What does Fianna Fail stand for?

They're certainly not Republican anymore anyway. Probably haven't been for a long time.

Outwardly FF stand for whatever they believe they need to say to get elected.

Inwardly they stand for parish pump politics, feathering their own nests and the nests of their sponsors.

If anyone thinks they have changed they are greatly mistaken.

Election. Fundamentally a mix of what gandalf and dublinbhoy88 said.

The only constant active aim in the party is reunification. Everything else is "conservative with a small c" - that is, reactive rather than active. Their social policies are shaped by not rocking the boat, while their economic policies can be summed up as "making Ireland a great little country to do business in" - by regulating only when required, and deferring constantly to the golden goose of multinational business and finance.

They seek to subsume but not annoy local elites and vested interests, so only act when faced with the most egregious problems, and back down if action turns out to be more widely unpopular than popular. They're past masters at killing things by assigning them to committee and commissioning consultants, and their instinct is to talk about doing something rather than doing it. That goes for the occasional "initiative" on something like IT or entrepreneurialism - hold a photo-opportunity and have some glossy brochures handed out tends to be the limit of it, and when money is handed out in tandem, it goes to the usual channels as part of maintaining a political grip.

The "great little country to do business in" translates to the local level of "great little county to do business in" through the same kind of non-regulation - letting those with money do what they want rather than attempting entrepreneurialism or leadership.

Luckily, this accords well with the instincts of a large proportion of the Irish public, who are happy to see lip service paid to important issues without the uncomfortable disruption brought about by actual change.

cordially,
Scofflaw

The same as always. The equivalent to Fine Gael.

grainnewhale wrote: »

FF left of centre, FG right of centre.

FF aren't "left of centre". They voluntarily have chosen to be members of the "right of centre" (Free-market) Liberals at EU level - where they are among the more (socially) conservative members of the Liberals.

Why should FF not be "right of centre"? They have been the primary beneficiaries of our political system for decades - hence they have every reason to be conservative in outlook as it is in their interest to defend our current system by minimising or eliminating any political push towards changing that system that has so obviously benefited them enormously at least until the last GE (and will probably do so again in future ones in say 5-10 years time).

They stand for greed and avarice. Absolute greed and avarice to the core. Have done since Haughey first emerged from the shadows of the backbench. The Galway tent was their den of iniquity.

We will never get to know the entire web of deceit that existed during the 80s, 90s and 00s, but at least some if it is starting to emerge. The goings on at the Central Remedial Clinic and how all of Bertie's mates siphoned charitable donations in to their own pockets being the most recently exposed manifestation of that web of deceit and greed.

And the new generation will do exactly the same if they get back in power.

FF stand for nothing really, bar populism. I wonder now if they will campaign to drop the property tax in the next election, just like they did back in the late 70's to mass gpmbeen approval.