The Off Topic Topic

[Sheilbh]

Saw some discussion on it that spoke of the Irish government's failure to address a number of issues, especially in Dublin - housing (costs massively up), asylum (bringining people in and abandoning them, leading to predictable problems), hollowing out in policing (unresponsive, creating a general sense of lawlessness, casual violence, and opportunistic theft), lack of social services and support (essentially abandoning people, leading to predictable results) - and that the riot was triggered by a combination of all those factors.

I think that might be a part of the escalation into a riot - but plays down the role of initial far-right mobilisation. I believe there's also an investigation into Gardai links to the far-right as it seems like they got information about the stabbing suspect from a Garda. And in the wider context Ireland has some pretty bad stats on racism and racial violence. The rest is definitely true - how Ireland has had both ghost estates and worse housing crisis than the UK is slightly beyond me and almost an achievement. Looking at the videos as well it looks like a fair bit of opportunism too.

The PSNI have loaned the Gardai two water cannon in case the riots kick off again.

I can't help but wonder - with violence against police and a far-right nationalists on the rise too if part of there's a side of this is tied to the mainstreaming of Sinn Fein. It's involved a far more robustly nationalist discourse in Ireland but also perhaps a slightly different attitude to violence - until very recently Sinn Fein got under 5% of the vote and there's a big split between those old enough to remember the Troubles and those who aren't. Not unrelatedly Mary Lou MacDonald, Sinn Fein leader, has called for the Justice Minister and the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, to step down. Of course that has nothing to do with the fact that Harris' father was murdered by the IRA and that he has in the past said that the Army Council is still overseeing both the PIRA and Sinn Fein.

On that side, interesting to see the Irish Revolutionary Socialist Party (political wing of the INLA who are dissident Republican paramilitaries) have come out for restrictions on immigration, as have Aontu (splintered from Sinn Fein over the legalisation of abortion which Sinn Fein supported, but they opposed). Also looks like there's some form of populist right forming among a few of the independents in the Dail (which has a lot of independents). It feels like there may be space for a more right-wing version of hard line Republicanism.

[Josquius]

. The rest is definitely true - how Ireland has had both ghost estates and worse housing crisis than the UK is slightly beyond me and almost an achievement.

Sounds like time for me to do my thing.
Dublin (and to a lesser extent Cork) - the economy of a global city, the urban design and transit infrastructure of a provincial British Isles city.

I know next to nought of planning in Ireland. Though I understand the current British system was a post war (thus long after Irish independence) development. So it's curious.
I suppose it was still in the era when Ireland remained under heavy British influence.... Now that I think I'm sure I do remember reading an article about this not too long ago.

[Josquius]

[Syt]

 

[Syt]

Klosterneuburg is right next to Vienna, a bit up the Danube.

[Jacob]

Woom bikes are great kids bikes. I didn't realize they were Austrian.

[Razgovory]

Just got a new PC.  I have relogged on.

[grumbler]

Robert De Niro starts a speech at the Gotham Awards, realizes that his speech on the teleprompter has been edited without his permission, stops, and reads what he wrote from his phone.  Later re-writes the last part to say that no, he doesn't thank Apple after all.

De Niro

[crazy canuck]

Robert De Niro starts a speech at the Gotham Awards, realizes that his speech on the teleprompter has been edited without his permission, stops, and reads what he wrote from his phone.  Later re-writes the last part to say that no, he doesn't thank Apple after all.

De Niro

"How dare they actually"

 

[Razgovory]

Doing job search stuff.  They asked what would be the ideal work environment.  I said "Jungle with lots of monkeys".  So far the job search is not going well.

[grumbler]

[Valmy]

Texas needs Louisville to upset FSU in the ACC title game. Oh and beat Oklahoma State.

Good luck against Iowa. First to 10 points wins.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

College football is great and all, but it's really all about men's basketball. #WinningInParadise

[Grey Fox]

Women's basketball.

[The Brain]

Women's pole vault is very popular.