The case of the serial politician.

Well I see dear old England has just come out with a budget that has everyone up in arms as well. Perhaps it gives us all food for thought?

When I was young and first began to understand politics, it sure was a different scenario to today's game. By and large one had people who were successful in their own rights, be they agriculturalists, industrialists, authors, lawyers, architects ( you get the drift? ) and were persuaded by their friends or communities to serve the Nation as they were the best on offer.

Nearly all of these people carried on running their own businesses or they had hired people they trusted to keep an eye on things whilst they dealt with affairs of state. Consequently things and countries worked and they worked well as they had people in charge who were already successful and applied the life experiences they had obtained into running the country. The salaries they were paid for doing this was a pittance, but all agreed that they had to be paid a salary for running the country.

Into this scenario, now came a new sad breed of people, and I like to call them the serial politicians. They are taught from an early age how to be successful politicians, irrespective of any other attributes. What this mainly consisted of was; the insipid handshake, the cheesy grin, the nod and the wink. To be able to talk their way out of any question asked of them, without having to answer. Taking their cue from dictators who whilst busy running their countries into ruin and at the same time accruing vast fortunes for themselves by doing nothing but talk. How could this be?

Well they learnt fast and they followed suite. You don't believe me? Well look around you and see how much these people pay themselves just for a start. Lads, lads, lads it's a gas man and a sure fire way to a fortune. Although every now and again even amongst this lot there were some fine men and you all know who they are. Count your fingers.

Perhaps it is time for all of us who still consider themselves to have a democracy, to go back to basics and start choosing real men as they did in the past, before it is to late for all of us. I repeat, you don't believe me, look around you?

The Mini Budget

It came out, it's done and dusted and it has achieved absolutely zero apart from finally convincing a battered public that we really are leaderless. This was the hardest budget of all time and considering it is only six months since the last one which was a farce as well, perhaps there will be another mini mini budget in two months time. Look lads we got to balance the books and all. Don't blame us, we had nothing to do with it. It's families and the middle class this time. Last time it was the old age pensioners and when they came out fighting, we had to box very clever and all. Look we are all in this together and we are (politicians) taking a ten percent pay cut and putting our pensions on hold. What more can you ask of us? Well let's just say that you average 100K a year so now you are down to 90K and that's tough living lads. Then there's the expenses and all, but times are tough, so let's just say 60K so all told that's 150K. Yurgh the times are tough, I may have to cut down on my make up. No that's not the ladies, that's the men. Look we never had an entertainment tent at the Galway races and all this year, we never flew in on our helicopters. Instead we came by car ( Mercedes Benz.)

So we upped tax between 2 and 6 percent, we doubled health levy rates, we increased the cost of cigarette's by 25p per pack and increased Diesel by 5p a litre. That will teach all you people buying SUV's and all while we are trying to save the environment. As to the fags, sure and all there isn't a government on Earth that doesn't use that as a sure fire winner. We reduced spending on school building and third level capital programmes by 54 million. No Xmas bonuses for people on welfare this year and we have introduced ( sustained applause ) a new retirement scheme for public servants over 50 years ( ageism ) old with no replacements for those who leave.

" We have been damaged by our rejection of the Lisbon Treaty. We must show our EU partners that we, who have gained so much from the European Union, want to remain at it's centre."

What that means is we don't say Yea to Lisbon II the government won't be able to borrow more again even though we already have overstepped our limits there.

Take a look at that photo at the top. That was once a  great building build with workers hands, those self same folks who now have no jobs, no pensions, while daily having to listen to people who were so incompetent that they ran a booming economy into the ground and still have not got the guts to tell us where it all went. It certainly didn't go into school building programmes or the Health Service. Ask the people lying on cots in the hospitals. Ask the nurses who are run off their feet doing their best to serve these people while you are imposing levies on them. Enough.

Gentlemen, your time is up.

The Champs

I haven't had much to say about the glory of the victorious Irish rugby team as things have got out of hand lately. However I have done a short skit on it and anyone interested is more than welcome to have a look. One can find it at The Irish

It is a slightly irreverent look at my original pre tournament assessment and my views on the dreaded Irish mini budget due out on Tuesday. This will not be a happy day. Count down in three days, so stay tuned.