Joe Duffy Show reinforces smug Irish sense of deliberate helplessness.

Because of my job, I don’t get to listen to Joe Duffy often, although I got an opportunity yesterday. It confirmed pretty much every prejudice I have about it. First up was a guy who made a legitimate complaint about the banks not lending. Fair enough. Then another guy who complained about how he could not get a loan to pay off his credit card and credit union loans. What was interesting was that he announced that the country was finished, and that he was leaving, presumably to go to a country where you can get a loan to pay off other loans. Then a woman who wanted a new party, that would be “for the people” and “in favour of reform” of pretty much everything. Joe announced that her declaration that everyone should be equal (Does that include Larry Murphy the rapist? Seanie Fitz? Ivor Callely?) was practically a manifesto. Then a guy who announced that he wasn’t paying any taxes anymore. When Joe challenged him, in fairness, about public services, he announced that they were all being cut back, so therefore he wasn’t paying anything.

What really irritated me was not giving these people airtime, but not challenging their basically stupid notions. A party “for the people”? What the f**k is that exactly? What’s the point having public service radio if we are not going to use it to vigourously debate ideas people put forward? She’s entitled to suggest it. But we’re entitled to have the idea tested. Instead we get broadcast whinging, where every day people go on the radio and just bitch and complain that every problem is someone else’s fault and can usually be resolved with someone else’s money.

This is not public service broadcasting. You can get this sh*t in any pub in the country.