who haven’t paid yet…..should be nice and cosy…maybe have abit of a session….

I’m not disgusted in myself at all.

I’m all for the right to free speech and the right to prostest but ODS has no realistic aims at all, th protest has no real point in my eyes because it highlights nothing and expects everything, most of which could never be achieved.

This “representing the 99%” crap is offensive to the many of us who don’t agree with ODS and don’t wish for them to be representing us.

To me, the fact that Central Bank have made no effort to move ODS of their private property says it all. they have no fear of ODS at all and if they don’t, that protest is totally pointless.

Well said Dave. Best comment on here..all these dumb wit comments forget why they are protesting and on behalf of who. Short memories.

What has their “protest” (and I use the term loosely) changed? NOTHING!

Hmmm… I don’t recall either Dave or Joe during the first month?
Anyhow – It’s time to give it a rest guys.

ODS are just feeding the rightwingers with ammo to throw at this stage. Its not being an effective opposition/resistance. The occupy movement has made it’s impact and you should be proud to have been part of it.

However. What’s the next step? Is the plan to continue to have no plan? To create no media content? To get no message out from the camp? To not challenge policies?…. etc, etc.
It seems it is about egos now. You want to be hauled out of there by police or security. To cause a fuss and play the martyr. You’ve squander the support that was there originally so no one will care.

Yes, its possible that this may come down to our inabiity to see when an oppressor may be playing us against each other. Either ways its now High time we learn the ways of change, we cannot all sit down as a Nation and watch a state broadcast called Operation Transformation and then stand up in six or seven weeks and believe we have made any change. Protest is not something that is on our education cricilium yet its very much engraind in our present.

Just to point out – just because you claim something about yourself, doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Of course, that applies to others judging you, but I Think it’s pretty obvious at this stage that most criticism of the Irish people is absolutely spot on. We are a nation of wasters. Not because of high welfare or anything stupid like that, we are intellectual wasters, spineless creeps. And it’s time we stopped.

In all Fairness people you cant describe the people in the camp as an elite or as a occupy force, it takes a lot to stand up to Bad governance be that the IMF or our “elected” officials, this is still ongoing the people of the camp are Holding the fort, if you feel your living in a country that asks you what you can do for it well then get rid of the camp. If you feel your living in a country that asks how much can you afford to Pay it while they deduct monies from education, welfare, Heath,etc well i think some form of permanent Protest should be in place without the need for another quango.

I concur, also in ten years where this way of living will be the only way through the Dilemma we will be faced with how many of these nay sayers will be insisting they lock Communitys up and put their residents through 100% denny programs. People really got to wake up, how many x-boxes do you Girls need robbed before it Hits Home!!!!!!

I think ODS proves that the Irish don’t know how to protest.

Please refer me to something that ODS has done in 2012…. other than just being there.

Val really. This is a case of the relatives are comming clean it up…..will we insist on having the Same outlay for the olymipics as we do for the para olymipics. Sorry other way around, but you get My drift?

I thought the dole queues were a visible sign of businesses failing or are you suggesting that you are a dole queue?

Armchair conservatives certainly beats tent dwelling lefties

I see who you follow, think you have spent too long at the “UniVerSiTy Of LoVe” .

And before you say it yes Jedward would have a better fiscal policy the the occupy dame street movement.

I want a constructive resistant opposition that doesn’t revolve around parties, trade unions or worn out political theories. ODS has helped me realise that that is an unachievable ideal in Ireland.
The unfortunate truth is that we are a staunchly conservative country – so much so that many don’t even realise that they are voting in a neo-liberal fashion. Despite *exactly* the same policies being followed, people somehow thought they were voting for change. They can only think that by not looking at the facts.
Furthermore, the globe is seeing the beginnings of the energy crisis. That will have knock-on effects for politics. This unfair system of economics that we have – the global market system – will breakdown of it’s own accord. It is built on a model of unlimited growth in a finite world.
The structures of our state and that of others, is based on these global market ideas. I believe national and super-national structures will fall. As energy prices rise the cost of food will escalate. At any one time Ireland has one weeks worth of food in the country. The world is pretty fecked and it’s not going to get nicer any time soon.
We need solutions to the next crises before it starts. Transition towns and the likes. *Sustainable* ways to produce enough food for everyone in the country.