I was against the idea until I read that.
TV licence non renewal or jail?
- Thread starter Equality
- Start date
It's his sycophantic swooning love of mass murdering totalitarian dictators, total disregard for the constitutional position of his office and rank hypocrisy that I have a problem with. If I never had to hear him or see him I probably wouldn't have a problem with him.
Ceist Beag
Registered User
- Messages
- 1,426
Why do "taxpayers" need to promote the arts, culture, sport? There is a lot that I as a taxpayer am not interested in that RTE promote. That doesn't bother me, I don't see it as anything being rammed down my throat.
What I don't understand is why you and so many others get annoyed and even angry about any promotion of our native language. If it's not for you that's fine, jog on. Why do you need to try and drum up support against the language. All the thanks on your post are akin to that idiot on Virgin Media shaking Ivan Yates hand for saying he can't be arsed about the Irish language (I'm paraphrasing here), as if that was something to be proud of.
If you don't like the language that's fine, if you don't like Irish music that's fine, if you don't like our culture that's fine. Some of us do like all of these things and I am constantly bemused by those who seem to want to rail against them as if they are some sort of threat to their person. For some of us the language is very much a part of what it means to be Irish. Even if you don't understand half (or any) of it, it can be a lovely language to hear. The words used in Irish can often reveal more about us than their English counterpart. They can tell stories about our history, our culture.
Ultimately I don't really care who likes it or not but I very much care when someone wants to diminish the language, put it down, throw it away. Ignore it if you want but our national state public broadcaster should promote it, as it should promote our culture.
He winds you up a bit so I take it.
Just a tad. I find humility to be a very attractive character trait and Micky D is utterly devoid of it.
Politicians usually aren't blessed with it unfortunately.
That's unfair to every other politician.
That’s all lovely, and I’m not railing against it nor see it as any ‘threat’ - it’s the exchequer cost and special treatment involved in ‘keeping it alive’ for a few special interest advocates that I have an issue with. Each to their own, just maybe not at others’ expense.
thedaddyman
Registered User
- Messages
- 1,057
I did say Prime time Investigates, who have done some great programmes over the years but I never watch Prime Time itself as it is just a talking shop. The News is lazy, presenter says something, then they cut to a reporter who repeats the message almost verbatim and then there is a a few seconds of local people and the local councilor saying "it's terrible altogether".
In fairness as well, they do fund and support things like an Orchestra, Cor na nOg (choir) etc but I have to wonder why and would those bodies be better off being supported directly by the Dept of the Arts.?
When RTE does it well, they do it very well but it is inconsistant and not enough in my view.
Ceist Beag
Registered User
- Messages
- 1,426
Again, do you have any objection to the spend on arts, culture, sport, etc.?
I get annoyed by ethno-nationalism and the notion that Irishness is defined by language or cultural heritage or colour or race. That's what I hear from most people who are "promoting" the Irish language. If someone lives here, pays their taxes here and is an Irish citizen then they are Irish as me.
Again, "our" culture is constantly evolving and changing, as it always has been. "Our" culture is now a mix of all of the cultures that have enriched our country over the last few decades. That is what Irish culture is now. That is what Irish music is now.
See I do know our history, I know that we were never invaded by the Celts so we are not a Celtic people, rather we adopted a Celtic Culture, just as we later adopted a Viking Culture. I know that our culture was totally changed when we became Christian and I know that what is now considered to be traditional Irish culture mainly dates back to the Celtic Revival of the 19th Century.
But most of all I know that there should be no hierarchy of Irishness in this republic and I reject the makey-up version of Irishness that we invented post-Independence in order to differentiate ourselves from our former British Masters.
Ceist Beag
Registered User
- Messages
- 1,426
What on earth are you talking about Purple? I never suggested that anyone speaking Irish is more Irish than anyone else. I never suggested that our culture is limited to the Irish language or Irish music. What I said was that these things are part of our Irish culture. Are you denying that? As such it is entitled to being promoted every bit as much as any other part of our culture, be that art, music, sport or anything else you can mark an argument for.
That seemed implicit.
I've no problem with the promotion of culture. I do have a problem with it being forced on people who don't want to participate in it. We have an Irish language TV and radio station. Why is it necessary to have it on the other channels? Why are all students compelled to learn Irish up to the Leaving Cert? Why is required to get into Universities?
If people want to engage with it then it should be available but nobody should be compelled.
Ceist Beag
Registered User
- Messages
- 1,426
That probably says more about you...
I think the main problem with RTE is the schitzo nature of its public/commercial status.
Compulsorily paying a license fee to a broadcaster who is also in hock to advertisers is a recipe for conflict of interest, and leads to situations like the RTE/Tubridy car-crash we saw last year.
Compulsorily paying a license fee to a broadcaster who is also in hock to advertisers is a recipe for conflict of interest, and leads to situations like the RTE/Tubridy car-crash we saw last year.
Possibly, we all have our biases and insecurities. It's important to examine why we hold the views we do, where they came from and to what extent they grounded in rationality or emotion.
Ceist Beag
Registered User
- Messages
- 1,426
I see what you're trying to do there.
As it happens I totally agree with you. That's why I choose to stick to discussing the actual statements made, not what I think they might imply.
I was talking about myself as much as anyone else.I see what you're trying to do there.
I really don't get that argument. The problem was a complete lack of governance and a sense of self importance by the employees of RTE at every level. The same thing happened at the BBC when they covered up the abuse carried out by Jimmy Saville. Self importance is almost always the enemy of the good.
Where RTE's funding comes from is irrelevant to their current woes and certainly has nothing to do with how Tubridy was thrown under the bus in an attempt to distract from what we have found out were far more endemic issues.
Of course not. All of those are beneficial to the vast majority of the population and as Purple correctly states, are not forced on those who just aren't interested. The Irish language is a niche interest, and if it's so wonderful, should not require disproportional taxpayer support to 'promote' it.
Last edited: