Dé Céadaoin Deireadh Fómhair 24, 2007 19:27
Plain People of Ireland : Common Currency
by Michelle Clarke – Social Justice and Ethics
Economics:
Lets form an equation, let us become acquainted with money supply, unemployment, people and avarice.
We the plain people
Aaron Russell documentary is well worth watching – America Freedom to Fascism https://youtu.be/A2BWOBpJcRw
The presentation alerts people involved in financial, markets, transactions to review history before consolidating on present day financial transactions.
Some pointers to look at for those who form the group Plain People of Ireland – all of us who pay tax.
Do we know enough about pensions and what comprise these funds? Do we know about cash and cash returns from bank? If rates are low for mortgages, they will be lower for cash invested.
Stocks and shares: Are people about to change attitude, become shareholder activists and invest in “Green” markets, look to companies for social and ethical policies as distinct from those who seek profit and place little value on labour? The returns are volatile but some bed and breakfasting using knowledge might help people to tune back into real living and a fairer distribution of wealth. Morally should we support the building of Wall – Palestine? or for that matter should we support arms supply – what is also known as the Military Industrial Complex?
Cash: What about the Black market cash? Where is it hidden? Maybe house prices reflect hidden cash so a down turn in house prices may ultimately benefit a less corrupt society, then we have the recent example of Mr. Wall hiding his cash…(Berties)….in the Ashling Hotel for safekeeping.
220,000 houses reported vacant – why? Rents are increasing, the social housing list has been increasing for years, there are people homeless – yes as many at 15,000 people of all ages roam the streets and back lanes of Ireland looking for beds. Again, we need attitude change in those who make and implement social and economic policies.
Local Authority Housing: At least when one looks back to policy in the 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s through to the early 1980’s, we know that Governments FF and FG tackled the slum problems which had their origins prior to Independence, by setting up local authorities in Dublin and the Counties and providing housing and Flat developments to provide for many people in need of urgent accommodation. Areas like Crumlin and other estates provided housing for large families over several decades and then Government while in a privatisation mode of thinking allowed the tenants to buy out their properties.
For some people, privatisation of local authority housing provided massive gains (unexpected I am sure) and the stock of houses dwindled and the private market benefited, from many local authority houses built in years gone by. Next time you pass an estate agency just pick up a brochure and you will get a good idea of how high prices are. Areas like Cabra and Crumlin, former local authority houses now cost Euros 550,000.
I note the price of the Pembroke Cottages in Dublin 4 at about Euros660,000 but I do know that before I emigrated in the harsh eighties to England, IRPounds27,000 1983, would have bought me a house in that estate near Herbert Park, the problem then was about employment in Ireland in deep recession.
The service sector is a real growth sector in Celtic Tiger Ireland. Is this aspirational? Is this tied into the vision associated with the Financial Services Market? This is about fluidity. I note that Ireland benefited from major banks but I note that the Swiss are reviewing their approach to the market and intend to open up to the more risk averse Hedge Funds?
Products sold by financial institutions.
When do staff who sell Financial products with tax initiatives stand accountable? I often write about Accountability, Transparency, Ethics parameters in our business dealings but alas we are so remiss here. Will someone explain to me how Mr. Michael Lynn, a Mayo man, unknown in the legal profession until the last few weeks, could bring the morals of the legal profession down to its knees (let us not forget Mr Byrne, another disgraced solicitor pending trial). Mr. Lynn now allegedly owes between Euros 36 to 52million. Mr. Byrne today reports Euros 22m of an alleged mortgage scam. The alarm bells are starting to ring. How many people in Ireland, unknown to them, have had their deeds of their house used by these rogue solicitors? We need to ask about when do they intend to finish the building of the new prison at Thornton Hall because I don’t think there will be enough room for the legal profession, the developers, the profiteers and other corrupt practitioners. Where is the Regulation? What responsibility does the Department of Justice take for such irregularities?
Plain People of Ireland
We have the service, we have the employees providing the services from countries far and wide but what we evidently have lost is our conscience. There is falsity of class, that drive their flash cars, have the boats, their private schools, their live-in housemaids but do we really care about what ethical and social behaviour exists? The expression used to be ‘jumped up’ but the time is here for admonition of their behaviour and an ability of people to say that we will not endorse the abilities of these elites to have the money power supply and treat the rest of us like dirt on their shoes.
The people who control the National Supply of Money –
The internet provides us with access to information and we can learn. I recommend the video documentary mentioned above, the quotations from Mark Twain, and George Orwell lend to its realities. What are we willing to do about this?
I ask about Tara? I ask about Shell – the Corrib? It is worth looking up the postings on Tara and looking at the coincidence in the names of developers who have bought land adjacent to the motor way? Why is nothing done? Is it to do with the High Kings of Tara, the archaelogy or is it about ‘Who has control of the decision making process’? The European Court of Justice “ECJ” appears to be in support of the people – yes the plain people.
and…….the appointment of the Developers……..raises many questions.
by Michelle Clarke
Quotation
Consuming Passions
Ivan Illich (born 1926) Austrian born philosopher, theologian and author of Limits to Medicine
‘In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves; the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy’
No 1
Céad Samh 21, 2007 23:08
Common Currency: What is it? What about Opium?
Common Currency
Today’s big shocks:
4 billion off the Dublin Stock Exchange:-
Loss of jobs at Waterford Crystal…..
Headline Irish Independent: ‘An average of 7 families a week now face losing their homes to banks and mortgage lenders as the number of court ordered repossessions hits an unprecedented level. All I ask is that Minister Cowen puts on a serious thinking cap and comes up with a PLAN with the lenders ie the banks and building societies. There must be a way of avoiding evictions because it is not fair or equitable that families be transferred to the housing list which is excessive. Negative equity, no job, most likely leads to poor health, stress, disillusionment and no pension!!!!….It is worth thinking out a policy.
Domhnain – You say follow the money. How safe is money at the moment? Equities is a nervous market, cash – well interest rates ought to go down to suit the property market clients, bonds remain questionable i.e. based on provision, and markets;
The advice about Currency options – we all need to be aware!!!!
The safe currencies were US$, Euros and Sterling but looking at the UK papers the Dollar is losing value fast. The American economy is challenged presently. The Independent headline of 19th November 3007 warns us that the ‘Dollar no longer welcome at the Taj Mahal’. The US$ represents US Hegemony. Prepare to Embrace Change.
Wealth – what comprises wealth? What currency will investors choose? Just think if you are working for a large financial house in the Financial Services Centre, what currency will you now select to be paid in i.e. if you are privileged? The bets go with the Yen but definitely it will no longer be the US$ and it definitely will not be the disaster Zimbabwean inflationary Zim$ that is impoverishing people.
Take this a stage further and review the loans granted by the Banks and building societies in the US and as they reverberate throughout the world markets. Today; bankers can value their loan stock but nobody can predict the trends. Downwards is the trend. For examples if these loans are US$ and this US$ continues in decline – there have to be net losers in the wealth market game. The US$ is at its lowest level against the Canadian Dollar since 1950 and Sterling since 1981 and the Swiss Franc since 1995.
The Chinese have not remained quiet, commenting recently that the US$ ‘was losing its status as the world currency’.
The Chinese, it is reported, have been confident enough in the past to stockpile 700 billion of foreign currency however, it is now reported that they are now changing their weightings. If they slow their accumulation of US$ then they have the power to devalue the US$ further. Then there is the Iraq Central Bank who have stated that it wants to diversify its reserves from a reliance on dollars. We must recall that Iraq was invaded by the US 4 years ago. Currency is power but power rests in the hands of elites.
Weakness in the dollar means for Ireland higher prices for our exports: take the prime example today, we know that Waterford Crystal has become too expensive in the US market.
Follow the money – and the Plain people of Ireland:
Let’s consider the barter system the exchange and value factor that allows us to trade.
A magic wand gives a choice what currency would you opt for?
Sterling: US$ Euro Yen (then China, Korea, local…..)
The Conversion produces what? It is a game of chance and reading signs in the markets.
An article in the Independent on 17th November caught my eye. The question simply stated the bid to wipe out Afghan opium that failed.
President McAleese stated in such a categorical way, on the Late Late Show her view about Gangland/illegal drugs. Yes, it is market driven, dictated by those who wish to sell (currency, cocaine, antiques, cars) and those who wish to buy. We are talking about people making decisions.
Opium to me conjures up the beautiful poppy flower, a rustic red, that grows wildly in Autumn time. The poppy is worn to commemorate those who lost their lives in World Wars I and II. What a paradox? Death and beauty.
Something for people to consider: Opium as a product for Afghanistan is a Currency; a common currency. It is a product that if traded without scruples, earns large amounts of money that is divested into world currency and lodged in accounts in the banks located globally. Quell the marketability and surely you quell supply onto the world market and thereby the currency transactions created.
If one can imagine farmers and their land in need of crops in Afghanistan. They will choose the crop that pays them the most money (as the Irish did with the potato, in the 1840’s). Gordon Brown in the UK aims to intervene and curb the powers of the Taliban. His strategy is to target the farmers and increase the price paid for non illegal crops so that they do not farm the poppy seed.
This is a possibility surely. If I recall farmers in Ireland were paid by the EU to leave their land fallow and encouraged with a payment to do so. Surveillance ensured that the farmers kept to their side of the contract with the EU.
2007 Afghan opium (draft) 2007, the UNDC chief said poppy growth was increased by 17%. The report shows that Afghanistan now accounts for 93% of world opium production and is the biggest Narcotics producer since 19th century China.
Follow the currency……..and if you do, you find yourself in a marketplace…..that has no ethics, value on life, value for people.
Michelle
Soundbite: Opium…..Poppy……Currency…..Market……..Lack of Scruples
93% from Afghanistan farms…….arms for the Taliban
No 2
Aoine Noll 14, 2007 21:34
Follow the Money: The Plain People of Ireland who pay tax have a voice but nobody is listening
by Michelle Clarke- Social Justice and Ethics Aoine Noll 14, 2007 21:34
Sath Samh 03, 2007 18:46
Plain People of Ireland – we want to participate in the “Carnival Ride”