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Shouldn't we ban foreign funding of political parties?

  • 12-10-2014 9:36pm
    #1
    hmmm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,205 ✭✭✭✭


    In the US, political parties and candidates are not allowed to accept donations from foreigners. This is perfectly reasonable, the Americans do not want the elections for their country to be swayed by foreign money.

    I read that Sinn Fein has received over 250,000 euros in contributions from US based doners in the past 6 months. In the context of Irish political parties this is a massive amount of money and puts them in a very strong position vis a vis the other parties.
    http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/sinn-f%C3%A9in-s-us-wing-raises-263-000-in-half-year-1.1826273

    Should this be allowed?


Comments

  • #2
    Permabear
    Closed Accounts Posts: 39,022 ✭✭✭✭Permabear


    This post has been deleted.


  • #3
    DarkyHughes
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,393 ✭✭✭DarkyHughes


    hmmm wrote: »
    In the US, political parties and candidates are not allowed to accept donations from foreigners. This is perfectly reasonable, the Americans do not want the elections for their country to be swayed by foreign money.

    I read that Sinn Fein has received over 250,000 euros in contributions from US based doners in the past 6 months. In the context of Irish political parties this is a massive amount of money and puts them in a very strong position vis a vis the other parties.
    http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/sinn-f%C3%A9in-s-us-wing-raises-263-000-in-half-year-1.1826273

    Should this be allowed?

    If it means it helps Sinn Fein gain more votes than, yes, it should be allowed. But I suppose non-Republicans won't like that, like Fine Gael/Blueshirt supporters.


  • #4
    BoJack Horseman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,248 ✭✭✭✭BoJack Horseman


    So long as its declared, transparent & modest in size, the nationality of a donor shouldn't be an issue.


  • #5
    DarkyHughes
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,393 ✭✭✭DarkyHughes


    Permabear wrote: »
    This post had been deleted.

    I don't think that is there main agenda. granted they would like a socialist Republic. With socialism that works from the bottom up. But that's entirely up to the Irish people if they want a Socialist Republic or just a left leaning capitalist society. Their main goal is a United Ireland which most Irish people still would like to see happen by purely democratic means.


  • #6
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,735 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    My understanding in other countries this is common. From a book reading at the moment, the Indian diaspora regularly support their parties with funds from abroad.


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  • #7
    hmmm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,205 ✭✭✭✭hmmm


    Manach wrote: »
    My understanding in other countries this is common. From a book reading at the moment, the Indian diaspora regularly support their parties with funds from abroad.
    It might be common, but is it right? Particularly in the case of Ireland where we have a massive diaspora, many 2/3/4th generation with no direct ties other than kinship to the country, who live in a massively wealthy country and have the ability to skew Irish elections. Particularly also when SFs goals are overtly about influencing political & economic policy in the Republic http://www.fosf.org/policies/

    (p.s. this is no criticism of the contributors themselves)


  • #8
    hatrickpatrick
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,797 ✭✭✭✭hatrickpatrick


    IMO we set a very strict limit on how much money a party as an organization can spend in any given period. Politics should be about who has the best policies, not who can spend the most on marketing them.


  • #9
    The Corinthian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,777 ✭✭✭✭The Corinthian


    DarkyHughes wrote: »
    But that's entirely up to the Irish people if they want a Socialist Republic or just a left leaning capitalist society.
    LOL. So it's up to the Irish people, but only as long as it's left wing. I don't think you've understood what the point to democracy is.


  • #10
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,688 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    This issue should also be seen in the context of the abortion debate. During the fallout from the Savita Halapanavar case last year there were a lot of allegations going around that the pro life protests and campaigns were funded from Christian fundamentalist groups in the US. They are having a hard time getting abortion overturned in the US so donating money to see it kept illegal in Ireland is an atractive proposition. Its the Irish people who have to live under the laws of the State day to day so I think its totally wrong for foreign groups to be funding campaigns that effect all of us.


  • #11
    DarkyHughes
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,393 ✭✭✭DarkyHughes


    The Corinthian wrote: »
    LOL. So it's up to the Irish people, but only as long as it's left wing. I don't think you've understood what the point to democracy is.

    No, no, no. There not the choices. I just said left-wing leaning as Ireland is starting to become a much liberal society in the past 20 years. There's plenty of choices. Free based market capitalism, Stalinism, whole country based on Sharia Law etc... the oppurtunties are endless


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  • #12
    The Corinthian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,777 ✭✭✭✭The Corinthian


    DarkyHughes wrote: »
    No, no, no. There not the choices. I just said left-wing leaning as...
    I know what you said, so try not to backtrack on your gaff - even if it was only a Freudian slip it was a very telling one...


  • #13
    expectationlost
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,993 ✭✭✭✭expectationlost


    hmmm wrote: »
    In the US, political parties and candidates are not allowed to accept donations from foreigners. This is perfectly reasonable, the Americans do not want the elections for their country to be swayed by foreign money.

    I read that Sinn Fein has received over 250,000 euros in contributions from US based doners in the past 6 months. In the context of Irish political parties this is a massive amount of money and puts them in a very strong position vis a vis the other parties.
    http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/sinn-f%C3%A9in-s-us-wing-raises-263-000-in-half-year-1.1826273

    Should this be allowed?

    in this article sinn fein says the money goes to Sinn Fein in the north under UK + NI rules http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/parties-remain-well-funded-and-staffed-even-within-stricter-fundraising-limits-1.1892987
    While these funds have been transferred to the North, the party says none of the money is transferred to the South, where strict rules in relation to such sources of funding apply.

    FG had fundraiser in London a couple of weeks back http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/fg-london-fundraiser-charges-100-for-dinner-with-taoiseach-1.1914655 but thats just for Irish citizens

    so the answer is its already not allowed.


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