No, they are not. You are wrong.
Irelands entire debt problem was caused by the government decideing to back three large banks (kind of like our government backed Fannie, Freddie and AIG.) It turned out to be *much* more expensive than anticipated.
It has nothing in common with the problems in California and Greece, where a large debt has been created by years of overpayment of welfare state benefits and public employee salaries.
I think Ireland is as gone as can be. There are so many political parties over there and they are all leftists. No matter which direction they go they will still have the EU hooks in them.
The original plan to make the EU stronger required citizen initatives. While the citizens in most countries supported the EU the majority in Ireland did not. They voted "NO" and brought the EU unification to a grinding halt.
The mandarins at the EU decided they would simply create a "treaty extension" that had the identical wording of the previous "charter" and thereby be able to pass it in more nations without plebicites, which is the mechanism which allowed it to go into force. Ireland did pass it this second time, but it was a near thing.
Ireland's political parties are a lot like the political parties in the rest of Europe, except that there is no "National Front" hard-right. There is a labor party, a center left party, a Christian right party, a green party, and of course their is Sein Fein - which is a strange mix of things.
Do you actually KNOW anything about Ireland? Where did you get your strange opinions? I lived there for a year, and it's nothing like California nor is it full of parasitic socialists.
“It has nothing in common with the problems in California and Greece, where a large debt has been created by years of overpayment of welfare state benefits and public employee salaries.”
Yeah, they are just a bunch of free marketers there:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-11/28/c_13625228.htm
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Thousands-of-Irish-Protest-Austerity-Measures-110904779.html
This is were I got the Impression that Ireland is a bunch of left leaning welfare cases like the rest of Europe.
Since you are the expert on Ireland you already know the dole there is twice that of England. Real free marketers.
“There is a labor party, a center left party, a Christian right party, a green party, and of course their is Sein Fein - which is a strange mix of things.”
Which is exactly the party that is the equivalent to the GOP here. Which party is the one that does not default to offering hand outs to the people much like the CA Rat party and runs on small gov’t? I can’t find it.
Most of my impressions come from my Irish contractor who came here in the 80’s and came for a reason. He routinely visits and complains of the state of the place much like my comments. But he is an Irishman immigrant and I should disregard that over your expertise while you were on your pub tour.
Next time Ireland comes up I will forget about all the articles and first hand impressions and defer to you.
I would say Erin Go Bragh but I don’t care either way what happens to the country.