I want to finish my thoughts about foreigners 'telling us what to do' from the other day.

You might recall that elected representative Ned O'Keefe (TD) said we don't need "foreigners running our business." What makes O'Keefe's argument almost amusing is that whether we have any choice regarding "foreigners running our business" hangs by a thread.

Look at Greece. The Greeks probably don't want foreigners running their business, but they no longer have the option to keep the foreigners out. The Germans are now Greece's masters. And while it's true that Ireland is not Greece, let's just say that financially and economically we're in the same neighborhood. Irish independence is on a knife edge.

Our new 'foreign' Financial Regulator, Englishman Matthew Elderfield, is actually doing a bang up job of trying to save us from the Greeks' fate. Unfortunately his efforts (and those of the head of the Central Bank and others) may be in vain.

We're in a very bad situation, trying to row back up stream against a strong current pushing us towards a waterfall. For that we owe thanks to some of those who O'Keefe {photo} calls "our Irish people who are well educated" and who O'Keefe would like to see remain in charge of "running our business."

O'Keefe's demand sounds like a sure-fire way to ensure that the foreigners really do start "running our business." I prefer the 'foreigner' working for us any day.