It’s better to listen to the experts than spin doctors
MY DEAR departed father, John Baldwin – who lived through several periods of Ireland’s ‘political ineptitude’ – used to often say: ‘What this country needs is a leader who is a benevolent dictator, not one who is in the job for his own benefit.’
Watching An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announcing the new measures on Tuesday brought my dad’s aspiration to my mind.
John Baldwin would have been quite amused that Ireland’s unelected (by the general voting populace) caretaker Taoiseach has defaulted (by being in the right place at the right time) into such an important mantle.
Meanwhile, the supposed opposition party leaders remind me of the nodding dogs in the McDonald’s ad on TV, going along with each and every decision being made by the caretaker government without complaint.
However, who would desire to be in power at this difficult juncture.
One situation that has comeabout has been the ‘lead’ that has been bestowed on the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan – who seems to be at the forefront of every major (health-based) public decision/presentation being made by Leo and/or his ministers, during the crisis. A person might wonder if the real leader of the country at this time might be the good Dr Holohan. At least we don’t have to rely on advice given by some wellpaid but unseen (and lacking responsibility) cohort of government advisers.
TOM BALDWIN, Midleton, Co. Cork.
Action man Boris
ONCE again Leo Varadkar presents a reasonably appealing new financial package negated by one simple word: ‘ask’.
One can never ask our banks for anything and already on Joe Duffy’s show it has been claimed some banks are treating customers differently in regards to the three-month relief plan.
Add in complicated arrangements involving employment payments and employers and a refusal by Varadkar to use the term ‘lockdown’, and with testing a week behind, and Covid-19 is still a health threat as well as causing a financial tsunami of lost jobs, lost wages and lost hope.
Boris Johnson was different: slow to react regarding schools, he then pulled out an 80% wage packet deal, and now a virtually total lockdown.
There was no pious pontificating, very little spin or calculated pious platitudes praising the public. Johnson was all action with diktats rather than requests. JOHN P. KELLY, Clontarf, Dublin.
Crazy week in politics
APART from talk of the apocalypse being a possibility, we live in hilarious times, politically.
We have not got a proper government in place since the election, yet we now have unelected ministers sitting in the cabinet of a former administration, taking themselves very seriously as they introduce harsh measures for our benefit, apparently. Only in Éire could we take this in our stride as democratically acceptable. ROBERT SULLIVAN, Bantry, Co. Cork.
Beauty of nature
IF THERE is any silver lining at all to coronavirus, it is the timing.
If we were all in lockdown in October or November to coincide with the dark nights and the cold, wet winter, it would surely have been much more difficult to cope.
This week, after spending the morning tending our garden, it was warm enough for my wife and I to sit outside and enjoy a cup of tea for the first time this year.
While we were sitting quietly, we saw on our bird feeders a flock of goldfinches, blue tits, a pair of long-tailed tits and a spectacular male bullfinch. A pair of glossy magpies landed in the plum tree.
Coronavirus can’t stop nature. Spring is in the air with summer not far behind and this weekend the clocks go forward. Let’s all try to enjoy these few positives.
ROB LEWIS, by email.
... DRAWING back the curtains, I was struck by the beautiful view of my neighbours’ gardens.
They are so colourful: a magnificent magnolia in full blossom, a beautiful, deep red camellia and yellow jasmine. I watched the birds around the feeder while two pigeons waited for the fall-out.
The dog was wandering around the garden and next door’s cat was sitting on the fence watching the birds. Nature is carrying on as usual and nothing can stop it. It’s a shame it took Covid-19 to make me appreciate what a beautiful world we live in.
MARY CRACK, by email.
Let’s get cooking!
LOOKING at the contents of the drawer at the bottom of the fridge took me back to when my mum would get my two brothers and me cutting up vegetables from our kitchen garden in the Fifties.
She could make the most wonderful soups from just about anything we had left over. This is a great time for families to pull together and finally use up the bottom layer of the chest freezer. Get the children involved in making weird and wonderful meals.
The internet has a multitude of recipes and ideas for left-overs.
It’s so easy to pick up a jar of curry or pasta sauce, but you will feel really good about yourself after making your own version. Wishing you all a very happy and adventurous time cooking.
COLIN NICOL, by email.