As it happens it was quite a short debate. The first caller to the show, a diplomat called Christian, urged his fellow Berliners not to be swayed by a muddle-headed sense of Euro-superiority. "Much as we might all feel duty bound to follow the example of our Dublin colleagues, " he said, "isn't our system of government (with its federation of states, clear separation of legislative and executive functions as well as a highly devolved local government), delivery of services (superb public transport, top class health care) and our general set of values (indifference to the newness of our cars and our deep suspicion of 'coarse' public representatives who habitually forget the large sums of cash they've had converted to foreign currencies before habitually forgetting where they put them) not so much more similar to the way they do things in Boston? And, " he concluded, "aren't our values reflected in the structured and methodical planning system we've put in place to control development in our "ne city?"

Subsequent callers agreed with everything Christian said. It was a slam dunk. And Berlin Joe, sensing a listener haemorrhage, moved quickly onto other things.

Not long afterwards, I found myself in Boston. And, wouldn't you know it, on the popular afternoon show 'Talk To Joe, But Not If Your Story Involves Stag Parties In Vilnius Or Irish Pubs Serving Watered Down Vodka', Boston Joe had the exact same idea for an afternoon's debate: Boston is at a cross roads in its development. So which model should we follow:

Dublin or Berlin? The first caller made points which sounded uncannily similar to diplomat Christian's: he pointed to the similarities between the US and German systems of government, Harvard, MIT and so on. "And isn't our set of values, " he concluded, "reflected in the structured and methodical planning system we've put in place to control development in our city?" Subsequent callers agreed. I could sense Boston Joe was fearing a listener haemorrhage and expected a quick change of topic. But he got one last call on the subject expressing a contrary view.

"I think we in Boston should try to move closer to the Dublin model, " said the caller. "After all, doesn't Ireland represent all the values that the outside world kind of erroneously associates with the US . . . carnivorous appetite for consumer goods, a free-for-all healthcare system where, if you weren't afraid for your life that an alcohol-fuelled "ght might break out, you could stroll around a hospital and observe general chaos?

"Why, I've seen Irish developers arrive off planes in Logan and take stretch limo rides around Boston looking for edge of town sites where they think they might be able squeeze in a 200-storey building by dazzling local councillors with highfalutin presentations and promises of cash donations to the community. But it darn near breaks my heart, Joe, when I show them Article 80 of the Boston Zoning Code and they discover for the first time that our culture of high-density developments isn't primarily driven by real estate hucksters but by a well-thought out strategy of how the city should be structured to serve the majority of the people who live in it."

The caller went on: "Joe, it's so sad when these stunned Irish guys ask that inevitable question: 'If the planning system in Boston, New York and Philadelphia is structured so tightly it resembles a slightly capitalistic version of something you'd "nd in Copenhagen, how do you Americans make all your money?' I always get a little emotional, Joe, when I break the news. 'In America we invent computers, develop software and discover cures for life-threatening diseases which we then export to other countries for excellent returns, ' I reply. The Irish guys get all incredulous.

'What ever happened to the Robber Barons, Tamany Hall and the Wild West?' they invariably ask. 'Dublin, Dubai and Shanghai, ' I respond.'

"This ain't right, Joe, " the caller concluded. "These guys arrive here in America looking for a natural home for their screw-the-system instincts and we shatter their illusions. . ."

Interestingly, nobody supported the caller's position. Subsequent contributors agreed that despite the lack of highmindedness the current US administration might be exhibiting, moving even further toward the Dublin model would be a radical step in the wrong direction. A consensus emerged that it would be better to celebrate the similarities between Boston and Berlin than dwell on the hairsplitting differences.

Days later, I find myself back in Dublin. And . . . what a coincidence! . . . our distinguished commentators are engaged in a game of Boston or Berlin.

How intriguing it was to hear the debate given far greater credibility in Dublin than in the other two cities. Some talk show contributors, who hadn't spent a wet day in Boston, warned against the "dangers of American free-market economics". A soccer pundit seemed to have the last word on the matter. He reasoned that although the Bundesliga wasn't of the same vintage as the Premiership or Serie A, it was Chateau Petrus compared to the cheap cabernet of the North American Football League and for that reason it would be a scandal not to follow the Berlin model.

And after years of Boston or Berlin chatter during which time no effort has been spared to not understand the fundamentals of why either would be considered useful examples for us to follow, our planning (healthcare/ school building/social exclusion) system continues to be what it always was . . . a, cut-price, two-for, bottom-shelf supermarket cabernet.