On RTE 1 right now, we have David McWilliams telling us that we are a bit stupid, investing in property and spending money like water and being out-competed by everybody and it is all going a bit Pete Tong.
On RTE 2 right now is the programme prosperity that is telling us that we are a nation of extremely unpleasant people.
Every letter to the Irish Times seems to take extreme pleasure in telling us that there is something wrong with us. even the GAA media came under fire last week, because it is wrong, it seems, to praise the Gaelic games and Gaelic players and for saying that they are good at something. That, unbelievably, was a published letter to the Times. Bad enough, I would have thought to be at such a loose end to write such a letter, but to have it published?
It is a completely right-on attitude now to praise the German Ambassador to Ireland and his comments (I think they were mis-translated in some respects anyway). Never mind the intent, it seems that it is good enough that the words were negative, so hurrah, we even have foreigners telling us how bad we are, so it must be true.
So, what the hell is so wrong with us? Are we really that bad? Are we that awful?
The sentiments of the commentators contrasts massively with the interview I heard on RTE Radio 1 over the weekend from a guy that immigrated to Ireland from Northern Iraq and who was granted asylum. His words were “I love Ireland with all my heart”. I know a small number of immigrants and without exception they tell me that they are doing well and enjoy living here. My next door neighbor when I lived in Dublin 15 was from west Africa, living in Ireland for 7 years and still loved it here. I’m sure there are exceptions - we hear about them on the news, but it seems almost taboo to highlight the success stories. Perhaps by doing so, we cannot beat up on ourselves as much.
I have to confess that I don’t think that my friends are anything like the Irish people portrayed by any of the TV programmes or the letters to the newspapers. I don’t find them crude, they are not obsessed by money, don’t talk obsessively about house prices, don’t talk down to immigrants.
I can’t speak for me, because I don’t observe myself from the outside, but I cannot see the country that is being described to me reflected in what I see in my friends.
What is the purpose of this negative portrayal? Am I supposed to self-flagellate and to wear sackcloth and ashes? I work hard and like a few pints. I don’t want a name like Bono Boomer or whatever and I don’t feel like I am particularly a bad person. So, why am I being told that I and my contemporaries are either stupid or mean?
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Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackDavid McWilliams is looking increasingly ridiculous. He was incorrectly assumed to be the source of the “celtic tiger” phrase. He very honestly made it clear that he wasn’t, but ever since he seems to hope that if he concocts enough of these “witty” categories, one of them will stick, and he will be famous for it. Unfortunately he was proved correct, as the “Breakfast roll man” became famous at the last election.
But surely as an economist he should be aware that flooding the market devalues the product.
I am so tired of hearing about bono boomers, and permalescents, and GI jane etc.
On another topic, I saw Prosperity last night. I have not seen it before, so i might not be in a good position to judge, but frankly it seemed very slow paced, somewhat boring and extremely stereotypical. At one point, the boss said that he needed to have a good office because “I seem to spend more time here than i do at home”. Que looking wistfully into the distance. Please! It makes you feel that the script writers were given that line and told to work it into the script at all costs. A bit of subtelty, and character depth would be good.
Anyway, rant over. Sorry for hijacking your blog!
Hi Ray,
I just find the disconnect between how the media depicts us all and what I see in my every day life to be huge. We have problems, sure, but fewer than ever in our history.
My dad is a farmer and if you ask him are things better or worse, he will tell you about thinning beet for no money only words of praise from a neighbor.
The place has always been full of alcoholics, abuse etc. Perhaps not as much murder and that kind of thing. However, what has changed enormously is our need to beat ourselves up.
We used to suffer from being downtrodden and now we seem to be determined to find something wrong.
Otherwise, we feel that something is not right.
Im not talking about economics or politics, simply society. We just don’t want to ever say that anybody is happy. That is until you do a survey and you find out that we are among the happiest people in the world.
Curious.