Joe Higgins MEP: McDonald & Ganley finished!

FlutterinBantam

wildswan wrote: »

FF crippled private investment in industry etc by helping to make property speculation way more attractive than actual investment. Now they're trying to stop those speculators from going broke by protecting Anglo Irish.

Does that make Fianna FAIL socialist?

You may not have noticed that I in no way condone the mismanagement of the country by the current Govt.

Ther is this saying,you may not have heard of it Pal"two wrongs don't make a right":cool:

KnifeWRENCH

Delighted that Ganley is finished!

Reasonably happy for Higgins, although I quite like Mary Lou McDonald and so I do feel a bit sorry for her. I don't have any particular opinion of Eoin Ryan.

Mad Finn

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Higgins has effortlessly landed in the slot where he will never have to take risks or account for himself.

You mean apart from presenting himself to the electorate at regular intervals? You could say the same about any elected rep.

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

All he will do is push out the old mantra of the "downtrodden worker" and he will have the immediate support of the neanderthals who believe that despite taking no risks, taking no initiatives, and earning €35 per hour in the pay of a semi state or state company ,they are down trodden.

Who takes risks? Sean Fitzpatrick with his multi million pound pension? The guys who drove AIG into the ground with their massive bonuses and pay offs? I think you're picking the wrong time to rehash this totally outdated and now completely discredited Gordon Gekko swagger.

The speculative property developers and their bankers took a one-way punt and now it is the rest of us who will have to pay for it all. Who's taking the risk here?

FlutterinBantam

Mad Finn wrote: »

Well I'm no doctrinaire Socialist but I have always been impressed by Higgins' integrity, candour and the diligence with which he goes about representing the interest groups that are his main constituency.

I also believe that any democratic assembly is the better for having a conscientious contrary voice, continually challenging whatever is the prevailing wisdom of the day. Call it the "Carping Critic" which all the management text books tell you is such an important component to have in any decision making process.

So I gave him my vote.

The only mild regret I am already having is that I have since learned he wants to run for the Dail in which case his MEP seat will go automatically to somebody I didn't vote for, that I don't know and could be a complete loony tunes altogether.

Now I realise this is as much a flaw in the system as it is in Higgins' Dail ambitions but I still think that if he asked to be elected to an assembly which doesn't have the facility to run by-elections then he should honour the mandate he was given.

In his defense he made it PERFECTLY clear what his intentions would be.

I won't comment on that,but........ spot on buddy.

FlutterinBantam

Mad Finn wrote: »

You mean apart from presenting himself to the electorate at regular intervals? You could say the same about any elected rep.




Who takes risks? Sean Fitzpatrick with his multi million pound pension? The guys who drove AIG into the ground with their massive bonuses and pay offs? I think you're picking the wrong time to rehash this totally outdated and now completely discredited Gordon Gekko swagger.

The speculative property developers and their bankers took a one-way punt and now it is the rest of us who will have to pay for it all. Who's taking the risk here?

Wake up Buddy, I am not defending any of those people.

I am talking about policies, not crooks who misused them.

You should really read my responses before flying off half cocked.

anonymous_joe

Am I the only who reckons Joe Higgins will have a lot of hassle as a socialist given how many countries are ex-communist and tend to have quite left wing elements countered by extremely anti-communist/socialist/left-handed people parties...?

Happy for him though, and glad to see Mary Lou fail.

Fulton Crown

Look ! I don't doubt Higgin's integrity and honesty...and the recent antics of the fat cat Bankers and politicos probably meant that lefties like him were sure to be elected.

I'm quite certain that the guy will be rumbled by both his European colleagues and the home electorate pretty quickly.

He will be unable to resist playing to the gallery - with his backwoods antics, "Cute brogue" and colourful turn of phrase.

I just dread to think that this bombastic clown will be polluting the national media for some time to come peddling his downtrodden worker mantra and being "agin" everything that is remotly like progress.

Even worse is that his stand in for Europe should he be elected to the dail is that mealy mouthed leftie Claire Daly who would like to see a bloated and top heavy DAA and Aer Lingus be propped up by the rest of us.

Mark my words this guy will be popping up on every talk show and sound bite opportunity...there will be no escape...none....

Nodin

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

No, they are not. Start a thread if you want.

FlutterinBantam

Unfortunately Fulton, I fear you are right.

People voted for Joe,as instanced by a previous poster, without knowing what his agenda was and who would be representing us if he won a Dáil seat.

He put all this out in the open but obviously people couldn't see the wood from the trees, which of course is the scenario he hoped for.

As you rightly say Fulton, the paucity and ineptitude of the opposition ensured that any populist rabble rouser was in with a shot, and while not referring to Joe in such derogatory terms, so it turned out.

So Irish electorate take a bow for electing a bastion of negativity, a smotherer of enterprise, a grey cloaked musty smelling denizen of a failed political era who prospers only because the people whom we trusted let us down.

We deserve what we get.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

FlutterinBantam

Well , a wee bit flowery ,but at the end of the day that's what happened.

CiaranC

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Unfortunately Fulton, I fear you are right.

People voted for Joe,as instanced by a previous poster, without knowing what his agenda was and who would be representing us if he won a Dáil seat.

Would ye get off the stage. People knew exactly what he was about, thats why they voted for him.

FlutterinBantam

Ciarán the stage is yours, what is Joe's agenda/

cornbb

I don't particularly like or dislike Higgins. Although I have a feeling that he is probably a bit too far to the left for my liking, I am somewhat pleased that he has been elected as it will be something to counterbalance the big shift to the likes of the BNP that Europe is seeing.

CiaranC

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Ciarán the stage is yours, what is Joe's agenda/

Its a openly socialist agenda. How you could come to any other conclusion after reading one of his pamphlets or listening to him talk for two minutes is beyond me.

According to endless posters on boards.ie, nobody in Ireland "gets it". Socialist party voters dont know that the Socialist Party is Socialist (clue is in the name). Lisbon treaty nay-sayers dont understand Lisbon, they think its about abortion because Libertas told them. FFers dont understand anything about the real world, they just vote what their Da tells them to. FG supporters dont get that their party is the same as FF. Greens dont get why their support has bombed. SFers dont get that they are the same as the BNP :rolleyes:.

I move that we change to an entirely random method of electing politicans, because nobody is capable of the critical thought involved in actually having a position.

Fulton Crown

CiaranC wrote: »

Would ye get off the stage. People knew exactly what he was about, thats why they voted for him.

Not so horse......noooot so! Remember it was a EUROPEAN Election

The good citizens who voted for Joe are right now purchasing their nice new grey trakkies and white trainers and are meeting in the local pub to decide on what part of Santa Ponza they will inflict their extended family for the annual holiday..not ALL will buy the grey trakkies..some will go for the white or navy ones with a stripe down the leg.

They have no idea of Europe beyond the confines of whatever Irish pub they decamp to and just see honest Joe as an anti establishment figure who might just get them a rent allowance, medical card or early release.

The lisburn treaty.....huh ? whats that pal......freek all to do with me ... I'm just a workin man......

Jack Sheehan

While I would have preferred Ryan over Higgins, above all I'm glad to see the Shinners exit from the European Parliment (at least in the republic). With Alan Kelly elected, as well as Childers, De Rossa and the Fine Gael MEPs, I'm happy as larry to be honest. Higgins I think is harmless.

Fulton Crown wrote: »

Not so horse......noooot so! Remember it was a EUROPEAN Election

The good citizens who voted for Joe are right now purchasing their nice new grey trakkies and white trainers and are meeting in the local pub to decide on what part of Santa Ponza they will inflict their extended family for the annual holiday..not ALL will buy the grey trakkies..some will go for the white or navy ones with a stripe down the leg.

They have no idea of Europe beyond the confines of whatever Irish pub they decamp to and just see honest Joe as an anti establishment figure who might just get them a rent allowance, medical card or early release.

The lisburn treaty.....huh ? whats that pal......freek all to do with me ... I'm just a workin man......

Christ, elitist much? I know plenty of informed and intelligent people who voted for Higgins. Just because your candidate didnt win doesnt mean a load of thick knackers voted the other guy in.

FlutterinBantam

Erm, I kinda gathered that C.

What's his plan to get us out of the mire we are in now,other than nationalise everything and reduce Ireland to a gulag populated by shuffling miserable hunchbacks tired and weary in the employ of the state and devoid of enterprise, initiative and hope, worn out by supporting the burden of low achievers on the shoulders of a few while the "in crowd "pull the strings in lofty barracks and army headquarters.


lets hear you Ciarán.

Because I have heard nothing that makes much sense from Uncle Joe.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

wildswan

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

You may not have noticed that I in no way condone the mismanagement of the country by the current Govt.

Ther is this saying,you may not have heard of it Pal"two wrongs don't make a right":cool:

That's fair on reading back!

However it's easy to bash a philosophy/politician that has never had the responsibility. Too many people bash socialists as loony left/commies/etc.

I just think it's a bit much to accuse him of career politics. I mean he could
easily have slowly migrated into one of the banker parties with the machines backing them. Surely being the poster boy for socialism in Ireland's not a 'handy' number? I mean he's been to jail to defend his ideas?

PS I'm not a hardline socialist. Sorry for branding you a Fianna FAILer:D

road_high

Hello Mary Lou, goodbye seat .
Was my fav headline of the 07 election..

PopeBuckfastXVI

wildswan wrote: »

Too many people bash socialists as loony left/commies/etc.

True indeed, but I still think it's ok to bash communists as communists

Nodin

PopeBuckfastXVI wrote: »

True indeed, but I still think it's ok to bash communists as communists

...as long as they are communists....Some people see Reds in, on and under beds....

FlutterinBantam

wildswan wrote: »

That's fair on reading back!

However it's easy to bash a philosophy/politician that has never had the responsibility. Too many people bash socialists as loony left/commies/etc.

I just think it's a bit much to accuse him of career politics. I mean he could
easily have slowly migrated into one of the banker parties with the machines backing them. Surely being the poster boy for socialism in Ireland's not a 'handy' number? I mean he's been to jail to defend his ideas?

PS I'm not a hardline socialist. Sorry for branding you a Fianna FAILer:D

I don't mind that quip at the end, can't blame you for it, but I am not a Ffer

What I am though, is a person with a fairly good grasp of what is going on.

There will always be a "slot" for those who tout policies ,which although pleasing to a certain socio economic section of the populace,in reality would be totally unworkable,as the amount of dependents would ensure the "workers" were taxed to the hilt and the chance to break free from the shackles of drudgery would be non existant as the harder one worked the more the state whacked the tax from you.

The non achievers, the folk with the negative outlook ,the people who believe in the Mother State from cradle to grave will always support the person, who despite having no definitive workable policies of their own, knock those of everyone else.

If you don't take some chances or try something new, you will never make a mistake.

regretfully now Joe Higgins and god forbid Clare Daly,people who never created a job,in their lives will now represent us,thanks to the ineptitude and greed of our centerist politicos.

We deserve what we get.

Vyse

Fulton Crown wrote: »

Not so horse......noooot so! Remember it was a EUROPEAN Election

The good citizens who voted for Joe are right now purchasing their nice new grey trakkies and white trainers and are meeting in the local pub to decide on what part of Santa Ponza they will inflict their extended family for the annual holiday..not ALL will buy the grey trakkies..some will go for the white or navy ones with a stripe down the leg.

They have no idea of Europe beyond the confines of whatever Irish pub they decamp to and just see honest Joe as an anti establishment figure who might just get them a rent allowance, medical card or early release.

The lisburn treaty.....huh ? whats that pal......freek all to do with me ... I'm just a workin man......

I think your analysis is totally inaccurate and unfair. I would imagine that people from parts of society voted for Joe. Most people are disillusioned with the politics with countless talk of corruption and nepotism. In the midst of all this Joe Higgins seems like a breath of fresh air.

I don't feel like people voted him in because of his policies but rather because of his principles, determination and integrity. Not a bad thing really when you consider that most people get voted in based on their name or party affiliation.

K-9

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

the type of people who expect the state to hold their hand from cradle to grave.

Didn't think Joe was that popular with the bankers?

Sir Oxman

kevmy wrote: »

Wouldn't at all agree with his policies especially on the economy but I have huge respect for him.

He is honest, principled, hard-working and a different voice from that which is usually heard. He stands up for what he believes in and will undoubtedly try his best for all the people he serves.

Tbh I think we need people from all spectrums of the political landscape to have a voice in parliament.

A complete contrast to the careerist, self-serving and untruthful Mary-Lou in my mind. Given a choice between them I'd have Joe every time.

Exactly why I send him my best wishes and the only politician I could truly be delighted for on their election.

A lot more honesty and principles from the rest of the gob****es who get elected and this country would be a better place.

Good luck Joe!

Sir Oxman

K-9 wrote: »

Didn't think Joe was that popular with the bankers?

Best retort of the thread! Best, because it's feckin true.

Taxipete29

So do the " Joe Bashers " on here not believe that the exploitation of migrant workers is a bad thing??

I know that alot of the actual policies that Joe Higgins persues are unworkable in a modern society, but it is his commitment to workers rights in general that leads me to vote for him.

IRLConor

Nodin wrote: »

...as long as they are communists....Some people see Reds in, on and under beds....

Careful, don't lump him in with the Stalinists or the Maoists. He's a Trotskyite you know! :rolleyes: Seriously, the early 1900s called and they want their political theories back!

At the end of the day though, I prefer that he's in the European Parliament rather than Fingal County Council. At least in the EP he can be ignored and lost in the noise rather than have any influence at all. Throw in a Libertas failure and no Shinners getting a seat and this election is mostly a success.