North Korea Increases Aid to Russia, Mos... Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
Trump Assembles a War Cabinet Sat Nov 16, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
Slavgrinder Ramps Up Into Overdrive Tue Nov 12, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
?Existential? Culling to Continue on Com... Mon Nov 11, 2024 10:28 | Marko Marjanovi?
US to Deploy Military Contractors to Ukr... Sun Nov 10, 2024 02:37 | Field Empty
Anti-Empire >>
Indymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.
Fraud and mismanagement at University College Cork Thu Aug 28, 2025 18:30 | Calli Morganite
UCC has paid huge sums to a criminal professor
This story is not for republication. I bear responsibility for the things I write. I have read the guidelines and understand that I must not write anything untrue, and I won't.
This is a public interest story about a complete failure of governance and management at UCC.
Deliberate Design Flaw In ChatGPT-5 Sun Aug 17, 2025 08:04 | Mind Agent
Socratic Dialog Between ChatGPT-5 and Mind Agent Reveals Fatal and Deliberate 'Design by Construction' Flaw
This design flaw in ChatGPT-5's default epistemic mode subverts what the much touted ChatGPT-5 can do... so long as the flaw is not tickled, any usage should be fine---The epistemological question is: how would anyone in the public, includes you reading this (since no one is all knowing), in an unfamiliar domain know whether or not the flaw has been tickled when seeking information or understanding of a domain without prior knowledge of that domain???!
This analysis is a pretty unique and significant contribution to the space of empirical evaluation of LLMs that exist in AI public world... at least thus far, as far as I am aware! For what it's worth--as if anyone in the ChatGPT universe cares as they pile up on using the "PhD level scholar in your pocket".
According to GPT-5, and according to my tests, this flaw exists in all LLMs... What is revealing is the deduction GPT-5 made: Why ?design choice? starts looking like ?deliberate flaw?.
People are paying $200 a month to not just ChatGPT, but all major LLMs have similar Pro pricing! I bet they, like the normal user of free ChatGPT, stay in LLM's default mode where the flaw manifests itself. As it did in this evaluation.
AI Reach: Gemini Reasoning Question of God Sat Aug 02, 2025 20:00 | Mind Agent
Evaluating Semantic Reasoning Capability of AI Chatbot on Ontologically Deep Abstract (bias neutral) Thought
I have been evaluating AI Chatbot agents for their epistemic limits over the past two months, and have tested all major AI Agents, ChatGPT, Grok, Claude, Perplexity, and DeepSeek, for their epistemic limits and their negative impact as information gate-keepers.... Today I decided to test for how AI could be the boon for humanity in other positive areas, such as in completely abstract realms, such as metaphysical thought. Meaning, I wanted to test the LLMs for Positives beyond what most researchers benchmark these for, or have expressed in the approx. 2500 Turing tests in Humanity?s Last Exam.. And I chose as my first candidate, Google DeepMind's Gemini as I had not evaluated it before on anything.
Israeli Human Rights Group B'Tselem finally Admits It is Genocide releasing Our Genocide report Fri Aug 01, 2025 23:54 | 1 of indy
We have all known it for over 2 years that it is a genocide in Gaza
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem has finally admitted what everyone else outside Israel has known for two years is that the Israeli state is carrying out a genocide in Gaza
Western governments like the USA are complicit in it as they have been supplying the huge bombs and missiles used by Israel and dropped on innocent civilians in Gaza. One phone call from the USA regime could have ended it at any point. However many other countries are complicity with their tacit approval and neighboring Arab countries have been pretty spinless too in their support
With the release of this report titled: Our Genocide -there is a good chance this will make it okay for more people within Israel itself to speak out and do something about it despite the fact that many there are actually in support of the Gaza
China?s CITY WIDE CASH SEIZURES Begin ? ATMs Frozen, Digital Yuan FORCED Overnight Wed Jul 30, 2025 21:40 | 1 of indy
This story is unverified but it is very instructive of what will happen when cash is removed
THIS STORY IS UNVERIFIED BUT PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO OR READ THE TRANSCRIPT AS IT GIVES AN VERY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT A CASHLESS SOCIETY WILL LOOK LIKE. And it ain't pretty
A single video report has come out of China claiming China's biggest cities are now cashless, not by choice, but by force. The report goes on to claim ATMs have gone dark, vaults are being emptied. And overnight (July 20 into 21), the digital yuan is the only currency allowed.
The Saker >>
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony
Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony
Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony
RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony
Waiting for SIPO Anthony
Public Inquiry >>
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Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18Well done to Galway Bin Charges Campaign and the Councillors that voted to retain the full waiver scheme in Galway.
Here in Sligo we still pay the highest bin charge in the world and no waiver at all. The manner in which Sligo people are discriminated against would make you wonder if we are under a different jurisdiction all together.
Won't it make more sense anyway to encourage people to recycle their rubbish, eg, reductions in tax for reduced trash loads? Taxing binloads or collections can lead to fly-tipping.
It is not discrimination surely - it’s that different local authorities have different polices and different income and expenditure policies. To have one set of charges for all local authorities would imply one local authority for the whole State which would in turn imply the abolition of local Government altogether. If you want lower charges with the existing system you should elect Councillors that will run a tight ship expenditure wise.
"If you want lower charges with the existing system you should elect Councillors that will run a tight ship expenditure wise."
Why not go the whole hog and elect a Council that will spend nothing at all. The stone age beckons!
It would be an insult to the Stone Age to compare it unfavourably to the extant system of Irish local government what with many of the antics of local counsellors over the years. Instead of complaining about charges check the accounts for the council and the Local Government Audit reports. Elect people who will cut back on waste, junkets and extravagant spending on council offices for just some examples.
"It would be an insult to the Stone Age to compare it unfavourably to the extant system of Irish local government what with many of the antics of local counsellors over the years."
Strange to see you criticise our system of local government as it is a right wing formula designed to keep control out of the hands of local people. The present government that you admire so much has introduced many pieces of legislation which puts full authority into the hands of an unelected county manager for many of the vital functions. It's called Executive Function. Out elected representatives are reduced to mere bystanders on many of these vital issues.
That is a bit of a red herring. In fact because a local authority cannot be allowed go bankrupt and there is nothing else to stop the Council behaving recklessly by going insolvent (unlike company directors who can be prosecuted for trading recklessly or while insolvent) there is a need for some type of national override. Otherwise the Council would run up very large and unsustainable debts and its creditors would have to be bailed out by the centre if essential services were not to suffer. This has been the position historically – it is not new. In reality what you are demanding is a tax cut for yourself but with no counterpoint savings or replacement revenue based on a rather self centred victimhood.
That is amazing gobbledigook sceptic and you have surpassed even yourself. Can you tell use when did central government first remove executive powers from local elected representatives and the circumstances? Contrary to what you state, local government once had considerable powers, independent of central government.
“WOULD MAKE YOU WONDER IF WE ARE UNDER A DIFFERENT JURISDICTION ALL TOGETHER.”
The reality is you are living under a different (local) jurisdiction altogether so variations will be an expected feature.
The system is as set up in the constitution where at least implicitly the local authorities are subordinate to the Oireachtas and the Executive. It is not a question of local democracy being suppressed - it is a question of other national democratic organs being set above them. The legislation flows from that constitutional order and if you disagree with that your problem is with the constitution. Thus for instance the Minister can dissolve a Council that refuses to strike a rate. This power was once used way back in the 1960s when Frank Cluskey was Lord Mayor of Dublin and was on an official trip to the US and found himself fired which caused some embarrassment to him. Local Authorities arguably had more power and autonomy back in the UK days. In reality the abolition of local rates in 1977 removed much of their de facto power. If you really want powerful Local Government you have to have significant fiscal responsibility as well including meaningful local taxes not just a few hundred a year for bin charges. You cannot have one without the other but you want it both ways. No taxation without representation is a worthy demand but what is even worse is representation without taxation. That makes for the type of irresponsible Local Authority decisions that cause the central Government to intervene.
"The reality is you are living under a different (local) jurisdiction altogether so variations will be an expected feature."
All local authorty areas are essentially financed by subvention from central taxation. The crazy situation that has been allowed to develop as central government works through a policy of privatisation and distancing Ministers from responsibilities is that vital services are reasonably priced in some areas while in others citizens are being fleeced.
Example.
Bin collection charges range from €4 to €10 (The higher charges are usually levied by your much loved privatisated operators.) On top of this, in these high charge areas there is no waiver scheme for pensioners and low paid. The effect of this is that a pensioner in an area with no waiver is being discriminated against when compared to his fellow pensioner in an area with a waiver scheme. What's your solution. all pensioners up sticks and move to Dublin?
The bulk of local authority financing has been provided by the exchequer for many decades – well before the word “privatisation” was coined. Something that is left for the local decision is the refuse charge. You who protest you are championing local democracy are dissatisfied that a neighbouring council has different arrangements than your own and want this changed from the centre which seems a negation of the local decision principle. If there is local autonomy here is no reason why two differing areas should have the same arrangements. You cannot seem to grasp this. Autonomy = difference. Lack of difference = lack of autonomy. Two counties each having their own local government means ipso facto that there will not be complete geographical equality between the residents of the two counties. There is a huge contradiction at the heart of your protests about lack of equality with Galway. If you are unhappy about arrangements for pensioners in Sligo why not elect a party that might meaningfully address the issue of changes in the budgetary policy for your council.
" If there is local autonomy here is no reason why two differing areas should have the same arrangements. You cannot seem to grasp this. Autonomy = difference. Lack of difference = lack of autonomy"
This is breathtaking waffle and I am now certain that Sceptic is a piss taker. The logic of above is that we are not a nation at all. This contention would only make sense if all the taxes raised locally went to the local administration and spent locally. The fact is that the vast bulk of taxes paid go to central government for dispersement. In the example given, citizens of Sligo are actually subsidising their own discrimination.
No wonder the Health Service is in chaos. PD infantile values informing decision making.
Its not waffle it is elementary principles. I might as well complain that the national tax rates are higher in ROI than in the UK without mentioned that they are different jurisdiction. Anyway rather than complain one can channel one's energy into changing the situation if one is so driven. If, as you seem to be arguing, much of the fiscal raising responsibility and service responsibility is taken from local authorities there will not be much left to justify this extra tier of government. It is inescapable that if you want your own local authority in your local area if have to live with the outcomes that are generated by that set of circumstances and you should address your grievances in local fora. Incidentally Dublin is the only part of the county that generates more revenue than it enjoys – the regions are all net beneficiaries from the Central Fund.
"Its not waffle it is elementary principles. I might as well complain that the national tax rates are higher in ROI than in the UK without mentioned that they are different jurisdiction."
Could you run that by us again, only this time try English
.
" It is inescapable that if you want your own local authority in your local area if have to live with the outcomes that are generated by that set of circumstances and you should address your grievances in local fora."
What would central government do?
" Incidentally Dublin is the only part of the county that generates more revenue than it enjoys – the regions are all net beneficiaries from the Central Fund."
What would happen to "Dublin's revenues" if the "regions" did not exist?
PD ideology gone mad!
Jim,
Sceptic has made his points quite clearly, I can't really understand what your problem is.
Essentially what he is saying is that we have a choice of :
- only centralised government
- only local government
- a combination of local and central governement
No prizes for guessing which option prevails at the moment.
Given this degree of local governance, one expects differences in policy across local government boundaries. If there was a homogenous policy, one could conclude that the local governement had done nothing.
Is that really so difficult ?
Damien,
"Sceptic has made his points quite clearly, I can't really understand what your problem is."
Sceptic has not made any point clear and your attempt at rationale is also flawed.
"Essentially what he is saying is that we have a choice of :
- only centralised government
- only local government
- a combination of local and central governement
No prizes for guessing which option prevails at the moment."
The problem at present is quite simple: while we may have local governance, we do not have local democratic governance. The exercise of casting a vote does not a democracy deliver. The elected councillors have little or no power, that power now resides with the Executive.
"If there was a homogenous policy, one could conclude that the local governement had done nothing."
What we are talking about here is the imposition of service charges. These are a Tax and if you have a group of people being charged in one part of the country and another not, that is discrimination as between citizens of the same state.
"Given this degree of local governance, one expects differences in policy across local government boundaries. "
There ought not be any substantive difference. Local Authorities should deliver vital services as directed by central government.
Now that's not that difficult, is it?
Well this is where it all hangs on your definition of substantive i.e. where exactly the line between local and central government is drawn.
Are you suggesting a return to the times when county councillers had power that is now confined to the civil servants? Are you really sure that worked ?
Let me get this straight Damien, you have no problem with power resting within the remit of an unelected official in the form of the County manager? That is an unexceptable position, especially for a democrat. County councillers are accountable to the electorate, County managers are not.
Are you really sure thats an arangement you are happy with? Bizarre, but of course such right wing political views are not far removed from the hack you've been apologising for.
Sceptic has as usual muddied the waters on this thread as he does on every thread he touches.