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Irish president attacks elites, regulators, lawyers

Extraordinary comments by President McAleese

By
PATRICK COOPER,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Thursday, September 16, 2010, 5:22 PM
Updated Thursday, September 16, 2010, 5:22 PM

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Irish President Mary McAleese


Irish President Mary McAleese has launched an extraordinary attack on financial regulators, lawyers and economists she says are responsible for much of the downfall of the Irish economy.

It is highly unusual for the Irish president to make political attacks as the office is considered non-political.

McAleese was speaking in Russia at the end of a five day trip there.

“It was long argued that heavy, strong-handed regulation was not the most conducive environment for business, yet as we now know to our great cost, that light regulation was a recipe for trouble,” she told an audience at St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance.

“If in the future we are to avoid the extremes of economic boom and bust scenarios, we need not only smart and rigorous regulatory systems that allow commerce to flourish, where the regulator has all the powers and competences, but we need professionals who are hard-wired to behave ethically, to think ethically, to act ethically, to respect the requirement of compliance, to understand and see themselves as operating in the broad public interest.”

McAleese, who is a lawyer by profession, also attacked the legal profession, saying they kept their knowledge for the privileged few.

She stated that children should be taught the law and legal rights and information not kept like “vintage wine” for the elite.

She stated that lawyers should stop making contracts “deliberately” complicated. Economic experts had to be trained to “think ethically” and regulators had to develop better skills  to oversee financial markets.

McAleese has met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during her five-day state visit.

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11 Comments

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kilkenny999 | Sep 13, 2010, 07:10 AM EDT
the people of the british isles need to rise up and protest against the so-called cuts,or have we all lost our french blood ?

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killowen | Sep 13, 2010, 04:05 AM EDT
She's ready for queenie in 2011. Importance of an ireland Try URL by using angelfire.com slash ny/border slash symbols.html

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GeorgeDillon | Sep 13, 2010, 03:04 AM EDT
Dublinjas, how can you say this woman is the best president and at the same time talk about immigration "shysters"? McAleese is a big fan of Ireland's immigration industry. But you're right about the disgraceful waste of public money on these "shysters". I read on one of the Irish newspapers that last week a guy from China demanded asylum because he was a "Christian". So he was asked, "How did Jesus die?" ChinaChristian didn't know. Yet, instead of kicking his Chinese ass all the way back to Beijing, he was allowed stay in Ireland (tax-payers paying for him) until his case is "resolved". Of course he'll lose his request for asylum, whenever it's heard in one year, two, three. But then he'll appeal (McAleese et al cheering him on). And he'll lose that too (90% do). But then? No, he won't be deported. because only one person in six who is served with a deportation order from Ireland ever leaves the country. I really have lost sympathy for the Irish at this stage--they're ruled by idiots. And who elected the idiots?

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PolinDeB | Sep 13, 2010, 02:41 AM EDT
I'd have liked to see them get NAMA past Mary Robinson... The Supreme court was the only institution in Ireland who spoke honestly telling the banks to shove their phony figures and balance sheets where the sun didn't shine.. Unfortunately it was never given a chance to save our little country.

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PolinDeB | Sep 13, 2010, 02:39 AM EDT
Considering this is woman who signed both the Bank Guarantee and NAMA into law without referring them to the Supreme Court to see if they met their constitutional requirements to protect and be in the interest of Irish families and population in general. A little to little too late. The rats are scurrying to deny responsibility for the destruction of the Irish state...

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Dublinjas | Sep 12, 2010, 06:16 PM EDT
How many Billions have been spent on Shysters who are not even remotely connected to Ireland incessantly challenging our legal system when ordered deported or refused Asylum and the Organizations who represent the Shysters. And the Shysters Lawyers who are coining it on their behalf....Right...... Of Course the President is Right, She will probably go down as the best President Ireland has had to date although God help us there is not much to choose from.

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vincentruane | Sep 12, 2010, 04:53 PM EDT
She is right, she is saying what the global media cartels and their stables of journalists should be saying.

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NOLAN651 | Sep 12, 2010, 04:41 PM EDT
She forgot the politicans .

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kunagunda | Sep 12, 2010, 03:32 PM EDT
She's right

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WoundedKnee | Sep 12, 2010, 01:32 PM EDT
A friend of mine in ireland calls this woman The Queen of Blather. Lots of Irish people despise her. She is unelected, overpaid and underworked.

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luckysusan | Sep 12, 2010, 10:35 AM EDT
Very intelligent, very bold, very refreshing analysis. Let's hear more like this from leaders.

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