Breda O'Brien wants the state to force shops to close.

[TradCat]

In her column today O'Brien told us that she didn't like shopping and she didn't like other people doing it either at certain hours of the day. Her solution is a ban to force other people to be more like her


If there were a ban on shops opening until 10am on December 28th, we might rediscover time to reflect and re-charge. Grocery stores could be permitted to open for limited hours.

Would it not make more sense for her to stay away from the shops and let other people choose how to live their lives without her interference. The concept of individual freedom appears to be alien to Irish discourse.

[MarD]

Trad Cat - Maybe you should apply your logic to all forms of choice; drug taking, alcohol consumption, smoking, gambling.
Adults show a great propensity to act and behave like children. Sometimes Governments need to restrict ceratin behaviours for the good of society.

Closing shops on a Sunday would be a great idea. It would reduce low paid worker exploitation in the retail sector and give shop workers a normal day off. It happens in Germany and they seem to get by.
Unfortunately the odious stench of vague religious connotations on Sunday makes liberals reel from such considerations for the retail workers.

[drbob1972]

whilst i don't per say agree with O'Brien i am also not a fan of the obsessive shopping / consumer culture we seem to have imported so successfully from the UK/US, who needed to be shopped at 5 a.m. on the 27th ? well it seems many people did according to reports from the early opening of some of the multiples.

personally i like the balance they have in places like Holland where shops open one sunday in four in a given area and its rotated so the majority of shops are closed but there are some shops in a reasonable distance that are open for those whom feel they must shop

[TradCat]

Trad Cat - Maybe you should apply your logic to all forms of choice; drug taking, alcohol consumption, smoking, gambling.
Adults show a great propensity to act and behave like children. Sometimes Governments need to restrict ceratin behaviours for the good of society.

Like taking cocaine and buying jumpers too early in the morning? Treating adults like children and by implication the state like a parent is the wrong road to go down.

Then again if you consider giving somebody a job as exploiting them you are a good bit down that road anyway.

Drbob

I'm not a fan of shopping either and there is no way I'd be up at 5am. But I have no objection to anyone else doing it if that's what floats their boat. It's none of my business.

[mr_anderson]

Who does Breda O'Brien write for ?

[qtman]

whilst i don't per say agree with O'Brien i am also not a fan of the obsessive shopping / consumer culture we seem to have imported so successfully from the UK/US, who needed to be shopped at 5 a.m. on the 27th ? well it seems many people did according to reports from the early opening of some of the multiples.

personally i like the balance they have in places like Holland where shops open one sunday in four in a given area and its rotated so the majority of shops are closed but there are some shops in a reasonable distance that are open for those whom feel they must shop

I used to to think we should restrict shopping but I'm not so sure anymore.

I was in France recently and strolled around a large town on a Sunday afternoon. There wasn't a soul to be seen - but at the same time, France has 8% unemployment.

I'd sooner see people working in shops, and shopping, at whatever time of the day or night, than sitting at home watching TV and wondering if their lives are worth living any more.

If you don't want to work in them, or go to them, stay at home, but don't deny other people the right to work or shop as they please.

[qtman]

whilst i don't per say agree with O'Brien i am also not a fan of the obsessive shopping / consumer culture we seem to have imported so successfully from the UK/US, who needed to be shopped at 5 a.m. on the 27th ? well it seems many people did according to reports from the early opening of some of the multiples.

personally i like the balance they have in places like Holland where shops open one sunday in four in a given area and its rotated so the majority of shops are closed but there are some shops in a reasonable distance that are open for those whom feel they must shop

I used to to think we should restrict shopping but I'm not so sure anymore.

I was in France recently and strolled around a large town on a Sunday afternoon. There wasn't a soul to be seen - but at the same time, France has 8% unemployment.

I'd sooner see people working in shops, and shopping, at whatever time of the day or night, than sitting at home watching TV and wondering if their lives are worth living any more.

If you don't want to work in them, or go to them, stay at home, but don't deny other people the right to work or shop as they please.

[jerryp]

I think there should be some restrictions, if only to make a public statement that there's more to life than making money. In Sweden in December a few years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to see that most of the big department stores were closed on a Sunday afternoon. You can be assured that most of the employees of the 24 hour stores here are on a minimum wage.
Just a thought, would there be some logic in having museums, libraries, art galleries, etc. open for some of the hours that the stores would be shut ( along with the churches of course ) or have I had just one hot toddy too many already today ?

[FutureTaoiseach]

I disagree. I wonder is religion behind her attitude on this matter?

[jerryp]

I disagree. I wonder is religion behind her attitude on this matter?

I haven't read the article, but I would support it from the point of view of values as a society than mere religon, though both may coincide on certain issues.