Just in case anybody should take offense at the last piece, playing devil's advocate and having a sense of irony about the current way of life on this island, I think that the ability many people have to laugh rather than get angry is one of the ways of dealing with life's irritations.

The irony in my own case is that I cannot think of a better place in the whole world to live than Dublin. Every time I look out over our coastline or meet a friendly person, it is obvious that being driven out by carbon taxes would show a lack of resilience. Also, since houses are worth next to nothing and continue to fall in value, it would be poor economy to try to go to live in a wealthier country. Thinking aloud here has helped to understand why any of the G20 countries would be very uncomfortable for those of us who are not upwardly mobile and ambitious.

Seana Graham, whose insightful blog, "Confessions of Ignorance" is one of the best on the Blogspot system is very interested in the plight of the middle classes in the US. Anybody who follows the guidance of any political elite is liable to be puzzled when they discover that they have been sold a pup, metaphorically speaking.

Efforts to set the private section against the public in this country have largely failed given that most people have worked at some time or other in both areas of employment and solidarity is seen as the way forward. In class divided societies, trouble is brewing and this look sets to continue.