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Republican Party economic policies similar to those which starved Irish says Famine book author

1845 Famine caused by lack of government intervention - like those Paul Ryan advocates


Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan: Author compares GOP policies to those which starved the Irish during the Great Famine
Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan: Author compares GOP policies to those which starved the Irish during the Great Famine
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He concludes the column by saying: "The descendants of the people the Presbyterian Quarterly called “more animal than intellectual in nature” are now among the most prosperous, patriotic, and politically powerful of Americans. Some, like Paul Ryan, are exercising their privilege to aggressively promote the ideas over which their ancestors in Ireland suffered and died or fled. Now, with the power of his vice-presidential candidacy—and the sway his ideas have clearly held over the man who selected him—that power and privilege are intensified."

"History instructs. History also has a very dark sense of humor. Irish history, especially."


Nster.com


63 Comments

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last line S/R lends credence to
Mr. Bailey appears to believe the teaparty concepts of economics. Lowering the standard of living of the poor and the middle classes to fill the vaults of the rich and powerful,thereby lowering their own standard of living.Crazy economics from a lunatic fringe that not even moderate republicans credence to.
Is this author completely anaware of the economic issues in Ireland right now? How they are in crisis? What a completely ridiculous analogy to make! Mr. Ryan is absolutely right in his assessment. We cannot continue down this unsustainable path or we will end up like Greece and Ireland! And yes, I agree with MrSinatra that Irish Central is anything but central! Most articles dealing with American politics swing to the left. In fact, I can't think of one off hand that does not.
irishbob only fox report it!! maybe that's because fox invent the lies they spew and every other news outlet only reports the truth.
I could not agree you more MrSinatra. Why is it that you only hear Fox news asking questions about Obama. I heard a radio interview the other with Obama talking to some station out west and the interviewer asked him the question everyone was waiting for. "what was his favorite color, and where is the best place to eat in Chicago." Forget about stupid things like the economy, people want to knew these things, right?
why doesn't this site just come out of the obama campaign closet and admit they are shills for the pied piper?
Mr. Kelly may be an expert on the great Irish famine, but he knows nothing about what is going on in America today. There is no comparison that can be made between 1840s Ireland and 2012 America. If Obama had been around in the 1840s, everyone would have left Ireland. The only comparison that can be made is that England, which controlled Ireland in the 1840s, hated Ireland as much as Obama hates everything American. There are two very interesting books about Obama out that Mr. Kelly, and everyone should read. One is called “The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House” by Edward Klein, and “Obama’s America: Unmaking the American Dream” by Dinesh D’Souza. The latter follows Obama’s life and tell what America will look like in 2016, at the end of Obama’s second term. There is also a movie called 2016 out that follows the book and is directed by Mr. D’Souza. Ryan has done something Obama has never done, submitted a federal budget three years in a row that has passed the House but not the Senate. Obama has never submitted a budget, and even if he did, his own Senate has said he would not bring it up for a vote. Shows you how much pull Obama really has. By the way, Ryan can actually trace his Irish ancestry back to Ireland which is something Obama really can’t without the help of his handlers.
McNamara31 "my concerns are rooted in the factual history of the insurance industry and placing the security of the aged in their hands" Neither party is going to do anything to the detriment of the insurance oligopolies so prices will never be controlled in the current system or with obamacare.
Duncan has it right. Kelly is obviously a coolade sipping liberal !!
sorry problems with spell check... s/b the Millennial Generation (or those born after 1980)
continued from below: Much can be done to secure the solvency of Medicare until the Melenium Generation will return the worker to collector ratios to a more secure status. Increasing the cap, and bringing down the billions presently spent by medicare on hospital borne infections would be a good place to start.
HBDuncan | I respect the points you have raised in your post, however my concerns are rooted in the factual history of the insurance industry and placing the security of the aged in their hands. In the wake of the financial collapse of 2008, the insurance industry raised their rates by 59%, since 1970, they have raised their rates by 700% where medicare, managed to insure the medical security of the elderly increased by 400%.Paul Ryan is owned by corporate America. Do you remember when he wanted to privatize Social Security delivering it to the whims of a deregulated market of that time? Much can be done to secure the solvency of Medicare until the Melenium Generation
"Uptick in dependency" One out of seven is already on food stamps. That's one hell of an uptick. The current economic course is unsustainable in the long term. The state of California is already bankrupt because of the "uptick". Make no mistake Ryan, Trevelyn's moves during the famine were directed by Parliament to protect the English economy and not to root out cankerworms of dependency. The record shows that the English government subsidized the transport of famine refugees to Canada and Australia to increase the populations of those territiories and keep England from having to sustain the burden of many thousands of Irish fleeing the famine by resettling there instead of some far flung possession. If you are going to cheerlead for Obama and the Democrats could you at least try to get some of the facts right?
This is an age old tactic of the rich and in charge. Make the middle class majority think the problems in the economy stem not from the people making all the decisions and controlling all the wealth, but in fact it is the poor of the country, who have been badly hurt by the decisions of big shots (to subsidize shipping jobs over seas for example), who are to blame. WAKE UP! IT IS NOT THE POOR PEOPLE ON WELFARE OR MEDICARE BRINGING OUR COUNTRY DOWN! IT'S THE BANKERS, BIG CORPORATIONS AND POLITICIANS RUINING OUR NATION!!!
McNamara31: You make it sound like billions spent on foreign and military aid(for our enemies) $55 billion plus is no drop in the bucket! I would much rather take my chances with a health plan that has no mandates, fines or penalties. We could not possibly sustain Obama's plan as we are trillions in debt and our small businessmen can not manage to have increased taxes and pay an increase on employees mandated medical - I already know that they will be forced to let people go - so much for new hiring and employment! The reason Wall Street and Corporate (GM) is doing Ok is because they were bailed out with our tax dollars and the govt. has raided (borrowed) from our social security! And raids billions from Medicare to fund what should be called Pelosi Care as she designed it for Obama! Also, they have a separate health plan for themselves. The 2013 proposal (Ryan) provides workers currently under the age of 55 (beginning in 2023) a choice of private plans. Medicare would provide a premium payment to either pay for or offset the premium of the plan chosen. This was based on a plan developed by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon. Also, there is a plan to secure Medicaid and consolidates the six existing income tax brackets into two! Medical is not a Constitutional right or mandate it is a benefit. It should not be used as a manipulative, divisive tool for Politics. Also, the wealthy will always find a way to beat the system and a place to take their business and move their money. The truth is these wars have been paid for by our blood and dollars while the govt. funds rebels. It appears that there is money enough for that. Do you think we should not hold them accountable for Solyndra-gate, Wallstreet while the govt. gives a pass, bleeds us and spend us into oblivion? The talk does not match the walk. All for one and one for all? Only, in a perfect world! Do we want Change or Freedom to Choose?




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