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Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia
I’m already sick of hearing about Ireland’s headlong nose-dive into recession. Between that and calamity in the world’s financial markets the doom mongers out there are having a field day.
Life as we know it is about to end apparently. Except of course that it probably isn’t. Nowhere near it, in fact.
I’ll stick my neck out here and make a shocking prediction: life for the vast majority of people in Ireland will carry on pretty much the same as before – through this recession and out the other side. Macro economic cycles come and go – and on one level, yes, they can change things pretty dramatically. But the fundamentals of life tend to stay pretty constant.
The challenges we face as a family with young children in Ireland today are, strangely enough, much the same challenges as we faced when the Celtic Tiger was in full roar. Recession or boom, families still have to juggle children, manage a household, cope with demanding jobs, make the mortgage payments, put three square meals a day on the table, cover childcare costs that are the most exorbitant in Europe, and a lot more besides. There’s always too much to do, and too little time. What’s changed?
Okay, if you’re a person who likes to splurge you may have to reign in your spending a bit, but is that really going to alter your life in any significant way? I was listening to a guest on a radio show this morning who’s recession busting plan was to stop getting her car valeted every Saturday morning. Hardly a life-changing sacrifice, is it?
Despite all the doom and gloom I suspect that for most of us life in economic recession will continue pretty much as usual. There might be a bit of belt-tightening going on… but is that such a bad thing?
As a nation we’ve been spending beyond our means for far too long, availing of the hefty credit being offered to us. Being forced to really think about what we choose to spend our money on, and training ourselves to only spend what we actually have might come as a bit of a shock to the system for some – but it’s a shock that’s long overdue.
There was a guy on a treadmill on the “Late Late Show” last Friday urging people to run for Africa. He put this recession obsession of ours into stark perspective when he pointed out that, compared to the people in east Africa he was raising money for, our concerns were pretty trivial.
Of course there will be people who are hit hard by the economic downturn, and the inevitable cuts and levies imposed by the government as they attempt to re-float a scuppered economy. The recession will bite hard for some, and that’s unfortunate. I don’t want to belittle their suffering, but the truth is that for the the majority it will be business as usual, recession or no.
I guess what it boils down to is that we worry too much – and I’m as guilty of this as anyone. We’re constantly dwelling on the past and fretting about the future, when for many of us the present really isn’t all that bad, if we’d only learn to pay it a bit more attention.
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get real politicians of Ireland…
if you want money spent in our Country , then no1. it’s a very bad idea to bring back the pubs+club times x one hour, we should be giving the decision to pub owers to decide their own hours,, and we should be thinking of ways of keeping the tax payers happy and not miserable here for a start ? too many times i hear my friends and their friends compare how better off other European cites are, compared to our strict military laws.. also in regards to cannabis, can we not legalise it once and for all ?? this would reduce a large number of gangland crime…look at Brussels, Spain,Holland, these cities have softer laws for adults who enjoy a joint..
many adults live here in Ireland or did we forget, and blame everything on youths ??? and now we all have to suffer?? if cannabis was to be made legal and sold to over 21s ? the governments would be shooting themselves in the foot if they seen how much money would be made from taxing cannabis for a start, therefore gangters won’t be selling no more of their un-natural poison hashish that contains toxic mixtures.. 7others cities in Europe have softer laws for this.. what do we have here in our cityu for people ,,,shops shops shops,,loads of them,, wow!! and a spire ..wow!! can we not build a floating heated out-door pool , something for tourists & all the working pople to enjoy ?? think think think ?? ..rather than expensive beers as we DONT all like to drink you know ??? COP ON you idiots…
stop going around in circles as it never made any change ??? i know what i’m talking about.. millions of crap is brought into our country,,, try telling everybody to stop smoking ?? it doesn’t work ? closing pubs eraly , it doesn’t work,,,more shops…naaaa…. i know of many who left as they felt there is nothing to enjoy in our city,, look at O Connell.. Mac Donnells, burger king, shops.. Spire,, very thoughtfull..
we will end up saving and NOT spending here no more,, i see and hear this alot now.. we will go when we can to get out of this country and this big mess,,, who else has to suffer … medical card users ? working class people.. unemployed, old- young. but of course the very rich people are untouched. and the also gangsters >>> you politicians let those tug gangters shoot and have money/??? San Francisco has 500cannabis centers for mature medical card holders.. HOPENET..
i can’t blame people for leaving…
New years ??? i never seen any fire works here in Dublin City,, because we really have nothing to celebrate?? lets be more liberal we have many reasons to be.. we are LOOSING FAST>> many are giving up.. think ? about it .. what makes people spend money ? you BIG egits.. people are leaving , and so am i… go on tell me i’m wrong??? tell me that ohhh your wrong!! lol… IM so right going by what i hear,, i listen, as i’m more a a realist.. i can’t blame people for leaving as this place is run by egits … going around in circles,, cop on cop on cop on..oh sorry i forgot,, lets get the bible out! that will save us , won’t it ! hahahaaa