The Increasingly Depressing Financial Crisis Thread

unknown13

If the Department of Finance is where I think it is (Baggot street) then I saw a load of Social Workers Party members outside with the banners they had which were very big and visible.

kev9100

unknown13 wrote: »

If the Department of Finance is where I think it is (Baggot street) then I saw a load of Social Workers Party members outside with the banners they had which were very big and visible.

I think thats it yeah. Me and my friend were running past and apparently 5 minutes later things kicked off.

unknown13

It is actually where the podium was where Gary Redmond was speaking.

randylonghorn

RTE wrote:

Mr Redmond said the occupation of the Department of Finance by a number of protestors is not representative of the USI.

He said that many of the clashes with gardaí occurred during the USI address of protestors on Merrion Square.

Gary Redmond said the actions of protestors engaged in a sit-down protest outside Leinster House is also not condoned by the USI.

A garda spokesperson said 50 people entered the lobby of the Department of Finance on Merrion Row but were removed a short time later by gardaí.

Meanwhile, the Socialist Workers Party has accused gardaí of assaulting some of their members and other protestors.

Spokesperson Karl Gill, a student at University College Dublin, said gardaí had aggravated a peaceful sit-in at the Department of Finance this afternoon.

This would seem to indicate just who decided to unilaterally go beyond the brief for the protest.

I can't say I'm surprised to see the name of that organisation pop up in association with this.

Jamie OD wrote: »

It was pretty fun watching the march go by O'Connell St while I was having lunch at Burger King. The atmosphere felt more peaceful than I thought it would be, which is a good thing. Only annoying thing was seeing a few Socialism supporters carrying their group banners trying to muscle their way to the front and make it look like they were leading the way.

Early indications? :rolleyes:

unknown13

The RTE main news video seemed to show Socialist Workers Party members in the thick of the action.

Jay P

Anyone else notice that the government have stayed noticeably silent in this whole thing? It makes it seem like the whole thing just means nothing...

unknown13

Jay P wrote: »

Anyone else notice that the government have stayed noticeably silent in this whole thing? It makes it seem like the whole thing just means nothing...

They got mocked for it by the speakers.

randylonghorn

There isn't anything useful for them to say tbh.

In my opinion, students will bear some pain in this budget, and I doubt that even 100,000 marching to-day would change that.

What to-day was or should have been about was ensuring that students weren't seen as a soft target for an unfair share of the pain because of apathy / silence.

almostnever

KnifeWRENCH wrote: »

ALMOSTNEVER FOR TCDSU PRESIDENT!
You should go reform the shít out of that union.... :pac:

I'd love that, but don't you have to be voted in? I'd be that person who gets like, five votes, and everyone would pity me. :pac:

Is it true that the UCD Ents officer threatened to cut spending on Ents if a certain number of students didn't go to the march? Just a rumour that was going around Trinity. If it's true, I despair.

Fad

I dislike the SWP slightly more as a result of today....

Glad things went alright though, didn't think it should stay overly peaceful... the socialists took things a little too far though >_<

Fad's favourite placard wrote:

€3000? Dumbledore died for nothing!

unknown13

Fad wrote: »

I dislike the SWP slightly more as a result of today....

This but they seem to be very active in campaigning in UCD though.

Fad

unknown13 wrote: »

This but they seem to be very active in campaigning in UCD though.

Some of the people in it are lovely, some of them very much are not and politics almost completely dominates their life.

I want nothing to do with them (I want nothing to do with any political soc in UCD though).

iamstop

I was there and saw this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBuHCa1WDP8

amacachi

iamstop wrote: »

I was there and saw this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBuHCa1WDP8

Context?

Grindylow

Just saw this on the news there.

The students who acted like utter scum was totally disgraceful. There was absolutely no need for that, at all.

Fad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-REt8kCjCRo

sock puppet

Noel2k9 wrote: »

Just saw this on the news there.

The students who acted like utter scum was totally disgraceful. There was absolutely no need for that, at all.

I hate how negative RTE are. Fifty loopy socialists storm a building resulting in a few minor injuries and arrests and that's the only part of the protest worthy of a comment:rolleyes:

MasterSun

Noel2k9 wrote: »

It was going along peacefully so? I'm actually shocked! :P I expected a lot of drunken students causing a big scene! Hopefully the media won't have anything bad about the students to report for tomorrow (although I'm sure that they will..)

some silly signs at the protest today

TechnoPool

sorry where's the ''brutatilty'' in that clip :rolleyes:

Grindylow

sock puppet wrote: »

I hate how negative RTE are. Fifty loopy socialists storm a building resulting in a few minor injuries and arrests and that's the only part of the protest worthy of a comment:rolleyes:

What's a socialist?

sock puppet

Noel2k9 wrote: »

What's a socialist?

It's a far-left political ideology. There were lots of members from the Socialist Workers Party there and the ones I saw didn't look like students. Glad I left before it kicked off.

Grindylow

sock puppet wrote: »

It's a far-left political ideology. There were lots of members from the Socialist Workers Party there and the ones I saw didn't look like students. Glad I left before it kicked off.

Like Fianna Fail and stuff? Or something totally different?

Jay P

Noel2k9 wrote: »

Like Fianna Fail and stuff? Or something totally different?

No, it's more along the lines of Communism. I'm not sure of the exact differences, but I know they're quite similar.

sock puppet

Noel2k9 wrote: »

Like Fianna Fail and stuff? Or something totally different?

No Fianna Fail would be more a centrist party.The Socialist Workers Party would be closer to Russian style communism. They're a fringe political party with no support who tend to get involved in these types of protest.

http://www.swp.ie/home

There's their website if you want to read some of their stuff.

Grindylow

Oh, so they pretty much just like to stir shiit in stuff?

bythewoods

Noel2k9 wrote: »

Like Fianna Fail and stuff? Or something totally different?

Mini politics lesson via wikipedia.

Left wing:

According to Barry Clark,
"Leftists... claim that human development flourishes when individuals engage in cooperative, mutually respectful relations that can thrive only when excessive differences in status, power, and wealth are eliminated. According to leftists, a society without substantial equality will distort the development of not only deprived persons, but also those whose privileges undermine their motivation and sense of social responsibility. This suppression of human development, together with the resentment and conflict engendered by sharp class distinctions, will ultimately reduce the efficiency of the economy.

eg, communism, anarchism, socialism..

Socialism:

Socialism is an economic and political theory advocating public or common ownership and cooperative management of the means of production and allocation of resources.

Right wing, on the other hand,

political groups that have a historical connection with the traditional Right, including conservatives, reactionaries, monarchists, aristocrats, and theocrats. The term is also used to describe those who support free market capitalism, and those who support some forms of nationalism, including fascism.

Fianna Fail- centre left. Defo not like socialists.

And now you know.

Grindylow

bythewoods wrote: »

Mini politics lesson via wikipedia.

Left wing:

eg, communism, anarchism, socialism..

Socialism:


Right wing, on the other hand,


Fianna Fail- centre left. Defo not like socialists.

And now you know.

Thank you!

amacachi

Anarchism is the opposite of communism, something which would-be revolutionaries never seem to bear in mind when looking for something to rebel against.
If you want to know what socialism really is just look at the numbers of socialists there are compared to how many different parties and groups there are. They'd sooner be the leader of 10 people living in a silage pit than just another person living comfortably with a 9-5 job.

illiop

My opinion on this enitre fee increase business is woefully underformed. I mean, as a student I obviously don't want more fee but as an Irish citezen in general I sort of agree with the increase, although I do think that it should be accompanied by a complete overhall of the system.

As for the protest and the so called "brutality"...well having not been in the country nevermind involved in the protest I'm slightly in the dark about that too.
From piecing together what I've seen from RTÉ, the paper, boards and facebook it seems like there is a lot of exageration on both sides. The media in general seems to be portraying the students as rowdy time-wasters with a violent faction, while students (most of whom admit to not having seen anything personally) are trying to play the victims.
What I've seen would suggest a bit of scumbaggery (of course, that's a word) on the side of the students and some force, at times a bit more than was necessary, from the Gardaí.

[/under-informed musings]

kev9100

sock puppet wrote: »

It's a far-left political ideology. There were lots of members from the Socialist Workers Party there and the ones I saw didn't look like students. Glad I left before it kicked off.

In fairness, one can be a socialist and not be an extremist or far-left. The Labour Party would probably describe themselves as democratic socialists.