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

I'm not 'may or may be not right', there is settled and well known constitutional case law on this. A citizen's pension is iron clad protected and enjoys even more protection than real property in that respect.

There's nothing 'out of context' about it. The context is a politician throwing populist red meat out in the media with a barking raving unconstitutional suggestion.

Put down the blue pom poms for a second and digest what your Great Marshall is suggesting. Not a constitutional amendment (which would be completely shot down by any electorate, and unworkable in the context of the balance of rights our Constitution affords in any case), but the legislature empowering itself to expropriate property on a political basis.

It would make Mugabe blush. Populist to its very core. You know it too.

Who's taking the side of bankers? Do you think it's advisable, legally possible or indeed anything other than populist for the legislature to institute laws to expropriate property from any targetted individual? Do you think it would stop with bankers? In your imaginary constitutional order where one could actually target pensions (and you most certainly can't), how do we institute laws that expropriate property from flavour of the week villains and not slide into legislation that allows for the expropriation of pensions for other sections of society? The answer: You couldn't.

It's silly dumb dumb talk and populist gunge.

The road to hell isn't just paved with good intentions, it's also paved with braindead utterances from politicians trying to burnish tough guy credentials with a dangerous disregard for the constitutional order.

Do you like politicians who fling out unconstitutional proposals to expropriate property flying in the face of the law?

Are you sure you're not a Khmer Rouge member who got lost on the way to Phnom Penh and somehow accidentally landed in a Fine Gael cuman?

Criticise what deserve to be criticised. For all the world it appears that Fine Gael turned into some sort weird personality cult of late hijacked by Varadkarists. Folk who can't quite articulate what the man stands for or why is of benefit to the party never mind the country at large and worthy of such all-out prickly defensive action.

We all understand the 'protect the King' instinct of party supporters whatever their hue, however there's something off about the way certain quarters of FG will broach absolutely no criticism of Varadkar.

Theory (and probably very close to the truth): Leo is the manifestation of the cleverest boy in the class self-image syndrome that FG supporters fall afoul of. And when Leo comes back with some failing grades on his mid-term report card hinting he's not as clever as he thinks himself to be, it rattles many in the wider party.

TBF to Varadkar, this was when him, Kenny and his whole party conned the electorate into thinking FG would be different to FF.

Making populist suggestions with no possible way or will in following through.

We already know Varadkar is a liar and full of it. Article reminds us he's been that way a long time.

Important to call out these charlatans. 'An end to cronyism' is the most apt for this thread methinks.

You lied were you claim to have only mentioned paddy in relation to his court case statements.

I also find your post to be dishonest based on you making the claim:

Protest is a foundation upon which democracy stands. When appointments are rigged and a minister can leak confidential negotiation documents to his friend with no penalty, we need to call out these chancers. Its our duty IMO.

Your pal paddy is not the one responsible for Varadkar being under criminal investigation. Its Varadkar for what he did. Going after a critic to try make him somehow key to Varadkar's criminality shows an ignorance of the law. Varadkar is either guilty or not. Paddy has no say.

Or square the circle that Leo was, as Taoiseach authorised to share the documents marked "confidential" with whomever he felt fit to share them with.

And Even though Leo is a politician, he's still a private citizen, and therefore we shouldn't be discussing him.

Did he pass the documents as Taoseach or a as a private citizen, what a cliffhanger..........