Martyrs no more - Jobstown acquittals

I know this is very non PC but is appointing a woman the top Garda not similar to making a woman the captain of the Lions team?
 
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Duke of Marmalade said:
I know this is very non PC but is appointing a woman the top Garda not similar to making a woman the captain of the Lions team?
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No it isn't.

The problem with Noirin O Sullivan is that she is a product of the pre existing Garda culture. A culture of secrecy that elevated mutual support and putting the organisation first even where it was in the wrong.

She had the appearance of being different because she is a woman, but proved to be a part of that problem culture, see her efforts to brief against whistleblowers.

A man or a woman are equally likely to be able to bring the qualities of openness, independence and accountability that are needed in the Gardai but they are also equally likely to bring the same old same old.
 
Ok, I suppose I should have said is making a woman top Garda not similar to making a woman manager of the Lions, of Man Utd, of the Ireland soccer team etc., after all many women certainly understand the tactics of the sport as well as having leadership qualities.
 
Trotskyite Fintan O'Toole makes an interesting point in today's IT. Society seems to take a much dimmer view of, say, an 18K SW fraud than it does of an 18K tax default. He goes on to argue that this is evidence of systemic discrimination of the WC culminating in throwing outrageous criminal charges at them for what he agrees was an unacceptable protest.

I hate to say it but I see his point. Is there an explanation for the double standard? Tax default is the act of not giving of your own money what the State demands whilst SW fraud is clearly stealing from the State. Morally they seem to be in a different space, but I am not entirely convinced. Anyone able to help me on this?
 
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Duke of Marmalade said:
I hate to say it but I see his point. Is there an explanation for the double standard? Tax default is not giving of your pwn money what the State demands whilst SW fraud is clearly stealing from the State. Morally they seem to be in a different space, but I am not entirely convinced. Anyone able to help me on this?
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I would see it as a completely different moral space... if the tax defaulter never existed, the state's revenues would not be affected.
It was only the defaulter's efforts that generated the income that led to the debt... unless they stole the money, we must assume they did something productive to generate that income. SW fraud is equivalent to stealing, the act reduces the state's revenues.
It has nothing to do with systemic discrimination of the WC. Same as people take a differing view of a corporation who pocketed state subsidies they weren't entitled to versus a corporation that dodges its tax bill.

I seem to remind some very dim views being taken of UK politicians who claimed expenses they weren't entitled to, and Irish society when it came to say Ivor Callely's mobile phone expenses, or who was the senator who racked up ridiculous calls to Africa???
What about Angela Kerins and Rehab?

In the same way, people tend to take a very different view of someone who walks into a shop and takes a CD \ DVD without paying, versus someone who streams it from the internet for free.
 
I guess some people, well ok, maybe just me, have the sense that some people appear dedicated to leeching the State, i.e.

1. Protest with the very cogent... "I don't care, I'm not paying."
2. Live on SW (a dreaded 'lifestyle choice' one might say), might have a large family bound for the same fate. Which rules out the "I'm paying for it al-reddy" argument.
3. Tend to occupy Garda/prison time.
4. Tend to smoke & drink with abandon resulting health system drain - obesity>heart problems>lung cancer>diabetes etc., loads of social problems too...
5. Vote hard left and might not be adverse to acting like a bleedin toe rag at a protest.

Which means that when they come up for some offence we might feel a bit vindictive towards them. I realise all the above is very pejorative stereotype, and the justice system should be blind to factors not relevant to the case, but if you want an attempted explanation for this phonomenon that's my go at it. And stereotypes tend to arise because there's a fair ring of truth to them - so this is not 'hate speech' or what not - believe you me I want to make the world a better place for ALL who inhabit this country but I'm not convinced telling them "the man" is keeping them down is empowering them to make any positive personal choices.

Whereas the tax dodger is making money, typically legitimately, and is probably ticking less of the bad boxes above.

Yours etc.

Charles O'Carroll-Kelly
 
Betsy Og said:
Whereas the tax dodger is making money, typically legitimately, and is probably ticking less of the bad boxes above. Yours etc.Charles O'Carroll-Kelly
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Charles would like to add why should he deprive himself of the pleasures of the finest Cuban cigars, by instead paying his tax bill so that the damn fools in the Revenue can hand it over to some plebian who will use it to buy dodgy tobacco on Henry street?
 
What about the tax dodgers who are also welfare fraudsters? They are the guys and gals who claim welfare but also work in the black economy.
If someone is claiming an income related benefit but also working in the black economy they are also both welfare cheats and tax dodgers. That group may include teachers who do grinds for cash, tradespeople and anyone with a "cash in hand" second job.
 
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