Why not laugh? What, you want us to cast ashes on our heads and wail? Its (darkly) hilarious, along the lines of this

You're either laughing or you're crying.

As for why those guys are amused imagining the reaction of those particular people - if you consume any news media by listening to the radio, watching the news or reading the paper you're well used to the crap about social partnership and "solidarity". For a long time this was suspected to be code for "we're screwing you over and smiling while we do it" and pretty much all the most recent evidence confirms that.

Amusing? Because fuck the social partnership model?

Two reminders:
1. If anyone has an issue with a particular post, they can always use the report button to highlight it to the moderators/admins. The report button looks like this and is at the bottom right of every post.
2. If anyone is looking to read the non-glee policy, you can find it at this link: viewtopic.php?f=25&t=1047

Now, back on topic folks. Kittehs and the meaning manifested by smilies are not on topic.

Damn! I knew I should have photoshopped the IMF report in - to try and fake on-topicness!

Well, I don't really have an issue with anyone's post. I'm just curious about peoples' reactions. Sharper has answered my question, at least in the context of social partnership. I am certainly no great advocate of social partnership. I agree with Sharper that the Irish media's kid gloves' treatment of social partnership is silly.

If given proper coverage, this IMF report and especially the specifics regarding national debt, public service, and NAMA could just be the reality check that is so badly needed. So many still hang on to the notion that this is all a bad dream and everything will be fine as soon as dawn breaks, the whole country needs to realize that this is an Artic winter and dawn may not come for a long, long time but they do need to wake up and deal with the reality daily until the long awaited Spring.
While people are seeing the effects in daily life in terms of unemployment, negative equity, increased taxes, wage cuts, businesses closing down, banks refusing credit, etc., it seems to me that people have not absorbed the national reality of a bankrupt nation where NAMA is but an added farcical fairytale.

this seems still alas to be the reaction of people

If by proper coverage you mean Prime Time specials, VB, THe Hook etc, forget it. What we need is a developer to ring Joe Duffy in tears, or a NAMA storyline in Fair City, then the sheeple might take notice.

Or people can try to explain it to their friends with what they know as best they can using simple cause & effect scenario painting.

Tell them to check out this website.

To look at the years of commentary on this website.

That exemplifies the power of the ordinary, the people who have been more effective at explainign what are difficult issues than any media outlet. Issues essentially orbiting the supernova that is the property bubble and thus once this is grasped as a universal context it becomes very easy to understand and compute onwards.

The sacred cows of welfare, health, education and pensions will have to be cut.

It's as clear as day.

It's because the pin has an unofficial glee policy.

Unfortunately OW this presupposes that most people actually want to, or can be persuaded to, seek out and absorb information. We on the pin and similar forums are in this respect an exception, rather than the rule IMHO.

Years of soundbytes, and lacklusture analytical reporting have left the majority of the populace either enable or unwilling to even attempt to absorb serious detailled information, even when it directly affects them. Actually, this may be a chicken & egg situation now that I think of it, possibly modern reporting methods are a response to the unwillingness of the populace to absorb detailed coverage.

Either way, the problem remains, I understand where you're coming from, it would be great if that untapped power could be harnessed, but I ain't gonna hold my breath.

Have read report and am listening to the most appropriate song track I could think of - Metallica One.

I'll be ok having lived through the 80's when we hadn't got a pot to piss in.

I'm thinking about the little urchins next door to me who have been raised with no respect for money -
I specifically remember the Confirmation and his pocket stuffed full of fifties.
There was me proffering my measly tenner.
It was shown no respect whatsoever.

This generation of school leavers has no respect for money.
So you will forgive me if I experience some schadenfreude.