Opinion

Republic seems to be repeating its big economic mistake

A similar pattern is now developing in the Irish economy which preceded the collapse of the Celtic tiger. There are clearly people out there who are trying to engender another boom and bust scenario. The evidence for this is now showing up in our quick-buck property market which is showing very high levels of inflation over a short period of time. It could also be time for the competition authority to launch a probe into our property sector, just as they have recently into the insurance sector, as prices tend to go up uniformly across the board. This is especially noticeable in urban areas. We now seem to be repeating our big economic mistake all over again in giving artificial value to property, which will always come down fast in a crash and take the entire country with it. The EU will not come to our aid the same way they did the last time. And with un-recouped money from our foreign multinationals, they will insist we recover this first before a cent is paid out. Finance minister Michael Noonan has already warned that there are risks for the various sectors of the economy presently which include the banking sector. He has also told the country if similar economic trouble happens again the European stability mechanism will take over and liquidate institutions as they see fit. The EU will have a very big say in economic reform if a second crash happens in the Irish economy. It will not be as simple as handing over a big cheque to make the banks flush with money – that is not going to happen and we as a nation can forget about a quick fix. We can rule out the EU emergency fund too, because the EU has indicated it will not be used to bail out countries who were the architects of their own misfortune. The EU is also very aware of our reluctance to adequately tax our foreign multinationals, which will weigh heavily if economic disaster strikes again.


As always, this country can never seem to learn from its past mistakes. The Irish economy is now overheating and there is borrowing going on to beat the band. Once the money runs out or slows down the margin calls will come and then the trouble will start.


The government should not dare tax our people again to get out of another mess, or it could lead to far more than water charge protests.


The country is in a precarious situation with Brexit underway. We are nearly looking at an exact mirror image of what happened in 2008 when the boom went bust. Massive borrowing, massive property inflation, massive rents and absolutely nothing being done whatsoever by the government to stabilise the economy. Let us have immediate intervention to cool down the property sector before it is too late.


Will the voices of reason be ignored this time too, to suit those who want to get rich quick and bond holders who are gambling on a bubble which invariably goes bust sooner or later? We are sitting on another economic time bomb.

MAURICE FITZGERALD


Shanbally, Co Cork

Understanding Original Sin most difficult problem of theology

In a book named The Ratzinger Report, first published 20 years after the close of Vatican Council II, an internationally famous reporter, Vittorio Messori, compiled various conclusions which Cardinal Ratzinger had arrived at about the state of the Church in the light of the changes suggested by the council. The comments are extremely impressive, but are not widely known even by priests.

I became aware of this book only a few weeks ago and was very interested in three pages on which the cardinal made comments about Original Sin, a subject which I write frequently about in letters to The Irish News during the past decade.


He insists that the dogma based on Genesis I must be maintained, even though the inability to understand Original Sin is one of the most difficult problems of present-day theology.

Scientists now know that the whole universe is flawed by disorder and that cosmological and then biological evolution eventually produced homo sapiens as a national being from animal precursors. The natural evil in the animals, including pain, disease and death, an cruelty which becomes moral evil and thus sin is us, cannot be attributed to a historical Original Sin with the fall. The key question then is, did God create a flawed world from the beginning? Theologians who study evolution conclude that He did, as He had no other choice in the name of freedom given to creation to be a partner in its development.

Cardinal Ratzinger argues that this would mean that the structure of Christianity is turned on its head. There is then no need for redemption because there was no sin on account of which we would need to be healed, but only a natural deficiency. We should not discard the doctrine, Adam, Eve, Eden, the apple, the serpent etc, the fall and redemption in Christ is His conclusion.

My answer, as given previously, is that a transcendental or metaphysical Original Sin occurred and as a result the whole of creation, as Adam and Eve, was actualised in the fallen, finite space-time distorted life we now have, in this Valley of Tears (Salve Regina).

My main problem now is that if we began in the transcendental state of God’s eternity were we then non-devine living knowledge generated in The Word, with freedom to bring knowledge of evil into that of good, when tempted by Satan, as stated


in Genesis. Are there any theologians in the local Church willing to dialogue? Pope Benedict XI never suggested an answer.

Prof JOHN ROONEY


Belfast BT9

Still waiting for justice

Zionism is described in the dictionary as, ‘a political movement for the establishment and support of a national homeland for Jews in what is now Israel’.

Anti-Semitism is defined in the dictionary thus, ‘hostility to or prejudice against Jews’.

Jews are Semites. Arabs are Semites. Arabic is a Semitic language. Excluding Arabic people from the term ‘anti-Semitic’, as common usage does, is discriminatory.

When Jewish refugees fled from brutal European persecution and arrived in Palestine in the 1930s and 40s, they initially received sanctuary among the indigenous population. It was the rapid increase in numbers and aggressive Zionist action perpetrated by the migrants, in concert with some few disaffected native Zionists which led to conflict. This eventually resulted in what Palestinians refer to as ‘Al-Nakba’ (the Catastrophe), when 700,000 indigenous people were forced to flee the region in the face of Zionist fanaticism.

These Palestinian refugees still have the title deeds to their homes. They still have the keys to their front doors. They still wait for justice.

Many Jewish people across the globe oppose Israel. Zionists, in a pathetic attempt at disparagement, label such conscientious objectors as ‘self-hating Jews’. To oppose a supremacist Israeli state is not anti-Semitic, nor is it anti-Jewish. It is anti-Zionist and there’s no shame in that. 

ANTAN O DALA AN RI


Newry, Co Down

Democracy is not a gift so guard it

As I am a past voluntary community worker having served 15 years in a non-political, non-sectarian community group during the worst years of the Troubles 1967 to 1982 I am deeply concerned at councils throughout Northern Ireland handing over the running of community centres to known political and in some cases paramilitary groups masquerading as community groups.

I am writing with no other motive other than to have an equal and democratic society where every person and organisation is on a level playing field. This decision is undoing the sacrifices people like my father fought for in both world wars to secure democracy for future generations. To prove my point try getting a job in one of these centres if you don’t belong or support one of these political or paramilitary organisations.  I have been reliably informed that a person has recently made a successfully challenge through the courts in Northern Ireland on this issue and was awarded a considerable sum of money. Democracy is a great gift so let’s cherish it and guard


it well.

D McCAULEY


Derry City