It is long past time that a full-time defence minister be appointed and the government prioritises what is the first duty of all governments – securing the state and its citizens.
If a balance in policy between pro-enterprise and pro-redistribution is to be maintained, those who believe in that balance, and the pro-enterprise part of it in particular, will need to up their game in the years ahead.
Ireland is in a bubble, not one related to credit, but to complacency and a misunderstanding of the world as it now is.
While the Irish economy continues to thrive, it presents no justification for runaway budget spending and remains exposed to US risks – but still offers a healthier picture than those of its neighbours.
From higher taxes and expanding public spending to the embrace of progressive causes abroad, the political consensus now leans firmly to the left – leaving little room for debate or alternative visions.
The Economist magazine's claim that Ireland is not "truly rich" just reflects how little has been attempted to check if the country was. Beyond the distortion caused by multinationals, there are many metrics from which to build a credible prosperity index.
While major domestic crises go unaddressed and international threats mount, elected representatives appear more preoccupied with niche causes and symbolic gestures than with defending the country’s core interests.
Economist Dan O’Brien was disinvited from addressing the Oireachtas committee on the Occupied Territories Bill. This is what he would have told lawmakers had he been allowed to speak.
With Ireland’s prosperity so tightly linked to US corporations and tax frameworks, looming changes in American fiscal policy pose a deeper, more immediate economic risk than global geopolitical tensions.
What economists call pro-cyclical fiscal policy is now well and truly entrenched, with government fuelling growth when it is not needed and deepening austerity when crises hit.
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