Two

This financial crisis has brought out some choice comments from public figures and commentators over the last few months. Politicians, economists, bankers have all tried to explain to us and themselves what exactly happened over the last year and we are still left wondering whether it is the system that is corrupt or individuals within.

Two people here in Ireland are particular examples of a sort of nonsense rising to the top in a whirlpool of debate very little of which is of any real contribution. But they get print space and air time: Jim Power, an economist with Friends First has called for those who have smoked cigarettes in their lives and now are sick because of it to be refused access to healthcare - apparently we can't afford it and we need to prioritise. He is seriously proposing this.
Where are we now, that a leading commentator proposes ridiculous lifestyle policing? What of bungy jumpers with detached retinas, rugby players with broken necks, overweight cardiac patients, the bronchial chests of those who chose to live in a damp climate? A hell of a lot of illnesses are caused by our lifestyle choices, but of course if we were all healthy we wouldn't need an expensive health service. And we would all live for ever.

The other nutbar currently enjoying media coverage is Senator Fergal Quinn, who sold his grocery business in recent years, just like myself. Fergal wants Easter to be set at a certain date every year. Why? So church goers can plan their attendance at mass with exactitude? No, but to help those in the tourism business establish a regular season length, they can plan ahead etc.
Just leave it, will you? Does everything we do, each aspect of our lives have to benefit business, have to be justified to suit profiteers? I'm not particularly religious but the moveable feast of Easter is something unusual, something different, something of the past that he should leave bloody well alone and allow us enjoy a unique vagery of life in our growing-more -uniform culture.