To be honest you know nothing that is right, in fact I question whether you have an IQ. That comment was one of the most bull-shit and stupidest comments I have ever read on KR. The Irish economy is a good thing. If we're still so fucking subsidised then why is our quality of living so high, and why do we have an enormous ammount of people emmigrating here.

What happened in the past ahappened in the past and it's people like you, who try as ever hard as they fucking do to keep us in the past. Ireland has a dynamic and one of the most progressive economies in Western Europe at present.

I can't believe that there are still people as fucked up as you sweetie who still haven't read a book since 1985. Now go do us all a favour and I don't give a fuck about your KR ranking but read a modern economic book and fucking educate yourself you twat.

Lot's of Love.

Dublin/London.

ROFL…. An angry little Irishman – my favourite! And what is it with all this talk about IQ on here lately? First everyone gets carried away with using the word ‘asinine’ and now we have everyone bleating on about IQ!!! Jeysus it's like a herd of sheep!

Hmm…. Talking of sheep…. Ireland….

Listen possum I can hear you stamping your feet and I can see you going bright red from here and I can also see you’ve been insulted by the fact that Ireland remains one of the most subsidies EU countries in the history of EU subsidy – and maybe my point about the Irish being it’s biggest export wasn’t really to be taken seriously - but more as a parody of 20th c Ireland - and yes (yawn) Ireland is definitely doing well now on its own (despite it’s 4%+ unemployment rate and 10% of it’s tiny population living below the poverty line) and how we shouldn’t take the piss out of the place and your ‘quality of living is so high’ and your Irish ‘community is a good thing’ (like no one else's isn't?? ) and it’s definitely the place to be if you want to be a farmer (pauses for breath) but………………….. it remains one of the most subsidised countries in the EU. Period. Full Stop. Done and dusted.

Sorry but it does.

Now if you fancy debating whether Ireland is now a key player *because of it’s history of EU subsidy* (which is actually quite and interesting subject) then debate away – but for heavens sake drop the tantrums and the pish about IQ and nonsense about reading books since ’85, and actually go ahead and debate – with facts.

Welcome to KR btw – if you’re not an alias.

The trouble with Ireland's 'dynamic' economy is not so much EU subsidies - though Hoppingdeth is correct to point out Ireland's dependency on such subsidies from Brussels, the main driving for Ireland's growth is poverty pay (as HD pointed out), and tax cuts for the rich (which inevitably results in lower spending on social programmes like heath, education, etc. The immigration Ireland is experiencing is not so much a general immigration of people wanting to live there because it's Ireland, but economic migrants, especially from Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Rep. etc). The biggest growth sectors - apart from flight contracts with the American military at Shannon - have been investments by Microsoft, Amazon.com (.co.uk, .fr, .de, etc) and other high-tech industries setting up their European operations in Ireland in exchange for heavy tax cuts and incentives.

To call Ireland a key player in the devil's kitchen of European capitalism is basically calling the bullied kid in one group of mates to get some kids from another group of mates to help him a 'key player'. Ireland's growth is propelled by American cash. Without it, the Irish economy would tumble and fall.

Hoppingdeath, i'm not Irish. I'm English and i'm sure you're a lovely person.

But unemployment is practically zero, there's full employment, we do have the second highest rich/ poor divide after the US but also being foreign and in Ireland you realise that, it's not all those american stereotypes. Dublin's pretty cosmopolitan and you do relise that about a third of the population live in Dublin and most of the west in the major cities.

I think been watching cartoons.

Peace and love and thanks.

But I've been on KR for ages, but the system crashed.

D/L

The problem with the EU is that its far from being another world power able to deter any hegemony, as most Europeans are still happy to be Atlantic vassals. Tony Blair has already declared that the current situation, with the only superpower deciding everything, is perfect for him, and categorically refused the idea of a multipolar world defended by Chirac. He couldn’t do better to confirm he deserved the name of "poodle".

the most important thing the EU should do is to vote a directive to fordid the french from making that hideous cheese called "camenbert" wich in fact is a cheese in an advanced rotting schedule.

First I think the EU should pay for you to have spelling, literacy and typing lessons DL. Jesus – are you on crack today or what?

shut up facist fag, you are neither good at spelling, you're nothing but a mid class brit

I think you need to eat some more "camenbert” mate. Might be good for the brain.

This is sort of like when Victoria Beckham started chanting "Who Let The Dogs Out" at Jordan, really...

I kinda get the feel that the EU is the modern day extentsion to an acceptable form of European Imperialism.

Bold statement.

So explain?

Europe has had a long history of raping the world through their imperialism. British Imperilalism at one point held sway over 1/4 of the world. The French, Danish, Dutch, Germans, Italians, Spanish, Portugues, all some of the biggest offenders.

Today, if the Europeans tried to retake Africa or India the world's backlash would have been different then it would of 80 years ago. If the british decided to retake Australia, a large multinational force would work to stop them. So the EU is the "acceptable" form of imperialism.

So what countries currently in the EU didn’t want to be part of the EU? You’re implying that the EU forcibly takes countries on board by comparing to the British Empire (who did this by mostly military 'will'), but you can’t forcibly take a country that wants in, in the first place?

Are you Australian by any chance?

No, I'm not Australian.

Mmmm..... "camenbert” - my favourite.