It was a neat move.
Join the EU and shift the Irish economy to American FDI in the early 70s.
Get Irish farming hooked on EU subsidies and let it wither.
As Irish people moved in their droves to urban areas to work in American factories the farmer could still sell his fruit and veg in the supermarkets a for a livable wage.
Let a couple of generations pass.
International supermarkets take the place of the grocer and import their fruit and veg at exploitative prices from other countries undercutting Irish farmers who cannot produce for peanuts because they need to live - and because of Varadkar and co.'s mismanagement of infrastructure from water supply, to electricity, to inflation, to taxation crippled them.
Varadkar then sits smugly in a podcast studio and says 'We’re (urban people) the ones paying all the bills and you’re the ones in receipt of a lot of subsidies and a lot of tax benefits that other people don’t get.'
The obvious irony is that the "we" he talks about - urban areas - are propped up by American multinational corporation tax receipts. There is no Irish indigenous industry. Like farming, FF/G have left it to wither for 50 years. If US corporations didn't receive tax breaks bordering on tax haven status, there would also be no urban wealth.
Ireland is a nation propped up from outside - farmers by the EU, urban areas by US FDI. Varadkar has leaned into this FDI dependency more than any other leader before him and has left the nation - for farmers and for native industrialists - a place where free enterprise cannot survive.
To make his comments more absurd, Varadkar, as a lifelong politician has been subsidised by the Irish taxpayer - rural and urban - his entire life.
Varadkar seems to think attacking rural Ireland will take the focus off the fact that he led this country and the failures within lie on his shoulders. This man has less dignity than he does political nous. He should shuffle off into obscurity.
Irish property developer wants the Irish government to import 100k slave labourers & keep them on cruise ships offshore or in camps so he can even richer.
He wants infinity houses to house the world as long as he gets rich. He and all his ilk should be shunned.
👇👇👇
Good, in fact I hope they quadruple. For too long we've been insulated from the consequences of having these morons in charge.
>We banned drilling for new oil and gas in 2018 despite there most likely being over a trillion euro in both off our West Coast.
>We closed all our Peat plants despite them being efficient, and profitable.
> We refuse to even think about using nuclear power.
>We tax fossil fuels and carbon so much we've the most expensive energy prices in Europe.
>We spend billions building stupid windmills that cost more in materials than they will generate their entire existence.
People need to suffer some consequences for their reckless stupidity. We have spent decades destroying our own energy independence and self sufficiency so we can pretend we're saving the world from a climate crisis that even if it was real, our actions would make absolutely zero difference to.
Ireland's windfarm development is happening without adequate environmental oversight or local ownership. Communities deserve better than corporate greenwashing and jersey sponsorships
We're a laughing stock.
You can arrive here illegally, intentionally scam us, steal our money under false pretences and not only will we not punish you in any way... we'll give you an Irish passport.
Fitness to be a county councillor in Ireland in 2025 test.
Question 1.
An Arab and an African beat up two drag queens on a night out in Cork. Who is to blame?
Answer.
The 'far right'.
Congratulations, you are ready to govern. ✅
So housing is fucked, most expensive energy prices in the world, people waiting weeks for GP and years for surgery, taxes and fees for every little thing, infrastructure falling apart, plantation immigration that would make Oliver Cromwell blush, political/artistic expression smothered, social fabric in tatters, family structures broken, pervasive mental illness and drug abuse. Median salary around 40 grand.
But don't worry, "our economy" is doing great! 😉
Or… Their parents could get them away from the TV, and bring them down to the pitch 5/10 minutes away from the house where those players are playing for their club.
Granted there mightn’t be as much horseplay and Leinstertainment.