Jim, on your urging younger people to get out of Ireland I empathize with your frustration but I can't help finding it ultimately very depressing and self-defeating, as it let's off the hook feeble politicians (past & present; who was it said in the early 90s that Ireland is too small to accommodate everyone?) and the special interest groups whose interests are at odds with those of the country overall. It's a peculiarly Irish form of exceptionalism - imagine if every country had the same attitude ? - and one we need to get away from. The younger generation should take a stand and demand the conditions to enable them to live with a stake in society. Easier said than done I know, but if they lobbied politicians with the same organization and intensity that say Dublin suburb residence committees put into objecting to real estate developments, you just never know.
Fair comment Colm. I did say elsewhere that this would be the easy/cowardly option, and that the other one would be to stay and fight for change. I am just not sure it is possible to change the system. Permanent government is not fit for purpose, and the political system is pretty dysfunctional i think. I am having these conversations with my two sons at the moment.
Jim, on your urging younger people to get out of Ireland I empathize with your frustration but I can't help finding it ultimately very depressing and self-defeating, as it let's off the hook feeble politicians (past & present; who was it said in the early 90s that Ireland is too small to accommodate everyone?) and the special interest groups whose interests are at odds with those of the country overall. It's a peculiarly Irish form of exceptionalism - imagine if every country had the same attitude ? - and one we need to get away from. The younger generation should take a stand and demand the conditions to enable them to live with a stake in society. Easier said than done I know, but if they lobbied politicians with the same organization and intensity that say Dublin suburb residence committees put into objecting to real estate developments, you just never know.
Fair comment Colm. I did say elsewhere that this would be the easy/cowardly option, and that the other one would be to stay and fight for change. I am just not sure it is possible to change the system. Permanent government is not fit for purpose, and the political system is pretty dysfunctional i think. I am having these conversations with my two sons at the moment.