The wondrous adventures of Sinn Fein (part 3) Mod Notes and Threadbanned List in OP

For those who want to vote SF because they are sick of FF and FG so much; just remember - SF are just an extreme version of FF. An even bigger magic money tree; an even bigger sense of hypocrisy, claiming to represent the little people while sucking up corrupt wealthy gobshites; an even bigger attempt to throw money at a problem rather than actually solve it. The real question is not "is Sinn Fein as bad as we think?", but "can this country survive a SF led government?".

It's always funny talking to people who are saying that they will vote SF because at least they are not FF etc and reminding them that Mary Lou is FF. She is a middle-class Southside, fee-paying school & Trinners graduate who only left FF to join SF to advance her career. In her recent career, she:

• Is staunchly anti-EU, being the main leader of the anti-Lisbon "campaign of lies".
• Is an avid supporter of Sean Russell, the IRA Leader with ties to Nazi Germany.
• Sells terrorist memorabilia to fund her office/campaigns.
• Sucks up to uber-wealthy, corrupt foreign assholes who try to use their money to influence an Ireland they don't even live in.
• Is the very definition of a "champagne-socialist".

The scariest thing about the current political landscape is that she could be the next Taoiseach without even having a single day's prior experience of ever being in government.

Her sole claim to fame is that she is good at shouting at a useless government (something most of us are happy to do ourselves) and that her campaign lies are far bigger than anyone else's and typically rely on conspiracy theory type nonsense. In short, she is the Irish Donald Trump.

For those who are actually considering voting for them, ask yourself this. Since the last election, less than 2 years ago, which SF claimed to have won - what have they done? As soon as Covid hit a few weeks later, they ran and hid. Over the past 18 months when we have had profound, controversial and stupid decisions made by the Government, what alternative have SF provided? What would the government's handling of the pandemic looked like if SF had been in power? What would they have done differently?

While I worry about how bad things would get under a SF-led government, my real worry is about the permanent damage they will cause from being in office for just a few years.

People vote based on their own self-interest. The rental market is setting our generation back a decade, with many young people with fantastic salaries being forced to live at home with their parents. There is no political will from FG to tackle the housing crisis, quite the opposite actually. Who would you rather at the helm, Darragh O'Brien or EO'B?

And what happens when they're used on "ordinary" people...

The line between an ordinary citizen and a terrorist or gang member is whatever the Gardai say it is, and the testimony alone of the Gardai is evidence against you.

I disagree. SF are much more likely to introduce vacant property taxes, effective derelict property taxes, amend LPT, tax measures which will actually make a huge difference and increase the supply we desperately need. FG would never introduce such radical measures.

Amend LPT - Amend the Land Property Tax. I have no affiliation with SF if that's what you mean by "card carrying member". I do plan on voting for them though, as do many of my peers.

We use them interchangeably

Which means that it's very unlikely that you're paying 50% of your monthly salary in rent to live in a house with strangers.

Let's all forget what the power swap allowed happen here.

There was much that happened that could have been avoided with better governance.

FF/FG have shat in the bed. That's on them, not the people.

I don't see anything wrong with non jury courts. I do detest that silence can used as evidence in the Special Criminal Court. Seems immensely wrong.

Simple fact is it is not because of FF and FG. It is because of a younger generation who cannot remember the troubles. Who cannot remember all the SF duplicity and cannot remember how SF did not recognise either state they are currently in the parliaments of. In NI it is 20 plus years of the same....

The same generation in the ROI are being wooed by promises of cheap houses, low rents etc like a FF manifesto from the 1930's.

Also it was noticeable how SF changed their stance on the SCC. Which was not liked among the grassroots. SF are still currently in the process of a slow normalisation. I think what will happen eventually is that SF and FF will merge - and maybe then merge with FG - it will be left for the other parties to carve out a niche.

I would certainly welcome a vacant property tax as a good thing and it would contribute towards increasing affordability, but don't kid yourself that it would only be a drop in the ocean in terms of what's needed regarding improving supply and bring prices down.

Current affordable housing policies mostly work by giving a great deal to a small number of people (including layabouts) and everyone else can commute from Meath and Kildare. I don't see SF challenging that model.

I think it will take SF 30 years to be properly clean of the past and have their mindsets changed. All the old guard will be long gone by then. But the problem is SF can't jettison the old guard as SF love harking back to the past and 'the struggle'. The SF base would not be ready for a proper clean break. They have to do it gradually like the stance on the SCC. SF changed it when they realised it does not affect their 'comrádaí's' and it would be politically expedient to do so.

This is interesting.

It will be an election to lose for FG / FF, due to the housing issues.

SF won't win, FF / FG will lose, if you understand what I mean.

Here we have the majority of a group of trainee sol planning to vote SF.

You might normally expect sol to vote a mix of centre-left Lab/Greens and some FG?

I am sympathetic towards FF + FG, but they deserve this if it happens.

2000 euro rent in Dublin are crazy.