Bruce Arnold

Critic of Public Affairs, writing about art, theatre, music and politics

We need from Cowen a declaration in favour of higher taxes and a new respect for consensus

The moral and fiscal leadership of the Irish people is at present more in the rock-solid hands of Richard Bruton than anywhere else. That is what our judgment tells us. He enjoys widespread respect from people on all sides, politically, and his views on the crisis issues are wise and courageous. He does not have all the answers, nor would he be disposed to scatter them if he did. They would be gobbled up by Fianna Fail, and there is no point in feeding truffles to pigs. Read More...

So why does RTE keep the Angelus but silence the critic?

John Boland, our television critic for the last decade, has set me brooding again about RTE. He wrote in his end-of-year column: "I can't think of a 12-month period in which RTE made fewer programmes of substance or quality, but, hey, who needs programmes at all when you can marvel at Montrose's mission to turn every nonentity on its payroll into a celebrity?" I thought this went to the heart of the matter. Read More...

Taoiseach must lead way if he wants us to pull together

Very few people in Ireland today are wallowing in anything at all, least of all a sea of doubt. People across the country are faced with hard realities. Job losses, mortgage debts, the dole queue, prices, loss of savings through the greed and ineptitude of others, reduction or total elimination of benefits, the spectre of gross wealth and greed being condoned while the numbers of those in poverty steadily rise. Read More...
Welcome