The protests in Ireland are not about just fuel! They are about the distance between Ireland on this graph and every other modern and developed economy. Ireland is second wealthiest but gets waaaaay less than any other country for that wealth. By a golden mile.
That visual gap in this graph? That’s what people are protesting. It’s a lack of infrastructure and the everyday enshittification of services, the economy, and the additional difficulty of trying to live, relative to peers in any other country. It also highlights why people don’t get uniformly listened to! - because there is no government architecture to engage meaningfully across this huge gap.
That gap is a three hour drive to work in traffic, a 14 month wait for an MRI, buses that don’t arrive, trains that don’t exist, schools that have no places for your kids, houses that are unaffordable, pubs that close before midnight, €12 sandwiches, expensive fuel.
People feel this gap, even if they can’t explain it precisely. And that builds into resentment, and ultimately protest. Fuel just happened to be the next thing that could be pointed to, today.
@hitsubishi@WeAreTheOverlap He dragged us through the qualifying campaign in fairness. Greatest Irish sportsperson of all time and one very average manager couldn’t put his ego aside to make sure he played on the biggest stage in his prime.
You know the drill. I have 2 free tickets to giveaway for this Thursdays WCQ at @AVIVAStadium featuring @IrelandFootball and @selecaoportugal. Cristiano Ronaldo’s last game on Irish soil won’t be one to miss. Like, retweet and follow to be in with a chance of winning! Keith.
@hitsubishi@WeAreTheOverlap I would bet the house on you being a Liverpool fan. The period thing is a lame Americanism.
Mick McCarthy sent him home. A decent manager would have moved heaven and earth to make sure his best player was at the World Cup.
The performance that got Gavin Bazunu MOTM vs Club Brugge at the weekend
Second half he was incredible
Still a brilliant keeper even after his long-term injury
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@CaoimhinReilly Courts of law in Ireland famously lenient on crime. He’s the president of the organisation so he is literally the most qualified person to write to them to express concerns.
Not as familiar with the Corduff scenario but happy to be enlightened.