This week’s Time magazine has an interesting interview with Leo Varadkar. Whether or not you are a fan of the new Taoiseach, being profiled in Time is good for the country. The value of this type of international publicity is difficult to overstate. Contrast the image of Mr. Varadkar talking to the world about tolerance, centrism and the future with the Orangemen up the road talking to themselves about intolerance, tribalism and the past.
Granted it’s not hard to look Mandela-esque when compared with the bowler hats, but compare Varadkar’s Time magazine message of openness and liberalism with Teresa May’s narrowness, telling the British people that if “you believe you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere”. The implicit threat in May’s remarks is not lost on anyone. Or forget May and her bowler-hatted allies, compare Varadkar’s observations about respect with Trump’s embarrassing misogynistic “You’re in such good shape” to Madame Macron.
Mr. Varadkar’s final statement in the Time interview resonates:
“Ireland is not so much a country at the periphery of Europe, but an island at the centre of the world”.
This is a crucial statement and marks a vision for the country that has come a long, long way from the parochial navel gazing of our founding fathers.
Cynics will say this is only PR, marketing and spin; nothing more than lofty words and image manipulation. But that misses the point. In a world of global capital, people and networks, image is everything. Image is the first thing that the world knows about you. Your image is crucial. If the country is led by someone that the world can relate to as being part of something new, something different, something hopeful, then the image of the country changes a little bit.
The reason all this is important is that the world — and critically the world economy — has shifted so much in the past decade and the notion of an island at the centre of the world is compelling.
When we achieved independence, the nationalist and parochial navel gazing of the first generation of leaders that looks outdated to us now, was extremely apt back then. Remember the world was in the process of major de-colonizing. It was a world of hopeful independence movements and this placed newly independent Ireland at the centre of contemporary thinking. Economically, that accompanied liberation was the economics of nationalization when it was believed that large-scale government-owned strategic companies would deliver prosperity.
Romantically, the liberation language of the righteous struggle, national self-determination and independence pitted courageous national movements against brutal colonizing oppressors. In a way Ireland was an exemplar for the politics of the time. That was our image and in a sense it was in tune with the times for at least half a century.
But that was the 20th century and this is the 21st century.
The 21st century is a century of networks, mobile capital and mobile people. It is not a world of national movements, borders and national government-owned companies. The 20th century view of a job for life, a steady planned career and “the world owes me a living” is over.
The world has become in many ways more precarious, careers less permanent and the gig economy is becoming more and more the norm. This presents huge opportunities for the country that positions itself at the centre of this world. Furthermore, because of the collapse in the cost of communications, geography that for millennia was one of the most significant determinants of wealth, is now redundant.
Commercially, Ireland can be the centre of the world.
It is hard for many Irish people to appreciate the way Ireland is perceived as a beacon for hundreds of thousands of young people who are on the move all around Europe, let alone all around the world. Talk to young Croats, young Poles or young Greeks and they will tell you that Ireland is a place they’d like to live and work. This is a huge resource for us and national image is important.
Consider the cultural goldmine that these migrants present for Ireland in the future.
It is important not to blow it.
The Financial Times reported this week that Dublin was leading the pack as the preferred destination for companies relocating from London following Brexit. According to the FT:
“The EY study, which follows statements from 222 of London’s biggest financial services companies, said that so far 19 had spoken of a move to Dublin/Ireland, whereas just 18 have mentioned Frankfurt/Germany. Luxembourg comes in third place, with 11 mentions.”
This is a once in a generation opportunity for Ireland. The 20th century reaction to this would be to declare that we in Ireland have our existing, inflexible rules and if companies can fit into our existing structures then they are welcome to come here.
The 21st century response to this opportunity should be very different. Brexit has created a unique situation brought about by the decision of the UK electorate. We in Ireland could set up a special Brexit offering, like a Christmas 2 for 1 deal in retail, and make it as easy as possible for these companies to pick Ireland immediately, rather than agonize.
We are in the selling game after all.
Consider getting into the heads of the individuals who make the relocation decisions right now. On the basis that individual greed and self-interest have proved to be, over the history of humanity, extremely influential factors in decision making, why not offer these key corporate decision makers ex-pat tax deals such as the Dutch do? Offer them a Brexit special 30% income tax package if they make the decision in the next 12 months. We could require that corporations meet certain conditions. For example, a minimum head count or that corporations must make significant local investment in housing. There are various conditions we could impose in our favour while still appealing to the self-interest of the individuals as opposed to the faceless corporation.
The 20th century reaction to such opportunism would be indignation, but the world has changed and the difference between countries will be between countries that think and behave like they are in the 21st century and countries that continue to think like they are in the 20th century.
The tax revenue from these companies — both corporate and income tax — could be ring-fenced for social spending and in that way everyone wins. With technology all this is possible. It just demands a mindset change.
If we want to be at the centre of the world, we have to tell the world why we should be. Brexit is a great opportunity to assert that we are a 21st century country: open, tolerant, flexible and well aware where our calculated, self-interest lies in a rapidly changing world.
This type of thinking would make Mr. Varadkar’s aspirations a reality.
Subscribe.
Very of this will apply once we and the U.K. realise that brexit is not going to happen.
Interesting article, especially contrasting Varadkar’s worldly optimism with May’s little Englander view of the world.
Concerning the notion that Brexit will not happen: to misquote Churchill, never discount the ability of politicians to do the wrong thing when they have exhausted all the other possibilities. The 20th century is testimony to that.
Madame Macron AIN’T in good shape – does that make me more or less honest than Trump?
Good luck to Varadkhar, he’s better than Trump or Macron, probably has better intentions, he’s still a politician though at the end of the day.
Commercially Ireland can absolutely be at the centre of the world – lets hope we (they) play our (their) cards right.
I have my doubts though, although I remain an optimist.
Hi David, 2 years ago you gave accurate and honest criticism of a post I put up pointing out that when people don’t subscribe to my world view that I wouldn’t find everyone agreeing with my own view all the time and you were 100% accurate. I hold that though foremost in my mind in writing this response. Mr Varadker should stop making statement like Ireland being at the centre of the world because although many Cynics will say this is only PR, marketing and spin; nothing more than lofty words and image manipulation because MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT… Read more »
To sum it up David, celebrity politics. All spiel and no substance. Looks like we must put up with this clap trap for a decade or so. In the meantime the corporate machine will grind away in the background building up their war chest with the aid of these political nits distracting us from the truth.
We can only hope that a couple of real politicians emerge from the quagmire of celebrity politicians who recognise that the 90 percent of the population who are constantly ignored do actually count when building a successful sustainable economy.
Very little
Excellent article. Totally nailed it.
I cannot see what is so terrible about Trump complimenting a woman on looking well. It seems to me that man cannot say anything that the neoliberal media and PC warriors will not jump on and turn into an international incident and scandal. What has been most remarkable to me since Trump defeated the Republicans and the Democrats and the mainstream media and won the US presidency, is the torrent of anti-Trump hysteria and lies that have flooded the media; and the sheer hatred and vileness that people pour out in comments under the daily anti-Trump articles in the mainstream… Read more »
Hello David, Here is a real world 21st century story. A mate of mine 38 years old came home 12 months ago from melbourne to give it a go here. He is from cork the wife is Dutch. He is a health and safety officer. He was 7 years in his last job in aus before he came home. He spent the last 12 months being given the run around by the recruitment agencies being told the last time out he was the only one the employer was talking to and still was told “fuck you very much for daplacation”.… Read more »
“‘Dublin life is unsustainable’ – meet the professionals who left for the mid-west to enjoy ‘a better quality of life'”
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dublin-life-is-unsustainable-meet-the-professionals-who-left-for-the-midwest-to-enjoy-a-better-quality-of-life-35923655.html
Varadakar, & David, are pimping Irish State to be the rear-loader for the corporates. But, they are not the 1st such impresarios. . The Irish State has been a prostitute for a very long time to the corporates ; Since the 1970’s a great number of very large multinational pharmaceutical, & chemical, plants have been facilitated with licenses to devastatingly pollute the environment, Think of the massive presence of Pharmaceutical plants & chemical plants at Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork & other industrial zones severely polluting Cork Harbour. . I seem to recall that most of Irish State’s true GDP is from… Read more »
Varadakar wants Ireland to be “a Bottom” / “Not a Top”.
.
I want Ireland to be neither of the above.
.
.
By the way, given the electorate had no say in Varadakar being made Taoiseach, how come there is no “Not my Taoiseach” campaign from all the so-called “Socialism->Communism” + “Try-sexualisation” Luvvies ?
.
Surely, the should be aggrieved for “My Taoiseach” strongly rumored [ I heard it from Adam Byrne initially ] to wear dresses in private ?
Hello, hello – are there any UK STUDENTS reading this blog? This might be a golden opportunity for them: the “Telegraph” is looking for new w r i t e r s to contribute to their Student Life section. To apply, please email their online education editor Mr Harry Yorke with three article ideas, along with any previous experience yous may have.
EMAIL: harry.yorke@telegraph.co.uk (Please include “Student Writers” in the subject line of the email).
We’re all racist.
We’re all (males) mysoginists.
We’re all (males?) potential rapists.
With all those failings it’s a wonder we’re able to get out of bed in the morning.
Two things that the global world badly needs to back up David’s/Leo’s ‘vision’ or ‘pr’ are-
Supersonic air travel for the masses.
Tactile virtual reality so that when you want to give your daughter (who’s 4000 miles away) a hug it feels like the real thing.
Don’t think we’re there yet but we are moving in the right direction.
Why Limerick should be developed as Ireland’s second city
The ex-boss of the Department of Finance says we need a balance to the Dublin sprawl:
http://www.thejournal.ie/limerick-city-dublin-2-2723719-Apr2016/
Varadka’s comments are worthless rhetoric on a par with the tedious waffle of our recent presidents.
He said this not that long ago: “So long as there are evil people out there, evil things will happen.”
Where was this evil? A mass murderer? No, a couple of care workers in St Attracta’s Home in Roscommon who were caught on film speaking sharply to a couple of the patients.
New Limerick maybe.
You want a green field that starts as a satellite to Limerick/Shannon but becomes the hub.
That’s the way the planners need to be looking at it.
Six storey accommodation max.
We are a country run by superficiality. Varadkar, a man of no substance, who behaved like an opposition TD when he was responsible for governmnet departments, fits that approach. David is selling. As indeed are Newstalk and Today FM. And this individual is not buying it. May at least ran a serious government department for a considerable spell. And did at least try to tackle the considerable issues that arose. Varadkar located a hospital in the worst traffic bottleneck on the island, when the logical location was in Blanchardstown – because he wanted to deliberately appear as if he were… Read more »
Never mind Brexit.
Ireland cannot even get Paul Hewson amd the other hypocrites to locate their tax residency here.
Maybe the want a special deal (pay SFA).
Hey, Hewson – how do you think social services get provided you sanctimonious git ?
[ The 21st century is a century of networks, mobile capital and mobile people. It is not a world of national movements, borders and national government-owned companies. The 20th century view of a job for life, a steady planned career and “the world owes me a living” is over. ] Actually, thanks to the ICTU Republic, this is not true. Large sections of the workforce are protected. And AIB still is a government-owned companiy. As indeed is RTE – the state propaganda quango. AIB is gievn such precedence in policy making, that housing policy seems to be rather favourable to… Read more »
I don’t have a problem with Trump’s remarks.
What does one do, when the role of the media, is to make the media credible ? [ and telling the truth is irrelevant ]. Somebody wrote a comment, about who the establishment of Ireland decided that they would ape the blunders of others, at twice the speed of others. As if that was an accomplishment. Well this is what you see. David completely underestimates the Northern Unionists. As any SF supporter will tell you, they still OWN NI. In fact their second cousins down here run a brewing oligopoly that is above any form of public critism. A brewing… Read more »
This was the front cover of one Polish daily newspapers (“Gazeta Polska”) from the day President Trump gave his speech in Warsaw:
Yes Mike, I was over to a marina with my boat last weekend. I’d not been there for 6 years and met several people I had not seen for that long. The common greeting is, “Hi, how’r you doing? Then often followed with, “You’r looking good” the rejoinder is “your looking good yourself”. one compliment used and responded with another. All based on physical appearances. Being rude would be telling them what a sad sack of sugar loaded slurpees they had descended to. Anyone 50-200 lb overweight, is not looking after themselves. As they require more medical attention than others… Read more »
Ireland IS at the centre :-)!
http://wicklownews.net/2017/07/wicklow-man-steals-show-at-wimbledon/
Yay!
Apropos of “Objectifying of Women”
Ref.
“Disgusting” Trump ;
As Trump is slurred by the “Slut-Walk” participants, & their Femi-nazi acolytes — most likely Civil SERPENTS in the main — in Irish State.
.
.
Google.com results for search terms ;
.
.
Hillary Clinton AND ogling breasts
.
.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=cr&ei=kGFtWczuHoPh0gSxzKX4Bw&fg=1#q=Hillary+Clinton+AND+ogling+breasts
.
.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Hillary+Clinton+AND+ogling+breasts&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRop3r1JHVAhWElZQKHUfUDTQQ_AUIBigB&biw=1301&bih=641
“ANTI-TRUMP” FOLK* ARE ACTUALLY “NOT ANTI-TRUMP”
.
.
*
The Dreadful Few + their Media + their Politicians internationally + their Pseudo-Intellectual Whores [ Male mostly ; Thus, Male Prostitutes of a kind ] + their “Useful Idiot” Femenazis + etc etc
.
.
RATHER, THE so-called “ANTI-TRUMP” FOLK ARE ACTUALLY “ANTI THE GUYS / GOYIM WHO VOTED FOR TRUMP”
.
Most of the voters for Trump would not trust him [ And, properly so given that he was “all stacked up” since his upbringing, & continuing ]
But, they were for much of Trump’s manifesto.
Yoko Ono’s old flame ;
And, Kathy O’Brien’s said pedophile abuser ;
THE FI-R-ST LADY !
.
.
HEADING ;
Serial killer almost became President.
114 people and counting…
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoE73WNoCXo
ALL HAIL ! . 8-) . TITLE ; IRELAND’s GREATEST . MARY ROBINSON* … ; Truthist’s immediate reaction HEH-HEH-HEH 8-) *As declared by David McWilliams . THE ARTICLE ; . Biography . Former Irish President and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Therese Winifred Robinson (nee Bourke) was born in Ballina, Co. Mayo on the 21st May 1944. . At 25, Mary Robinson became Ireland’s youngest professor of law when she was appointed Reid Professor of Constitutional and Criminal Law at Trinity College, where she also served as lecturer in European Community Law. From 1969 to 1989, Mary… Read more »
IN THE WILD WILD WESTERN HOLE OF EUROPE, WITH ANY & EVERYTHING GOING IT BEGS THE QUESTION ; . “What GAINITH the man who had cooked his sole & still in “panti-bliss” ? . . CHARMED LIFE IN THE COURTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS . . EXCERPT ; “… This was “significant misconduct and a significant loss to the taxpayer”, he said. . It seemed to the judge that taking all factors into account, the appropriate disqualification period was eight years. . He deducted one year deducted for Mr Bourke’s acceptance of his behaviour after the… Read more »
Maybe a sad song should be written about how Trump in the White House, represents a door slammed in the face of an Irish telecoms billionaire. A billionaire who was set to have an IPO last year, but who pulled it at the last minute. One who incidentally has massive interests in the Irish media, and who is very much a patron of Irish churnalism ? Wage deflation in the Irish compromised media, as a result of the Donald. Trumped ? You have to hand it to the comic of record – begging Irish America for money. The feelers put… Read more »
For all of you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khwERBhf1eE
If only ewes knew who of the luminaries are deeply deeply involved in the hard drugs biz in Irish State ;
e.g.
Top-top Civil Servant no less.
Very rich.
Very well known.
Very higly praised by very famous luminaries.
Very higly thought of by the public.
Very …
.
.
Anyway, for a problem that regrettably very very few of ewes show any concern about its atrocious impacts on the users & their families [ if they had them ] & on their local societies & society as a whole, here is a facet ;
.
.
https://www.apnews.com/ca0a413abccb4f0ebbc687278bc0136f/'It's-raining-needles‘:-Drug-crisis-creates-pollution-threat?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP_Images
Subscribe to DiEM25 @ https://diem25.org/
VERY DRAMATIC CONCLUSIONS evident from these Demographic Maps of USA President Election Year 2017 ;
.
.
https://twitter.com/Amazing_Maps/status/887031693651177472
.
.
Darned invaluable if the info. be trusted to be true !
.
.
https://twitter.com/Amazing_Maps
.
.
What of “Iberia” over yonder north of Armenia > North of “Holy Land” / Canann ?
.
Forget yee not, we Irish are the Hibero / Ibero / Iberu that hailed originally from Canann.
We are the Snake People.
It explains so much about ourselves when ewe know these truths.
.
.
If ewe missed out on early Bitcoin & early Ethereum, start a restaurant now !
.
.
Visa will give ewe $500,000
.
.
https://twitter.com/FitzInfo/status/887166818607083523
http://news.sky.com/story/germany-no-limit-to-refugees-well-take-in-10347281
http://www.dw.com/en/rioting-breaks-out-at-festival-in-southern-german-town/a-39720315
http://www.dw.com/en/german-media-respond-to-new-rules-on-reporting-ethnicity-of-criminals/a-38251869
And my commentary:
“In the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your
Kna-kna-kna-knees, knees
I wanna watch you bleed
Welcome to the jungle
It gets worse here everyday
Ya learn ta live like an animal
In the jungle where we play”
NOW
Did you or did you not know that Axl Rose’s grandmother was Polish?
Guys, I am curious of your opinion – are you in favour of the introduction of the ID cards in Ireland (or maybe you are undecided)?
http://www.thejournal.ie/poll-public-services-card-3498749-Jul2017/
Non-emotional and cultural response please, if that’s possible, thank you (if yes – why; if no – why; if undecided – why and what are pros and cons, and what would convince yee in any direction).
I tried to formulate this question in a maximally unbiased way (even taking off the word ‘compulsory’).
The Time magazine interview won’t impress many people, apart from a few Fine Gaelers and South Dubliners in their pseudo-liberal bubble. Others have a different view of the way Varadkar presents himself abroad, but you won’t be allowed it to see that in the Irish media. https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/d38w47/the-irish-prime-minster-keeps-embarrassing-ireland-and-irish-people His remarks back home about other Irish people have been even sickening. He thinks he’s being clever by expressing himself in a superficially positive manner, but it’s obvious that he’s attacking people who are less privileged and fortunate than himself. His targets are those who don’t “get up early in the morning” or… Read more »
“… those who don’t “get up early in the morning” or “who believe they should be entitled to everything for free and that someone else should pay for it”. …” . . Some … chum must have been telling him about rent-boys who refuse to leave the room & that with youth joblessness being, chronically so really mega high for yonks under Fianna Fail-Progressive Democrats-Labour-Democratic Left>Labour-FINE GAEL, these interlocutors at what-so-ever gay bar naturally presumed the errant rent-boys — over 18 AND under 26 [ Of course … Dail-made-law & aesthetics respectively steering chum’s cruising criteria ] are on the… Read more »
There is nothing Trump can say that hysterical & venomous neoliberals wont whine about (not meaning our host David). The daily spectacle of bile poured out in the neoliberal media against Trump since he won the Republican nomination is downright shameful & disgusting. I use to think I was some class of a liberal – left leaning; but I am disgusted by the behavior of the majority of self-identifying liberals these days. I oppose today’s PC liberals as much as I do the Republicans and the alt-right. I am not a Trumper either; but I do see what his victory… Read more »
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/17/prince-george-princess-charlotte-join-brexit-diplomacy-tour/
Today on German state TV ARD German ministers were debating on how to overthrow the government in Poland. They pointed out that a former communist PSL (Peasant’s Party) can be used to incite disorder and stage a coup after Polish formers lose agricultural subsidies, which the ministers hope will happen in autumn.
On the other hand, Russian parliament appealed to the EU to condemn Poland for her condemnation of the communist Red Army.
New Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact?
Polish Parliament two days ago, events before the vote on the Judiciary reform bill:
Donald Tusk’s PO (Civic Platform) MP Tomasz Lenz jiggles and pushes PiS (Law and Justice), MP Józef Lesniak. Earlier, Tomasz Lenz attacked a journalist from the national broadcaster.
In the video, PiS MPs surround Jaros?aw Kaczy?ski, defending him from aggressive PO and Nowoczesna (both parties financed from Germany) after another PO MP approached Jaroslaw Kaczynski and tried to physically assault him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYQId9K1Gg8
President Andrzej Duda vetoed Kaczynski’s Judiciary reform bill after 45 min phone conversation with Chancellor Angela Merkel…