It’s about time
I’m a placid peaceful bloke, in case you hadn’t noticed.
However….
If I were forty or fifty years younger I would be in there wanting to chuck a petrol bom or worse.
My contempt for politicians is at an all time low and sinking by the day.
There is a housing crisis here. House prices and rents are through the roof. Interest rates are constantly rising and evictions are a daily occurrence. The gubmint did introduce a moratorium on evictions during the Virus but they were very quick to remove it again so now we have in excess of 10,000 homeless with hundreds living on the streets. The gubmint does fuck all except mutter about how they built a few houses and give promises of thousands to be built in the future. Everything is going to be solved in the future.
Banks have announced massive profits running into hundreds of millions.
In spite of the housing crisis they keep welcoming in refugees. Fair enough but they somehow seem to be sorted while the existing homeless grows. There is a rapidly growing anti-immigration movement and the gubmint is surprised?
Utility prices have soared this year, in particular electricity. An expression which is frequently used is the choice of “heat or eat”. Food banks are doing a roaring trade and charities are swamped. People literally are going without food in order to keep up with electricity bills.
The ESB [Electricity Supply Board] announces profits running into the hundreds of millions.
The political system here is broken. There is basically just one party here – Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Both are identical and if it looks like one or the other is going to lose then they just coalesce. They are obviously pro-big business and the latter seems to get all the tax breaks.
I could go on.
Now they seem surprised that there is a growing anger. Councillors are being given a €2,500 allowance [tax payers’ money of course] for home security. There is a growing number of demonstrations. People are reaching breaking point.
More power to ’em, I say. .
Addendum….
I have just heard on the radio that the protesters [according to a TD] were “Far Right” [of course – blame everything on Far Right because it sounds good]. “Racists”, “Xenophobes”, “Conspiracy Theorists” [?], and “Fascists”. Obviously no room then for the ordinary people who are just pissed off with the way the country is being run?
Grandad, you have just earned yourself a visit from the new Garda section that will no doubt be setup to protect our betters.
That being said, the ESB is separate to Electric Ireland who actually sell the stuff. And don’t forget, for those of us who don’t have lucrative state backed pensions (cough, cough) have to rely on private pension whose funds are invested in those companies. We definitely don’t want them taxed more just for the pols to splurge the money getting themselves reelected.
I doubt any special unit will be interested in my little brainfarts.
You’re right about the ESB of course. It gets so difficult to keep track of all the suppliers.
Taxation is about to take a downturn as there are elections in the air, except of course baccy and cigarettes which will continue their annual climb. I sincerely hope my pension minders have invested in tobacco and pharmaceuticals!
2.5K of any Western money isn’t going to buy much. Which is good. Personally, I feel that if they feel under threat then they may actually start to take our views into consideration. Not everyone can be protected like the PM. I’m personally surprised that it has taken so long for some of the more volatile citizens to do something. The things that have been done to some have made me expect a backlash but nope. Nothing so far.
I love winding up my US colleagues. Why do you need 2A? It’s when the government turns against the people. Duh! Look at the last few years…. Nothing so tell me gain why you have it?
They know I’m winding them up. It’d be much, much worse if they didn’t have it.
There actually have been quite a few protests aroud the country including some arson attacks. Most have been by the anti immigration lot, but also some about the gubmints attitude regarding the gender issue. The demonstration this time hit the headlines because the politicians were directly impacted. Burn a building down but don’t shout at a politician!