There is very little difference between the economies of Ireland and Greece: both are on a slippery slope to disaster.
Neither is there much difference between the principal causes of these disasters – Political corruption and incompetence, massive tax evasion by the rich without consequences and the squeezing of ordinary citizens to pay for the whole rotten system.
There is, however, a huge difference between the reactions of ordinary citizens. A Channel 4 news report on Greek protests makes the point.
This is Greece, not Ireland. We the workers will resist.
We will fight; we will not accept the measures and that can only happen if we protest against them, not if we sit in our houses.
The Irish are still sitting in their houses – like sheep.
It is exactly this that I feel had held Ireland back in previous decades. Similarly the Fight Against Fees March in Dublin last year, the civil service march this year and in fact any protest in Ireland will continue to suffer from Irish apathy.
Continual complaining about government and prices etc is just that;complaining. The point where things get even worse is the Irish don’t even vote in a way that would suggest apathy.
Instead the Irish will grumble and secretly pay high prices for EVERYTHING, will continue to allow political corruption and possibly the most cyclical economy in europe will continue with its highs and lows and not much else.