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Leo Varadkar story in The Village??? - Mod Notes and banned Users in OP updated 16/05

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    #10082
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,718 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    There is absolutely an element of Irish society who cannot stand Varadkar and who are going out of their way to try find smear and turn it into something that will bring him down.

    I have to say though, as someone with little skin in the game, this latest attempt is one of the most spectacular swings and misses I have ever seen. It's even worse than some of the Village stuff that started this thread. This entire charade is quite literally based off completely false information, a great example of people need to be careful believing a lot of the nonsense on twitter.

    Twitter is absolutely full of fools who have taken this story hook, line and sinker. Trial by social media and who cares if the story is true or not.



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    #10083
    Suckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,215 ✭✭✭✭Suckit


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117853979#Comment_117853979

    I think you need to read it a few times,. Everything has been linked and linked again for you. If you are incapable of understanding that, then there is not a lot anyone can do to help you any further.



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    #10084
    Shebean
    Registered Users Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭Shebean


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855390#Comment_117855390

    I have never seen anyone on here or twitter insult Varadkar for anything other than what he says and does as it relates to his position in Irish politics.

    The facts are he is second in command in government. The entertainment industry had to wait 18 months to sit down with him. His government, quite rightly IMO, would not allow music festivals. Varadkar criticised the UK reopening and said it's not something we should be following. Then he attends a festival in the UK on the original date Electric Picnic was to be held. Is he that unaware or that uncaring?



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    #10085
    FrancieBrady
    Registered Users Posts: 68,620 ✭✭✭✭FrancieBrady


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855390#Comment_117855390

    If you had social media at the time, I think Garret Fitzgerald polarised people similarly. Charlie too.

    I think the Twitter whinge is a bit overstated at this stage. It's here and it's here to stay.

    Gets it right and gets it wrong sometimes too.

    I think a lot of the ire directed at it, comes from the loss of control and some politicians don't like being answered back.



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    #10086
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,718 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855475#Comment_117855475

    The facts are he did nothing against any rules, and he did nothing that any other citizen cannot do. This is genuinely one of the very rare occasions when there is absolutely nothing to see here.

    Leo Varadkar could announce that the government are giving every man, woman and child 1000 euros tomorrow and he'd still be criticised by sections of Irish twitter and boards.ie. It has honestly become that daft. For reasons beyond my comprehension he has become the bogeyman of the Irish left and sections of the SF vote. They know he'll never be brought down on policy, so it's smear all the way, facts be damned.



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    #10087
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,718 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855516#Comment_117855516

    I'm sure if twitter existed back in the day we'd have been saying the same thing.

    I also don't want it to sound like it's only Varadkar that gets grief, though he does seem to be the flavour of the day at the moment. I am sure plenty of Shinners / other left politicians have to put up with questionable accusations as well.

    It is the downside to social media, it's not about how true it is, just how wide you can spread it.



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    #10088
    FrancieBrady
    Registered Users Posts: 68,620 ✭✭✭✭FrancieBrady


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855539#Comment_117855539

    Totally disagree. Twitter is a tremendous resource with pitfalls, same as subscribing to a particular newspaper/TV news outlet.



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    #10089
    Shebean
    Registered Users Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭Shebean


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855524#Comment_117855524

    Who are you telling? Who claimed he broke rules?

    Nah chief. He backed the continued shut down of the live music industry. He criticised the UK for opening up. He attended a live music festival in the UK. That makes him tone deaf, unsympathetic and a hypocrite.

    Beyond your comprehension? He lies. He quoted Mean Girls when talking to the nation about Covid deaths, for a bet and a laugh. He had a housing adviser who was married to the head of Goldman Sachs Ireland during a housing crisis, which he's made worse. He lied about the Zappone appointment. Also he's under criminal investigation for leaking confidential government documentation to his friend. That's off the top of my head.

    What smear? Is mentioning his shenanigans, smearing? What false accusations and slander has you believing that?



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    #10090
    skimpydoo
    Registered Users Posts: 4,912 ✭✭✭skimpydoo


    One of the main reasons of hate for Twitter is the fact that the narrative can't be controlled.



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    #10091
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,718 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855577#Comment_117855577

    This is a fairly vacuous statement.

    One of the main reasons for hate for twitter is that it allows things that are demonstrably false to be portrayed as fact, as has happened in this case. How many people now think Leo Varadkar took the government jet to a concert, when this was completely fabricated and has absolutely no basis in reality whatsoever. In reality, there is little difference between this misinformation and the anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers, conspiracy theorist loons. The same principles apply, social media can amplify any voice no matter if they are making things up or not.

    This thread in the past day or so is a great example of what can happen when fiction is assumed to be fact. A good few posters on here have been led up the garden path by this and are now having a hard time getting out of the hole they dug for themselves after leaping head first into something that is absolute nonsense.



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    #10092
    skimpydoo
    Registered Users Posts: 4,912 ✭✭✭skimpydoo


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855743#Comment_117855743

    So you don't think it's all about controlling the narrative ?. Talking about false things been portrayed as fact, just ask RTE who have had to pay out a few times. The Sean Gallagher incident on the presidential debate springs to mind.



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    #10093
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 26,495 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    Half the stuff on Twitter is an attempt to "control the narrative".

    Everyone does it on every platform. Its the very reason stories such as this are believed so readily.

    Professional media is obviously far from flawless, but it is both far more consistently reliable and faces far more penalties when not so then some randos on twitter.



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    #10094
    Shebean
    Registered Users Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭Shebean


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855743#Comment_117855743

    People's opinions aren't facts necessarily. I thought everyone knew that? Seems to me people in certain qusarters don't like any Tom Dick or Harry having an outlet they can't manage.

    Imagine being back in the Haughey days were journalists are phone tapped or the Fine Gael days were the Garda act the heavy or journalists keep quiet because they want an adviser role?



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    #10095
    McMurphy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,365 ✭✭✭✭McMurphy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855802#Comment_117855802

    You're giving far too much attention to the jet story podge. The journalist who got his info wrong clarified it as soon as they could, retracted the story, and apologised. I can't for the live of me understand why Varadkars people didn't do that themselves earlier in the day, but anyways....

    Twitter isn't responsible for Varadkars stoking tension ref white/middle-class etc. It's not responsible for him leaking documents to a friend, and him being subject of a criminal investigation by non other than the NBCI. Twitter isn't responsible for him lying about this appointment, attending the Merrion, and having the AG cover for him.

    Leo did that all by himself, Twitter just helped to highlight it



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    #10096
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 26,495 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855901#Comment_117855901

    Varadkar has done plenty to cause himself trouble, I don't deny it. But the problem with the jet story, and these kind of stories in general, is that they take on a life of their own that expands far and wide compared to the acknowledgement of falsehood and retraction. Varadkar's people didn't deny it likely cause they don't want to get involved in every fantastical nonsense story put out on the internet.

    I use twitter a lot, it has many great uses. But it is absolutely not a more reliable source of info in general.



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    #10097
    FrancieBrady
    Registered Users Posts: 68,620 ✭✭✭✭FrancieBrady


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855980#Comment_117855980

    I would say only the fringes of the users of social media still believe he took the flight.

    The journalist retracted and apologised profusely and has been noted that doesn't happen in established mainstream media.

    Overblown criticism again tbh.



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    #10098
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,647 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855743#Comment_117855743

    This thread in the past day or so is a great example of what can happen when fiction is assumed to be fact. A good few posters on here have been led up the garden path by this and are now having a hard time getting out of the hole they dug for themselves after leaping head first into something that is absolute nonsense.

    Who are these posters, can you quote them and what they said?



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    #10099
    McMurphy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,365 ✭✭✭✭McMurphy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855980#Comment_117855980

    Hard to argue with a lot of that, but I'm curious if it suited Vardkars people nor to say anything as it suited them, they knew well he was in the UK, and the more the story was being discussed, the more it was detracting from the real issue, namely the terrible optics of him heading to a gig in the UK. everyone knows their was nothing illegal by the way, it was bad optics though, and I genuinely have no idea how a well paid adviser didn't explain this to him (though in saying that, he should have known this himself) especially with the criminal investigation still hanging over him, keep a low profile so to speak.



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    #10100
    skimpydoo
    Registered Users Posts: 4,912 ✭✭✭skimpydoo


    He was probably warned about the optics but Leo being Leo he didn't give a ****. I also think it's possible that the person who leaked the story about the jet did it on purpose so as to detract from Leo attending the festival in the UK.



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    #10101
    Ha Long Bay
    Registered Users Posts: 15,070 ✭✭✭✭Ha Long Bay


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856007#Comment_117856007


    Here is how it started on the thread. A poster read something I imagine from Twitter and the conspiracy grew legs helped on by posters here until the redaction many hours later.


    1.JPG


    It then spread to the music forums fairly quickly.


    2.JPG




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    #10102
    Jinglejangle69
    Registered Users Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Jinglejangle69


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856095#Comment_117856095

    Here we are again.

    More made up conspiracies.


    Nothing has been detracted, everyone is aware of the picture and him at the festival.


    Rent fee lads, rent free.



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    #10103
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,647 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856126#Comment_117856126

    Thats doesnt answer the question I posed to @awec who said "A good few posters on here have been led up the garden path by this"

    I've read the thread and not one poster on here said Varadkar was on the government jet so I cant understand the claim that "A good few posters on here have been led up the garden path by this"

    All i see on the thread is allegations by FG supporters on here but no acutal proof of posts. It seems to me that the FG brethren are literally just making stuff up that nobody ever posted.

    If Im wrong then quote the posters, its that simple.



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    #10104
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 26,495 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117855999#Comment_117855999

    It happens frequently in established mainstream media. However, it happens less frequently that this **** would get to the publication stage in the first place.



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    #10105
    Ha Long Bay
    Registered Users Posts: 15,070 ✭✭✭✭Ha Long Bay


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856165#Comment_117856165


    Just gave 3 examples and on the new site that was hard enough. If you think them posts are not good examples no skin off my nose but coming back looking for more is disingenuous at best. Will let AWEC respond further if they want to. I don't speak for him\her.



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    #10106
    skimpydoo
    Registered Users Posts: 4,912 ✭✭✭skimpydoo


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856156#Comment_117856156

    I said it's possible, sure anything is possible these days, especially when it concerns Leo. I remember late last year people on here claiming Leakgate was over blown and nothing to see here. Guess what it hasn't gone away so as I said before anything is possible.



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    #10107
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 26,495 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856095#Comment_117856095

    This is insanely conspiratorial and just unhinged from reality.


    I suspect Varadkar, as reported, would have been more than happy for EP to go ahead and therefore doesn't view his attendance at this event as a problem. It is pretty poor optics all things considered and more evidence of the coalition being somewhat fractious.



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    #10108
    FrancieBrady
    Registered Users Posts: 68,620 ✭✭✭✭FrancieBrady


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856126#Comment_117856126
    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856175#Comment_117856175

    Social Media is here to stay, it is different to mainstream media in that it has no editor, so you have to be your own.

    Like any breaking news story it got commented on, there are examples of this all over this site. Nobody was taking it as fact though, that I seen.

    And I am not aware of a single person here or on Twitter that believes it now.

    Fair attempt all day to try and exonerate Varadkar on the basis of it. But on the story goes.

    What we got was a stellar example of what any journalist or newspaper/TV programme should do when a source turns out to be bad. A full unequivocal retraction and apology.

    Would that our established media do the same. As I said earlier, on this very forum, you will find people who still believe stories that are speculative and unproven that came from the 'hallowed moral bastion' of the print media.



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    #10109
    skimpydoo
    Registered Users Posts: 4,912 ✭✭✭skimpydoo


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856203#Comment_117856203

    Not necessarily unhinged as I said before anything is possible, thats how spin works. If Leo wanted EP to go ahead he could have given it test status.



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    #10110
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,647 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856189#Comment_117856189

    So you cant do it, surprise, surprise <rollyeyes>. Not one poster here posted that Varadkar was definitely on the government jet. You were asked to provide quotes by posters saying it and you couldnt do it, now why is that?



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    #10111
    Ha Long Bay
    Registered Users Posts: 15,070 ✭✭✭✭Ha Long Bay


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856214#Comment_117856214


    Pure drivel of a response not sure why you quoted me.

    "And I am not aware of a single person here or on Twitter that believes it now."

    I would hope not considering its 24 hours since the so called journalist retracted the fake news story based on nothing.

    Right up there with the Paddy Cosgrave "dead nurse" story.



This discussion has been closed.
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