What is a champagne socialist?

James Brown

yosser hughes wrote: »

Hypocrisy

Did he suggest everyone take a vow of poverty or say nobody should make money?

Eric Cartman

Deleted User wrote: »

I think that they claim to reject their backgrounds while still living there. Saying one thing while doing the opposite.

Thats it, one fine example is Paul Murphy , Grew up in leafy goatstown, educated at St. Killians private school and the institute, attended UCD ,

put his constituency office in the middle of tallaght village and had a flat up near springfield tallaght that he was operating out of before, not that he actually lived in it because ohh no. In order to gain some sort of legitimacy he moved to the nicest estate in the nicest part of tallaght (kingswood) to have his coveted D24 postcode but still not actually be near peasants.

Its a game to these people, they see the poor as dogs that need to be looked after and they are the messiah "listen to me, i know whats good for you". It starts in college when they learn that some people went to school hungry, had no idea what a charcuterie board was and who's parents didn't bankroll them through college, they become part of the militant left , forgetting economics (because theyve never had to learn where money comes from, just that dad had a lot of it all the time) and think that the biggest earner in the state (the state itself) should play middle class daddy to everyone. The cause seems noble - give a family a free house, money for food and the kids a free education and they'll turn out like me with a degree and endless joyful childhood memories, but it disconnects at the reality that often these parents were never going to provide that for their kids and that maybe people have different motivations.

That and them watching movies with characters like vinny jones or seeing rap videos and glamourising the mean working class areas they struggle for votes in, theyve internalised money being dirty and want to be a 'holier than thou' convert to the ways of the working class, struggling to gain the approval of lads wearing cigarette burned tracksuits to dingy pubs.

James Brown

Eric Cartman wrote: »

Thats it, one fine example is Paul Murphy , Grew up in leafy goatstown, educated at St. Killians private school and the institute, attended UCD ,

put his constituency office in the middle of tallaght village and had a flat up near springfield tallaght that he was operating out of before, not that he actually lived in it because ohh no. In order to gain some sort of legitimacy he moved to the nicest estate in the nicest part of tallaght (kingswood) to have his coveted D24 postcode but still not actually be near peasants. ...

So his parent put him through school and his office is in Tallaght. He should be hung
So your views and any policy ideas are null and void before you even start based on your class, unless they are about looking after business and screwing the tax payer. Seems logical.

Stacksofwacks

Just as a matter of interest what is the opposite of a champagne socialist? A capitalist who drinks Aldi beer/dutch gold?

yosser hughes

Matt Barrett wrote: »

Did he suggest everyone take a vow of poverty or say nobody should make money?

Are you for real? Read a few books.
He claims to be a socialist. Property speculation at any time but particularly at a time when home ownership is beyond the reach of so many, doesn't really fit with socialist ideals.

Eric Cartman

Stacksofwacks wrote: »

Just as a matter of interest what is the opposite of a champagne socialist? A capitalist who drinks Aldi beer/dutch gold?

depending on where you are or who you talk to theyre reffered to by the left as : rednecks, racists, bigots, uneducated working class, etc.... Theyre the group the left constantly blame for trump, brexit, the tories etc...

Loafing Oaf

I thought we used to call them smoked salmon socialists in Ireland. Guess that's not fancy enough any more...

James Brown

yosser hughes wrote: »

Are you for real? Read a few books.
He claims to be a socialist. Property speculation at any time but particularly at a time when home ownership is beyond the reach of so many, doesn't really fit with socialist ideals.

No, Matt Barrett, sshhh.

Did they not buy that over a decade ago? Selling is better than sitting on it.

Stacksofwacks

Was watching a documentary about Ceaucescu the other night. The Romanian people were literally starving and he and his wife were living in a lap of luxury with extremely expensive tastes. I don't know if he just lost touch with reality or he was never really a socialist in the first place and just saw it as a vehicle for power and expensive living.

sabat

mariaalice wrote: »

When I was a teen a long time ago now, we are talking about the late 70s, I knew a few individuals who dressed in docks and wore a keffiyeh and mostly no one took any notice of them, but it really did seem to anger some people its the same sort of things just seem to really irriate people even thoug they are essentially a harmless phenomenon.

The quality of political insults is very poor in Ireland.

The point is that for most of these people, radical socialist worldviews are actually an off-the-peg fashion to satisfy the false sense of individuality pushed on them by a capitalist consumerist society. Socialism, or at least the 20th century variations of it, has been subsumed into the capitalist superstructure and those espousing left-wing views, whilst thinking of themselves as outside and against the system, are very much nodes within it.

65535

Former Labour leader - Joan Burton

Made comments about protestors 'extremely expensive phones'

Yet - She claimed in November 2018 for a GOLD iPhone XS 64GB

mariaalice

sabat wrote: »

The point is that for most of these people, radical socialist worldviews are actually an off-the-peg fashion to satisfy the false sense of individuality pushed on them by a capitalist consumerist society. Socialism, or at least the 20th century variations of it, has been subsumed into the capitalist superstructure and those espousing left-wing views, whilst thinking of themselves as outside and against the system, are very much nodes within it.

Yeah but just like the keffiyeh wearers of my youth its harmless but for some reason really angers people and becomes a lazy slur.

Eric Cartman

65535 wrote: »

Former Labour leader - Joan Burton

Made comments about protestors 'extremely expensive phones'

Yet - She claimed in November 2018 for a GOLD iPhone XS 64GB

that comment keeps getting misrepresented, it wasnt about having an expensive phone, its about standing around in the middle of the day screaming 'cant pay wont pay' about a bill thats a fraction of the cost of the bill keeping that phone paid for.

65535

Eric Cartman wrote: »

that comment keeps getting misrepresented, it wasnt about having an expensive phone, its about standing around in the middle of the day screaming 'cant pay wont pay' about a bill thats a fraction of the cost of the bill keeping that phone paid for.

Standing around ?

In the middle of the day ?
NO - they were protesting about another bill for a service

THAT IS ALREADY PAID FOR

If you're poor and want to look out for the poor you're a jealous scrounger.

If you have a few quid in your pocket and want to look out for the poor, you're a champaigne socialist.

It's a term used by people that just don't like the poor.

mariaalice

Deleted User wrote: »

If you're poor and want to look out for the poor you're a jealous scrounger.

If you have a few quid in your pocket and want to look out for the poor, you're a champaigne socialist.

It's a term used by people that just don't like the poor.

I wouldnt express it like that, but its that essentially plus a sort of cynicism.

James Brown

Eric Cartman wrote: »

that comment keeps getting misrepresented, it wasnt about having an expensive phone, its about standing around in the middle of the day screaming 'cant pay wont pay' about a bill thats a fraction of the cost of the bill keeping that phone paid for.

No. She was commenting on the expense of the phones. 'They can't have it so bad and have some cheek giving out' was the impression I got.
Same as the FG TD commenting on shopping trolleys full of drink. You aren't allowed complain unless you are wearing a potato sack begging for food.

Eric Cartman

Deleted User wrote: »

If you're poor and want to look out for the poor you're a jealous scrounger.

If you have a few quid in your pocket and want to look out for the poor, you're a champaigne socialist.

It's a term used by people that just don't like the poor.

if youre poor and want to look after those who work youre an idiot or undeducated, if you have a bit of money and want to look after those who work youre gammon or eliteist , politics is a complete sh*tshow, cant win either way.

James Brown

Eric Cartman wrote: »

if youre poor and want to look after those who work youre an idiot or undeducated, if you have a bit of money and want to look after those who work youre gammon or eliteist , politics is a complete sh*tshow, cant win either way.

Not at all. I don't hear that. We only hear such slags when it's someone trying to look after the poor of less well off.
That's the con. You're only clever or legit if you are looking after business. Everyone else is on the scrounge.

pgmcpq

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I think that they claim to reject their backgrounds while still living there. Saying one thing while doing the opposite.

I’ve never understood why people think politicians supporting left wing or progressive causes should want to personally poor, and if they don’t are somehow suspect. Isn’t a decent living standard for all part of the point ?

Topgear on Dave

marieholmfan wrote: »

Begrudgery.

100k profit tax free according to yesterdays papers.

And he'll come out and lecture me about poverty, capitalism and how I should pay my taxes. :pac:

Do you know how long it would take for a PAYE mug in a factory like me to graft to get 100k together?

Ulysses Gaze

purifol0 wrote: »

The examples mentioned here pale in comparison to our sitting President. Two term Prez Higgins has been a vocal socialist his entire career while profiting greatly from the taxes of the actual workers. Its absolutely amazing if not straight out obscene how much tax money he now trousers while spouting socialist rhetoric. It won't stop when he's out of the big house either, those politicians pensions are really something to behold.

Not forgettting his NUI Galway pension at 19 grand a year - yes he's taking that too:
https://galwaydaily.com/news/president-higgins-still-getting-e19000-nui-galway-pension-while-in-office/

And of course the 300K a year he gets to spend wily nily on entertainment, this was questioned by Catherine Connolly at the Public Accounts Committee a year or two ago.

Now dont get me wrong, he was the best of a bad bunch by quite a bit but still, is the very definition of champagne socialist.

But personally never put himself out for his "ideals".
The quintessential virtue signaller.

osarusan

For me, a person's background or wealth doesn't come into it.

It's whether somebody genuinely believes in certain policies or causes, or if it is just a game to them, a cause du jour, a way to pretend they are doing something noble.

purifol0

Ulysses Gaze wrote: »

But personally never put himself out for his "ideals".
The quintessential virtue signaller.

Ah the ultimate virtue signaller award goes to a previous Aras incumbent and internationally esteemed UN Ambassador Mary Robinson. Actually no one holds Mary in higher estimation than Mary herself. Lecturing the plebs not to wreck the planet by taking cheap ryanairs while herself private jets her way round the globe. Often bestowing peaceupon warring families by giving them the ultimate gift, a signed copy of her book.

Her virtue signalling bona fides came early into her presidency when she lit a candle for all the starving poor of Africa.

But why read my take on things when you can take yourself down to new Mary Robinson Centre on the banks of the River Moy in Ballina. Cost to the taxpayer: 3.1million.

Mary currently gets 500 quid a day for her Irish pension, how much the Saudi govt are paying her I don't know. But it must be enough to scuff her sanctimonious image.
Mary was always virtue singalling before it was cool, but she's more of a "champagne activist" than socialist.

Idbatterim

65535 wrote: »

Former Labour leader - Joan Burton

Made comments about protestors 'extremely expensive phones'

Yet - She claimed in November 2018 for a GOLD iPhone XS 64GB

That was the most honest comment made that decade by any politician!

Idbatterim

65535 wrote: »

Standing around ?

In the middle of the day ?
NO - they were protesting about another bill for a service

THAT IS ALREADY PAID FOR

Already paid for ? Not by those wasters. I suppose these are the ones who qualify as “taxpayers” by paying vat, with their free money ?

Idbatterim

65535 wrote: »

Former Labour leader - Joan Burton

Made comments about protestors 'extremely expensive phones'

Yet - She claimed in November 2018 for a GOLD iPhone XS 64GB

How much tax did she pay into the system that year ? Paid in tens of thousands in tax no doubt. Better than those lying about an inability to pay , receiving two hundred odd euro a week , paid for by Joan burton etc !

The worlds busiest dominos nearby! Yeah I’m sure they were all living on bread and water. No expensive tv and broadband packages in those households. Takeaways, bookies , pubs , life’s essentials ? I hear they all closed down in those areas during the recession. Things were that savage ...

Lillyfae

I'm a champagne socialist. I believe in champagne for the masses, in fact I buy it at Lidl and throw it at passers by outside the Lidl.

marieholmfan

Topgear on Dave wrote: »

100k profit tax free according to yesterdays papers.

And he'll come out and lecture me about poverty, capitalism and how I should pay my taxes. :pac:

Do you know how long it would take for a PAYE mug in a factory like me to graft to get 100k together?

Then fix your own problems and don't whine to me. If you're poor and you aren't a socialist (or in my family or from a specific small town in Kildare) why should I care about your problems.

Loafing Oaf

Lillyfae wrote: »

I'm a champagne socialist. I believe in champagne for the masses, in fact I buy it at Lidl and throw it at passers by outside the Lidl.

In contrast to the elitists in FG, who believe in champagne only for their real friends and...you know the rest...