The Irish Independent...

[anton pulisov]

Brian Cowen is part of a left-wing conspiracy.

Words fail.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The Irish Independent...

In 1987, Margaret Thatcher gave an interview to Women's Own magazine, and infamously declared there was no such thing as society. It became something of a controversy, another stick with which to beat her. But her comment, in its full context, is worthy of repeating:

"I think we've been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it's the government's job to cope with it. 'I have a problem, I'll get a grant.' 'I'm homeless, the government must house me.' They're casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It's our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There's no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation."

Indeed that soundbite is really improved by this "full context".

[Wyatt Earp]

The Irish Independent...

It's criminally bad writing, as well. I mean, Christ, what about...

Ahern and McCreevy's Fianna Fail represented a modern, but for all that, no less true soul of Ireland.

... to take just one example?

[Anton Gramscescu]

The Irish Independent...

I think we've been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it's the government's job to cope with it. 'I have a problem, I'll get a grant.' 'I'm homeless, the government must house me.' They're casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society.

Even taking her at Tory face value, the "they" in this example are not casting their problem on "society", they are casting it on the state.

Did she mean there is no such thing as the state? That really would be weird.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

The Irish Independent...

casting cowen as left wing is part of the campaign to drag the Irish political spectrum ridiculously to the right like in america. That's all that article is about.

Jody corcoran is a cockbox.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The Irish Independent...

And what were these "grants" you got for "problems"? Didn't you used to get them when you went to university or to help start a business or bring a house back into habitable condition?

[Outside Agent]

The Irish Independent...

What a bizarre piece of writing. Cowen and his new Cabinet represent nothing remotely resembling a shift to the left. Any fool knows his 'community values' speech was just to present a facade of a personable government with good intentions and the peoples interests at heart. Every government does that. It certainly doesn't signal a philosophical change of direction or a shift on the political spectrum.

The sort of article you would expect to find in the Indo. And she couldn't help but get in a swipe at the Times along the way.