Historical allusions
- Thread starter TarfHead
- Start date
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rabbit
Guest
A bit rich of Noel Dempsey to "bankers" when it was politicians who mismanaged the economy in the first place. It was the politicians who created the property bubble, raised the minimum wage , destroyed our competiveness, instituted benchmarking and who pay themselves more than any other politicians in the world ( from the 25 billion our tiny little country is borrowing ).
When I see them I think of Animal Farm.
That was a book, only actually happened on paper and on screen. You know when you are watching Fair City and getting upset about what Leo Dowling is going through, someone did explain to you that he is only acting didn't they!
(S)he is saying that the actions of ICTU/Congress remind him of the charters in book/film animal farm.
I don’t watch Fair City, if I want to be depressed I’ll watch the news.
Animal Farm was a metaphor for the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia.
The pigs/ fat cats telling people what they want to hear even when they know it’s not true, claiming that they were not part of the inner circle for the last 10 years screwing the poor in favour of their middle income vested interest group and criticising “fat cats” when they have multiple incomes many times that of the “Wurkers” they claim to represent. Yes, one of the Bearded Brethren qualifies as Napoleon, but not the Napoleon that fought at Waterloo.
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rabbit
Guest
Bertie compared to Mugabe. It was not that long ago Bertie was telling those of us who said we felt the winds of recession coming to go off and commit suicide, or words to that effect. Bertie and and huge army of hangers on paying thremselves so much - even compared to first world G7 countries - is something Mugabe must have as his role model.
It's very unfair to compare the government to Mugabe.
On an unrelated matter does anyone think we will vote correctly on Lisbon this time. (Usually only took Mugabe two votes to get his way).
Just wait till someone comes out with the line "But I was only following orders..."
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rabbit
Guest
True enough, Mugabe is not in the same league. He does not pay himself or his cronies as much. His workers in govt are not paid 40% more than their counterparts in London, Berlin or Boston. He does not give his inner or outer circle huge pensions. He does not saddle his children and grandchildren with as huge a foreign debt. He did not squander huge handouts from the EC. A devils advocate can truly say that Mugabe is not in the same league.
Yes because Zimababwe under Mugabe is in a much a better place than Ireland after the Bertie years.
Thank-you for your beautiful interpretation of the post which was actually quite clear to me thus my response. The thread is not about Literary allusions but historical ones.
Added to by the stupidity of many gladly taking out 100% mortgages to pay for over priced houses.
Also added to an electorate to took advice from SF and Declan Ganley and voted down Lisbon.
The thread is about Historical allusions, Animal Farm is literature, an Artists interpretation of the world about him. Anyway as I remember the Nuns taught us it's not so much Orwells diatribe on the Bolshevik Revolution but rather the tyrany of Stalinism, not the same things at all.
I don't think any of the current leaders of the Labour movement in Ireland have ideals further left than Social Democratic, maybe if they did we'd be in a better place.
Orwell realised that Stalinism (by whatever name) was the inevitable consequence of Bolshevism, as was unaccountable leadership who said one thing and did another and didn’t act in the best interest of the people but rather their own interest group. That about sums up the trade union movement in Ireland, as well as the other vested interest groups that run the country. The things that separated us from Zimbabwe is geography and history, our ruling classes (of which the unions are very much a part of) have much in common.
LOL, thanks for the laugh.
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rabbit
Guest
The damage to our economy happened on Berties watch. Have no doubt about that. Having seen their savings fail to keep up with inflation in a bank account, many a person in Ireland invested in property or bank shares ( which we were told were blue chip ) or in a business and has lost their life savings. Its ok for those getting handouts and pensions from the govt, be they public sector people or politicians. They are better paid than any of their counterparts in the world...inc Zimbabwe...and that is saying something. When our unemployment rises to 25% and we have to borrow even more than we do already, and other countries like Germany have others they would prefer to support...who can we borrow from then ? We are already perceived as the country in Europe most likely to default. Bad and all as FF are, and ultra soft as they have been on the unions, if a leftie / SF coalition gets in things can only get worse.
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S.L.F
Guest
If SF had been in favour of the treaty there would have been more people against it.