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Posted
28 minutes ago, B-Man said:

 

 

 

A little context, Tucker?

Ireland's constitution was drafted in 1937. It includes all sorts of old socialist type language, including this clause meant to prevent the capitalist robber barons from forcing women into work instead of having a bunch of kids in the old Irish fashion. And if Ireland actually enforced this constitutional language it would create a big welfare program for mothers, including the types of "welfare queen" mothers that Reagan used to decry. 

 

I first went to Ireland 40 something years ago. It was fascinating because it was so ... backward. Horse drawn deliveries on the streets of all cities other than Dublin and (maybe) Cork. What I imagine were 1940s style accommodations. Kind of like how we'd think of, say, Bulgaria rather than (West) Germany.

I went again a few years ago. It was kind of boring now because everything seemed so familiar, so "American." People are far, far wealthier on average, with nice modern American-style suburban homes everywhere, modern shopping centers, big well-maintained motorways, nice restaurants, etc. "Neoliberal" policies brought Ireland out of the 1800s and squarely into the lead in the 21st century economy. Good for the Irish people, good for a lot of the super intelligent tech people who flowed in, but kind of boring for tourists, but, hey, they're not trying to create an Irelandland for people like me. They're actually trying to make an open, prosperous society. And so far, so very, very good.

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Posted
5 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

A little context, Tucker?

Ireland's constitution was drafted in 1937. It includes all sorts of old socialist type language, including this clause meant to prevent the capitalist robber barons from forcing women into work instead of having a bunch of kids in the old Irish fashion. And if Ireland actually enforced this constitutional language it would create a big welfare program for mothers, including the types of "welfare queen" mothers that Reagan used to decry. 

 

I first went to Ireland 40 something years ago. It was fascinating because it was so ... backward. Horse drawn deliveries on the streets of all cities other than Dublin and (maybe) Cork. What I imagine were 1940s style accommodations. Kind of like how we'd think of, say, Bulgaria rather than (West) Germany.

I went again a few years ago. It was kind of boring now because everything seemed so familiar, so "American." People are far, far wealthier on average, with nice modern American-style suburban homes everywhere, modern shopping centers, big well-maintained motorways, nice restaurants, etc. "Neoliberal" policies brought Ireland out of the 1800s and squarely into the lead in the 21st century economy. Good for the Irish people, good for a lot of the super intelligent tech people who flowed in, but kind of boring for tourists, but, hey, they're not trying to create an Irelandland for people like me. They're actually trying to make an open, prosperous society. And so far, so very, very good.

"With our newfound prosperity, maybe them kids won't always be after me Lucky Charms."

 

Lucky the Leprechaun, circa 2020

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Posted
8 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

A little context, Tucker?

Ireland's constitution was drafted in 1937. It includes all sorts of old socialist type language, including this clause meant to prevent the capitalist robber barons from forcing women into work instead of having a bunch of kids in the old Irish fashion. And if Ireland actually enforced this constitutional language it would create a big welfare program for mothers, including the types of "welfare queen" mothers that Reagan used to decry. 

 

I first went to Ireland 40 something years ago. It was fascinating because it was so ... backward. Horse drawn deliveries on the streets of all cities other than Dublin and (maybe) Cork. What I imagine were 1940s style accommodations. Kind of like how we'd think of, say, Bulgaria rather than (West) Germany.

I went again a few years ago. It was kind of boring now because everything seemed so familiar, so "American." People are far, far wealthier on average, with nice modern American-style suburban homes everywhere, modern shopping centers, big well-maintained motorways, nice restaurants, etc. "Neoliberal" policies brought Ireland out of the 1800s and squarely into the lead in the 21st century economy. Good for the Irish people, good for a lot of the super intelligent tech people who flowed in, but kind of boring for tourists, but, hey, they're not trying to create an Irelandland for people like me. They're actually trying to make an open, prosperous society. And so far, so very, very good.

I've seen the same in Eastern Europe with varing degrees of success between countries.  It's very interesting in their case the impact communism had on their mentalities collectively. But the change you see is amazing. I remember years ago a friend bribing a cop to get out of a ticket.   That was normal in the 90's.  In this case it was with a bottle of vodka.  That doesn't happen anymore really.

 

 A bit of a different time frame in my experience of course.   :)

 

 

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Posted
13 hours ago, L Ron Burgundy said:

I've seen the same in Eastern Europe with varing degrees of success between countries.  It's very interesting in their case the impact communism had on their mentalities collectively. But the change you see is amazing. I remember years ago a friend bribing a cop to get out of a ticket.   That was normal in the 90's.  In this case it was with a bottle of vodka.  That doesn't happen anymore really.

 

 A bit of a different time frame in my experience of course.   :)

 

 

this is why the Eastern Europeans have no interest in communist era nostalgia. That seems to be a purely Russian thing. It ain't selling anywhere else.

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