For example, if as “mayor” you allowed a builder to construct a hospital in an earthquake zone using substandard materials you’d find your city in a state of emergency at some point along the city’s timeline.

The SimCity concept spawned  a game called Capitalism. According to reviewers, Capitalism is an tough strategy game, like chess, where players must constantly think ahead. It can easily overwhelm novices. “But by adjusting several factors — the competency and managerial style of the computer-controlled rivals, for example, can be varied from very aggressive to conservative — gameplay can be suited to various styles and speed. The game even allows a player to hire presidents to manage the day-to-day operations of different divisions so the player can concentrate on the big picture.”

The interesting thing about Capitalism is that it’s based on a real world model so you have to take into account land cost, overheads, demand for the products, and competition. You can then test different scenarios to see where they can lead. It’s an excellent way to test theories and practices in a safe environment. Star Trek fans might think of  it as a holodeck on the Starship Enterprise with the safety protocols turned on.

Before we let the government launch the great Nama experiment —allowing us to take all the risk —let’s lock them in a room and force them to play out all the possible risks and outcomes of Nama on a SimNama game. Any game developers out there who want to take up the challenge?

For one moment, why not imagine your Ireland. What would it look like if you had your say? Try this quick, very basic, exercise and see what you come up with!

 1.     Start with a blank piece of paper

2.     Imagine the society you would like to live in (safer, happier, healthier, well-educated, open, tolerant, more positive, entrepreneurial, socially active, community-focused, takes care of most vulnerable, more efficient).

3.     Write down some of the basic principles this society should live by: respect for others, transparency in government, efficient use of taxes/ public money…(This is your constitution)

4.     Choose a system of governance that supports this (democracy, social democracy, socialist, communist, libertarian, theocracy, dictatorship, anarchism, monarchy, republic)

5.     Choose an economic system that supports this:
a. general concept: private, state, communal?
b. level of control: hands-on or hands-off system?
c. most common types: capitalist, socialist, mixed economy. social market economy, the third way,

6.     Find the best and the brightest in the nation, ask them to govern and apply all of the above.

7.     It can happen. Make your voice heard. Write. Talk. Vote when you have the chance in every local and national election.

 For more information on our existing constitution click on: http://www.constitution.ie/constitution-of-ireland/default.asp?UserLang=EN

Ireland needs a drastic shift in cultural attitudes – away from entitlement and towards personal responsibility. The arrogant aristocracy has made taxpayers as cheap as chips.

This article was originally published in The Irish Times, Business this week, Platform column on:
March 6, 2009

The cost of “keeping up with the Fitzpatricks”

Two years ago, I wrote that the nation was like a kid who had just received pocket money for the first time: “Imagine four million children with sweaty coins in their hands waiting for the newsagents to open and you’ll get the picture.”

Spending was a thrill but now, like a youngster who has blown it all on sweets, the public and private sector are dealing with the tummy ache and asking: “Why did I do it? I should have known better!”

The easy-credit culture benefited not only those creating wealth in the private sector – entrepreneurs, small-business owners, property developers and multinationals – but the public sector as well. The number of people employed in Government swelled and those at the top, our elected Government representatives, felt they also needed to be richly rewarded for serving the people.

Arrogant aristocracy

Government generosity to itself – with our money – has created an arrogant aristocracy. Some long-serving TDs have probably forgotten how to drive, use public transport, carry cash or arrange meetings. No wonder the current Government reeks of a “let them eat cake” sense of entitlement. We have allowed it.

They live very different lives from the rest of us. We already know that our Taoiseach and many top ministers receive salaries that are higher – and completely disproportionate when judged on population size – than most of their European and American counterparts. Pensions and perks, including government cars and mileage allowances for private cars, are also overly generous. It’s a nice number in hard times.

No matter what happens, these senior civil servants will be largely unaffected by the recession. Even if they lose their seats, they’ll keep their full pensions – unlike some of the workers at Waterford Crystal.

Chances are, our elected officials’ children will not be forced to emigrate in as large numbers as their contemporaries. In fact, junior Minister for Finance Martin Mansergh told BBC television (and me) last week that his daughter was going to Australia for the experience. She was not being forced to emigrate. Lucky woman!

Fianna Fáil’s attitude and communications strategy of “radio silence” have done little to help the populace understand the seriousness of the issues we face – or to prepare for the hard cuts that are to come. We are fighting for our economic survival and dismissing media commentators who ask hard questions for the benefit of the public as “populists” does not engender confidence. After all, populists are the opposite of elitists.

Taxpayers – cheap as chips

Thanks to our light-touch regulation, the spending habits of some of our native financiers were more elaborate than the Government’s.

We still don’t know why Seán Quinn quietly bought up a 25 per cent contract for difference (CFD) or placed a high-risk bet on the direction of the share price in Anglo Irish Bank. Was he in a power play for control of Anglo from Seán Fitzpatrick & Co, was he trying to help the bank or was he just a rich man gambling big money to become even wealthier? Either way, it now seems that the chips Quinn and Fitzpatrick were playing with had “taxpayer” written on them. We’re all footing the bill for their miscalculations.

Over the years, I have talked about “keeping up with the Fitzpatricks” when discussing reckless spending – this has now acquired a strange new meaning.

Cultural shift

Politicians and bankers are not the only ones infected with a sense of entitlement. Even ordinary people feel they are owed something. We all know that child benefit and medical cards for the over-70s should be means tested. But how many of us refuse the payment on the basis that, although it’s nice to get when the kids are small, we don’t really need the money?

Ireland needs a drastic shift in cultural attitudes – away from entitlement and towards responsibility. The only thing citizens are owed is a Government that leads well, helps the most vulnerable in society and uses tax revenues efficiently. Sadly, we can’t say that any of those things have been achieved by the current administration.

The Government is spending our money and we have a responsibility to ensure they use it transparently and wisely. We should introduce a “Government-waste whistleblowers” campaign or organisation. Anyone who sees waste by a Government department or body – and we already know there is lots of it – can report it without fear of repercussions. It’s time to target the wasters, wherever they are, and usher in an era of personal responsibility.

True leaders know they must make real changes within themselves, and their organisations, before they can ask others to sacrifice.

Margaret E. Ward is a journalist, small-business owner and blogger www.margaretward.ie

Directors’ loans

1. How much did Seanie & co borrow? Who authorised it?

2. What did they use it for?

a.      Did they buy shares, debt or CFDs?

b.     Did they use money to manipulate the share price in some way?

c.     What were the terms of the loan? Was it secured?

d.     Did they deceive shareholders and potential investors?

e.      Was it fraud/ deception?

f.       Who knew? (Govt, regulator, board, big banker friends, stockbrokers, ISE)

Golden circle’s 10% deal
3. Who came up with the 10% deal? Who approached the Golden Circle?

a.      What professionals were involved in advising on the deal? (Ernst & Young, MOP)
b. How much did they earn?
c. Why did regulator take Anglo’s legal advice and not seek their own?

4. Who are they? If they are named will we given proof that they are really the ones involved?

a. What was in it for them?

b. What were the terms of the deal/ promises made?

c. Who knew about it?

e. Why hasn’t all the info been made public?

g.     Why wasn’t Anglo allowed to go bust?

h.     How instrumental were CFDs in bringing Anglo down? Irish developers? Irish property market?

Other banks
5. How many other financial institutions were involved in concealing Anglo’s activities? (Nationwide, IL&P, etc.)

a. Was the regulator involved? Did he know and look away?

National debt
6. How much money do we have? What do we owe? When will we run out of money?
7. How long will it take to pay off bank debts?

8. Are all the banks insolvent?
9. Is the government insolvent?

10. How many generations will it take to clear the debt?

11. Why is everyone afraid to tell the full truth?
12. Why did journalists ask the hard questions until the Opposition started to respond last week?
13. Is Europe tying the government’s hands?

14. Is there a conspiracy of silence designed to “protect” Ireland’s reputation (ha, ha!) among international investors?

15. Are we completely screwed?

No more dirty laundry party
Keep your hands outta my pockets party
The party’s over party
Accountability and efficiency party
No more jobs for the boys party
Eat my dole cheque party
We shall overcome the wankers party? No more wasters party Time to get a clue party Let them eat cake party/ We’re eating the cake party/ Cake crumbs party Reality bites party Cut the crap party Time to go party Repossession party Joined up thinking party Scarecrow party: if they only had a brain. Buy Cowen some Cohones party

Your suggestions so far by post, email, twitter and phone calls…
It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to party
It’s my party party
We the innocent party
Hey everyone let’s have a party party
Soldiers of mess-tiny party
The search & rescue party
Be Brave Brian party
Clarity party

Best new political party name wins a job as party leader! Will post results on the blog.