A hint of revolution in the Examiner?

The 40m bonus to AIB staff is the last straw for the Examiner's editorial writer this morning. He/she seems to be suggesting that if the government don't voluntarily stop those payments, then they should be forced to by any possible means.

It really is time to draw the line in the sand and stand up for ourselves, this battered country and the kind of society we want this to be for our children. There is no point in beating around the bush, and no point in shadow boxing. This money must not, despite court rulings or contracts, be paid to this delinquent bank or its staff. Those contracts must be treated with the same disdain the bankers showed for the principles of prudence and business ethics that would have kept this economy afloat.

If our Government can’t ensure the bonuses are not paid then they are even worse than we imagined. If they, despite owning the banks on our behalf, can’t stop this, then what are they for? What use are they?

From the Examiner:
"All through this crisis bank workers have got wage increases that have gone a long way towards insulating them from the tax increases imposed on everyone in this country to pay for their recklessness.

Though we have been mocked for being so very easily cowed, for being so very servile in the face of scandal after scandal, surely we’re not going to roll over on this one? For the last two years the air has been thick with politicians congratulating themselves for taking hard decisions as if they were cleaning up someone else’s mess. In the scale of things this is an easy decision. Just say no, you’re not getting the money. If our Government don’t do that we will be a step closer to chaos and anarchy and we will deserve to be treated like the fools the banks obviously take us for.

Over to you Mr Cowen, over to you Mr Lenihan and if you won’t stand up for the rest of us just get out of the way and let someone else do what is so obviously, so plainly the right thing."

Read more here.