CIAN DOOLEY,
Sir, - Irrespective of what term we invent to describe Ireland, the same old habits seem to die hard. We're always looking for someone else to blame when things go wrong!
The hospitality and service industries moan about the lack of tourists, never the ridiculously high prices charged for food and lodging here. The insurance industry blames "September 11th" for skyrocketing premiums, never its own inefficiency and outdated market practices. Bad roads are apparently to blame for continuing to kill more and more of us, rather than motorists who choose to drive recklessly, or with little consideration for other road users.
Lack of policing would appear to be responsible for the continuing spiral of violence on the streets, never the fact that we consume too much, care too little and set a poor example for our children. Waste management companies are totally to blame for toxic dumps polluting our environment, never the fact that we continue throw rubbish out of car windows, onto the streets and in the parks.
We decry the performance of politicians who tell us one story during election campaigns, and an entirely different one after they've been elected. But it is us - or at least the less than significant number of people who make the effort to vote - who put them there.
Ireland is a small boat, and there has never been much tolerance for those who chose to rock it. Until we change our culture of thinking someone else is to blame, and someone else is responsible for fixing things, what will we have? Celtic Tiger? Hibernian Hyena (Letters, Mervyn Taylor, September 25th)? More like Lame Duck! - Yours, etc.,
CIAN DOOLEY,
Seabury,
Sandymount,
Dublin 4.