# This week they said...



## DrMoriarty (8 Mar 2007)

From the ireland.com _Breaking News_ section, about an hour ago. My emphases and italicised insertions. Are these schmucks so blinded by their own electoral hype that they honestly expect rubbishy populist soundbites like this to _enhance _their credibility?



> *Politicians criticise ECB rate hike*
> Ciara O'Brien
> © 2007 ireland.com
> 
> ...


Don't get me wrong; personally, I'd love to see the current administration removed from power at the next election — but Lord help us, this crowd seem to have about as much chance of doing it as the England team of putting us back in the running for a Six Nations win...


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## ClubMan (8 Mar 2007)

Meaningless populist rubbish. Typical of the level of what passes for political debate these days here and probably abroad.  I'm sure that the incumbent parties will come up with their own gems of wisdom in response... 

I particularly like the one about rate increases "insidiously" increasing costs for mortgage holders. Does the _GP _finance spokesman actually understand credit and interest rates?


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## Purple (8 Mar 2007)

The opposition seem to think that they can win the next election by doing everything they can to show that they are even bigger clowns than the government. They are making Bertie look prudent and that's no mean feat! Their mantra seems to be to be as populist as possible. FG is slipping into the same “compensate the Eircom shareholders” trap that Michael Noonan ran with at the last election.


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## podd (8 Mar 2007)

> Labour Seanad Finance Spokesperson *Derek McDowell accused the ECB of wanting to "squeeze the life" out of the European economy and Irish mortgage holders.*


 The people who took out these mortgages should not have been so gullible in taking out large mortgages when interest rates were at historic lows.

I hope they don't start blaming the ECB now that over the next year or two we will be in a time of rising interest rates which are now needed to control inflation.


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## CCOVICH (8 Mar 2007)

> Labour Finance spokeswoman *Joan Burton called on the ECB to explain why it has opted for seven successive rate hikes.*



Would she rather they did the seven (175 basis points) in one go?

Does she read the ECB press releases?

Did she watch Mr. Trichet's press conferences that follow rate decisions?

She was Minister for Finance?


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## DrMoriarty (8 Mar 2007)

Are those rhetorical questions?


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## CCOVICH (8 Mar 2007)

What do you think?


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## whathome (9 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton's statement on her website:
[broken link removed]

Opportunity to leave a comment at the end


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## Purple (9 Mar 2007)

whathome said:


> Joan Burton's statement on her website:
> [broken link removed]
> 
> Opportunity to leave a comment at the end



So did you leave one?


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## DrMoriarty (9 Mar 2007)

I asked her for a loan.  

No replies yet...


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## JohnBoy (9 Mar 2007)

If the ECB is so uncaring then these politicians should make the case for an Irish exit from the EU and a restoration of the punt. Then a fully independent Irish central bank would show those European types what the correct interest rate in Ireland should be - somewhere north of 7% I would imagine given where inflation is now.


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## z105 (9 Mar 2007)

> personally, I'd love to see the current administration removed from power at the next election


 
The Irish electorate are so fickle you can be sure the current government will return to power !(well, maybe minus the PDs!)


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## ClubMan (9 Mar 2007)

How exactly does maintaining the status quo betray fickleness?


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## Glenbhoy (9 Mar 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> Would she rather they did the seven (175 basis points) in one go?
> 
> Does she read the ECB press releases?
> 
> ...


I'd say Trichet's running for cover at the minute, probably got his full department working on an adequate response for Ms. Burton's probing demand


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## amgd28 (9 Mar 2007)

whathome said:


> Joan Burton's statement on her website:
> [broken link removed]
> 
> Opportunity to leave a comment at the end



I did - a long rant at that - funny that it hasn't shown up on the site?


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## Purple (9 Mar 2007)

amgd28 said:


> I did - a long rant at that - funny that it hasn't shown up on the site?


Only Dr.M's comment has been listed. I posted a scathing rant as well.


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## gramlab (12 Mar 2007)

> this crowd seem to have about as much chance of doing it as the England team of putting us back in the running for a Six Nations win...


 

OOPS


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## ClubMan (12 Mar 2007)

amgd28 said:


> I did - a long rant at that - funny that it hasn't shown up on the site?


I posted a note suggesting that _Ms. Burton _read the _ICB _website if she needed an explanation of the rate hikes to date but it must've been deemed too controversial or something...


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## CCOVICH (12 Mar 2007)

That she read the _ICB _website? Yes, controversial, i.e. that an organisation owed by Irish lenders somehow dictates _ECB_ policy!!!!


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## ClubMan (12 Mar 2007)

I obviously meant _ECB_ and _ICB _was a typo (here and not in my post on her blog).


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## CCOVICH (12 Mar 2007)

ClubMan said:


> I obviously meant _ECB_ and _ICB _was a typo (here and not in my post on her blog).


 

Never would have guessed  .


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## z105 (12 Mar 2007)

Ho





> w exactly does maintaining the status quo betray fickleness?


 
God, my tiny little brain wouldn't be able to debate that.


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## polaris (12 Mar 2007)

I think I'll post that she will be an excellent Minister for Finance in the next Government and that I'm looking forward to that day.


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## ClubMan (12 Mar 2007)

Havealaugh said:


> God, my tiny little brain wouldn't be able to debate that.


Fair enough - your point made no sense though.


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## DrMoriarty (12 Mar 2007)

DrMoriarty said:


> ...this crowd seem to have about as much chance of doing it as the England team of putting us back in the running for a Six Nations win...





gramlab said:


> OOPS


Oops indeed. For sale: one predictions hat, not working!


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## ashambles (12 Mar 2007)

Despite her apparent perfect lack of understanding of the intentions of the interest rate rises, Joan is a chartered accountant and lectured in accountancy in DIT.

Yikes. Way to go - chartered accountants.


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## Glenbhoy (12 Mar 2007)

ashambles said:


> Despite her apparent perfect lack of understanding of the intentions of the interest rate rises, Joan is a chartered accountant and lectured in accountancy in DIT.
> 
> Yikes. Way to go - chartered accountants.


There you go she's obviously not kept up her studies, i knew that CPD was more than just yet another rip off foisted on us by the beloved Institute.


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## CCOVICH (12 Mar 2007)

I don't really think that a CA qualification bestows any knowledge of economics or general knowledge?  

CCOVICH (ACA)


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## Z100 (12 Mar 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> CCOVICH (ACA)



Australasian Corrosion Association?


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## Purple (13 Mar 2007)

ashambles said:


> Despite her apparent perfect lack of understanding of the intentions of the interest rate rises, Joan is a chartered accountant and lectured in accountancy in DIT.



This leads me to believe that she knows the facts but chooses to ignore them in order to be emotive and populist. That's not what I would expect from those who occupy the moral high ground in Irish politics.


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## Vanilla (13 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> That's not what I would expect from those who occupy the moral high ground in Irish politics.


 
There's a moral high ground in Irish politics?!


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## Seagull (13 Mar 2007)

Vanilla said:


> There's a moral high ground in Irish politics?!


Yes. It belongs to those who only took small brown envelopes.


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## whathome (13 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> So did you leave one?


 
Yes I did but it looks like all of the pending comments have been deleted 

[broken link removed]


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## Purple (13 Mar 2007)

Vanilla said:


> There's a moral high ground in Irish politics?!





Seagull said:


> Yes. It belongs to those who only took small brown envelopes.



It is occupied by what John Bruton called the moral Pharisees. I thought is was a very good description of the shrill holier than thou bunch that are so morally pure that they can point out everyone else’s short comings.


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## Z100 (13 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> It is occupied by what John Bruton called the moral Pharisees. I thought is was a very good description of the shrill holier than thou bunch that are so morally pure that they can point out everyone else’s short comings.



Jeepers, I would have thought being morally pure and being able to point out everyone else’s short comings would be a good thing? I do it all the time.


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## Purple (13 Mar 2007)

Bushfire said:


> Jeepers, I would have thought being morally pure and being able to point out everyone else’s short comings would be a good thing? I do it all the time.


You're not my wife are you  
I posted another comment on Joan's blog asking why she has removed all of the comments (other than Dr.M's)


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## amgd28 (13 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> I posted another comment on Joan's blog asking why she has removed all of the comments (other than Dr.M's)


So did I - I think it brought it up to 9 comments at the time.......


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## Z100 (13 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> You're not my wife are you



Did you put out the bin yet, you useless git? I should have listened to my mother, she was right about you after all


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## Purple (13 Mar 2007)

Bushfire said:


> Did you put out the bin yet, you useless git? I should have listened to my mother, she was right about you after all



LOL, now get the dinner on and have my slippers warmed when I get home!


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## RainyDay (13 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> It is occupied by what John Bruton called the moral Pharisees. I thought is was a very good description of the shrill holier than thou bunch that are so morally pure that they can point out everyone else’s short comings.


Did he have any snappy names for those who point out the short-comings in those who point out short-comings?


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## Purple (15 Mar 2007)

RainyDay said:


> Did he have any snappy names for those who point out the short-comings in those who point out short-comings?


 I think it was more a case of him pointing out that many of those who are comfortable throwing the first stone, to borrow another biblical analogy, are not without sin.


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## Purple (22 Mar 2007)

Joan has deleted all of the comments from her site. I wonder why?


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