Meccano,
I think you've got this completely the wrong way around.
First of all you know very little about me, so relax with the "rabid Capitalist (with a capital C)" nonsense.
Just because I believe someone should be entitled to invest and see a reward for their investment, doesn't mean that I believe there aren't moral and ethical issues involved. I'm just at a loss to see what they might be in this situation.
Ireland is one of the smallest countries in Europe and yet we have the single biggest city park in Europe right here in Dublin, one of the biggest in the world in fact. In addition to that we have dozens and dozens of smaller parks. If there's one thing Dublin is not missing it's green space.
So, let's not draw parallels between Dartmouth Square and Amazon Rainforests. When you do that you just draw attention to the differences, not the similarities.
Our environment is being ruined by people like you (plural).
What are people like me? Are you refering to the fact that I own a business? Or is it just that I don't go along with the Soppy Politically correct response when someone wants to chop down a tree? I'll admit I'm skeptical about certain environmental issues, such as recycling. And until someone actually convinces me of the value (monetary or envionmental) I'll remain skeptical. But I resent the suggestion that I (or people like me) are destroying the planet, when in truth, you haven't a clue what I or people like me are actually like, or what we do.
You extrapolated from the fact that I don't care about a small rectangle of green in Dublin, that I don't care about the environment at all. And well, I'm afraid that's not a good thing to do.
One thing I do care about is people who will waste their energy arguing about a piece of grass in Dublin, as if it is the battle front in a fight to save the planet, but they won't look at the real causes of Global Environmental Damage. (Clue... It's not all being caused by big corporations in the name of money).
Quite a lot of the "good things to do" that the politically correct brigade advocate, won't do a damn thing in the short medium or long term to protect this planet. But sure you'll all feel good, and get to look down your noses at everyone else, and isn't that really what it's all about?
Let's consider for a minute your environmental plan. You and people like you will fight tooth and nail to protect every postage stamp sized bit of grass in the city centre. OK, that's your right. But as a result Dublin has lots and lots of parks, and virtually no High Density accomodation.
So people have to move to the outskirts. To huge estates sprawled accross the country side, sprawled accross the Dublin Mountains, swallowing rurals towns. Taking up tens of thousands of acres when a much smaller but taller footprint would have done the same thing. These estates have little or no public transport, so these people drive to work. And you and your like chastise them for that. After YOU drove them out of the cities.
Darthmouth Square could accomodate an awful lot of people, with public transport on their doorstep. Instead these people will commute for hours each day in their cars, so Dublin can have yet another park, for a handful of locals to enjoy.
Hurrah! for the environmentalists. Another victory.
You can complain all you want about my attitude to the environment, but don't think for one second that your misguided views are doing any better.
At least my attidute to the environment has been given a modicum of thought.
Whats LEGAL and whats RIGHT are the very same thing to you - words such as MORALITY and ETHICS are so alien to you it would require someone to explain the concepts before you can actually get it.
Now you're just being mean.
In fact if you READ my post I specifically I said
> I'm still at a loss to figure out what specifically this guy did that was
> illegal,
or even wrong.
So you see, I do know that some things are legal, but still wrong.
For example, it is perfectly legal for you to call me a rabid Capitalist with no morals or ethics, and no regards whatsoever for the environment.
But it would be wrong...both Factually, and in terms of just being a decent person.
I'm not going to send you check stubs to prove whether or not I engage in any philanthropy. It's none of your damned business if I do or not.
But I'm not going to stand for you telling the world that I engage in none, just because you don't like my views on a piece of grass, or you don't like people who own businesses. BTW, my business doesn't do any more or less environmental damage than you do on a given day.
BTW, I'm sure your kids will love the Annual Public Liability Insurance Bill you leave them.
They'll turn the park into a very tall apartment building within a year of burying you, if they have any sense,
especially if they inherit your love of the environment, and someone elses common sense.
-Rd
But if people lived in the city centre, where public transport is better, and they're closer to their work, wouldn't they be able to get to work without their cars?