Archive for August 5th, 2011

Orders from Berlin

August 5th, 2011

Last night I was browsing around the Interweb and found a post by my old friend [and spiritual advisor] Ian.

He is talking about the “Memorandum of Agreement” between our gubmint and the Reich’s leaders.  It is not a pretty document, but worth a glance.

For a start, don’t be fooled by its description.  This is not the kind of memo that floats around an office reminding people to put their names down for the Christmas Party.  Oh no.  This is very much a direct order from our masters in Brussels.  It wouldn’t surprise me if the original didn’t have an eagle and swastika watermark.

The meat of the document starts on page 10 -

Revenue measures to yield €1,500 million in a full year will be introduced, including:

  • A lowering of income tax bands and credits.
  • A reduction in private pension tax reliefs.
  • A reduction in general tax expenditures.
  • A property tax.
  • A reform of capitol gains tax.
  • An increase in the carbon tax.

OK, so there isn’t any big surprise there.  We know most of that.  We know that even the lowest paid are going to be hammered to pay of other people’s debts.  We even know that the property tax is to be €100.  Note also that the carbon tax is a blatant tax that has fuck all to do with the environment.  It’s just another money spinner.

At the bottom of page 15, we learn what is in store for us a year later -

Revenue measures to raise at least €1,100 million in the full year will be introduced, including:

  • A lowering of income tax bands and credits.
  • A reduction in private pension tax reliefs.
  • A reduction in general tax expenditures.
  • An increase in property tax.

So having introduced property tax, they are already increasing it.  The knife is in, and now it’s to be twisted.

There were a couple of sentences that caught my eye too.  They were tucked away on page 9 -

    • Government will introduce legislative changes to remove restrictions to trade in sheltered sectors, including:

      • the legal profession, establishing an independent regulator for the profession and implementing the recommendations of the Legal Costs Working Group and outstanding Competition Authority recommendation to reduce legal costs.
      • medical services, eliminating restrictions on the number of general practitioners (GPs) qualifying and removing restrictions on GPs wishing to treat public patients as well as restrictions on advertising.
    • The Irish authorities will agree with the European Commission Services a time-bound action plan to implement the recommendations of the study of the economic impact of eliminating the cap on the size of retail premises with a view to enhancing competition and lowering prices for consumers.

So here we have it.  Let no one be under any illusion that Brussels is merely meddling in our financial affairs.  Now they are meddling in our legal affairs too.  Will someone please tell me what the legal profession, doctors and the size of retail premises have to do with repaying debts?  Nothing!  But why will I not be surprised when some giant German supermarket chain starts building massive retail centres and putting indigenous Irish retailers out of business?

They have us by the goolies now and boy, are they making the most of it.  I can hear the jackboots marching down O’Connell Street.

The sooner that fucking EU edifice collapses, the better.