After the last budget, Brian Lenihan was almost universally praised in the Sindo as the saviour of the state, the man with the talent, will and determination to do what needed done. Then more recently there was quite a bit of criticism of him, and of NAMA. Now it seems, we are back to Lenihan the superman. In third place, Aengus Fanning offers the following by way of introduction to an interview with Lenihan. The iron has entered Brian Lenihan’s soul. On the surface, he is the charming, engaging, gracious Lenihan we know, but there is a new steel in his make-up, a distinct impatience to get things done. One senses that he has a shorter fuse these days with banks, bureaucracy, public sector work-to-rule, and with rich men, bailed out by Nama, who are continuing to live like lords. In... Similar posts

First off, my thanks to NollaigO and Smiffy, who have separately nominated Eoghan Harris on Willie O’Dea as a whole and Aengus Fanning’s interview with Willie O’Dea. I think that we can in fact nominate virtually the entire Analysis page, where the Sindo writers leap to the defence of their colleague and erstwhile Defence Minister. We could throw in the editorial too. So a collective first place I think. I’m not sure though that Eoghan Harris’ last line comes out as sympathetically towards the ex-minister as he thinks Indeed he is. God help us. But I doubt even if he could console the little Charlie Chaplin figure who wanders the streets of Limerick, mourning his lost ministry. As for stupid statements on other topics. Shane Ross has this gem, which would be... Similar posts

Apologies about the absence of last week’s feature. This week, in third placeBrendan Keenan, proving the old adage about lies, damn lies and statistics. The fiscal programme is not an attack on public spending, because public spending will not fall. With the economy set to shrink again in 2010, it will actually rise as a proportion of national income. In second place, for blaming the wrong people, Shane Ross. Apparently, it was mainly the Bank of Scotland’s fault, and not a lot to do with government, economic policy over decades, corruption etc. The assault on the mortgage market is over. The Bank of Scotland (Ireland) was a willing player in the property madness. It played its part in bringing Ireland to its knees. Good riddance. In first place, Eilis O’Hanlon, who... Similar posts

The budget. Let’s cut to the chase here. It’s not a question of whether the people in the public or the private sector are suffering most. There is one sector that is suffering most – the working class. The most privileged sectors of our society have been protected by a government that has truly proven itself to be the management committee of the bourgeoisie. The bankers and the property speculators have been cushioned through the trauma that their reckless speculation and hostility to regulation and social solidarity helped create. The political, legal, academic and media classes have stepped forward willingly to play their role as the ideological and political defenders of capitalist society. They are determined to prove Lenin right once again, that there is no crisis... Similar posts