[Padraig]

I wonder about that. I view our (lack of) reaction as mature, not passive. People died in Greece and they burned all kinds of things. They still have a huge debt to pay back. We're taking it like grown ups and having an election.

[greenmachine]

If you have to choose between a mature reaction that keeps you in debt and an immature reaction that leads to reversing the bad decisions that have been made at the citizens' expense, I would take the latter. But most Irish seem too concerned about their precious "international reputation" to do that - I hear this refrain all the time. Many people seem more concerned with the effect of the crisis on Ireland's reputation abroad than with the impact on current and future generations. "Taking it like a grown up", as you put it, is not the highest aspiration one can have in this situation - you could simply refuse to accept the situation and create such a stink that nothing can happen in the country until some of these devastating economic decisions have been reversed. If Iceland can get away with it, Ireland can too.

[Padraig]

My argument is that violent protests would do very little to help. We're having an election that will throw the ruling party out. The next government are campaigning on the basis that they'll get a better deal. I doubt they will succeed, but rioting on the assumption that the problems can be decided away won't make it any more likely.