Madam, – Rumours in the media suggest that there is an attempt by Germany and France to make Ireland accept “help” from the EU, in order to get rid of Ireland’s low rate of corporation tax. If this is even partially true, then I shall be forced to do two things which up to now would have been anathema to me.
First, I shall support the Fianna Fáil government – and that would almost require a change to my DNA.
Second, I shall boycott, and canvass as strongly as I can a boycott of all goods and services from Germany and France, including travel, food, insurance, electrical and other hardware.
The only way to stop a bully is to stand up to the bully. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Brian Lenihan is quoted as saying that application to the EU Stability Fund would “signal to the markets that we are unable to manage our affairs ourselves”. The principle of incompetency has been clearly established, the only argument is about the price.
While the EU major economies would find a price of €85 billion painful; it is affordable. The bigger worry of the markets is what the price tag might be for Spain, an economy 12 times the size of Ireland. At €750 billion or more for “el gordo’ the burghers of Dortmund Essen might put their wallets away. So Mr Lenihan should get to the top of the queue, and swallow his pride, before the EU cupboard proves to be bare. – Yours, etc,