Madam, – So Brian Cowen is among the top 10 world leaders, according to Newsweekmagazine (Home News, August 19th). Just goes to prove even economic journalists have a sense of humour. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I refer to Newsweek's recent rating of Brian Cowen as one of the top 10 World leaders and its reference to the Irish not "showing much gratitude".
I would not refer to the Irish as being ungracious but as being complacent about the ineptitude of the current Government. We are being drip-fed information about the spiralling costs of bailing out the banks. Current and future generations will be shackled with this debt while Mr Cowen and his cohort enjoy the benefits of a defined pension scheme. They are living in an ivory tower while the rest of the not-so-privileged experience the impact of rising unemployment and reduced support for children with special needs, etc. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Maybe Newsweekmight do a series of profiles on people who have had a similar impact on the Irish people over the centuries.
It could narrow it down to leaders who the people never voted for and who seemingly could not be ousted from office. It could especially concentrate on those who – as it asserts about Brian Cowen – won greater respect abroad than here with the ungrateful Irish.
They could have a nice mixture of those whose legacy was as a result of a complete lack of vision as to the consequences of their actions – such as Dermot MacMurrough in bringing in the Normans and Brian Cowen in his disastrous years as minister for finance – and those who had a better idea what they were doing such as Oliver Cromwell and Charles Trevelyan. – Yours, etc,