The Chief Executive of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary has outlined why he thinks Ireland should vote Yes to Lisbon in “an expletive-laden rant” on YouTube. (Irish Times): “Lisbon Watch » O’Leary labels No groups ‘unemployable headbangers’”.
In his “five-minute tirade,” O’Leary describes those on the No side as “unemployable f****ing headbangers”, and claims if it weren’t for the European Union the country would be destroyed by an “incompetent public sector”, “inept politicians” and trade union bosses who were “milking the system” through social partnership.
O’Leary further stated that “our incompetent political elite” had shattered the country’s competitiveness and created “an explosion of expensive, useless, self-sustaining quangos”. This rhetoric is obviously designed to prepare the ground for the asset stripping of state assets which will commence if the Treaty is ratified.
O’ Leary stated that his foray into political campaigning was a one-off, and he intended to retire from the political scene immediately after the referendum campaign, which is a fairly safe bet.
From the Irish Times Article: “Mysteriously, he also felt called upon to dispel “the myth” that his airline’s cabin crew were “large Russian shot putters or Latvians that can’t speak any English”, saying most cabin crew were Irish or English girls,” whatever this is supposed to mean. This sort of thing a good indication of what Irish political debate has been reduced to: tabloid soundbites.
Source:
http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/lisbonwatch/2009/09/15/oleary-labels-no-groups-unemployable-headbangers/