Ireland in Ruins

English: Anglo Irish Bank, Great Victoria Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, October 2010 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

During the week I Retweeted the following from KSat News in San Antonio, Texas….

Tom Baldwin ‏@LegalEagleStar

I wonder how many of these guys made money from Irish Citizens? Bondholders ? Ask #Enda World’s richest billionaires http://www.ksat.com/-/478556/9259712/-/wvv8urz/-/index.html#.UTT3ocxeiUo.twitter …

If we go to the List we see Warren Buffett, the 82-year-old CEO of Berkshire Hathaway is worth an estimated $53.5 billion. Bill Gates, chairman and co-founder of Microsoft Corp., is also co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. His net worth is more than $67 billion. I ask the hypothetical question whether any of these made money on the back of the Irish Citizen? The answer is that I don’t know and our Government is making sure that I cannot find the answer as they refuse to disclose the identity of the Bondholders of Anglo Irish Bank and other Bank Bondholders who have been handed money by our Tax Payers. Our Government has, and is paying back every cent due to these same anonymous bondholders. The Citizen on the other hand, those that invested their redundancy or inheritances, if they were lucky enough to have the money in the first place, have taken huge loses in whatever Funds they were advised to invest in. No bailout for the Citizen, only those who claim Elite status.

The Citizen in Ireland now faces a life devoid of hope. They face the serious prospect of their homes being repossessed by these same Banks and Financial Institutions who they have in fact bailed out. My point is that Billionaires small change would rescue Ireland. But our Government prefers to be the Good Boy in the Euro Class and instead bleed their citizens dry. I’m sure that Billionaires have reaped the rewards from their Bonds, many of which were purchased, I’m told, at a great markdown. I’m sure they were laughing at the incompetent Irish all the way to their banks.

We’re told we are in a recession. I’m not an economist but have listened carefully to our Economists over the past number of years. Their diverse opinions are at times illuminating but it seems most just base their opinions and comments on what is in the media at any given time.  Some, who I believe should know better give us little hope and just side with Government strategy in advising more austerity and pain for Citizens who already have been cut to the bone. It seems they reside in a parallel universe where people count for little or nothing and all that is important is the survival of the multinational conglomerates and their bankers. Tune in to Vincent Browne’s Show Monday to Thursday at 11pm on TV3 and listen to their endless diatribe. To be fair to Vincent he does tend to show them up for what they are and in an entertaining fashion.

Historically, Irish People have trusted their politicians and for that matter, their local friendly bank manager. If advised to purchase a home they will follow the advice, take whatever mortgage is offered and complete the purchase. They are fed media hype concerning what they should buy and most if not all media handed out advise on a weekly basis with glossy inserts in the daily papers. People are trusting and believe what they are told. Naive many would say, but I for one have seen what motivates people. As a solicitor in practise for over thirty years, I see the ‘little guy’ spending his/her hard-earned cash in ways that they are ‘urged’ to do by their ‘leaders’, whether politicians, bank managers, investment brokers, Thursday’s Irish Independent Property Supplement, Friday’s Irish Times Property Supplement or indeed the Sunday Papers with their advice regarding the queues outside housing developments to get a bargain. People cannot be expected to discriminate against such pressure from those they have come to trust. Their Friday Irish Times has in fact become the ‘Bible’ for such people. Can we honestly blame people for being taken in by such propaganda? The media, our politicians etc. were forcing an agenda. Those behind the newspapers, advisers and yes sadly, our politicians were making a fortune for themselves, I believe, on the back of the citizen. The money our people spent ended up in already rich coffers.

Now politicians change their mind and continue our previous  Government’s austerity measures. People threw out Fianna Fail as they believed them corrupt and voted for change.  Now they feel betrayed by those they trusted, again naively some might say, who now claim their hands are tied by previous the Government. So while politicians change their minds and continue to trade cheap shots with one another, the Citizen is driven to bankruptcy, lose their family homes and family silver and are told its their own fault. ‘We partied during the Celtic Tiger’ we have been told. No we didn’t. Yes, most did their part as they were told and spent money on property, if the funds were handed to them. To say people partied is an insult. The Citizen is now driven to despair and sadly many lives have been lost due primarily to the helpless situation they find themselves in. Families have been broken up, many, too many suicides have occurred and yet the Government ignores their pleas for help.

Yesterday we saw our leaders Enda Kenny, Fine Gael and Eamonn Gilmore, Labour Party  ‘glorify’ in the success of the first two years of their Government. They told us that we are doing well. The reality is somewhat different on the streets where the level of poverty has arisen to greater heights than ever before in my lifetime. This without the upcoming property tax, water metering and whatever other schemes they dream up to fleece the citizen. Remember all those that bought their homes paid an enormous amount of Stamp Duty and to ask them to now pay Property Tax is an absolute travesty of justice. Those ‘economists’ who favour this charge citing other countries property taxes, simply ignore this injustice. Shame on them ! There seems a major disconnect from what politicians are saying and what the reality is. While citizens are awakening in a new era of poverty and austerity, corporations, who are not even pursued for the meagre corporation tax, continue to prosper. Who are the Government working for? The citizen or the multinationals who continue to prosper?

Are we in a recession or is it the implementation of all those Euro Treaties that we were told would bring jobs, prosperity etc. The United States of Europe, which no Irish Citizen ever voted openly for, but is the culmination of said Treaties, is now a reality and its imposition is being forced upon us. Be careful for what you wish for as all those Yes to Europe Votes have indeed come back to haunt us. We Irish are now a small poor Statelet within a huge capitalist entity. How did we ever think we’d be a player enjoying equality and fraternity with the likes of Germany? That is what we were sold by our politicians and we believed them. Recently on RTE Pat Rabbitte, a prominent member of the Labour Party said that you say some things before elections. He was justifying a change of mind when parties take power…

Video: Pat Rabbitte admits to breaking election promises http://www.joe.ie/news-politics/current-affairs/video-pat-rabbitte-admits-to-breaking-election-promises-0031538-1 … via @JOEdotie …And We continue to believe them..

Enda Kenny changed his mind on taxing the family home. I tweeted on this…Tom Baldwin ‏@LegalEagleStar

‘It is morally wrong. unjust+unfair to tax a person’s home.’ EndaKenny 1994.’Don’t ever trust a politician.’ Me, 2013 pic.twitter.com/0P05G6vxY1

When I was in College we were taught about Capitalism, that you were ‘Never too big to fail’ What utter nonsense. Whosoever controls the capital calls the tune. Billionaires who continue to prosper, their bankers and suchlike, many under the guise of Anglo Irish bank Bondholders control this new United States of Europe. I wonder as to where the old Nazis are now because Hitler has indeed realised his ultimate goal of a United States of Europe under German control and with an ‘Elite’  firmly in charge of our destiny. Whatever will the German people think when they discover what is really happening to the Irish Citizen?

LegalEagleStar , Thursday , 7th. March , 2013.

Fascism+Euro Federalism here we come. Did Hitler actually die in that Bunker?

Image via Wikipedia

Over the past few days  I have been somewhat taken aback by the blatant disregard of the Citizen by our political establishment. Anyone who knows me would be aware of my lack of respect for those who govern us. This has been brought about by the almost daily degradation of the rights of the Citizen by those they elected to govern and protect them.

I listened the other morning to an interview with Michael Noonan TD, our Minister for Finance. I respect his right to talk about his family and those he may personally know concerning emigration for career purposes but take grave exception to him passing off the current wave of young people and some not so young, having to leave these shores in search of employment abroad. How dare he. I have met with so many families over the last few years who are devastated and heartbroken as their loved ones depart. Does Minister Noonan really believe what he said or has he no idea of the suffering of the citizen in these obscene times.

While Pat Rabitt dreams up yet another scheme to further fleece the citizen by way of a revamped TV Licence supposedly to assist with public broadcasting, Minister Howlin tells us that The Troika have agreed to the use of monies from the sell off of our family silver to enable some employment initiatives. Surprisingly, or maybe not, The Troika did not mirror what our esteemed Labour Party Minister had said.

So it was left to journalist Vincent Browne to ask the Troika at their press conference yesterday as to their awareness of the plight of the beleaguered Citizen and the insistence by the ECB on our Government paying unsecured junior Anglo Bondholders next week an obscene sum of circa Euro 1.2 Billion. After an evasive answer by the ECB Representative Mr Browne asked him to answer the question. On viewing a video of the press conference I was appalled with the attitude displayed by the Troika and was fearful that Mr Browne was going to be ejected from the Press Conference. Isn’t it sad that we have to rely on a small band of journalists to put the real issues to the Troika while our elected politicians appear to be tipping their caps to these inhumane bankers. The arrogance displayed reminded me of The Third Reich and the domination of the citizenry. Quite clearly the Elites are insisting on their banks being stacked up with the assets of the Citizen with absolutely no regard to the hardship this is causing. To think that our politicians and most noticeably Minister Noonan, are quite happy with ‘our progress’,  shows how removed they are from what is actually happening to our little country.

On top of all these attacks on the Irish Citizen the same Minister Noonan has declared that he and his Fine Gael Government do not want to refer any matter regarding the proposed Euro Zone changes to the Citizens for a decision. He and his Government know better. Sure wouldn’t it only divide the people and he doesn’t want that. Maybe he fears a backlash from the Irish people who may well say enough is enough. Of course, he knows the possibility of civil unrest is much lesser now as those who would take to the streets have had to take action already to survive. They emigrated ! Does the junior partner in Government, the Labour Party, really support their Fine Gael partners in the rape of the Citizen ?  While hard to comprehend, it would sadly appear so. God help Ireland !

LegalEagleStar Friday, 20th. January, 2012.

Germany Calling …..Maybe this is World War 3. Collaborators beware!

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Today Enda Kenny told the Dáil that the European Central Bank refused to listen to him and demanded that the Irish Citizen repay Unsecured Bond Holders in Anglo Irish Bank. Yesterday, the Greek Prime Minister decided to ask his Citizens what they thought as regards the IMF/EU/ECB Bailout for Greece. He was then summoned to answer for his defiance by the German and French Leaders. Last week the Irish Citizen did not follow the Government’s direction to Vote Yes to give them the right to Set Up Kangaroo Courts, bypassing the Courts.  The Government went on to criticise the Irish People on their decision. While Brendan Howlin later apologised for his words, noting the backlash they caused, Minister Shatter is up in arms as his plan to succumb to European Dictates has made him look weak at a time that he was in the ascendancy in leading the country into a United States of Europe where the Irish Citizen would be powerless to oppose this new form of dictatorship.

Over the past number of years there has been a steady erosion of the rights of the Irish Citizen who now find themselves being the targets of austerity, while those Elites that caused the current economic problems seem to be getting more powerful and indeed richer at their expense. One wonders whether the current Crises was indeed caused by the Elites to enable them gain the power they required to conquer the unworthy Citizen once and for all. The lack of representation of the Citizen, in my opinion is not the first step, but practically the final step in realigning our Country in line with the dictates of the European Elites, who like Adolf Hitler plan to dominate Europe. They are achieving what the Germans failed to achieve on a military level and it would appear they haven’t ‘Gone Away’ ; just regrouped and continued their push on another front. Before I’m accused of Racism, please let me separate the Citizens of Europe from their Elites. It is quite clear to see that the Agendas being followed by the IMF,EU and ECB are in line with policies to make the Rich richer and in control of the wealth while the austerity measures being imposed on the Citizens of Europe are directed solely to keep the Citizen in their lowly place and to ensure a measure of control of the people never before exercised, except by Adolf Hitler and other such dictators in the recent past.

Minister Shatter and his Fine Gael dominated Government do not want an independent Ireland as this would not be in line with the dictates of the Elites. On the back of the failure of the Fianna Fail Government to protect the rights and welfare of the Irish Citizen in favour of the Elites, we were lied to by Enda Kenny prior to the General Election earlier this year who rose to power in as much a protest by the Irish Citizens than a pro-Fine Gael Vote. Nonetheless promises were made which secured this Vote in order to ensure a sweeping majority in the Dáil. This domination of the Parliament with the use of the Party Whip System, which is undemocratic by its very nature, ensures that our Government does not have to compromise on their policies or indeed can change such policies on a whim when it suits them. This is not democracy as we were taught in school. Neither is the economic system we are suffering under capitalism. Take one example. The Citizen can invest money in Banks and Institutions and can go for a higher rate of interest on the ‘riskier investments’. Many have done so but have lost money as a result. Not so for the Elites who have manipulated matters so that they never lose out. They will be repaid their investment as Irish and indeed European Citizens now have guaranteed that they face no risk. And if not actually guaranteed, sure it makes no difference. They’ll profit from their investment as the Elites through the ECB will ensure this happens regardless. This policy is not capitalism as we were taught or maybe those rules just apply to the ordinary citizen who tries to work hard to put a roof over his/her family and put food on the table. This obscene scenario is being played out and will continue with the support of our current Government who are exactly the same as the previous Government but with a change of jerseys.

Where are we all heading? More than likely we are now firmly in the grasp of the New Order where the Elites have taken control of Europe and Countries like Ireland will have no say in the direction our Country is heading. Sadly our Government is happy to go along in this direction as to do otherwise, would be so Un-European.

LegalEagleStar ,  Wednesday ,  2nd. November ,  2011 .