Worth a watch: Vincent Browne nailing Cowen and discussion that followed after bail out was admitted.

The implications of the bail out for the poor in Ireland are terrifying. Sovereignty was about the only thing protecting them and with that gone it’s open season on social welfare, old age pensions, health, minimum wage, education, students and so on. Before the boom it might surprise people to know that there was a small sense of social conscience from the govt (regardless of political affiliation since I lived there under both Fianna Fail and Fianna Gael govts). There was some understanding of what being poor actually meant and what was a living wage, even a basic one. I’ve a hard time imagining that decisions taken by a non-elected body, who have no experience of living in the country and whose only goal is the recuperation of their billions will have any consideration for these people and what they live with.

Carl O’Brien had a series of moving articles about suicide in The Irish Times this week. Each day another story was told. What came through in all of them was how ill-equipped the mental health system was to help any of these individuals. There was no effective front line response whatsoever when their loved ones sought support for the individual who went on to die by suicide. That was the mental health system under the boom times, add the undoubted savage cuts that are coming to this system and the increase in the suicide rate as people crumble under the stress they’re living with and what will we have then?

The mild mannered Bryan Dobson betrays his (and the country’s) annoyance in questioning a belligerent Brian Lenihan who is like Tufty the Squirrel no icecream truck will ever knock me down, not even if I happen to be driving one into the wall.

Have the IMF already introduced austerity measures on Nob Nation podcasting — we went over there hoping for big time treasure given the endless material all week — and only found the Cork Special with Roy Keane.

Emotions are stirred, indeed. Vin B attempting to Address the slither. (go to 13.32) “A time of great shame and despondency” (on self determination) and on and more. “Shameful, humiliating … the sense of arrogance at the root of what caused this crisis shows no sign of abating… ” ” a sense of delusion among the Fianna Fail leadership … they don’t seem to know the gravity of what’s happening..” “We are inviting the IMF in” … “You guys are completely delusional … this is being forced upon us …”

The unbelievable slime from this FF politician, you couldn’t find such in the largest, most over populated, prone to lack of cleaning fish tank! Audacious slime!

Following this, latter days, has almost proved a full time job. Gratitude to my amigos/amigas on the South side there for keeping me abreast and translating.

The Mystery Mots of Olli Rehn … a stirring title for a novel, no?

B agus O

In every sense of the word today was a weather event.

Am following matters closely in Ireland over the bailout. The bailout that everyone knows is coming, except the Finance Minister and Biffo.  The BBC and the Financial Times were reporting talks as early as Sat night and still the Dail is maintaining a near Masonic silence and secrecy over whether or not they’ve taken place.

Particularly enjoyed the British papers headlines (everyone has the word Ireland emblazoned on front page)

My faves:

EU tells Ireland Take The Bailout. (Judging from my kitchen table it is not in the national characteristic to “do what you’re told” so good luck on that one.)

Ireland on the Brink.  (could apply to any average Thursday.)

Ireland isn’t working: Celtic Tiger becomes sick man of Europe.

While the Irish newspapers still lead with the more tranquil

Taoiseach insists Ireland not applying to Europe for bailout.

To which we can only respond, erm how come the rest of the world do not believe him….

Another curious thing is the papers need to catch up with what’s already taken place. They are running these pieces about young people potentially fleeing the country, but we know from the figures people have already left. I’ve never heard so many Irish accents in the area here as in the past six months and this is not a place historically the Irish gravitate to. There aren’t even good flight routes to get here!

To add to the current inventory of woes, it’s -3 overnight in Dublin.

***

Here in the Wessst Coast it’s blowing a gale, the greenhouse splitting at the seams as I type. I’ve already had to do aerial moves to rescue a flying sledge and a turbine fishing net. The clouds are extraordinary and the trees, well they’re doing a fair bit of bee-bop out there.  Over by the supermarket there was a head banging line of conifers

Janey a blustery day in the Motherland.

Gusts of up to 120km/h were forecast, however winds could reach up to 140km/h in exposed parts of Connacht and Ulster.

 

RTE have not uploaded access outside Ireland to the Freefall series. From what I gathered about the first one, it was much avert thy gaze and blithering. Still would like to see it. In the meantime Prime Time have a cheery report on the disaster in the bonds market and ongoing FF scuppering.  Also, I note a return to the new version of the CE scheme where you work 19 hours just for your dole?! As opposed to 20 hours for a third more than your dole.Human Inflation? The talking heads at the dole office were great, pointing out what the govt appears to miss that er, people want to work there’s no jobs for them! thanks to the great blow, swindle and economic toilet flush.

Prime Time investigation into planning failures, excess housing, ghost estates. Jesus…..

RTE’s Frontline programme yesterday led on a discussion among young Irish people on high rates of unemployment they currently face. It was interesting how the discussion split into “roll up your sleeves and buck up” from another generation. It was suggested they were molly coddled with high expectations. What wasn’t acknowledged was that they grew up in a boom time. They also were saddled with the associated expenses of that time, some with extortionate mortgages (and concurrent negative equity) and so on. How will this play out? Will it result in another eighties exodus? (which has already begun) Or will that generation stay put and affect change? Previously the expectation was to have to leave, but this generation didn’t grow up with that, so in essence this is also the first generation who can articulate on the alternative.

I was intrigued by the “we went through it” and “you’ve had it easy” since it could be argued that older generations were trained for exit and send money home. This generation have been trained or conditioned toward success and stay put. There’s a pervasive sense of entitlement (in any other country I think it would be considered average confidence…) that irks the older generation and divides them ever further. It’s interesting that in the same sentences NAMA is not subject to the same short shrift. I s’ppose it’s easier condemn unemployed young folk than those who made a bollix of things, ie. the banks, property developers etc.

There was one feisty fellow at the front who summed things up along the lines of everything being sunk into over inflated real estate and hotels and now what are we left with. It’s not the only place in the world with over inflated property leading a boom — I am curious to see whether the same may play out in Vancouver, where the property bubble has yet to burst.