Subsidies, Strikes and the Coming July Clash
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Just a quick heads up on what's coming up on the podcast. It is going to be hot July. We're going to be talking about the implications of throwing money at problems in Ireland and why July this year will be a perfect storm. One, the subsidy to the truckers will have evaporated by July. Two, it's going to be warm and hot and long nights, which are perfect for rioting and protesting.
What recent events led to the current tensions in Ireland?
And three, the European presidency is here and the Irish government will be at its most vulnerable. That's all coming up in a couple of minutes. Just before we start a big announcement, it is Doki Book Festival week. The tickets are on sale at dokibookfestival.org. We have an extraordinary lineup, 100 events, more than 100 writers from 21 different countries bringing, I think it's fair to say, a little bit for everybody. So that is Doki Book Festival, third weekend of June. Tickets are now on sale, dokibookfestival.org. To understand the economy, you have to understand human nature. How are you doing there? It is time for the podcast and we have a little bit of a gem. Not least because John is back in the room from his Australian podcasting.
How will the expiration of subsidies impact the Irish economy?
Without going overboard, John.
Yes.
Because it isn't a travelogue.
Right.
Why are summer protests more likely in Ireland?
I can tell you about the birds I've seen. I know. And all that kind of stuff. Crimson what? Oh, no, that was the Crimson Rosario.
Okay.
Which I came across in the forest in Otway National Park, and I nearly lost my mind. It's the most beautiful bird. Like, it's a really brilliant crimson red. You should see him. And electric blue, and it flew in front of the car. It was down this little dirt track. And I got out of the car and I was trying to take pictures and everything. And I was going back to trying to look it up, this rare bird and all the rest. And then I discovered that they're common as muck. But they're beautiful, beautiful.
But you really enjoyed it, didn't you?
Really enjoyed it. Yeah, yeah. Drove a lot and saw a lot. But when you say you saw a lot of Australia, I didn't. I saw a tiny little piece.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. By the way, dear listener, this podcast is not going to be about Australia. It is going to be all about the legacy of and the reaction to those... strikes, blockades, protesters, what it says about Ireland, why we are going to have the hottest 12th of July on both sides of the border. We're going to talk about that in a couple of minutes. But it is lovely to have you back. I was kind of, I was missing you. You know, it's not the same. It's not the same.
I know. We did a couple of pods from Australia, but it's never the same.
No, it's not the same.
It's nice to be back in HQ. But actually, let me kick this one off because we're going to talk about the fuel protests and all the rest. It was interesting to see how the fuel crisis was dealt with in Australia because straight away there was, like everywhere else, people were up in arms and shouting and roaring and stuff. But the Australian government reacted really quickly and they introduced a cap on diesel and petrol and fuel. Because they have to. Like I was saying, it's such a vast country that you need cars and transport. You know, there's no getting around that kind of country otherwise. And then the other thing that they did was they made public transport in the cities free for the whole month of April.
That's very clever as well. It's just very simple, though. It's simple, but it's also clever because what it means is you're doing something. It's symbolic. You're doing something positive, right? Whether or not it leads to a whole host of people taking the bus or the train instead of driving, that actually doesn't matter. What matters is the sense... that the state is in control. So the Aussies took these decisions ahead of organized protests. What we did in Ireland was we waited for the protest. We waited for the government to be blindsided. We waited for the protesters to be tactically in the driving seat. And then...
Yeah.
In a sort of chaotic way. But it's funny, you mentioned that Aussie bailout just before we went on the pod.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:26
2
What recent events led to the current tensions in Ireland?
0:26–1:35
3
How will the expiration of subsidies impact the Irish economy?
1:35–1:39
4
Why are summer protests more likely in Ireland?
1:39–11:38
5
What lessons can Ireland learn from Australia's response to fuel crises?
11:38–22:51
6
What strategies did protesters use to gain leverage in Ireland?
22:51–33:15
Speakers
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