One of the problems with writing a political thriller is that it attempts to be believable.
Moreover, just when you think that your agile imagination has come up with something worth reading real-life makes your invention appear rather beige.
Imagine that I had written the following storyline for my next novel:
Dublin City Council is told to clean up a riverbank in the city.
They bring in a mechanical digger to do the job and scoop up a tent that had been used by a homeless person.
However, said human being happens to be in the tent at that precise moment and is seriously injured by the earth moving machine.
Then the VERY NEXT DAY the Taoiseach, as a part of an election PR stunt, thinks nothing of posing in the cabin of a forklift truck.
Now, dear reader that would probably be enough for the reader to call a halt to the journey with the author!
It is just too contrived and over the top.
Especially the part about the forklift photo opp.
Just too much!
The sad truth is that the foregoing story actually happened this week in Ireland’s capital.
In recent months we have seen a child eating his dinner off a piece of cardboard on a Dublin street.
Only this week an image on an old woman eating her dinner from a windowsill in the Irish capital was shared widely on social media.
Perhaps I should not have been so surprised that this outgoing government wanted to commemorate the Tans.
After all, that cohort of criminals made many Irish people homeless with their policy of house burning.
The dying man that the British shot in the chair in Kilmainham warned us about this very possibility.
I have no idea who comes up with these “quality of life” world rankings.
None at all…
Tragically, the most bizarre plot twist imaginable is that this heartless posing gobshite will probably be re-elected.
There is no way that any author could come up with that and remain credible as a writer.
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Foodbanks weren’t around during the Blair Govt days. We had giants as Govt Ministers; Gordon Brown, John Reid, John Prescott, mo mowlam, robin cook, Margaret Beckett, Alistair darling, jack straw, George Robertson, david Blunkett, Donald dewar, etc…
Foodbank numbers have skyrocketed exponentially in Scotland since SNP got in 13 years ago.
I laugh at the Irony of Nicola Sturgeon visiting a foodbank facility and blaming others for the state of affairs.
Westminster offered her greater devolved powers including freedom to increase social security payments and she refused them.
It suits SNP not to have control of welfare payments. It suits snp politically for there to be loads of foodbanks to blame on Boris, Toaries, Eton College and Westminster.
Larger numbers of illegal immigrants equals larger numbers of foodbank users.
Austerity measures were and continue to be major factor also.
Death by a Thousand cuts as the old saying goes.
Not one Banker was jailed meanwhile and we the Population picked up then tab for bailing them out.
The EU agreed with Austerity measures for the record.
Smoke and Mirrors
SNP are running their own devolved austerity measures to make Scotland lean and mean for independence. It has taken them four years to reduce the annual deficit from £14bn to £12.8bn.
SNP tell us an Independent Scotland would be in surplus and not deficit but SNP don’t have the skills to reduce the overspend from £14bn to zero to surplus.
There is no need for Scots to endure SNP Austerity to make Scotland Independent. Let’s be happy in the Union and enjoy the billions extra we receive and not allow SNP to execute cruel cut back measures to get us slimmed down for Independence.
I’m not a fan of Independence Gary.
Not at this point in history anyway as the World right now is not in a very healthy place Financially.
Neoliberal Economics creates the Financial Crash you see and seeing as it is no changes have been made to the approach then it will be responsible for the next as well.
When the next crash will be is anyone’s guess of course but it is coming and it is only a matter of time.
An Independent Scotland would be exposed fully to that situation.
I’m not so sure Scotland would be best placed to face it in that condition.
The Oil Reserves will not last indefinitely.
I’d like to know what the plan is post Financial Crash and post Oil Reserves.
If indeed there is one.
What a joke of a post another Unionist Labour Party loyalist blinded to the Blair government’s failures,the Iraq war,Brown’s infatuation with PPI involvement in the financing of public services which generations will pay for well into the future and his cosying up to the banking industry,this led to myself after 50 years of supporting Labour realising that the party would never change society for the better as it is too linked to the UK establishment .As far as the comments about the Holyrood government goes, they have done as much as possible to alleviate poverty considering how limited their tax raising power is.Only under independence can a Scottish government of any political hue be judged.
SNP have a scandalous PPI whereby the hospitals and schools built by snp cronies are unfit to use and remain closed.
£12.8bn per year from Westminster and you moan snp need to raise taxes when Scots are the highest taxed people in the uk due to snp.
Please list these taxes snp want to raise? Cheers.
I’ve lived in Thailand for the last 18 years. Both Ireland and the UK are richer countries than Thailand, yet you rarely see homeless, beggars or hungry people in the streets of Thailand. There are a few, but nothing near the amount of homeless you find in the west. And the strange thing is there is more or less absolutely no welfare in Thailand. You see in Thailand, families take care of their own, everyone chips in together, life is kept simple, people are not obsessed with material things. If someone in financial hardship doesn’t have family to help them out, then a close friend, or even distant friend will give them with a bed, shelter and food. Ireland is supposed to be family oriented, caring and watching out for others. Sorry but it’s just not true and the weird thing is the welfare system may be partly to blame! I know that may sound crazy, but let me give you a controversial explanation. Let’s say you are walking through a wildlife reserve, you come across a sign which reads: DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS! Now I’m not insulting the homeless comparing them to animals, and I’m not proposing we shouldn’t feed the homeless, but one must ask, how did so many become homeless in the first place. Let me go back to the DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS SIGN. Why is it there? Surely being kind to animals is a good thing? The answer is, if people feed the animals, then the animals no longer need to use their natural instincts to go out and hunt for food. If the food becomes easy, the animals will become lazy and before long will lose the ability to hunt and ravage for food. The welfare system was set up to help people who have fallen on bad times, and was supposed to be a crutch to get the people in need back into society as a purposeful contributing member. But people became lazy and now expect the welfare to take care of them and extended family. No one in the west feels the need to care for their fellow man anymore because they expect the government to do that for them. So the next time you see a homeless person, consider it may not be the government’s fault, it may be yours!
JMcV
Seagulls are a typical example. I remember sitting down the shore watching them dive for
fish or stealing them from the fishing boats. Now they sit on the sea wall eyeing you up if
you happen to sit with a sandwich or fish supper. I had one land on my head in Largs after I bought an ice cream.
I enjoyed that little story Effarr. I love watching seagulls.
Are you serious? Ireland and the UK are richer than Thailand!That is absolute nonsense. Even if you google how much money the King of Thailand you still will not get an even near accurate estimate, but it runs into trillions. A simple google search will immediately give you- BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has been listed as the world’s richest monarch by publications such as Business Insider in 2018. I am 53 and have been visiting Thailand since my 20s . I have not lived there as long as you, but I did live there for 5 years.and I saw plenty of beggars on the walkways crossing the highways. I also worked and lived in Saudi Arabia for 10 years, could you please explain to me how the King of Thailand is financially on another planet compared to the current Crown Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia? There are about 34 million Saudis and about 70 million Thais yet he still manages to surpass the King of Saudi Arabia. Thailand is also rich in oil, and full of numerous precious stones, gems minerals and other natural resources. Do not get me started on Thailand.
The wealth of a country is not measured by the wealth of one man or woman. If we used your logic of how to measure a countries wealth, the UK would be the richest country in the world taking the queens wealth into consideration. For whatever reason, Thailand is still considered a third world country. The majority of it’s citizens are very poor and they can not rely on welfare. Despite being poor, the Thai people in the main try to take care of their family and friends. Yes there are beggars in Thailand, particularly in Bangkok, but nothing near the level we see in the west.
What exactly have you been doing in Thailand for 18 years if you don’t mind me asking?
Business,Pleasure or Retirement?
Is you own standard of living on a par with your average Thai?
Cyan, I’m not sure why you wish to know my personal situation, but I can tell you I live frugally using a small pension I receive from the UK. I retired at the age of 47 and decided to move to Thailand to live. In my 18 years living here, the UK pound has almost halved in value, I have observed a growing increase in the amount of what we might call “middle class” Thai’s. Many Thai’s are a lot wealthier than I am,, My rent is the equivalent of 150 pounds a month, and for that I live in a reasonably sized studio condo unit in a very pleasant resort. The resort is close to a beautiful beach, I can use the large swimming pool, sauna and gym every day for free. While in Thailand I have made extra money by buying run down property, restoring it and selling it on for a profit. I also created a real estate agency business for a couple of years, but gave it up because of too much corruption and stress. Living here has given me a completely different perspective of life than I had in the UK. I don’t regret my decision.
I must take issue with your reply. You said you made extra money by buying run down property, restoring it and selling it on for a profit. You also said that you created a real estate agency business. Did you point out to the readers that any foreigner can not own property or set up a business? They can do it if 51% of that property or business is owned by Thais, thus you have in effect 49% of what you own. I do not want to cause a row or come across as some keyboard warrior but in reality you are conveying to your readers a false impression of Thailand. Did you tell your readers that you are in effect living under a military junta who subsequently rigged the elections? I don’t think this is disputed by anyone outside of Thailand. Why dont you read the Financial Times article with the title “Thailand’s monarchy: where does love end and dread begin?” I think the title should tell you all. Given the paper from where the article is sourced it is surprisingly balanced and informative. I fear when I return that the lowest soldier or citizen can accuse me of lese majeste without any evidence and I can be imprisoned for at least 6 months without access to a lawyer. I could write a book about the similarities between Thailand and Saudi Arabia and it starts with the fact that they have absolute monarchies where there is no criticism of the status quo and the naive outsider thinks everyone loves the king. Strangely in both countries I had an ineffectual and that is not the word I would like to use Saudi and Thai boss who is the ultimate boss, but in reality both employ a competent expat in Saudi and Farang in Thailand to do the real work. When you work in both countries you in the minds of the employer are subconsciously regarded as a piece of property. I really utterly resent the fact that after generations of my forefathers bowing and scraping with servility to a cursed bloody landlord that my sons are returning to that land to do the same. My maternal grandmother in Cork would probably turn in her grave in revulsion. Maybe Leo will have us commemorate the Landlords as well. Here is a link to the article https://www.ft.com/content/149d82a4-ae17-11e7-beba-5521c713abf4
I love the King (by the way)
Was the dying man in the chair, James Connolly from Edinburgh?
Yes.
Sometimes you don’t notice homelessness when it is right on your own doorstep … Familiarity of surroundings can breed contemptuous ignorance of what is actually happening around you.
It can take a visit to a different town or city to see how acute the problem is and make one more perceptive to the realities of your own ‘back yard’.
I’ve not been to Dublin for a few years now but did notice a homelessness and begging issue even then.
A recent visit to Edinburgh opened my eyes to the extent of the issue there. Swarming with the pre-Christmas spending wealth of native shoppers and tempting the extravagances of thousands of international visitors the city was every bit its postcard self…. but EVERY corner, every inactive doorway and every sheltered archway , disused steps or alley entrance had its homeless person. Some asking for money, some with a sign explaining their situation, some with dogs and some just trying to keep warm.
The numbers are one issue on their own. The fact that they were almost exclusively men aged between 20 and 50 is another issue that rarely gets discussed.
I blame Capitalism for much of the issues we see today.
Neoliberal Capitalism to be clear.
This is why chose to reject the EU in the Referendum.
Even though we live in Countries that are far from being poor by World standard we still see these issues growing year by year.
Perhaps you might want have a good look at why that is?
It’s all Smoke and Mirrors Phil.
The 1% want you and I to continue buying into it.
You see it keeps them in a lifestyle they will never give up regardless of how many of the 99% are starving in the street.
I imagine your political thriller would also struggle to persuade people that 100 years later, it would be possible to buy the uniform of a discredited paramilitary police force that fought on the losing side of a civil war – but Leo and his friends can find such a thing here: https://historybunker.com/product/auxiliary-division-royal-irish-constabulary-adric-auxie-uniform-copy/
Phil – Mr Varadkar will never be lonely for as long as we have intellectual heavyweights, such as Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, etc.
Modern life and technology makes me very cynical indeed.
Both the old lady eating fast food off the shop window sill and the child eating off a piece of cardboard can be easily staged at zero cost for pre election political gain. Or numerous other reasons.
It could be true it could be lies. Don’t believe your eyes.
Tell that to the guy lying in a hospital bed.
You would have to tell him btw as the likelihood of him reading it via modern technology is slim to none given his situation I should imagine?
I’d visit you to tell you Cyan.
Why have you a penchant for hospital food?
No, you can keep it all.
Trust me I’m a doctor.
Amazing I’m a dentist.
Of sorts,
An old lady tidying the contents of her shopping bag trying to find something in the bottom. Placing things on a ledge.
A boy sitting on cardboard. It could be a girl in boys clothes.
Both photos from Berlin, Melbourne, Budapest, New York, London or Rome.
I don’t see anyone at all eating any food. I don’t even see a face or a mouth or a hand putting food to a mouth. I see no evidence of Dublin either.
This is true and not untrue.
The pictures were taken before an election was called.
You either empathise with the horrible plight of people in such circumstances or you don’t.
I do and would hope that the vast majority also do, as homelessness, hunger, food banks etc are well documented featues of modern living and any attempt to deny or obfuscate the issue is nihilism.
Here’s me thinking that we only had these poverty and homeless problems in dear old Blighty, I have to be careful what I read in future.
Then perhaps thinking is not your main strength…
A bit like yourself I would suggest.
Upstairs for thinking – downstairs for dancing!! 😄
Phil the pictures are there for us all to see but the politicians are always in denial of such things. Edwina Currie recently stated that there was no need for food banks and that it was all fake news and that the people living on the streets is exaggerated oh dear . Show me an honest politician and I will show you a liar .
Although there is much truth in what you say Scud Tony Benn,Hilary Benn,Sir John Benn,William Wedgwood Benn,Andrew Bennet,Don Bennet,Natalie Bennett,Lord William Bentinck and Joe Benton are not amused.
Too reiterate the Bennies are not amused 😉
You mean, the BENNY’S are not amused, surely? 😆
Don’t encourage me ffs
Oh dear punters on here telling me to leave the BENNY’S script alone and here we have 2 using it and mentioning it themselves . Infamy, infamy they all have it infamy .