UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently promised “the beginning of a new golden age” in the House of Commons. But with these few carefree words he might well be painting a too rosy a picture of a hard no-deal Brexit for everyone.
He should take some sage advice from Shakespeare about how he who “the primrose path of dalliance treads” is on his “way to the everlasting bonfire”.
Mr Johnson should also beware of Matthew 7:13, which states “the road to perdition is wide and spacious and many follow it”. If he should pay heed to these words he would not likely continue with this folly of leading his own Conservative Party along with the British public on a similar wide and spacious road beyond the October 31 Brexit deadline.
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This could the very time when the British public will then wake up to a very unpleasant economic and political surprise waiting for it with unhappy results for us in Ireland as well.
Sean O’Brien
Kilrush, Co Clare
Taoiseach should argue for another Brexit referendum
There’s reason to be uneasy about the Taoiseach’s Brexit stance when he knows a hard Border is inevitable with a no-deal Brexit and if the Good Friday Agreement is not part of the EU treaties. PM Johnson has a valid argument for dropping the backstop.
What he should be fighting for is a new referendum now the consequences of Brexit are more widely known to the UK public.
Michael McPhillips
Ballymun, Dublin 9
Drug initiative should be run next to one for alcohol abuse
The initiative on drug offences is welcome but is not a radical new idea. Some of us have advocated this for more than 20 years. The tragedy is many lives have probably been lost because of delays in implementing it.
I fervently hope it is now approached in a structured, effective and expert manner.
Although the proposal refers to “illegal drugs” there are two areas it is vital to consider for “brief intervention” to be effective. Firstly, the inclusion of assessment relating to alcohol consumption as well as any “illegal drugs”. The combined usage will determine the seriousness of any problem.
Secondly, I would urge the Government to urgently extend this type of approach to those arrested for alcohol-related offences. Early intervention and education works and is easily implemented.
Drink driving, public order offences and domestic violence fuelled by alcohol are by far the more urgent areas to be addressed.
Gerry Hickey (psychotherapist)
Dublin 2
If you love Irish language, why write in English?
I refer to Gerrard Moran’s letter (Irish Independent, August 3) where he suggests we should embrace and not marginalise the Irish language. My query is why is his letter in English?
Tony Walsh
Tramore, Co Waterford
‘Media charge’ will keep RTÉ in-group in lap of luxury
I nearly choked on my cornflakes reading RTÉ director general Dee Forbes’s proposal to tack a new “media charge” on to utility bills (Irish Independent, August 3). This comes across as the insatiable, very well-heeled seeking to dip their mitts ever deeper into the pockets of a captive audience whether they use RTÉ radio or not.
Ms Forbes and her colleagues have never explained why it is necessary for a public broadcaster to pay huge, unjustifiable salaries. How are any of those in receipt of these salaries worth more than 10 times as much as the average industrial worker?
Many people refuse to listen to RTÉ radio because they regard these payouts as a vulgar misuse of public money. The idea that people, whether listeners or not and regardless of means, should have their meagre means raided to maintain this in-group in the lap of luxury must be rejected.
Jim O’Sullivan
Rathedmond, Co Sligo
€160 a year to own a laptop an example of nanny statism
I am baffled to learn of the Government’s “plan” to bully me into paying an annual charge of €160 because I own a laptop computing device.
Apparently, this is connected with Public Service Broadcasting (a dubious last-century concept rooted in notions of insularity/nanny statism) and championed as the way forward by dinosaur politicians with little understanding of the modern world and who are fearful of it.
In my opinion it is fundamentally unfair to force citizens to subsidise bloated, non-essential services that are neither useful nor relevant to their daily lives.
David Leonard
Corbally, Co Limerick
Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » Letters to the Editor: 'Primrose path or road to perdition, Boris needs map'
Letters to the Editor: 'Primrose path or road to perdition, Boris needs map'
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently promised “the beginning of a new golden age” in the House of Commons. But with these few carefree words he might well be painting a too rosy a picture of a hard no-deal Brexit for everyone.
He should take some sage advice from Shakespeare about how he who “the primrose path of dalliance treads” is on his “way to the everlasting bonfire”.
Mr Johnson should also beware of Matthew 7:13, which states “the road to perdition is wide and spacious and many follow it”. If he should pay heed to these words he would not likely continue with this folly of leading his own Conservative Party along with the British public on a similar wide and spacious road beyond the October 31 Brexit deadline.
Please log in or register with Independent.ie for free access to this article.
Log In
New to Independent.ie? Create an account
This could the very time when the British public will then wake up to a very unpleasant economic and political surprise waiting for it with unhappy results for us in Ireland as well.
Sean O’Brien
Kilrush, Co Clare
Taoiseach should argue for another Brexit referendum
There’s reason to be uneasy about the Taoiseach’s Brexit stance when he knows a hard Border is inevitable with a no-deal Brexit and if the Good Friday Agreement is not part of the EU treaties. PM Johnson has a valid argument for dropping the backstop.
What he should be fighting for is a new referendum now the consequences of Brexit are more widely known to the UK public.
Michael McPhillips
Ballymun, Dublin 9
Drug initiative should be run next to one for alcohol abuse
The initiative on drug offences is welcome but is not a radical new idea. Some of us have advocated this for more than 20 years. The tragedy is many lives have probably been lost because of delays in implementing it.
I fervently hope it is now approached in a structured, effective and expert manner.
Although the proposal refers to “illegal drugs” there are two areas it is vital to consider for “brief intervention” to be effective. Firstly, the inclusion of assessment relating to alcohol consumption as well as any “illegal drugs”. The combined usage will determine the seriousness of any problem.
Secondly, I would urge the Government to urgently extend this type of approach to those arrested for alcohol-related offences. Early intervention and education works and is easily implemented.
Drink driving, public order offences and domestic violence fuelled by alcohol are by far the more urgent areas to be addressed.
Gerry Hickey (psychotherapist)
Dublin 2
If you love Irish language, why write in English?
I refer to Gerrard Moran’s letter (Irish Independent, August 3) where he suggests we should embrace and not marginalise the Irish language. My query is why is his letter in English?
Tony Walsh
Tramore, Co Waterford
‘Media charge’ will keep RTÉ in-group in lap of luxury
I nearly choked on my cornflakes reading RTÉ director general Dee Forbes’s proposal to tack a new “media charge” on to utility bills (Irish Independent, August 3). This comes across as the insatiable, very well-heeled seeking to dip their mitts ever deeper into the pockets of a captive audience whether they use RTÉ radio or not.
Ms Forbes and her colleagues have never explained why it is necessary for a public broadcaster to pay huge, unjustifiable salaries. How are any of those in receipt of these salaries worth more than 10 times as much as the average industrial worker?
Many people refuse to listen to RTÉ radio because they regard these payouts as a vulgar misuse of public money. The idea that people, whether listeners or not and regardless of means, should have their meagre means raided to maintain this in-group in the lap of luxury must be rejected.
Jim O’Sullivan
Rathedmond, Co Sligo
€160 a year to own a laptop an example of nanny statism
I am baffled to learn of the Government’s “plan” to bully me into paying an annual charge of €160 because I own a laptop computing device.
Apparently, this is connected with Public Service Broadcasting (a dubious last-century concept rooted in notions of insularity/nanny statism) and championed as the way forward by dinosaur politicians with little understanding of the modern world and who are fearful of it.
In my opinion it is fundamentally unfair to force citizens to subsidise bloated, non-essential services that are neither useful nor relevant to their daily lives.
David Leonard
Corbally, Co Limerick
Source: Read Full Article