I read Dara O'Briain's new book last week - "Tickling the English". He makes several comparisons throughout the book between English and Irish people, culture, etc.
Interestingly enough, one of the areas he discusses at length is the reputations that Irish have as (in general) being quite rebellious, louty, etc, while the British/English have a reputation as being conservative...and how realistically, the opposite is the truth. He basically says that Ireland is an incredibly reserved place still, even after the tiger and more foreign influence, we're still muted when it comes to protests, riots etc. I noticed it myself from my time over there, that people in the UK have high expectations of public officials & governments, whereas in Ireland there will always be an attitude of "no matter who's in charge, it'll never be right".
In other words, we as a pacified, ambivalent public have made the problem far worse, by casually whining and doing absolutely nothing to show angry we really are.
Can you imagine the scenes in England if this had happened to them? They'd (rightly) cause public mayhem, and get the fuckers out of office. Make things too hot for them to handle, draw too much international media attention to it, and bring the government to its knees.
Currently watching Vincent Browne and Brian Lenihan slug in out on TV3.
Maybe we should just end the country, like a company wind-down, and start afresh? Call it something new, but familiar like "The South", "Southern Ireland", "The 26 Counties" etc, and just start over. It would be a bright new challenge for all of us?
people in the UK have high expectations of public officials & governments, whereas in Ireland there will always be an attitude of "no matter who's in charge, it'll never be right".
In other words, we as a pacified, ambivalent public have made the problem far worse, by casually whining and doing absolutely nothing to show angry we really are.
Can you imagine the scenes in England if this had happened to them? They'd (rightly) cause public mayhem, and get the fuckers out of office. Make things too hot for them to handle, draw too much international media attention to it, and bring the government to its knees.
Ireland joins a lengthening list. Spain, Greece, doesn't Portugal have problems and did I read somewhere China seems to be having a few problems? The whole world is turning to shite!
As for your comment above I'm not so sure. people here have a habit of sitting back and moaning but doing fuck all, apart from the students that is. Send them and the football hooligans in and job done!
people in the UK have high expectations of public officials & governments, whereas in Ireland there will always be an attitude of "no matter who's in charge, it'll never be right".
In other words, we as a pacified, ambivalent public have made the problem far worse, by casually whining and doing absolutely nothing to show angry we really are.
Can you imagine the scenes in England if this had happened to them? They'd (rightly) cause public mayhem, and get the fuckers out of office. Make things too hot for them to handle, draw too much international media attention to it, and bring the government to its knees.
Ireland joins a lengthening list. Spain, Greece, doesn't Portugal have problems and did I read somewhere China seems to be having a few problems? The whole world is turning to shite!
As for your comment above I'm not so sure. people here have a habit of sitting back and moaning but doing fuck all, apart from the students that is. Send them and the football hooligans in and job done!
I think it's different for a country of only 4 million people - there isn't such a huge gap between a voter and the top level of office - i mean it's quite realistic for most Irish people to personally know (or have some local link to) at least one of the 3/4/5 o f the locally elected representatives for their constituency, and that makes the whole thing a bit more surreal /depressing / ambilavent.... or maybe it explains it all. i genuinely don't know anymore.
I read Dara O'Briain's new book last week - "Tickling the English". He makes several comparisons throughout the book between English and Irish people, culture, etc.
Interestingly enough, one of the areas he discusses at length is the reputations that Irish have as (in general) being quite rebellious, louty, etc, while the British/English have a reputation as being conservative...and how realistically, the opposite is the truth. He basically says that Ireland is an incredibly reserved place still, even after the tiger and more foreign influence, we're still muted when it comes to protests, riots etc. I noticed it myself from my time over there, that people in the UK have high expectations of public officials & governments, whereas in Ireland there will always be an attitude of "no matter who's in charge, it'll never be right".
In other words, we as a pacified, ambivalent public have made the problem far worse, by casually whining and doing absolutely nothing to show angry we really are.
Can you imagine the scenes in England if this had happened to them? They'd (rightly) cause public mayhem, and get the fuckers out of office. Make things too hot for them to handle, draw too much international media attention to it, and bring the government to its knees.
Nah, I don't buy that at all... nobody here is happy with how things are being run but they're not doing anything. Their country has invaded countries that nobody wanted them to invade and nothing was done. The Irish are definitely more rebellious but on a small scale... try and get a decent conversation over here about conspiracy theories... people here are just as complacent about the government but, more worryingly, tend to believe a lot of what they're told but things are changing a bit. The fact that 100,000 showed up for the protests a few weeks ago in Dublin, even though the country was snowed in, said alot IMO but was pretty muted by the media if you ask me.
The Astoria??? Orgazmic!
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
Nah, I don't buy that at all... nobody here is happy with how things are being run but they're not doing anything. Their country has invaded countries that nobody wanted them to invade and nothing was done. The Irish are definitely more rebellious but on a small scale... try and get a decent conversation over here about conspiracy theories... people here are just as complacent about the government but, more worryingly, tend to believe a lot of what they're told but things are changing a bit. The fact that 100,000 showed up for the protests a few weeks ago in Dublin, even though the country was snowed in, said alot IMO but was pretty muted by the media if you ask me.
I initially thought that too, but think of how many mass public demonstrations there have been in Ireland in the past ten years even.....very few. Nice, Lisbon, Referendums, and the ones about Banking since 2008. And how many ones that became violent or even aggressive? the MayDay one one a few years ago (which was mindless fuckwit violence), and the student protest a few weeks ago where the gardai hit the students. That's it.
I'm not saying violent protest is better, but it definitely brings more media attention to the demonstrations.
Dara actually has a fairly lengthly list of protests in the UK that have turned violent to back up his point, i dont have it to hand. I agree with it in-so-far-as a general population is less inclined to act when their expectations and standards of officials are relatively low compared to other western euro countries.
Nah, I don't buy that at all... nobody here is happy with how things are being run but they're not doing anything. Their country has invaded countries that nobody wanted them to invade and nothing was done. The Irish are definitely more rebellious but on a small scale... try and get a decent conversation over here about conspiracy theories... people here are just as complacent about the government but, more worryingly, tend to believe a lot of what they're told but things are changing a bit. The fact that 100,000 showed up for the protests a few weeks ago in Dublin, even though the country was snowed in, said alot IMO but was pretty muted by the media if you ask me.
I initially thought that too, but think of how many mass public demonstrations there have been in Ireland in the past ten years even.....very few. Nice, Lisbon, Referendums, and the ones about Banking since 2008. And how many ones that became violent or even aggressive? the MayDay one one a few years ago (which was mindless fuckwit violence), and the student protest a few weeks ago where the gardai hit the students. That's it.
I'm not saying violent protest is better, but it definitely brings more media attention to the demonstrations.
Dara actually has a fairly lengthly list of protests in the UK that have turned violent to back up his point, i dont have it to hand. I agree with it in-so-far-as a general population is less inclined to act when their expectations and standards of officials are relatively low compared to other western euro countries.
Violent protests usually turn people off though... like here, people are now turning against the students whilst in the beginning they were like 'yeh, fair play'. To be honest, violence or no violence, protests don't seem to make an ounce of difference!
The Astoria??? Orgazmic!
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
Comments
Interestingly enough, one of the areas he discusses at length is the reputations that Irish have as (in general) being quite rebellious, louty, etc, while the British/English have a reputation as being conservative...and how realistically, the opposite is the truth. He basically says that Ireland is an incredibly reserved place still, even after the tiger and more foreign influence, we're still muted when it comes to protests, riots etc. I noticed it myself from my time over there, that people in the UK have high expectations of public officials & governments, whereas in Ireland there will always be an attitude of "no matter who's in charge, it'll never be right".
In other words, we as a pacified, ambivalent public have made the problem far worse, by casually whining and doing absolutely nothing to show angry we really are.
Can you imagine the scenes in England if this had happened to them? They'd (rightly) cause public mayhem, and get the fuckers out of office. Make things too hot for them to handle, draw too much international media attention to it, and bring the government to its knees.
Maybe we should just end the country, like a company wind-down, and start afresh? Call it something new, but familiar like "The South", "Southern Ireland", "The 26 Counties" etc, and just start over. It would be a bright new challenge for all of us?
As for your comment above I'm not so sure. people here have a habit of sitting back and moaning but doing fuck all, apart from the students that is. Send them and the football hooligans in and job done!
I think it's different for a country of only 4 million people - there isn't such a huge gap between a voter and the top level of office - i mean it's quite realistic for most Irish people to personally know (or have some local link to) at least one of the 3/4/5 o f the locally elected representatives for their constituency, and that makes the whole thing a bit more surreal /depressing / ambilavent.... or maybe it explains it all. i genuinely don't know anymore.
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
I initially thought that too, but think of how many mass public demonstrations there have been in Ireland in the past ten years even.....very few. Nice, Lisbon, Referendums, and the ones about Banking since 2008. And how many ones that became violent or even aggressive? the MayDay one one a few years ago (which was mindless fuckwit violence), and the student protest a few weeks ago where the gardai hit the students. That's it.
I'm not saying violent protest is better, but it definitely brings more media attention to the demonstrations.
Dara actually has a fairly lengthly list of protests in the UK that have turned violent to back up his point, i dont have it to hand. I agree with it in-so-far-as a general population is less inclined to act when their expectations and standards of officials are relatively low compared to other western euro countries.
Violent protests usually turn people off though... like here, people are now turning against the students whilst in the beginning they were like 'yeh, fair play'. To be honest, violence or no violence, protests don't seem to make an ounce of difference!
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you