Originally Posted by
Violette
For a country located geographically in Europe, Ireland has a mentality closer to more primitive tribal nations fighting for valuable resources. There is a strong tendency to nepotism, cronyism, and the good ole boys club mentality, and yes corruption. They are xenophobic, but they hide it well, usually behind the facade of the code of the Brehon. Strangers are welcome, but only so far. Fundamentally, unless Ireland can collectively admit that the current government is not doing the job, mistakes were made, trust and promises broken and seek to find others from outside the accepted groups, it will fail to draw itself out of the current problems they are in. EVERY IRISHMAN played a part in the current economic situation the country is currently in. And it will take EVERY IRISHMAN doing his part to pull the country out of the shit. It needs creative leaders, not yes men and women. It needs innovation, it needs education, and it needs it fast.
Another problem is the Euro, if they controlled their own currency, they could do what the US does when it finds itself in the economic collective shit, print more money, but being tethered to European Union teat is not going to help and will in fact hinder any kind of regrowth that is necessary to rebuild the country.
Lastly the biggest and one of the most insidious by products of all of this is the brain drain. Students and educated people who can in the coming years be of benefit to Ireland, are deserting the country by the Ryanair plane loads, and this above all else will cause the country to sink even further into the morass of socioeconomic stagnation.
But that is just my humble opinion.