Texts and emails, Tuesday 11 May
Topic: The march against the bank bailout
Panellists: Fintan O’Toole, Siobhan O’Donoghue (Community Workers Co-op) and Kieran Allen (UCD Department of Sociology)
Vincent the real problem with changing public policy by democratic activism in this country is the lack of cohesion on the left. I did not see many representatives from Labour, Sinn Fein or the Greens in that footage who are supposed to the parties of the left in this country. Furthermore we are so handicapped here by the right wing dominance of our media and the fact that we do not have a strong, cohesive left wing press{unlike Britain} who can give legitimate scrutiny to the main centre right parties: Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
Alan, Raheny.
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NO no no Vincent We saw the blood...Don't condone the violenc.
Justin
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This Government has lost the plot completely. On top of that Why not to tax the Super Rich? Those who enjoyed huge tax breaks for many decades and who have scores and even hundred of Millions already! Where is the money for everyone else? There should be 2 protests a day everyday like today's. Giving a huge gift to those Banks is absolutely very wrong and an Idiocy! Because of this fact,The financial situation will go further down hill.
I.D.M. Ranelagh, Dublin 6
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Advised 2 take 20k saving 2 'safe' bank shares, money left 4kids 2 go 2 college/training all gone. Stop crucifyin ordinary people. It wil b 15 years b4 we c stability,never wil we b seen other than 'rip off ireland by eu.greedy an corrupt.
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Some of these bank debts could be paid off by selling ALL personal assets of the ones who created said debts & these people could then be put into council accommodation.
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How dare you and Your panel attempt to trivialise the events at the Dail today. You and Fintan o toole have failed all of us trying to make constructive and intelligent argument about our national position. I will find it impossible to explain Your actions to my children tomorrow. Vincent you have failed the country.
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What about our ASSETS. Assets pay for Liabilities. We have vast reserves of Oil and Gas off our Shores in the hands of the Multinational Oil Companies. Reintroduce ROYALTIES NOW. Naoise.
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Have just read in the paper that another wanker banker got planing permision to build his 4th home. Nama bailed him out. I get 3 days a wk work and from my wage this prick is geting 60 euro from me to pay for his new house in howth. At 50 yrs of age i fully understand the french revoulution and the gulitine.
P.
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Most of those thugs at the gates of the Dail have never worked a day in their lives. They are the sane crowd who were involved in shell to sea and other confrontations. If there was work in bed they would sleep on the floor.
Ger, Clare.
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Did u stop to think that the reason people are not protesting is because they support the government in making the tough decisions so ireland doesn't end up as the greeks have.
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The unions have sold out,the leadership are now part of the clique.
MIKE LAWLOR,D4
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There would be 5 times that crowd if the bloody time and place were better circulated more widely. I'd have driven from Clonmel !! - when is the next one on?
David
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Vincent im on a weekly disability of 190 euro single father minding my 17 year old daughter and her 1and half year old son the government want to gail me for a week because i cant pay a court fine of 2500 euro for burning green diesel in a borrowed car when the gudge himself admitted it was an honest mistake so one law for the rich.
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We must return to our government printing our own currency, void of fractional reserve lending.
Tim in Dublin
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Full credit to Gordon Brown for his courageous, selfless and dignified resignation! Cowen, for the sake of our country, Please take note!
Tom, Dublin.
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Shut down the economic faculities at 3rd level, who are fed by students taught by unqualified Maths Teachers. These "Graduates" who draw high fees, have landed us in this mess, thru NOT exposing the economic crisis. The clamour to blame the prat bankers, builders, politicians etc is nauseating and these accountants, lawyers, experts, professors, and media ( paper, radio, television) have to accept their own part of this sorry mess. Shame on all!
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Vincent, at the same time as pensioners christmas bonus is cut, Eamonn Ryan gives a grant to the tiny number of people who can afford to buy a new car... why would we think the govt has lost touch...
Martin, Carrick-on-Suir
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why aren't the criminal assets bureau taking money off bankers and the criminal builders . Why dont people take money out of banks and bring 2 credit union which has learer open books and honestly show figures? More social and less risky than gambling criminal banks.
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Would it have been a minor scuffle if Vincent got hit on the head?
David, Dublin.
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May i ask if Uve ANY idea why the government didnt bail out Postbank with its 200,000 a/c holders rather than anglo?
ENDA D.Reynolds
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Vincent, would there be any chance of putting someone a little to the right of Karl Marx on your panel next time to balance out opinion?It's like a socialist workers convention on tv3 tonight!
Barry in Cavan
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Vincent. Wow what next a green bubble! Al Gore, Bilderburgh member technology, green electronic banking, human chips implants. Jobs!?
MrP
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soliders of destiny - more like relics of yesterday.
joe ryans achill
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The irish people are beginning to smell the coffee.
Brian in munster.
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The problem is much more sinister and the GRA touched off it Revolt ! Overthrow the FF thugs Owen
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The galway tent has been the most costly bit of canvas in history.
george dineen, tralee.
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Top earners that pay top dollar in the Public Sector are leaving. There is no need for 1 councellors . The Shannad .junister min and most most TDs. Maybe if the highly overpaid politicans showed example by taking a pay cut, us down trodden might understand.
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Credit unions are run by volunteer boards whose only interest is its members why cant the government use this system to provide banking for society . Profit is recycled for the benefit of society and not vampire markets .
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We are the only country in the world wtih proven oil/gas reserves which we continue to give away. When is that golng to be discussed in economic context?
Naoise in Mayo.
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It is amazing that despite the most incompetent, leaderless, corrupt, talentless and blind government in the history of the state that has bled it dry, that the Irish people remain silent and do not take to streets to force a change of government. In any other nation on the planet this failure of a government would be long gone but we allow them to sink the nations economy further into the depths of dispair where the ordinary people will suffer. Stephen Bolger, Kildare.
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Fishing can create sustanable traditional jobs , if we got back our national waters why vincent do ye not ever mention the desctruction of my industry?
Sean
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Am i wrong to say that we are in this economic mess partly because most ordinary people voted for these inept politician?
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The country s finances are in crisis because we pay ourselves too much both in the public and private sector the protestors with placards saying "why should i pay " make me laugh they are the usual no the dole rent a mob that protest at every road opening shell to sea etc etc they aint paying tax paying workers are.
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THIS GOVERMENT WILL NEVER B IN POWER AGAIN AND THEY CAN TAKE THE GREENS WITH THEM R SHOULD CALL THEM YELLOW CANT WAIT GET RID OF THEM
BERNIE COTTER CORK
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This government should be dissolved if only to ensure they wont get their pensions. When the country was 'awash' with money, there was no money put into health care and schools. The politicians have no ethics. They should be ashamed of themselves . They are only interested in lining their own pockets. Shame on them.
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Its time for the people to march demanding a general election. A general election has to happen before the guarantee comes up for renewal. It's time for people to have their say in democracy.
Jean, Dublin
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This Government nationalises the Liabilities of their Friends yet continues to Privatise the Natural Resources of the state.
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vincent has our news been censored this evening ? tv3 are the only station covering trouble at the dail.
James
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The fianna fail tent at Galway is the root of this mess. Pure MAFIA..
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Peter Sunderland collects 60,000 Euro pension from the state each year as retired AG - then has the gall 2 lecture us.
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I work in a school where most of the remedial services have been withdrawn special needs abandoned. No bankers abandoned.
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All employers should hold back payment of vat and prsi until they stop bailing out banks and builders about time we got off our backside and show there political leaders what we think . Dont agree with the fighting at gates . We need 2 get rid of td who only spend 17% of their time in dail .
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Its the bankers the guards should be hitting over the head with their battons not the marchers. Bankers are biffos buddies.pure thieving scum is what they are.
John donegal
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can someone please organise a protest on a saturday when people from other parts of ireland who may have to travel could attend.
Eamon in Donegal
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vincent,as a member of the gardai they should not have struck the protesters on the head as the new retractable batons can injure someone fatally and every garda knows that.
No name.
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We dont want our democratic structures pulled down by the rantings of the likes of ur lame brain socialist panelists. They can roar all they like. They'l get nowhere. They'l have us end up like the laughable Greeks. That fella kieran allen is like a rantin stalinist with his plum job at ucd pd 4 by me.
Siobhan
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vincent could you ask mr Allen how much he earns per year?
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vincent my son was one of those small guards at leinster house an he has taken a big cut in wages 2 an cant protest! They should let them through!
Pauline, Dundalk.
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They should haul the jolly roger up over the Dail. There are a shower of pirates running the country.
Richard Connolly. Wexford.
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Why didnt the garda close the gates of the dail so that the gurriers could not get near them.?
Clair. Dublin 12
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I was there tonight and the organisers were very clear that this is only the first protest of many. Every Tuesday at 7.30 there will be a protest.
Adam
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Aftr banning the Head Shops in Lilliput we then saw the delusions, irrational, phychotic,hallucinatory conduct and behaviour of bamkers, politicians, developers and some Public Service, media celebrity types and what was feeding their braindead vanity greed and unjustified self image of importance. The Crystal Meths like Bonus highs, the casual misuse of Pay and Pension in copious amounts, the crack-like dependency on the Expense junk(ets), the lines of Largesse and the snorting of Power, Position and Exclusitivity were d problem drugs o this tiny group whose addiction devestated society. D cat o Nine Tails (flogging by feathers) in this case, was deemed an apt and just deterrent , in this case. Meanwhile the excluded youth used heroin and coke. Tomorrow - How we curbed the bully boys and lower Government levels - Public Service Reform.
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From what i can see the gardai can react to ordinary people but are paralysed when it comes to the real criminals. I found it upsetting to watch.
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God Vincent you really are becoming the archtypical tabloid journalist,a bit of handbags on kildare st and you think your in athens,dont forget to add your obligatory slur on republicans!
John in Roscommon