It’s time to recalibrate for the hopeful year ahead...
AS THIS forgettable year draws to a close, this week has boosted expectations for a much better, perhaps even memorable, 2021, despite the continued menacing shadow of Brexit.
The rollout of the Covid 19 immunisation program throughout the UK and in the European Union from December 27 will begin the process whereby each of us, as individuals, will return to ‘normal’, hopefully to an ‘enhanced normal’ bettered by the exceptionally difficult personal experiences of the many this past year.
Early in the week, against the backdrop of no evidence of widespread fraud, as confirmed by election officials across the country and by attorney general William Barr, the US Electoral College formally validated Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, beginning the process of reinstating probity and civility to the notion of democracy as traditionally practised, in the pre-fake news era, between mutually respecting nations in the ‘free world’, irrespective of what differences they may have on an individual basis from time to time.
Cometh 2021, the year when private citizens, on an individual basis, and nation-states in their collective, recalibrate our existence on the planet.
Michael Gannon, Kilkenny city.
Sky versus RTÉ
MARY CARR observed (MoS, December 13) that the suspension of Sky News presenter Kay Burley for six months from the station for flouting Covid-19 regulations appears to be severe when you juxtapose it against the lenient approach of the RTÉ bosses to its own celebrity presenters.
In my view, it makes it very difficult for RTÉ to have credibility in these presenters when they are faced with having to interrogate guests about anomalies and inconsistencies in their behaviour and performances, especially when it comes to the discourse around the contravening of Covid-19 rules etc (ostensibly this creates a definite paradox).
In conclusion, Sky management may have been severe in its approach to Kay Burley and her colleagues but one has to deduce that in these unprecedented times, RTÉ could have shown moral leadership and issued some form of censure to its offending presenters.
John O Brien, Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny.
Misplaced loyalty!
A VERY interesting euphemism from Ger Colleran (MoS, December 13). When correctly outlining the unfairness of the Cabinet signing off on judicial pay increases at a time of huge financial hardship, he rightly puts this in the context of wage stagnation and regression for the vast majority of workers stemming from the 2008 financial crisis that was ‘presided over by some of our elites’.
Would this be the same ‘elites’ – some of whom were Cabinet ministers at the time – who currently make up the Government he hopes would ‘prove itself worthy of long-term support’?
Perhaps he should apply the same standard to Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party when it comes to owning the past, as he does week after week to Sinn Féin.
Tom Morris, Portarlington, Co. Laois.
Christmas crackers
IT was pantomime time during leaders’ questions this week when Taoiseach Micheál ‘Wishee Washee’ Martin denied banks were bailed out during the financial crash of 2008.
However, these institutions were given huge amounts of money from the EU and the IMO just to keep them afloat. This fiscal assistance was certainly a lot more than the usual dig-out associated with a small cash-flow problem.
In fact, for nearly a decade, austerity and tax hikes were the name of the game when it came to this country’s budget, leaving lot of folks Baron
Hardup.
The Taoiseach needs to cop on and reflect on his fairy-tale statement and in future stop acting a right Silly Billy.
Oh yes, he does?
Vincent O’Connell, New Ross, Co. Wexford.
Gambling adverts
MANY years ago, during my world travels, I became aware that all failing governments encouraged gambling because it made the poorer people believe that there was still hope.
Has anybody else noticed the huge increase in gambling advertising here recently?
Richard Barton, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.