Golden circles and obscure data

Two articles worth reading in the Sunday Independent.

In an analysis of our financial situation Shane Ross tells us of a tiny table of numbers he came across in the Financial Times.

“The table was forbiddingly titled “Bonds — 10 year Government Spreads”. As Charlie McCreevy said about the Lisbon Treaty, “no sane mortal” would read it.

But its message was alarming.

In layman’s language it told where Mother Ireland rated as a credit risk among 21 selected countries.

Go on, guess.

All right, you are bang on. Twenty first. Out of 21 countries listed on Wednesday, we were considered a worse credit risk than the destitute Greece. In Greece there are riots on the streets.”

The second article, by Louise McBride, analyses the Irish golden circle.

It’s an amazing story of the incredibly incestuous crossbreeding within the corporate sector. It is particularly disturbing to note the number of senior civil servants who casually and without any restrictions move into the golden circle.