Sir, – I’m getting very tired of attitudes such as those displayed by RD Banton (April 2nd) when he refers to property investors as property gamblers. We are not gamblers, merely people who choose to invest our money a particular way.
How would he describe the purchasers of “blue chip” bank shares who were traditionally viewed as very conservative investors – are they now gamblers because they have lost all or most of their investments? Anyone with a contributory pension fund would appear to qualify as a gambler under the criteria offered by RD Banton as these proceeds are invested by fund managers in various stocks and shares – are these investments or gambles?
However, notwithstanding my disagreement with RD Banton on this issue, I feel we are kindred spirits regarding some of the worst gambles of all time perpetrated by this nation – the election of several (to quote the good scribe) “hopelessly irresponsible Fianna Fáil governments”. Gambles that definitely didn’t pay off! – Yours, etc,