What Irish political party would you like to see disappear and why?

Collie D

I was stuck between FF for the obvious reasons and the SWP but decided to go for the latter. I would consider myself socialist in outlook but these guys really get up my nose. From the ones I have met, they seem to come from fairly well-off backgrounds with well-to-do daddies and it's merely a form of rebellion or it was the first society they got roped into in Trinity. They are more interested in whatever campaign America or Israel is involved in than social issues in Ireland. In short, all moan and no solution.

darkman2

Collie D wrote:

I was stuck between FF for the obvious reasons and the SWP but decided to go for the latter. I would consider myself socialist in outlook but these guys really get up my nose. From the ones I have met, they seem to come from fairly well-off backgrounds with well-to-do daddies and it's merely a form of rebellion or it was the first society they got roped into in Trinity. They are more interested in whatever campaign America or Israel is involved in than social issues in Ireland. In short, all moan and no solution.

Sinn Fein. Also would like to see the Greens disappear too.

Collie D

darkman2 wrote:

Sinn Fein. Also would like to see the Greens disappear too.

Any particular reasons?

Cronus333

Well lets see.... I'm inclined towards Fianna Fail, as all the other parties are ideological:

Fine Gael: Christian Democracy
Labour: Social Democracy
PD: Classical Liberals
Greens: Green Politics
Sinn Fein: Nationalist

I might disagree with some them (Labour) and others outright scare me (Sinn Fein) but in reality I couldn't make myself wish the obliteration of any party in a democratic state, including FF or SF, as they represent specific ways of thinking, even if I disagree with them, we would be poorer for their absense.

gandalf

Sinn Fein, they are a front organisation for Criminals.

constitutionus

PDs, two percent of the population in the form of big business run this country anyway. they dont need a political wing

Collie D

constitutionus wrote:

PDs, two percent of the population in the form of big business run this country anyway. they dont need a political wing

Can't believe I forgot them, how are they in government again?

Time Magazine

Collie D wrote:

From the ones I have met, they seem to come from fairly well-off backgrounds with well-to-do daddies and it's merely a form of rebellion or it was the first society they got roped into in Trinity.

The Socialist party in Trinity is quite inactive, has been for many years, and is occupied primarily by academic socialists rather than socialist activists.

And incidentally, what would be wrong with children of wealthy people supporting socialism? Would it be wrong for a working-class kid to support the PDs?

Oh, and without a doubt, Sinn Féin.

Collie D

Ibid wrote:

The Socialist party in Trinity is quite inactive, has been for many years, and is occupied primarily by academic socialists rather than socialist activists.

And incidentally, what would be wrong with children of wealthy people supporting socialism? Would it be wrong for a working-class kid to support the PDs?

Oh, and without a doubt, Sinn Féin.

I would definitely consider it wrong for a member of the working class to vote PD. But then again, that's what democracy is all about but I can't imagine they get many votes in working class areas, remember one ran for the Dail in my constituency and polled a very small number of votes - can't remember how many but it was pathetically low for a government party.

Kevster

I'd like to see them all go because no matter which party wins an election the same things will reoccur: Lies, government slur in the press, protestsby certain groups of people, et cetera, et cetera...

stepbar

Sinn Fein.

thegoth

I am working class and will be voting for PDs this time.

The reason is that they are most in touch with the ordinary person. They are not worried about being too PC.

They believe that a someone who gets up early every morning and does a hard days work, should not support someone who chooses to sit on their ass all day and do nothing.

Also, they realise that the public sector is not underfunded. I work in the public health sector and let me tell everyone here that the problem is not money, its the staff.

People making sure they use all their sick days as holidays. People coming in 15 minutes late and leaving 10 minutes early every day. People taking 40 minute moring breaks as well as one hour lunches. Porters sitting down talking about matches. Lab people joking about how handy they have it. The list is endless.

The PDs are the only party that have the balls to try and tackle this issue. The easy things to do is stick with the status quo. They have choosen the hard option and I respect them for it.

Look at Michael McDowell and the Garda reserves. Great idea. I know they are not trained nearly as well as a Guard, but they dont need to be. I work in IT, and I would welcome someone to help he that has done 100 hours of training. I dont need a four BSc for all the tasks I do, but I have it for what I need it for. Same as nurses, they welcome nurses aid for doing jobs that less training is required for.

Would love to get rid of the Greens and Sinn Feinn. There policies boil down to the government giving social welfare to everyone just for sitting on their asses. JOKE. If no one works, who pays taxes?!!

One final discrace. This 1,000 euro per child that parents of children under 6 are getting from today in order to help pay for childcare costs. Good idea. But why on earth are parents that are not working getting it too !!!! This is nearly as good as travellers I know getting busses to a local community center, even thought they have cars, getting fed and paid, so that they do homework with children. Totally discrimation against everyone else. If travellers have it, why can't everyone. And before anyone calls me a racist, I'm not. Just stating a fact.

Jackie laughlin

Just a few comments.

Kevster above wants to treat politics with disdain. He's a cynic and cynicism is a political perspective which is seldom dealt with by opponents.

All political parties are ideological. Some like to pretend that they are not as "ideology" has been turned into a term of abuse.

Parties cannot be made to disappear in a democracy. Argument can be used to undermine them.

Many of the contributors above would like to see an end to SF because they deplore their fascism, yet the media talk in terms of their role in "the peace process". The Greens offer nothing that any other party could not offer, i.e. an enlightened policy on the environment. One always has to ask a Green is he or she socialist, liberal or conservative. (Don't expect a considered answer.) The overwhelming problem is the dominance of neo-liberal orthodoxy.

By the way, it would be a mistake to confuse class consciousness with being sociologically working class.

Diorraing

gandalf wrote:

Sinn Fein, they are a front organisation for Criminals.

I thought the IMC gave them a clean bill of health. Maybe you're more qualified to comment on the issue than they are?
Quit living in the past! FF were criminals once.

darkman2

Collie D wrote:

Any particular reasons?

Yes: Sinn Fein couldnt organise a Piss up in a brewery, have the craziest of policies and are backed by a criminal organisation.

The Greens are tree-huggers. How much progress would we make with them in power - they just object, object, object to everything.

Kevster

Jackie laughlin wrote:

Just a few comments.

Kevster above wants to treat politics with disdain. He's a cynic and cynicism is a political perspective which is seldom dealt with by opponents.

That's certainly true - I'm completely disillusioned by the way the world works. In truth, however, I'm just depressed.

Mick86

Diorraing wrote:

I thought the IMC gave them a clean bill of health. Maybe you're more qualified to comment on the issue than they are?

Ha ha. Very good. Do you do stand up on a regular basis?

Diorraing wrote:

Quit living in the past! FF were criminals once.

What do you mean, once?

In answer to the original question, all Irish political parties should be disbanded and their members neutered to stop them reproducing. All Irish politicians are incompetent buffoons and an embarrassment. The country could be better run by a committee formed from senior members of the ICA.

InFront

I feel the same as Mick above, except instead of the ICA, I would replace all politicians with The Hoff.

Alternatively... we could just accept that all parties have their failings, and despite their arrogance, inefficiencies, some disastrous economics theories, disrespect and diplomatic blunders, all have been democratically elected and have the right to exist. Even Sinn Fein. Unfortunately.

Bah, Im still going with The Hoff.

ninty9er

The PDs. They ultimately belong in FF or FG and only exist cos Charlie Haughey was an ignorant Leader and the FG crowd felt they weren't being heard.

I'd say FG but that would cause a swing to the left like we saw in Europe a few years back with disastrous effects.

The Current govt. has encouraged economic growth and development and FF has been the driving force.

SF are just a joke, and if they were ordinary decent non "stronly- anti- British" people would probably join the Socialists

Húrin

I would like to see Fine Gael disappear and Fianna Fáil to fracture, and end this Civil War division once and for all.

Sinn Fein are a bit worrying now, they could do with vanishing.

I despise the Socialist party (the Anti-America party). Not that America shouldn't be criticised, but anti-Americanism shouldn't form the basis of a party. What I dislike about them most is their proliferation of leaflets. Every protest they have is an exercise in pollution.

Cronus333 wrote:

PD: Classical Liberals

They're much more moderate than that.

antSionnach

H&#250 wrote: »

I would like to see Fine Gael disappear and Fianna Fáil to fracture, and end this Civil War division once and for all.

Civil war division . Its not 1950 anymore, these people do speak to one another now...
Getting rid of FG and then splitting FF? Is there not a bit of a contradiction there?

Húrin

thegoth wrote:

Would love to get rid of the Greens and Sinn Feinn. There policies boil down to the government giving social welfare to everyone just for sitting on their asses. JOKE. If no one works, who pays taxes?!!

Well I agree that Sinn Fein's proposals are unworkable 70s socialist ****, but the Greens? How are they big welfare funders? Maybe you should link to their manifesto and prove it?

Nobody likes those who are permanently on social welfare, but the unemployment rate is so low that there is hardly any of them around anymore. I wouldn't make it my number 1 issue.

Jackie laughlin wrote:

The Greens offer nothing that any other party could not offer, i.e. an enlightened policy on the environment. One always has to ask a Green is he or she socialist, liberal or conservative.

Only the Greens seem to understand the importance of the environmental and energy issues.

There aren't many hardcore socialist, liberal or conservatives in the Greens, we're mostly centrist or centre-left.

darkman2 wrote:

The Greens are tree-huggers. How much progress would we make with them in power - they just object, object, object to everything.

Bull****! Firstly they're an opposition party. It's their job to object. In my area (Dublin SE) we've been getting policy sheets on energy issues. So it's not like they have no solutions.

Húrin

antSionnach wrote:

Civil war division . Its not 1950 anymore, these people do speak to one another now...
Getting rid of FG and then splitting FF? Is there not a bit of a contradiction there?

The number of people who vote for one of these parties just because their families have always done so is ridiculous. It all just goes back to whose side the family was on in the Civil War.

darkman2

H&#250 wrote: »

Well I agree that Sinn Fein's proposals are unworkable 70s socialist ****, but the Greens? How are they big welfare funders? Maybe you should link to their manifesto and prove it?

Nobody likes those who are permanently on social welfare, but the unemployment rate is so low that there is hardly any of them around anymore. I wouldn't make it my number 1 issue.


Only the Greens seem to understand the importance of the environmental and energy issues.

There aren't many hardcore socialist, liberal or conservatives in the Greens, we're mostly centrist or centre-left.


Bull****! Firstly they're an opposition party. It's their job to object. In my area (Dublin SE) we've been getting policy sheets on energy issues. So it's not like they have no solutions.

A 'policy sheet' on Energy Issues - thats gong to run the country is it. Can you tell me about their economic policy?

Diorraing

Diorraing wrote:

I thought the IMC gave them a clean bill of health. Maybe you're more qualified to comment on the issue than they are?
Quit living in the past! FF were criminals once.

Oh not that old chessnut... Lets not turn this into a thread on republicanism.

I dont want to see any party dissapear were I given the power to make them disappear.I dont believe in this "class" bull either, we all sit on the same toilet and we can all get up off it and out there and make as much or more money than the next if we put our mind to it.
parties will disappear but only because they are either advocating something most people dont want or another party is advocating it better.

jjbrien

ninty9er wrote:

The PDs. They ultimately belong in FF or FG and only exist cos Charlie Haughey was an ignorant Leader and the FG crowd felt they weren't being heard.

I'd say FG but that would cause a swing to the left like we saw in Europe a few years back with disastrous effects.

The Current govt. has encouraged economic growth and development and FF has been the driving force.

SF are just a joke, and if they were ordinary decent non "stronly- anti- British" people would probably join the Socialists

Did you not notice that it was FG who got the country back on tract between 1994 and 1997 by cutting corportaion tax whic started the big influx of forien investment.

FG and FF have managed to pull our economy out of the depression. Altough they do have a few bad apples in them. So i would keep them. Howere SF should be got rid off. Did anybody notice the big SF rally in belfast on Sunday it was like star wars meets SF. They were all dressed like jedi knights. Time for SF to go as they are no longer needed.

H&#250

H&#250 wrote: »

The number of people who vote for one of these parties just because their families have always done so is ridiculous. It all just goes back to whose side the family was on in the Civil War.

What a new an incisive argument.

Let me dust down the 'green are all hippies in sandals with beards who mop up all the ugly chicks' line in rebuttal.

Sleepy

I have to say, I'd like to disband most of the political parties and start anew, forcing all parties to draw up clear and binding manifestos.

Jackie laughlin

Hurin,
EVERYONE understands the importance of environmental issues. The question is the level of state and international intervention which will be applied and the nature of those policies. That is a classic old-fashioned left Vs right debate.

This centrist guff is just a matter of saying, "I don't have a view."

Kevster,
I'm sorry you're a bit down. I didn't mean to be rude or unkind.

spurious

Sinn Féin are gangsters - they would be no loss.

FF/FG/PD should amalgamate since politically they are much the same anyway.

Jackie laughlin

Spurious,
SF are fascist; they "protect" areas. People vote for them because they support their ideology.

FF, FG and the PDs are not the same. They exist independently because their subtle gradations of neo-liberalism are required by a people who want choice - minor differences - within that overall ideology.