Sunday Independent Stupid Statement of the Week

If you want to read the true story of Bertie and the Mahon Tribunal, the Sindo has boldly stepped forward against the RTÉ witchhunt, and provided the man himself with the space to argue black is white. Several other columnists see fit to engage in defending Bertie. Shameless. Although in fairness to John Drennan, he calls for Fianna Fáil to disband.

The Mahon Tribunal appears to have convinced Colm McCarthy that the blame for corruption lies in having a planning system (or regulating the market to put it another way). Surprising that isn’t it?

Restrictive planning rules, which make planning permission scarce, are an ingredient in the corrupting of politics all over the world. In the United States, corrupt zoning boards are a recurring phenomenon and the problem has arisen in otherwise uncorrupted political systems, including the United Kingdom.

I particularly enjoyed reading that on the day one of the Tory Party’s co-treasurer is forced to resign for selling access to the PM and Chancellor, and in light of the very large amount of corruption revealed in the expenses affair, never mind all the other examples such as cash for questions, ministers being forced to resign over their financial affairs etc etc.

I think that says it all.