Eamon Gilmore - hypocritical or just politics?

UglyBolloxFace

At the request of Biko, I am trying again.

Has anyone seen this? http://i.imgur.com/sjwkR.jpg

I find it to be quite hypocritical. I've sent him an email outlining my thoughts, and hope to receive a reply soon (I will post it if he does).

We've known it all along, but now we know for sure - all politicians are the same.

And I don't care that this was imposed on us by the EU/IMF deal and that he "had no choice". If the man had any morals and pride in his party ideals he would have opposed this water charge to the bitter end.

What do you think?

_Gawd_

Have you completely lost your mind?

This is Ireland for christ sake.

AboutTwoFiddy

If you ask me he's a filthy hypo*******critical w****** b******.


So he is.

Biggins

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

At the request of Biko, I am trying again.

Has anyone seen this? http://i.imgur.com/sjwkR.jpg

I find it to be quite hypocritical. I've sent him an email outlining my thoughts, and hope to receive a reply soon (I will post it if he does).

We've known it all along, but now we know for sure - all politicians are the same.

And I don't care that this was imposed on us by the EU/IMF deal and that he "had no choice". If the man had any morals and pride in his party ideals he would have opposed this water charge to the bitter end.

What do you think?

I think its just one more u-turn to many, many he and Enda have committed.
The sadder part is that some people still support them while they continue to do what they have said for years, they oppose.

micropig

Again, Welcome to Ireland, from where have you come?:D

_Gawd_

Biggins wrote: »

I think its just one more u-turn to many, many he and Enda have committed.
The sadder part is that some people still support them while they continue to do what they have said for years, they oppose.

I've given up on caring to be honest. There doesn't exist another Republic or Democracy with this lack of accountability, principle, honesty and integrity in the Western World.

The people always get the government they deserve.

Bullseye1

Hypocritical. They all are. And at every opportunity they should be reminded of it. The sooner these aholes stop promising what they cannot deliver the better. We have a large section of the population who actually believe what they are being fed by their politicians.

Biggins

Bullseye1 wrote: »

Hypocritical. They all are. And at every opportunity they should be reminded of it.

Yep!

tayto lover

EXTREME HYPOCRITE

Im saying nutin, because Id get a ban. But I agree with you.

Biggins

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

At the request of Biko, I am trying again.

Has anyone seen this? http://i.imgur.com/sjwkR.jpg

Same amazing u-turn as like this by Enda: http://bigginsblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/u-turn-anyone-remember-these-from-fine-gael/

stupidusername

Seriously, why is anybody surprised at any of this anymore. All politicians do this, all of the time. It's part of their job. Do ye actually believe they care about the things they say in their pre election promises too? Ye are gullible if ye do.

they just do what it takes to get into power. when we ye learn!?

marty1985

Oh I really hate Fr. Dick Byrne Eamon Gilmore!

Bullseye1

stupidusername wrote: »

It's part of their job. Do ye actually believe they care about the things they say in their pre election promises too? Ye are gullible if ye do.they just do what it takes to get into power. when we ye learn!?

I disagree lying does not form part of their job as public representative. In fact they should be impeached if they are found to be deliberately lying to the public.

hondasam

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

At the request of Biko, I am trying again.

Has anyone seen this? http://i.imgur.com/sjwkR.jpg

I find it to be quite hypocritical. I've sent him an email outlining my thoughts, and hope to receive a reply soon (I will post it if he does).

We've known it all along, but now we know for sure - all politicians are the same.

And I don't care that this was imposed on us by the EU/IMF deal and that he "had no choice". If the man had any morals and pride in his party ideals he would have opposed this water charge to the bitter end.

What do you think?

When did he say this? Things change, what any of us thought a few years ago could have changed now. It's not as simple as it looks. He is in government now but he just cannot go against everything either for the sake of it.

Where To

Politicians tell people what they want to hear when they are not in power.

Every single last one of them, including some of the wannabes on here.

Faith+1

Love your name OP

oddman2

How old is that leaflet? :eek: Considering the situation the country is in maybe this is the least worst option, i.e. they'd rather do this than cut say the social welfare budget further.

cml387

Where To wrote: »

Politicians tell people what they want to hear when they are not in power.

Every single last one of them, including some of the wannabes on here.

This.

All the outrage!

If politicians told us the truth we wouldn't elect them.

Surely readers of boards are old enough to understand this basic fact.

eth0

stupidusername wrote: »

Seriously, why is anybody surprised at any of this anymore. All politicians do this, all of the time. It's part of their job. Do ye actually believe they care about the things they say in their pre election promises too? Ye are gullible if ye do.

they just do what it takes to get into power. when we ye learn!?

What percentage of people doing any given profession have to do a certain dishonest act before it becomes acceptable?

If 90% of truck drivers randomly murder any prostitutes they spot along the road does that mean we should allow them, even if the odd time they mistake someone for a prostitute who isn't one or miss and kill someone else instead?

tayto lover

hondasam wrote: »

When did he say this? Things change, what any of us thought a few years ago could have changed now. It's not as simple as it looks. He is in government now but he just cannot go against everything either for the sake of it.

The man has turned his back on many Labour principles already. He is power-hungry and wallowing in self-importance since getting into Govt. I really believe he would sell his mother to stay in power.

Bullseye1

cml387 wrote: »

This.

All the outrage!

If politicians told us the truth we wouldn't elect them.

Surely readers of boards are old enough to understand this basic fact.

What's sad is that some people think its acceptable to lie to the public.

grindle

Bullseye1 wrote: »

I disagree lying does not form part of their job as public representative. In fact they should be impeached if they are found to be deliberately lying to the public.

pol·i·ti·cian/ˌpäləˈtiSHən/
Noun:
1.A person who is professionally involved in politics.
2.A person who acts in a manipulative and devious way, typically to gain advancement.

If only they weren't so devious and manipulative...

It might not be part of their job description, for obvious reasons, but if they want to hold onto number one, they have to do number two <obligatory scat joke>, so it definitely does "form part of their job".

Biggins

hondasam wrote: »

When did he say this? Things change, what any of us thought a few years ago could have changed now. It's not as simple as it looks. He is in government now but he just cannot go against everything either for the sake of it.

No, only a small few things...

Just A Small Few U-turns By Kenny & Gilmore, FG & Labour
Since Gaining Power In Just Over A Year!


Bondholders
•
“Is it Labour’s way or Frankfurt way” – Eamon Gilmore; “Fine Gael in
Government will force certain classes of bondholders to share in the cost of
recapitalising troubled financial institutions” – Manifesto.
•
In government, they refuse to impose losses on the €3.5 billion of unsecured,
unguaranteed senior bondholders at Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide
Building Society (INBS).
They are still refusing to burn them! Amazing!


Third Level Fees
•
“Labour is opposed to third-level fees by either the front or back doors” –
Gilmore.
•
Now Quinn refuses to rule out increased student fees in the future.
Student Services Charge.
NOW FEES HAVE GONE UP!

•
Quinn signed a USI election pledge to reverse the €500 increase in the
Student Services Charge in Budget 2011.
•
Refused to do so once in Government, and won’t rule out increases to it in the
future.


Recapitalisation
•
Varadkar said that not another “red cent” would be put into the banks.
•
The Central Bank announced in March 2011 that the banks would require
€24bn. €19bn of this met by the taxpayer July 2011.
Another 1.25 BILLION going to the banks in bailout in January 2012!


Bank Directors
•
Pledged to “re-structure boards and replace and directors who presided over
failed lending practices.”
•
BOI appointed 4 pre-2008 directors; AIB has 3 non-exec directors still in
place; Irish Life and Permanent still has one.
Force Banks to Cut their Interest Rates

•
The Programme for Government promised that banks in receipt of state
support would be forced to forego a 25 basis point increase on their variable
rate mortgage.
•
Despite cuts by the ECB to interest rates, NIB is pressing ahead with raising
rates, and other banks are refusing to lower theirs.


Sell the EBS
•
During the election Fine Gael pledged to sell EBS.
•
EBS has now been merged with AIB.


Medium Term Loans to Irish Banks
•
Michael Noonan “We need medium-term facilities from the ECB so that the
liquidity problems in the Irish banks are not addressed on a fortnightly basis
with a rollover of the liquidity funding every two weeks.”
•
It now appears this is not going to happen – The ECB rejected it.


The EU-IMF Deal
•
The EU/IMF deal was a “bad deal for Ireland.” ( Eamon Gilmore), “a disaster
and an obscenity” (Micheal Noonan)
•
After election: Eamon Gilmore said: “It was never going to be the case that
the renegotiation of the agreement was something that was going to be done
in one great big bang.”


Income Tax
•
FG 5 point plan: No new taxes including no income tax increases
•
Minister Noonan: “I am not going to rule out any tax initiative, or any tax
increase or any tax reduction.”
Universal Social Charge NOW INCREASED TO €132 A MONTH

•
The PfG states: “We will review the Universal Social Charge”.
•
No review now forthcoming; Noonan robustly defends the levy in the Dail
saying the “universal social charge is progressive.” He added: “It is hard to
argue that is regressive; that is one of the more progressive taxes one will
find.”


Budget 2011
•
FG & Lab voted against Budget 2011.
•
Now it seems they’re only too happy to take ownership of the budget and
boast about the adjustments that have been achieved to date.


More Pay Cuts to Public Servants
•
They opposed the public sector pension levy – “It is a crude and unfair
system.” (Brendan Howlin)
•
Now they won’t rule out more cuts to public service pay.


Jobs Budget
•
FG promised a Jobs Budget within 100 days.
•
The jobs budget then became a mere revenue neutral “jobs initiative”, with no
jobs target.


Getting People Back to Work
•
FG Election Slogan: Let’s Get Ireland Working
•
Latest Live Register figures show unemployment stagnant – the jobs initiative
failed, the New Era jobs didn’t materialise, and the Medium Term Fiscal
Statement acknowledges unemployment will rise next year.


New Era Jobs
•
Enda Kenny boasted that “New Era plan will create over 105,000 jobs.”
•
At its launch in Sept, there was no mention of jobs it would create, and no
mention of cost.


New Era Funding
•
The Programme for Government and the Fine Gael manifesto state that it
would funded through the sale of state assets.
•
However, the EU/IMF agreement clearly states -“It is important to make
effective use of our state assets and, where appropriate, dispose of them to
help reduce our government debt.”


State Assets
•
Programme for Government: “We will target up to €2 billion in sales of nonstrategic
state assets.”
•
It now looks like up to €5bn of assets, strategic or otherwise, will be sold.


Strategic Investment Bank
•
The Programme for Government states “we will establish a Strategic
Investment Bank”.
•
Kenny, September 2011: “A Strategic Investment Bank would be difficult to
implement in current market conditions.”


Upward Only Rent Reviews
•
The Programme for Govt states: “We will legislate to end upward only rent
reviews for existing leases.”
•
Each time the Justice Minister has been asked about it, he’s fudged the issue.
Protecting the Low Paid

•
Labour Manifesto pledged to reform JLCs in a way that protects the most
vulnerable workers.
•
Jobs Minister Richard Bruton is dragging his feet on introducing a reformed
JLC system, leaving workers vulnerable since July.


Competition & Consumer Protection
•
FG Manifesto: Promised a new “powerful consumer champion”, giving it
“additional powers – by constitutional change if necessary – to break up
public and private sector monopolies and cartels.”
•
No mention of this in Competition Bill 2011, and no commitment to
constitutional change.


Ban on Corporate Donations
•
The Programme for Government clearly states “we will introduce the
necessary legal and constitutional provisions to ban corporate donations to
political parties.”
•
The Bill allows corporate donations to continue and Enda Kenny has
confirmed that there will be no constitutional ban put to the people.


Severance Pay for Senior Civil Servants
•
There will be no more “golden handshakes” for public servants that have
failed to deliver.
•
Big payoffs for senior civil servants continue.


Reducing the number of TDs
•
FG had previously promised to reduce the number of TDs by 20
•
The Electoral Act proposes a cut of as little as 6 TDs.


Constitution Day
•
Enda Kenny, April 2011: “We will set out a programme to allow for a series of
constitutional amendments to be decided on what we called “Constitution
day”, to be held within 12 months of the new Government being formed.”
•
Little mention of it since


The Seanad
•
Both parties pledged to abolish the Seanad.
•
There was no mention in the legislative agenda of legislation to scrap the
Seanad.


Child Benefit
•
During the election campaign Eamon Gilmore identified child benefit as a red
line issue. Labour’s “Every Little Hurts" advertising campaign lambasted Fine
Gael for their proposed cuts in the child benefit rates
•
Joan Burton has since refused to give an explicit commitment on child benefit
rates.
NOW BEING CUT.

Social Welfare Rates
•
The Programme for Government clearly states “We will maintain social
welfare rates”
•
Joan Burton has continuously refused to give an explicit commitment on
headline rates.
National Educational Psychological Service

•
Ruairi Quinn promised to provide “€3m to reverse the cut in the National
Educational Psychological Service.”
•
He has made no mention of this commitment since then
Water Charges & Utility Charges

•
Labour previously said they would be opposed to the introduction of flat rate
water charges “A flat water charge is not something that we’re going to
introduce.”
•
The government has now admitted that two charges are on the way by 2013,
a flat rate household utility charge (by 2012) and water charges.


Household Charge
•
“We’re not in favour of a tax on the family home” – Gilmore
•
July 2011: Phil Hogan announced the introduction of a €100 flat rate
household charge which is to be applied to the 1.6 million households in the
country.


Irish Water
•
Fine Gael’s plans for the setting up of a new water company introducing water
charges featured heavily in its New Politics policy document published in
March 2010.
•
However, FG has now admitted that they have no plan for the setting up of
this company, no idea of the timeline involved and have also admitted that
there are significant legal and administrative changes involved in transferring
water services from local authorities to the new water company.


Stag Hunting
•
FG Manifesto p27: “Fine Gael will reverse the ban on stag hunting”; Junior
Minister Shane McEntee (Meath East) told the Seanad on 25th Oct that
legislation reversing the ban was forthcoming.
•
8th Nov – Kenny spokesperson: McEntee was “expressing an opinion” and
there was “no commitment” to reverse the ban.


Turf Cutting
•
Fine Gael Manifesto: “It is premature to cease the cutting of turf for domestic
purposes in 2011”; Roscommon TD Frank Feighan said he would “sign in his
own blood” the future of turf-cutting.
•
27th Sept: Deenihan signs regulations making turf cutting on Special Areas of
Conservation a criminal offence, and allows for the confiscation of turf cutting machinery.


Climate Change
•
Programme for Government: “We will publish a Climate Change Bill.”
•
This was dropped by Phil Hogan in November 2011.


Garda Numbers
•
Shatter said in December 2010 that a reduction in Garda numbers would
“obstruct the battle against crime”
•
“The job of this Government is to reduce public expenditure, not to increase it.
That is as applicable across the justice sector as it is in other sectors.”


Triple Lock
•
FG manifesto: “We believe that the Triple Lock must be modified to allow
Ireland participate in peacekeeping missions. The failure of the UN Security
Council to pass a resolution should not prevent us from taking part in
overseas missions.”
•
Shatter: “As matters stand the triple lock remains part and parcel of Govt.
policy”.


Government Jet
•
FG Manifesto: “We will introduce a new code of practice for the use of the
government jet ensuring cost effective and transparent travel. To stamp out
any abuse, cheaper commercial alternatives must be taken when possible.”
Transport spokesperson Simon Coveney said last year: Jets were “being
abused” by Ministers.
•
Oct 2011: Jet had been used 24 times at a total cost to the taxpayer of almost
€14m, including a trip to Cork for the Taoiseach and a trip to Algeria for
Coveney.


Junior Ministers
•
FG pledged they would cut the number of junior Ministers to 12.
•
Once elected they appointed 15 Junior Ministers.


Quangos
•
Fine Gael pledged to abolish 145 quangos in their document Reinventing
Government.
•
By end Oct 2011, they had abolished 5, but had created 8.
Guillotining of Legislation

•
Enda Kenny, July 2010: “I do not accept the Government’s guillotining of Bills
in any shape or form.”
•
By November 2011 they had guillotined almost a dozen Bills.
Staff in Constituency Offices

•
FG pledged to reduce ministerial staff allocated to work on constituency
matters to two per Minister
•
In March 2011 it was announced that ministers will keep 4 staff each in their
constituency office.


Constituency Work
•
Enda Kenny promised to direct all Ministers to focus entirely on their new
portfolios in the first 100 days and completely avoid constituency work.
•
However, Kenny himself repeatedly broke this promise with dozens of
appointments in Mayo every week.


Ministers’ Advisors
•
Ministerial advisors will be subject to salary caps
•
Most Ministers’ advisors have breached the cap.


Cronyism
•
They promised an end to cronyism and transparency in board appointments.
•
FG & Labour members and donors have been appointed as Judges and to
the boards of Quangos.


Transparency in Appointments
•
FG and Lab Manifestos: They promised vetting of appointments to state
boards by the Oireachtas.
•
Party political appointments have been made, without any oversight or
transparency. In October 2011, they appointed the former head of AIB
Investment Management as head of the New Era quango, without revealing
her pay or conditions.


Freedom of Information
•
Programme for Government promised to legislate to restore the Freedom of
Information Act.
•
No commitment for when legislation will be published on this.

Some are indeed debatable and can be argued with by opposition (only to be expected) but the point is that they have reversed more than they have actually stood by!

hondasam

tayto lover wrote: »

The man has turned his back on many Labour principles already. He is power-hungry and wallowing in self-importance since getting into Govt. I really believe he would sell his mother to stay in power.

I might agree with most of that but he cannot object to everything. You know I'm not in favour of the HHC and the water charge is not a fav of mine either but I accept we have to pay something.

Bullseye1

grindle wrote: »

If only they weren't so devious and manipulative...

It might not be part of their job description, for obvious reasons, but if they want to hold onto number one, they have to do number two <obligatory scat joke>, so it definitely does "form part of their job".

Just because the term politican is described as above in a dictionary does not make it so or right. If deliberately lying is acceptable we are all fcked.

DonkeyStyle \o/

Hah, these are great. Could we get some sort of donation system together to have these put on billboards and bus-shelters around Dublin?

hondasam

Biggins wrote: »

No, only a small few things...

Just A Small Few U-turns By Kenny & Gilmore, FG & Labour
Since Gaining Power In Just Over A Year!

This thread is about Eamon Gilmore, not the Labour party or FG.

Biggins

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote: »

Hah, these are great. Could we get some sort of donation system together to have these put on billboards and bus-shelters around Dublin the whole country?

...If only!

pjmn

Sure anyone with even half a brain knows that all these politicians are exactly the same - promise us the sun moon and stars when they are in opposition, and thereafter suffer amnesia... {while enjoying subsidised pints in the Dáil Bar}...

Until we scrap the current structure of local politician (who's great for sorting out potholes and broken public lights) and then thinking s/he is able to to step up to the plate and manage a country when most of them wouldn't manage their way out of a wet paper bag, then we will never move forward...

We need a 20 person management team (with no local agenda) to manage the country on a balanced scorecard basis (i.e. improve country but look after all strands of society) - 5/7 year contract... {and I know; the challenge will be selecting the correct 20 people with the necessary skillsets}... rant over!

grindle

Bullseye1 wrote: »

Just because the term politican is described as above in a dictionary does not make it so or right. If deliberately lying is acceptable we are all fcked.

Not saying "it's right", just saying "it is".

We are all fuucked.

Agricola

Ivan Yates said a while back that while they are a minority of people in politics with good intentions, they are completely outnumbered by politicians with good intentions and an absolute hunger for power and influence.

I think its naive and close minded to say that this is purely an Irish phenomenon, it is the way of western democracies everywhere. Some countries just have a more natural leaning towards integrity and principles than we do here and so they dont themselves up as blatantly as we do.

lividduck

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

At the request of Biko, I am trying again.

Has anyone seen this? http://i.imgur.com/sjwkR.jpg

I find it to be quite hypocritical. I've sent him an email outlining my thoughts, and hope to receive a reply soon (I will post it if he does).

We've known it all along, but now we know for sure - all politicians are the same.

And I don't care that this was imposed on us by the EU/IMF deal and that he "had no choice". If the man had any morals and pride in his party ideals he would have opposed this water charge to the bitter end.

What do you think?

What would you expect from the Stickies? I mean surely people know the history of the current leadership of the Labour Party or has everybody forgotten the that they were formerly the political apologists for the Official IRA

Duggys Housemate

Reading these threads makes me realise the problem in the boom wasn't FF but the people. Blaming FF just removed the blame of the people ( including all other parties who were in favour of pro-cyclical economics).

What the coalition is doing now makes sense. A property tax should reduce income tax for middle and lower income earners when it is priced properly, a water charge ( which plenty of people down the country have had for years, and most other countries have) is producer pays, which is good.

The whining about "double taxation" is nonsense. Not everything has to come out of income tax. In any case the lack of support for unpopular measures proves the problem during the boom was not FF, or FG but you. You the people. What should have happened back then is a reduction in money flow, a regulation of the banks ( curtailing credit for some people), even an increase in stamp duty. That and no income tax reductions, no overspending on health, and a maintaining of a surplus at around 5%. Cowen's recent speech made the point quite well.

However given that people whine about tax increases, and spending reductions, in a situation where the exchequer is €18B in the red, there was no hope for FF, FG or anybody to do that. Politics isn't about giving the mob what they want.

Zebra3

tayto lover wrote: »

The man has turned his back on many Labour principles already. He is power-hungry and wallowing in self-importance since getting into Govt. I really believe he would sell his mother to stay in power.

He doesn't know the first thing about Labour principles.

Next time you're in a bookshop have a look at the photos in a book called The Lost Revolution.

Smack bang in the middle is a photo of Eamon Gilmore at Communist Youth get together in Havana, Cuba.

Talk about selling your soul for power and a pension. :rolleyes:

Duggys Housemate

pjmn wrote: »

We need a 20 person management team (with no local agenda) to manage the country on a balanced scorecard basis (i.e. improve country but look after all strands of society) - 5/7 year contract... {and I know; the challenge will be selecting the correct 20 people with the necessary skillsets}... rant over!

Yeah, and they would do exactly what Gilmore is doing now. The problem with Irish politicians is not when they have no money, but when they have too much money. But thats because they listen to the mob.

Kerrydude1981

What party was Happy Gilmore in when that leaflet was printed,he has been in so many parties at this stage its tough to remember

Duggys Housemate

Kerrydude1981 wrote: »

What party was Happy Gilmore in when that leaflet was printed,he has been in so many parties at this stage its tough to remember

Workers.

stupidusername

I'm not saying it's right or should be acceptable, just that it's the way things have always been.

It's the Irish mentality. we seem to pride ourselves on being laid back and all that, but the 'ah sure it's grand' attitude is obviously going to have disadvantages like this - politicians doing shag all of what the people want, etc etc etc and the people doing nothing about it.

Sarn

Kerrydude1981 wrote: »

What party was Happy Gilmore in when that leaflet was printed,he has been in so many parties at this stage its tough to remember

Democratic left as far as I know.

pjmn

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

Yeah, and they would do exactly what Gilmore is doing now. The problem with Irish politicians is not when they have no money, but when they have too much money. But thats because they listen to the mob.

... agreed. But I never said they should be politicians....

hondasam

stupidusername wrote: »

I'm not saying it's right or should be acceptable, just that it's the way things have always been.

It's the Irish mentality. we seem to pride ourselves on being laid back and all that, but the 'ah sure it's grand' attitude is obviously going to have disadvantages like this - politicians doing shag all of what the people want, etc etc etc and the people doing nothing about it.

I think the Irish mentality has changed, we are not laid back any more. It's local councillors who do the work for the people not those in the high paid Dail jobs.

stupidusername

hondasam wrote: »

I think the Irish mentality has changed, we are not laid back any more. It's local councillors who do the work for the people not those in the high paid Dail jobs.

It may have started to change, but it's still very much the way things are. sure, look at the amount of posters all over boards complaining about FG/Lab and the household charge, water charges etc, and nobody doing anything about any of it.

I agree that local councillors are important, but they're important in a different way, for different issues. the big boys are still the ones making the big decisions.

Icepick

Neither. People change their opinions and beliefs.

hondasam

stupidusername wrote: »

It may have started to change, but it's still very much the way things are. sure, look at the amount of posters all over boards complaining about FG/Lab and the household charge, water charges etc, and nobody doing anything about any of it.

I agree that local councillors are important, but they're important in a different way, for different issues. the big boys are still the ones making the big decisions.

There have been some protests, did you see the one in Galway last Saturday? I agree we all need to protest in large numbers.

The local councillors do all the work and the big boys take the credit, without local support the big boys would never get elected.

up for anything

_Gawd_ wrote: »

The people always get the government they deserve.

That's got to be the most rubbishy statement I've read on AH since last week.

hondasam

oddman2 wrote: »

How old is that leaflet? :eek: Considering the situation the country is in maybe this is the least worst option, i.e. they'd rather do this than cut say the social welfare budget further.

Think it might be 1996, not sure.

Biggins

Originally Posted by _Gawd_
The people always get the government they deserve.

up for anything wrote: »

That's got to be the most rubbishy statement I've read on AH since last week.

It crops up every few weeks!
Its a poor, all too simplistic, all too encompassing daft argument/statement.

_Gawd_

up for anything wrote: »

That's got to be the most rubbishy statement I've read on AH since last week.

Biggins wrote: »

It crops up every few weeks!
Its a poor argument.

How is it a poor argument? It precisely hits the nail on the head.

It's not the politicians that are to blame - it's the morons that keep voting them in time and again. Look at the polls! If there was a GE tomorrow morning FG and LP would be in government again....are you totally clueless? I hope they bleed you dry for your own stupidity.

stupidusername

hondasam wrote: »

There have been some protests, did you see the one in Galway last Saturday? I agree we all need to protest in large numbers.

The local councillors do all the work and the big boys take the credit, without local support the big boys would never get elected.

How do you maintain that? Isn't it Michael Noonan etc going to Brussels or wherever to meeting the IMF/EU people about our debts and negotiating the terms of the bailout etc..? And who are the ones taking the flak about the household charge and water charges? i'm sure that if that was down to local councillors it'd have been passed onto them by now, with the negative press it's gotten.

humbert

Fair play to the unfortunately named OP for doing something.