GE 2020: A left wing block

meeeeh

So we are still whinging about abortion? That ship has sailed, it's not even a question most of sane European countries grapple with anymore. If being pro choice is suddenly left wing then conservatives disappeared from most of Europe in 1970's.

SaintLeibowitz

Mad_maxx wrote: »

He could buy and sell the entire collection of posters on the site but you're incorrect assumption is truly hilarious

Lol maybe with monopoly money.

James Brown

Eric Cartman wrote: »

Paul murphy organised trapping joan burton in her car with his unemployed hooligan force, labour and pbp do not see eye to eye and will not. Thankfully the hard left is so fractured they constantly take votes and resources from each other and will never form a government or part of one

Paul Murphy wasn't invited and told to leave by the people there.

Whereas the right have greed in common, so that's 'stable'.

podge3

I'm really struggling in deciding who to vote for in the next election.

My choice would be centre right but there really is no centre right party anymore. I voted for FG since the recession but Leo is an insufferable windbag, always anxious to say the right thing. He has totally betrayed " those who get up early in the morning".

I think at this stage my vote will go to the party who promise the least free houses and lowest social welfare rises.

Not that political promises mean anything 🙄.

James Brown

podge3 wrote: »

I'm really struggling in deciding who to vote for in the next election.

My choice would be centre right but there really is no centre right party anymore. I voted for FG since the recession but Leo is an insufferable windbag, always anxious to say the right thing. He has totally betrayed " those who get up early in the morning".

I think at this stage my vote will go to the party who promise the least free houses and lowest social welfare rises.

Not that political promises mean anything ��.

More profit for vulture funds so.
If more people are dependent on welfare I'd be inclined to go after 'why?' rather than needling the recipients.

Annasopra

vladmydad wrote: »

Up to 12 weeks you can now have an abortion for any reason, that’s literally “ on demand”.

Noone demands an abortion ffs.

markodaly

Matt Barrett wrote: »

Whereas the right have greed in common, so that's 'stable'.

It is the electorate the votes for these 'greedy' parties. If they have always gotten more votes than the the left, is that a problem for the left wing parties to change their politics or do they continue to be pious hurlers on the ditch for ever?

That is democracy isnt it?

It is up to the left and left wing block to convince the electorate of their vote at the end of the day.

sabat

The left has failed in the face of the omnipotent capitalist machine so they descended into demented utopian new-age religious nonsense, which is in itself a function of a consumerist society. Hence they now unwittingly campaign for policies which depress wages, raise the cost of living and marginalise and atomise communities-ie they are just another facet of what they claim to be fighting.
I'll either go with one of the looney-bin new parties to send a message or Fianna Fail 1,2,3 on the basis that populist boom-bust is better than vulture-capital boom-bust.

markodaly

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Yeah, imo Ireland is too centrist, and too wedded to civil war parties which aren't borne out of any particular ideology. I'd agree ineffectual alternative parties also, Labour and Greens both tainted with propping up unpopular (in hindsight) government's and, as has been mentioned, the curse of further left politics, infighting.

This is only my perspective though (as somebody in the country for the last 17 years) , and infighting in right wing parties happens, just they're better at dealing with it. Johnson in the UK just expelled those not towing the line, Corbyn tried to placate, with miserable results.

Ireland is very centrist and slow to change. We do not like change, because change rocks the boat and will mean people lose out when something is reformed. The famous insiders/outsiders that David McWilliams speaks of, rings true.

What we have we want to hold onto for dear life. Its the result of being poor and the Famine. Parties proclaiming radical notions and manifestos will never win power. Therefore the electorate will change the 'managers' in charge, like we are a football team, but still insist on playing the long ball, to take an example. Look at Renua the last election. Very radical notions regarding taxation, but they got nowhere.

We do not do ideology, so FF and FG are very similar. FF more populist, FG more managerial

When we change the government we are not giving a statement on policy or ideology, like for example if Labour in the UK won an election. Tony Blair won in 1996 which singaled a certain change wanted in British soceity. Cameron followed suit and followed on with small c Conservatism. The last Tory victory spelled out another change wanted by British soceity, the emergence of working class Toryism and of course Brexit.

If or when FF get back into power, it is not on the basis on some huge ideological difference to FG where we want to radically alter society. What we want are a new bunch of administrators or managers to help fix the problems, but we want to same status quo in many many ways. Radical as a soceity we are not.

FF and FG are a reflection on Irish soceity, is what I am saying. The left and its inability to co-operate is also a reflection on Irish soceity. Where else do the left advocate against property taxes?

Augme

So be Brendan Howlin has said he won't get into government with sinn Fein but is happy to go back in with Fianna fail or fine gael. Pretty much sums up the problem. Left wing party refuses to join with other left wing party but will go in with centre right parties. A bizarre situation really.

Augme

markodaly wrote: »

. Look at Renua the last election. Very radical notions regarding taxation, but they got nowhere.

Let's be honest here, Renua tax stance wasn't their down fall. It was their 1950s style social views that did.

blanch152

Left-wing parties should support raising the LPT to pay for social housing.

None of them in Ireland do, that is because they follow the low-hanging fruit of the against everything mob.

markodaly

Augme wrote: »

So be Brendan Howlin has said he won't get into government with sinn Fein but is happy to go back in with Fianna fail or fine gael. Pretty much sums up the problem. Left wing party refuses to join with other left wing party but will go in with centre right parties. A bizarre situation really.

Classic.

SF will say similar I presume.

The left know they are all vying for the same votes, so they do not want to co-operate, incase it means the end of them.

markodaly

blanch152 wrote: »

Left-wing parties should support raising the LPT to pay for social housing.

None of them in Ireland do, that is because they follow the low-hanging fruit of the against everything mob.

If left wing parties acted like traditional European left wing parties, then people would respect them a lot more.

But they try and meld Irish populism with their Marxist playbook, and fall between two stools because they are perceived as clowns.

In fairness to the Greens, they are the best of the lot in this regard. They have their values, know who they are and will fight for it. Vote for them or not, but at least they are consistent.
The rest are jokers.

AndrewJRenko

markodaly wrote: »

In fairness to the Greens, they are the best of the lot in this regard. They have their values, know who they are and will fight for it. Vote for them or not, but at least they are consistent.

I'd have generally agreed with this, until Eamonn Ryan went against putting the Metro through Ranelagh, because some Ranelagh mummies driving Ranelagh tractors would have a three minute diversion instead of their current route through Dunville Ave.