David McWilliams on NAMA

[Purple]

Where do you see this? You're very optimistic I hope you are right but I'm too pessimistic to believe you are.

The vested interest groups are no longer running the country; the social partnership carve-up is over. We are now being governed by the government again rather than the unholy alliance of developers, public sector union fat-cats and other vested interest groups who have carved up the country for the last decade.

 

[canicemcavoy]

My granny once said that she couldn't afford to get her windows replaced but it turned out she could... since we are introducing utterly irrelevant topics.

Your point, as it was, was that somehow, governments cannot afford to let catastrophes happen. I'm pointing out that due to mismanagement, self-interest and short-term political gain, governments _do_ let catastrophes happen. Such catastrophes include the bubble itself, which short-term was good for government revenue but which most people knew could not last. Cowen himself says he wanted to do something about it, but, eh, just didn't get around to it. (Maybe was washing his hair that night.)

As for hifalutin statements such as "democracy has been re-established", even Fianna Fail canvassers don't come out with such codswallop. In case you haven't noticed, the current government has the lowest support of any in the history of the state. Joan Burton has already said that Lenihan consulted with banks over NAMA, but not with the opposition who would actually form the government if an election was held tomorrow.

So much for democracy.

 

[Purple]

Your point seems to be that the government (any government?) doesn’t have the ability to run the economy properly. I disagree. I think that successive governments did a very good job between the mid 80’s and the early 00’s. It was only when vested interest groups (the social partners) were given what amounted to executive decision making powers that things went wrong. I blame Bertie Ahern for that. Cowan is tarnished by association and by the fact that he was minister for finance during some of the worst excesses but now the vested interest groups are outside the decision making process again (where they belong) and buy everyone off Bertie is also gone. Soon Cowan will be gone (from power and from the leadership of Fianna Fail) so it’s not unreasonable to expect a return to reasonably competent government.
I’d be happier if Enda Kenny was not the leader of FG and someone like Ruairi Quinn was leader of Labour but at least when the people elect the next government that government will govern, rather than it just being one part of a committee that governs.

 

[canicemcavoy]

I’d be happier if Enda Kenny was not the leader of FG and someone like Ruairi Quinn was leader of Labour but at least when the people elect the next government that government will govern, rather than it just being one part of a committee that governs.

Well, we can certainly agree on that! Quinn was the last good Minister of Finance we had. The later ones had it easy, simply giving away goodies that Quinn's policies had been responsible for. I always find it ironic when PD (or ex-PD) supporters ascribe successes to their party which Quinn was actually responsible for.

 

[Shawady]

I blame Bertie Ahern for that. Cowan is tarnished by association and by the fact that he was minister for finance during some of the worst excesses but now the vested interest groups are outside the decision making process again (where they belong) and buy everyone off Bertie is also gone. Soon Cowan will be gone (from power and from the leadership of Fianna Fail) so it’s not unreasonable to expect a return to reasonably competent government.

Cowen is still keen to go the social partnership route. Only last week when potential pay cuts were being talked about he said he hoped it could be done through social partnership.
And when Impact failed to get a majority for strikes earlier in the year, he called back in the unions and saved them from a potentially embarrassing situation.

But I aggree, his days are numbered.

 

[censuspro]

Did anyone read the article in the Sunday Business Post ? He has a point to some degree, just looked at the NAMA website and PWC won the contract for tax advice and Arthur Cox for Legal.

 

[z101]

I am amazed at what seems like a serialisation thats coming out at the moment on his new book. It's like a soap opera and would have though McWilliams would have been a bit above that kind of opportunism just to sell a book. Seems like he has gotten that bad advice on this occasion as I am sure this is his publicists doing.