Madam, – All I perceive in this story is a public-relations exercise to publicise a new book and rebuild Seán FitzPatrick’s battered personal finances. The authors drip-feed supposedly “juicy” extracts to the media. Political journalists (your journalists included) headline the bitchy-bits and fill pages with comment and counter-comment. Opposition politicians delight in another piece of straw with which to beat the beleaguered Taoiseach. All a load of puff! What is being touted doesn’t bring anything substantive or new to the whole sorry story of what went wrong with Irish banks.
If your reporters wanted a serious story, they might try to list how many politicians of all persuasions and how many senior public servants were treated to lunch and rounds of golf by Irish bankers over the past 10 years. I suspect they would find sufficient to fill the new Aviva stadium.
In the meantime, the Irish public can add to the billions that they have contributed as taxpayers to propping up Anglo by queuing up to buy the book and help re-finance Mr Fitzpatrick. I, for one, will abstain. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Why am I not worked up about what Brian Cowen said or didn’t say to Seán FitzPatrick on the golf course or over dinner? I think because the problem is not what one powerful man said to another powerful man over a golf game and fundraising dinner, the problem is that this country did not have an effective banking regulation system, did not have an effective and sustainable planning system, did not have an economically educated electorate, did not have a ban on corporate political donations and did not have enough investment in sustainable indigenous industries.
The golf isn’t the problem. The elitism and cronyism that is evidenced by the golf and dinner scenario is part of the problem, it is part of a culture: an unequal and unjust culture.
I share anger about this inequality and incompetence, but I have been angry (and, at times, depressed) about this inequality, injustice and incompetence for decades, I feel a bit frustrated that “the general public” or “the media” is now up in arms about it as if it is a new thing, because now they are out of pocket. There is no point in people being angry unless they back up that anger with a vote for specific policies which will prevent this property bubble/banking collapse again. Don’t get angry, get political.
As a voter I have a duty to vote for policies which will improve my country, my children’s future. The Green Party is the only party which is working on a ban on corporate donations. It is the only party which has brought in a planning Bill to reform the planning system. The Green Party in Government has ensured that an effective financial regulator (“an outsider” as it were) has been appointed. It has not been able to overturn or reform the entire market capitalist system; for some reason this does not surprise me. I will be voting Green because of these policies and actions in Government. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Although relatively new to golf, I still feel qualified to comment on that now notorious golf match. In my experience golfers rarely discuss anything except golf when they are on a golf course. If the Taoiseach did indeed bring up the subject of the bank on their way around, he would have been indulging in “gamesmanship”, ie, deliberately putting the unfortunate Mr FitzPatrick off his game. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Are we really to believe that Taoiseach Brian Cowen spent seven hours with golfing buddies Seán FitzPatrick and Fintan Drury and the subjects of Anglo and banking didn’t come up in conversation? Could he spend seven hours with Brian O’Driscoll sidestepping mention of rugby or purge impure desires to discuss the church in a marathon audience with the Pope? The golf must have been scintillating! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The golfers of this country want the facts about Brian’s game with Seánie.
Were they playing Stableford, skins or strokes? Who won the money and who marked Brian’s card? – Yours, etc,