According to David McWilliams in his latest book, Money: A Story of Humanity, the concept of money is mightier than religion, philosophy, or even the military. If you tamper with money, you are tampering with much more than just the economic system; you are disturbing individuals’ minds. Today, we live in a world that is fundamentally centered around money – it acts as a universal dialect, comprehended by both affluent tech investors in Silicon Valley and impoverished rickshaw drivers in New Delhi. Regardless of geographical or linguistic barriers, money enables communication and understanding. It governs the global distribution of individuals, commodities, and concepts.
Turning our attention to the €336,000 bike shelter at Leinster House. After vocalising concerns about the wasteful spending within the public sector, Allen Morgan, a worker at the Office of Public Works for 37 years, hoped the political leadership would pay attention. Throughout his career, Morgan witnessed imprudent expenditure and ill-thought property transactions. Morgan refers to the bike shelter story as a “microcosm” of the issues he is attempting to highlight.
In the realm of the food industry, Jamie O’Connell provides a cautionary note. As recent reports highlight an array of notable restaurant shutdowns, O’Connell criticises the government for establishing a challenging business environment for food entrepreneurs. He criticises the multiple policies that have led to what he describes as a metaphorical slow demise. These include the compulsory pension scheme due in 2025, the increased minimum wage, increased sick leave provisions, a new public holiday, hikes in PRSI contributions, and the worst being the VAT rate reverting back to 13.5 percent.
McWilliams is not the only columnist from The Irish Times to publish a new book. Diarmaid Ferriter also has a new offering – a significant sequel to his 2004 release, The Transformation of Ireland. This new work aims to understand the massive changes and intricacies of the past twenty-five years “through an extended historical perspective.” Christopher Kissane’s review of The Revelation of Ireland: 1995-2020 reveals that the book uncovers the profound evolution of the country and its most protected mysteries.
In other news, Emilie Pine shares her journey beginning Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), while England footballers, Declan Rice and Jack Grealish ignore the dismissal and are recognised as the top performers in the match against Ireland. David McWilliams hypothesises potential outcomes had Hitler been financially fortunate in 1943. Apart from this, an exploration of how rugby transitioned from a marginalised unionist sport to a globally competitive game, focusing on Ireland, is also detailed.
Roe McDermott, in her weekend column, assists a reader who is currently facing a bewilderment phase in her relationship. Discussions about matrimony with her partner have only disclosed certain points of disagreement. She asks McDermott for guidance on how to resolve these conflicts, as she wishes to make the relationship work without any severe actions.
Lastly, Mark O’Connell discloses his thoughts about the startlingly high amounts charged for Oasis concert tickets due to the intriguing “dynamic pricing” model. He asserts that this could precipitate the fall of capitalism itself. He further explains that this type of pricing is more damaging when applied to basic needs like housing, as opposed to a concert with 80,000 individuals. If political figures are advocating for legal intervention due to overpricing for concert tickets, similar questions should be asked about capitalism as a whole, a fact they might not want to acknowledge.
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