We declare our resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation

Posted by Conor O'Neill on Monday, June 29, 2009

I woke up this morning to read about Brian Cowen’s “Innovation” Taskforce and have spent since then utterly enraged.

In a time of crisis when men/women of vision and ability need to quickly agree a strategy and execute it with confidence, Brian Cowen assembles 28 people (plus the heads of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, the Higher Education Authority and representatives from the departments of Education and Science, Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and Finance).

Yes my jaw hit the floor too.

A 40+ person talk-shop and travel expenses generator. That’s what Cowen and Coughlan think this country needs?

Because it’s worked so well in the past? Does the word agile mean anything to these people?

40+ people and two of them are women?

What century is this?

When Sean Lemass and T.K. Whitaker dragged this country kicking and screaming out of a hellhole from 1959 onwards, did they spend months (or years) prattling on with anyone who had on opinion?

I actually have a pain in my stomach with anger over this. These are our leaders? I’m not talking about CandC, I mean the committee. Did anyone who was asked say “NO, get a clue”? Did anyone who was asked question the utter stupidity of assembling this joke? Did anyone who was asked, reply “ENOUGH TALKING”.

Is there any senior person in the Irish Civil Service or Quango-sector who is tearing their hair out this morning and screaming in frustration too?

Yes? Then maybe it’s time for an alternative.

We need (possibly anonymously):

  • 1 Senior Civil Servant, non-EI
  • 1 Senior Civil Servant, EI
  • 1 head of an FDI company with a large Irish operation in non-manufacture
  • 1 head of a globally successful indigenous company
  • 1 head of a startup
  • 1 politician with a business or financial background

2 months. 3 max.

Outcome - a disruptive plan to rebuild the Irish economy and the business environment in a sustainable way around the idea of Constructive Capitalism. And a marketing plan to go with it. If our leaders won’t lead then it’s time to subvert from the bottom-up.

This type of thinking:

Umair Haque @ Daytona Sessions vol. 2 - Constructive Capitalism from Daytona Sessions on Vimeo.

and this:

Anyone? Anyone?

conor AT loudervoice DOT com


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