General Election 2011?

foxinsox

Hi all,

long time reader first post in here..
hope it's ok..

I've read lots about all the horrible stuff going on at the moment..

BUT

If there is a General Election early 2011, what are our options?

Would any party voted in have their hands tied by the 4 year plan?

I can't see anyone/any party offering a solution?

It seems to me that the current government made a complete dog's dinner of running the country.

For the first time in my life I have no idea what way to vote in an election nor have I any idea of a solution for the country

No party seems to have a plan..

Please anyone, is there any light at the end of the tunnel?

If so please enlighten me..

Thanks

Dannyboy83

After the events of today, I've come to the conclusion that there is v.little point in following politics in Ireland anymore.
Granted I'm feeling extremely disillusioned at the moment.
But I honestly believed that the IMF would ensure the correct decisions would be taken. I genuinely believed that they would ensure spending was reformed.
I think I was being naieve.

Scofflaw had a line recently, that crisis(es) tend to yield very little political change. I absolutely did not want to believe that.
But after today, it seems he is entirely correct.

It's seem the sacred cows are going to be protected at all costs.
I was adamant about voting for FG.
FF have now done things in such a manner that state sector reform is going to be near impossible. Probably protecting their own long term interests aswell.

Even if there is no legal restrictions around the terms of the budget/4 year bankruptcy plan, there are still the social/psychological handcuffs which have been fastened very tightly today.

I still think that FG is the best chance we have at some type of equalité but I'd be lying if I said I thought it could make a difference anymore.

- It looks like the once in a lifetime chance to change things has passed.
- What is happening now, looks unnervingly close to what happened in the 80s in Ireland, and the inability to reform
- You can't tax your way out of a recession


My current thought process is that it's time to cast off any misguided notions about how the future can be changed in Ireland.

If you plan to stay in Ireland now and you are not one of the lucky ones in the public service, you need to ask yourself:
- is it going to be enough just to survive?


If you can subsist on the mere satisfaction of living here, then that's probably the bottom line.
But if you want something good out of life, then you probably have a lot of thinking to do.

amacachi

Get rid of Fianna Fail, never, ever forget what they have done in the last few years, how much they've embarrassed every one of us and how they have placed us under an unrepayable debt that is going to affect every one of us and for possibly the next two generations. They must never be allowed into power again. If the next lot try to screw us over then we must get rid of them.

nesf

foxinsox wrote: »

Would any party voted in have their hands tied by the 4 year plan?

No, the EU has effectively said that any new Government can renegotiate any elements of the 4 year plan. Since both the main Opposition and the Government agree on the broad outlines (i.e. how much to cut) the difference is in what to cut. The EU just cares about the overall number, not how we get there. So a new Government won't be tied by the 4 year plan's elements, only on the overall big ticket numbers.

foxinsox

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

After the events of today, I've come to the conclusion that there is v.little point in following politics in Ireland anymore.
Granted I'm feeling extremely disillusioned at the moment.
But I honestly believed that the IMF would ensure the correct decisions would be taken. I genuinely believed that they would ensure spending was reformed.
I think I was being naieve.

Scofflaw had a line recently, that crisis(es) tend to yield very little political change. I absolutely did not want to believe that.
But after today, it seems he is entirely correct.

It's seem the sacred cows are going to be protected at all costs.
I was adamant about voting for FG.
FF have now done things in such a manner that state sector reform is going to be near impossible. Probably protecting their own long term interests aswell.

Even if there is no legal restrictions around the terms of the budget/4 year bankruptcy plan, there are still the social/psychological handcuffs which have been fastened very tightly today.

I still think that FG is the best chance we have at some type of equalité but I'd be lying if I said I thought it could make a difference anymore.

- It looks like the once in a lifetime chance to change things has passed.
- What is happening now, looks unnervingly close to what happened in the 80s in Ireland, and the inability to reform
- You can't tax your way out of a recession


My current thought process is that it's time to cast off any misguided notions about how the future can be changed in Ireland.

If you plan to stay in Ireland now and you are not one of the lucky ones in the public service, you need to ask yourself:
- is it going to be enough just to survive?


If you can subsist on the mere satisfaction of living here, then that's probably the bottom line.
But if you want something good out of life, then you probably have a lot of thinking to do.

Thanks for the replies folks..

I have to stay in Ireland, I have a house here now..

I left school in 1985..
There were no jobs then..
I went to London and then the States..

I couldn't do all that again..

I don't know about FG, or any of the others..

I just don't get how they messed (whoevers fault it is) it up so bad..


I'm crap at maths and even I could work out that the banks seemed to be throwing money at everyone..

K_user

amacachi wrote: »

Get rid of Fianna Fail, never, ever forget what they have done in the last few years, how much they've embarrassed every one of us and how they have placed us under an unrepayable debt that is going to affect every one of us and for possibly the next two generations. They must never be allowed into power again. If the next lot try to screw us over then we must get rid of them.

I've heard this sort of this bounced around quite alot lately, and I'm sorry, but I find it a little naieve.

There are a whole lot of issues effecting Ireland at the moment, its not just a FF.

In the last year there have been recessions hitting countries across the globe. Within the EU Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain are all in the doldrums.

The Irish problem came from this myth of the "Celtic Tiger" which amounted to massive credit and 100% mortgages. Irish banks handing out money like it was going out of fashion and people charging and paying ridiculous amounts of money for anything and everything.

Well all that money, all that credit, came from European and Global banks. And they are now looking for their money back. And we, the Irish public, are looking around for someone to blame.

But to be completely honest, had the Government tried to rein in spending 4 or 5 years ago they would have been laughed out of it. Had they tried to stop the banks, they would have been told to f**K off!

D*mned if you do...


Thats not to say that I think they should be left off the hook. There is alot they screwed up on. Things they should have been doing, but weren't. But hind sight is 20/20 as they say.


As for who to vote for. Go with your gut. Don't make a knee jerk reaction. Get to know what the candidates are saying and what they intend to do, as apposed to the usual election promises that get thrown about every 4 years. And never trust someone who's entire argument is based on what the other guys did wrong!

foxinsox

K_user wrote: »

As for who to vote for. Go with your gut. Don't make a knee jerk reaction. Get to know what the candidates are saying and what they intend to do, as apposed to the usual election promises that get thrown about every 4 years. And never trust someone who's entire argument is based on what the other guys did wrong!

You put it in the right words !!

All the other party's/opposition seem to be gloating on FF misfortune..
Instead of coming up with realistic plans or solutions..
I really haven't seen any of them with plans that will make any impact on the debt Ireland is facing..

I reckon that even of FG or Labour had been there maybe we would be in the same situation now..

nesf

foxinsox wrote: »

I reckon that even of FG or Labour had been there maybe we would be in the same situation now..

Pretty much. Though I wouldn't say that to any party die hards unless you want to send them spiralling into incandescent rage..

foxinsox

nesf wrote: »

Pretty much. Though I wouldn't say that to any party die hards unless you want to send them spiralling into incandescent rage..

cheers..

I am a teeny bit scared in here..

too much time on AH I think..

K_user

foxinsox wrote: »

I reckon that even of FG or Labour had been there maybe we would be in the same situation now..

Looking at the situation logically tells you we would.

What happened to Ireland was down to people going mad on credit, world banking and global recession. These are things that the government had little control of, especially since they no longer control our currency.

freewheeler

K_user wrote: »

Looking at the situation logically tells you we would.

What happened to Ireland was down to people going mad on credit, world banking and global recession. These are things that the government had little control of, especially since they no longer control our currency.

And the government are blameless? are you for real? Theres hardly an economist out there who hasn't stated that our problems were exacerbated by poor decisions and policies of our so-called 'government'

Ray Burkes Pension

K_user wrote: »

Looking at the situation logically tells you we would.

What happened to Ireland was down to people going mad on credit, world banking and global recession. These are things that the government had little control of, especially since they no longer control our currency.

The government is there to regulate this type of thing. Instead of regulating the banks, they were out playing golf with them.

nesf

freewheeler wrote: »

And the government are blameless? are you for real? Theres hardly an economist out there who hasn't stated that our problems were exacerbated by poor decisions and policies of our so-called 'government'

God no. Just the mistakes that the Government made (main one was pro-cyclical policies) are extremely common in booming Western economies. It's extremely likely that a FG/Lab Government would have made similar mistakes, they'd have focused different areas most likely but we'd probably have seen pro-cyclical budgets from them.