Archive for August, 2008

As the banks sit tight to protect their developer mates, the Central Bank needs to move fast and decisively.

How can a tiny country in a huge monetary union experience a credit crunch? How is such a nonsensical dilemma possible?

When the Georgian Olympic women’s beach volleyball pair came out for their showdown with Russia last week, there was more at stake than simply sport. While most coverage focused on the political side to the clash, one other interesting development was playing itself out. Both girls were Brazilian. They were not recruited because they are Georgian or members of the Georgian emigre community. However, they were good and available at the right price: they are mercenary athletes.

Russia’s forceful return to the global stage means that the Pope’s grandchildren face a more uncertain future than their parents did.

The Pope’s Children are reproducing. The Irish birth rate has, for the first time, surpassed that of 1980,whenwe responded to Pope John Paul’s message on chastity with an orgy of fornication.

Young men from GAA clubs all around the country are moving to clubs in London and New York.

Russia has sent out a signal to everyone – ‘don’t mess with us in our own backyard’. This is enough.

Nadia the green-eyed Russian waitress whispered conspiratorially, ‘‘They don’t like us, you know. The Estonians, they think we are occupiers.’’ She glanced over at the other bar staff and continued, ‘‘but we are not. We were born here, this is our land, can’t you see the great Orthodox cathedral – if we came here with Stalin, who do they think built that?”

In recent days there have been calls from prominent quarters for the State to take action to stimulate demand for houses. While these ideas are interesting and understandable in the face of the crisis, it would not be a wise course of action — either in the short term or in the long term — for the country.

Shanghai has turned from a paddy field into a bustling megalopolis in just two decades, and the growth won’t stop there.

THE end of partnership might not be such a bad thing after all. At the moment, it is difficult to turn on the TV or radio without hearing someone lamenting the demise of the national pay talks and warning of dire consequences.

The world is beginning to close its borders, and what follows will be seismic.

Are we seeing the return of protectionism, narrow gauge xenophobia and the end of the cosmopolitan force that was globalisation?