A different Perspective on the Celtic Tiger

Anyone with friends in emerging economies will have a very interesting perspective on Ireland today.

We are very lucky and we should remember that when our media over egg our situation.

Ireland is effectively bankrupt. The balance sheet is shot.

This is due to an extreme bubble in property prices and a criminal lack of control of our banking sector.

Ireland is a democracy. We have voted those in government who were responsible out of office.

We are not an open society when it comes to wealth and powerful self serving groups. No one in business responsible for the destruction of our economy has spent a day in prison or faced any other punitive action.

Trade Unions have not faced up to their responsibilities. They are insisting that those in the public sector get theirs - regardless of our country's ability to maintain these conditions.

Our asset classes have not been allowed to clear as they might in a liberal economy like the US.

Just as our country is bankrupt so too are many of our families. There is no chance that many can ever pay down their debt.

This is being ignored, the can is being kicked down the road.

Unlike in liberal economies, bankruptcy is a major stigma in Ireland. A bankrupt in Ireland will remain so for 12 years - compared to 1 year in the UK.

We do not have banking. What is worse is that the banking sector produce statistics to suggest that debt is available to business and families. Its not.

The celtic tiger reinforced the truth that our people are as good as any other.

Irish companies and individuals raised their game - aimed to be outstanding, to be world class.

Our people remain outstanding productive members of society.

Our exports continue to grow at a very aggressive rate.

Our companies and Foreign Direct Investment companies are growing fast, competing effectively with their competitors on a global scale.

On the P&L - Ireland is on a positive trend. Construction and Banking are destroyed as sectors. Most other sectors not dependent on domestic demand are doing well.

So there is a lot to fight for.

What do we do next?

Well - I am not sure to be honest.

I know what outcomes we need to bounce back:

- We need to reduce our public costs.

- We need banking to re-start.

- We need education and health systems that will retain the best and most productive people in this country.

- We need to get unemployed people back into work.

- We need to write down the value of assets, property, bonds and mortgages. We need to do this fast to re-start the economy and investment activity. Failure to do so will recreate the stagnation that Japan created by not being aggressive post their asset bubble.

With no currency revaluation possible, we need to drive down all costs - including salaries. There has been some work done in this respect - but Ireland is still an expensive place to live and work - Iceland has been lucky in this regard. Revaluing their currency made this re-pricing automatic. We need to replicate this outcome.


There is a lot outside of our own control.

How the EU views itself and its responsibility to its citizens is perhaps the most important input into our countries future.

What is obvious to me having visited ex-communist countries like Romania is that humans have an exceptional ability to survive and to prosper.

Talking to people who lived through the '90's in the Balkans reminds me as an Irish person just how much we have going for us.

I am optimistic. This too will pass.

Steve Heighway

At 6 my parents guided me towards supporting Liverpool and specifically this amazing new Irish player: Steve Heighway

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Heighway.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/history/past-players/steve-heighwa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSD_ABo4Qws

He was a fantastic role model and I hope my kids find role models as powerful.

In Messi, I believe they have found just that model - and its about a lot more than soccer.

Messi's personality and lifestyle are in marked contrast to so many of the flashy trashy people in sport today.

I have no doubt that at 63, like Heighway, Messi will be a valuable part of his industry and a good man.

That's all I hope for my two sons.

Tim O'Reilly - Create more value than you capture

Tim O'Reilly should be a lot better known in Ireland.

For those of you who think they know him - take a moment to read a little more about him here - there may be a few surprises.

For Irish people not directly involved in technology - you may never have heard of him.

This is a collection of links for anyone who wants to find out more.

Why am I putting this blog together?



In a perfect world what I would love to see happen is....

- A member of the cabinet preferably Enda Kenny reaching out to ask this global leader for his help and support.

- An Irish media organisation persuading Tim to invest time and energy to lead an event called - why not - Ireland 2.0

- An ongoing role for Tim where he could evangelize, promote and give back to the country of his birth.

I have been lucky enough to see Tim speak.

We have people in common and they confirm that this guy is all he seems to be and more.

He was born in Cork, he is proudly from Kerry.

Gay Byrne for the Aras?

Don't make me laugh.

When you discover the impact this guy has had in his short life, few other Irish leaders stand a shoulder above him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_O'Reilly

tim.oreilly.com -- Various Thing I've Written: Tim O'Reilly's Archive

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100501/the-oracle-of-silicon-valley.html

http://oreilly.com/about/

Some Videos worth viewing

http://thestartupfoundry.com/2011/03/09/how-tim-oreilly-bootstrapped-oreilly-media-with-happy-accidents/

Create more value that your capture - Web 2.0 2010 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAau6W--iMo

Velocity 2011 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kn-RrAg9FI

BBC interview 2007 - http://blip.tv/cubicgardencom-videos/tim-o-reilly-interview-for-bbc-pods-and-blogs-198960