Btw in relation to your comments on the ubiquity of housing crises in (pretty much) all developed countries and how it’s being used as a vote getter by far left populist parties, and lately by the far right - I believe that whatever party is in the opposition will have always be the one with the magical Solution to the Housing Crisis
The Sinn Fein general election manifesto for 2020 claimed they were going to build 100k houses per annum and budgeted €6.5 billion for it. That’s €65k a house. It also requires them to hit the ground running, delivering in their first year of office, despite having no civil service infrastructure to support.
Let’s see what they come out with for the general election manifesto. If they are wise, they’d recognise that they are BS’ing the electorate and the best way of not getting caught out is to keep their promises wishy washy and away with the fairies. Don’t use numbers. Get the caricature of an intellectual Eoin O’Brioin out to talk about different types of “models” to dazzle the misinformed.
Distilling it down though, isn’t it always the case that the party in opposition always has ‘The Solution’. And of course you’re correct: best for them to avoid hard numbers/projections in their manifestos.
I abandoned Twitter when I found myself ever more furiously replying to posts from the self-promoting Rory Hearne, in an effort to publicly debunk his approach to the subject of housing.
I told him that (other very salient issues aside) when he could get planners, architects, engineers and tradesmen to work for significantly less, and for the government to take less in tax and levies, and for materials suppliers to take a loss on their products, then he’d achieve his magical goal of the €250k house.
I noticed latest that your podcasts are up online before they are available on your Substack for comment.
I can back up Chris’ experience of being discriminated against for being a white man. I recently had a very similar experience. A large corporation offered me a role too far down the management chain to entice me to accept. They couldn’t offer me a higher role because of diversity targets.
This is often called “positive discrimination” but there’s nothing at all positive for the individual being discriminated against on the basis of their gender or race.
Btw in relation to your comments on the ubiquity of housing crises in (pretty much) all developed countries and how it’s being used as a vote getter by far left populist parties, and lately by the far right - I believe that whatever party is in the opposition will have always be the one with the magical Solution to the Housing Crisis
Nice one - so good, I will undoubtedly use it in a future pod!
Magical indeed.
The Sinn Fein general election manifesto for 2020 claimed they were going to build 100k houses per annum and budgeted €6.5 billion for it. That’s €65k a house. It also requires them to hit the ground running, delivering in their first year of office, despite having no civil service infrastructure to support.
Let’s see what they come out with for the general election manifesto. If they are wise, they’d recognise that they are BS’ing the electorate and the best way of not getting caught out is to keep their promises wishy washy and away with the fairies. Don’t use numbers. Get the caricature of an intellectual Eoin O’Brioin out to talk about different types of “models” to dazzle the misinformed.
Brilliant article. Now what’s needed is a soundbite that expresses all that, something that rallies people around a complex concept simply expressed.
Thanks Steven, it might not be a soundbite but the next pod will have a go at simplifying a very complex area!
Very well said, I doubt the centre can hold here even with all our riches, the media also are responsible
Distilling it down though, isn’t it always the case that the party in opposition always has ‘The Solution’. And of course you’re correct: best for them to avoid hard numbers/projections in their manifestos.
I abandoned Twitter when I found myself ever more furiously replying to posts from the self-promoting Rory Hearne, in an effort to publicly debunk his approach to the subject of housing.
I told him that (other very salient issues aside) when he could get planners, architects, engineers and tradesmen to work for significantly less, and for the government to take less in tax and levies, and for materials suppliers to take a loss on their products, then he’d achieve his magical goal of the €250k house.
But you don’t sell books that way…..
I noticed latest that your podcasts are up online before they are available on your Substack for comment.
I can back up Chris’ experience of being discriminated against for being a white man. I recently had a very similar experience. A large corporation offered me a role too far down the management chain to entice me to accept. They couldn’t offer me a higher role because of diversity targets.
This is often called “positive discrimination” but there’s nothing at all positive for the individual being discriminated against on the basis of their gender or race.
Thanks Sean - I'm just getting lazy.