Why does everyone dislike Sinn Fein?

twistyj

It seems like nobody wants a shared government with sinn fein and for so long people just generally favour other parties. Sometimes i even get "Really? you support sinn fein?!" Whats your opinion?

KeithAFC

Don't know. Could be to do with all that murder or something.

Fratton Fred

You should give out free popcorn when starting threads like this.

rkeano5

Well basically because not so long ago they supported an armed terrorist organisation which killed countless innocent people. Their members openly supported the IRA.

Oh, and personally that won't be the reason I won't be not voting for them in the next election, there policies are totally farcical. Even Labour have a little more economic know-how (and that's really saying something)

Back to your original question: I take it that you are fairly young?

dermot_sheehan

Most people have a problem voting for the cop killer party.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

jimmycrackcorm

I don't like SF partitionist policies i.e. imposing cuts in the north but rejecting them in the south simply to aim for power.

Funfair

Most people on boards.ie dislike Sinn Fein because it’s the latest cool thing and they are too young to know anything about Northern Ireland and the conflict other then what they read on Facebook and likes..

Too busy worshiping Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal to give a feck about anything really.

Wolfe Tone

Ah jesus. I have a better question, why doe SF get so many threads? Each end up being the same thing!

GarlicBread

Sinn Fein / IRA were created out of appaulling human rights abuses perpetrated on the catholic/nationalist community in the north.

Im not even republican, but its a bit too smug for people in the south to be bitching and moaning when they talk **** about how great they were in 1922 while in the same breath backstabbing a sizeable part of their own people and leaving them in hostile enemy territory. F**king scummy, plain and simple.

All in all, by the end of it, the IRA did end up commiting some appaulling crimes of their own which matched the original sin, so i dont think they are any angels.

Sinn Fein arnt wanted in gov because they are hard left which dosent jive with the others. Also, if they get into power on both sides of the border, a united ireland would edge ever closer, and alot of people do not want to see that happen.

Rebelheart

twistyj wrote: »

It seems like nobody wants a shared government with sinn fein and for so long people just generally favour other parties. Sometimes i even get "Really? you support sinn fein?!" Whats your opinion?

Only your average deluded Blueshirt (apology for the tautology) or Sticky hates Sinn Féin. Jealousy big-time, whether it's having passionate supporters, idealism and romanticism in heaps, meeting the President of the US, being world famous ... all those shallow things are precisely the values which these two crowds of absolute losers love. And losers they, particularly the Blueshirts, certainly are: despite the tsunami in Irish politics Fine Gael is now only 2% higher in the polls than they were in the 2002 election. Why? Because Fine Gael is incapable of being anything more than a party representing a sectional interest. Its politicians are more interested in having notions of big farmer/shopkeeper moral superiority than in being a serious alternative government. The smugness, the delusions of sophistication, the inability to abandon its West Brit background and become a truly modern Irish and European party.

And let's not forget this Fine Gael and Labour jealousy in the heat of political campaigns. Like when the Sinn Féin machine gets going with thousands of posters being put up by its large number of passionate activists around an area on an evening in response to a political event the Blueshirts and smoked salmon socialists get most animated. Why? Because the political parties of the big farmers and the born-again smoked salmon socialists are out wining and dining - just how many alcoholics are in conservative political parties like Fine Gael? - and talking about their next radio appearance when Sinn Féin is rocking the boat in their constituencies and demanding that they up their game. Sinn Féin will get the vote out in working class areas which neither of the other two parties ever bother to go near. And for this Sinn Féin receives resentment in heaps from Fine Gael and Labour party apparatchiks. Their laziness is only equalled by their hypocrisy.

Liam Byrne

Funfair wrote: »

Most people on boards.ie dislike Sinn Fein because it’s the latest cool thing and they are too young to know anything about Northern Ireland and the conflict other then what they read on Facebook and likes..

Too busy worshiping Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal to give a feck about anything really.

Most people get their ire raised when people glibly dismiss their concerns about having a party that circumvents law & order and collecting cop-killers from prison in such a farcical and dismissive manner as the post above.

SF have their own mindset where law & order doesn't apply to them, which puts them in a similar "not fit for purpose" as FF, only with guns & deaths instead of bank balances.

Rebelheart

Funfair wrote: »

Too busy worshiping Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal to give a feck about anything really.

In other words, future, like, Fine Gael, voters, like.

Liam Byrne

Rebelheart wrote: »

Only your average deluded Blueshirt (apology for the tautology) or Sticky hates Sinn Féin.

Anyone know the polar opposite of "QFT" ?

The above is 100% waffle and is even more condescending and inaccurate than a typical FF opinion! And that's saying something!

phantom_lord

Because they're a bunch of backward marxists unfit for government.

Fratton Fred

Rebelheart wrote: »

Only your average deluded Blueshirt (apology for the tautology) or Sticky hates Sinn Féin. Jealousy big-time, whether it's having passionate supporters, idealism and romanticism in heaps, meeting the President of the US, being world famous ... all those shallow things are precisely the values which these two crowds of absolute losers love. And losers they, particularly the Blueshirts, certainly are: despite the tsunami in Irish politics Fine Gael is now only 2% higher in the polls than they were in the 2002 election. Why? Because Fine Gael is incapable of being anything more than a party representing a sectional interest. Its politicians are more interested in having notions of big farmer/shopkeeper moral superiority than in being a serious alternative government. The smugness, the delusions of sophistication, the inability to abandon its West Brit background and become a truly modern Irish and European party.

And let's not forget this Fine Gael and Labour jealousy in the heat of political campaigns. Like when the Sinn Féin machine gets going with thousands of posters being put up by its large number of passionate activists around an area on an evening in response to a political event the Blueshirts and smoked salmon socialists get most animated. Why? Because the political parties of the big farmers and the born-again smoked salmon socialists are out wining and dining - just how many alcoholics are in conservative political parties like Fine Gael? - and talking about their next radio appearance when Sinn Féin is rocking the boat in their constituencies and demanding that they up their game. Sinn Féin will get the vote out in working class areas which neither of the other two parties ever bother to go near. And for this Sinn Féin receives resentment in heaps from Fine Gael and Labour party apparatchiks. Their laziness is only equalled by their hypocrisy.

tl;dr version.

Sinn Fein are totally cool, Fine Gael suck, all non SF supporters are either wealthy west brits or champagne socialists.

Or put another way, a good demonstration of why people dislike SF

hmmm

As one of the prominent SF'ers over on politics.ie admitted, SF won't make inroads in a satisfied middle class. They need people angry, they need a bit of chaos and despair. SF really would support a kneeejerk "burn the bondholders" approach that cast Ireland into an Argentinian like chaos, it suits them politically.

seanybiker

Funfair wrote: »

Most people on boards.ie dislike Sinn Fein because it’s the latest cool thing and they are too young to know anything about Northern Ireland and the conflict other then what they read on Facebook and likes..

Too busy worshiping Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal to give a feck about anything really.

Its cool to dislike them now???? Jaysus I feel old, when did all this happen? I thought it was just people disliking them because they dont like scumbags.

irishh_bob

GarlicBread wrote: »

Sinn Fein / IRA were created out of appaulling human rights abuses perpetrated on the catholic/nationalist community in the north.

Im not even republican, but its a bit too smug for people in the south to be bitching and moaning when they talk **** about how great they were in 1922 while in the same breath backstabbing a sizeable part of their own people and leaving them in hostile enemy territory. F**king scummy, plain and simple.

All in all, by the end of it, the IRA did end up commiting some appaulling crimes of their own which matched the original sin, so i dont think they are any angels.

Sinn Fein arnt wanted in gov because they are hard left which dosent jive with the others. Also, if they get into power on both sides of the border, a united ireland would edge ever closer, and alot of people do not want to see that happen.

one could perhaps forgive thier ( ira ) reaction to catholic - nationalist opression in the organge state of northern ireland were it not for the fact that they brutally slaughtered so many unarmed civilians , once that happens , an org becomes a terrorist outfit , very few people can sympathise or support such a movement , the same leadership who oversaw theese acts are still by and large at the forefront of sinn fein , when people see gerry adams speak on various issues on tv , they are reminded of the man who ( most likely ) gave the order to kill and bury a mother of ten or to plant bombs at a rememberance day service


personally speaking , even thier past was whiter than a preachers sheets , i wouldnt vote for thier daft far left economic policys

dlofnep

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I don't like SF partitionist policies i.e. imposing cuts in the north but rejecting them in the south simply to aim for power.

They didn't impose cuts in the north. A bit of honesty would go a long way. Sinn Féin does not decide the budget for the north. That is allocated through Westminster.

I'm not sure what's so difficult to understand about this.

dlofnep

seanybiker wrote: »

Its cool to dislike them now???? Jaysus I feel old, when did all this happen? I thought it was just people disliking them because they dont like scumbags.

And yet, you're friends one one of these said scumbags

sherdydan

well come the next general election, the only party i know for a fact i am not voting for is fine gael.

sinn fein are a fine enough party in my opinion, only thing that makes me less likely to vote are that they arent big enough to really have any muscle in power, and a coalition with them involved i see as highly unlikely.

fianna fail and labour and the other two im looking to vote for.

BullSWD

Communism is the main reason I would say. Sends shivers down my spine, although at one stage in my earlier years I would have been very left wing minded. However, as a person who went out and got a job, I have completely shifted to the right and actually find it ironic that SF say they stand for workers, when, in my opinion, most of its support comes from non working members of society and young idealogical people who have no experience of the real world.

Funfair

seanybiker wrote: »

Its cool to dislike them now???? Jaysus I feel old, when did all this happen? I thought it was just people disliking them because they dont like scumbags.

Seany we're talking about Sinn Fein not the Freewheelers

dlofnep

BullSWD wrote: »

Communism is the main reason I would say.

Sinn Féin isn't a communist party.

BullSWD wrote: »

However, as a person who went out and got a job, I have completely shifted to the right and actually find it ironic that SF say they stand for workers, when, in my opinion, most of its support comes from non working members of society and young idealogical people who have no experience of the real world.

And yet, Sinn Féin played a key role here in Waterford with trying to keep Waterford Crystal open. I'm a college educated supporter of Sinn Féin, who has worked since the age of 14. Where do I fit into your stereotype of Sinn Féin supporters?

BlaasForRafa

sherdydan wrote: »

well come the next general election, the only party i know for a fact i am not voting for is fine gael.

sinn fein are a fine enough party in my opinion, only thing that makes me less likely to vote are that they arent big enough to really have any muscle in power, and a coalition with them involved i see as highly unlikely.

fianna fail and labour and the other two im looking to vote for.

You're voting for fianna fail? after what they've done to the country?

Thats even more barmy than voting for SF.

seanybiker

Funfair wrote: »

Seany we're talking about Sinn Fein not the Freewheelers

hahaha I dont even rate them at all.

BlaasForRafa

dlofnep wrote: »

I'm a college educated supporter of Sinn Féin, who has worked since the age of 14. Where do I fit into your stereotype of Sinn Féin supporters?

I could say but then I'd probably get at least a weeks ban.

BullSWD

dlofnep wrote: »

Sinn Féin isn't a communist party.

Communist/Socialist/Marxist/Leftist - Tomato/Tomato!!!!

And yet, Sinn Féin played a key role here in Waterford with trying to keep Waterford Crystal open. I'm a college educated supporter of Sinn Féin, who has worked since the age of 14. Where do I fit into your stereotype of Sinn Féin supporters?

I did write most! If I really wanted to stereotype I would have just said cheap suits with open neck collars and sleeveless jumpers!!!:D

sherdydan

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

You're voting for fianna fail? after what they've done to the country?

Thats even more barmy than voting for SF.

yep fianna fail caused everything!:rolleyes:

Rebelheart

Liam Byrne wrote: »

The above is 100% waffle and is even more condescending and inaccurate than a typical FF opinion! And that's saying something!

For somebody with 11,017 posts (and counting), I bow to your inestimable authority on the subject of "waffle" and "condescending" posts.

Rebelheart

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Sinn Fein are totally cool, Fine Gael suck

"totally cool" is, like, relative, like. What is relevant, however, is that they're "cooler" (to put it in your chosen asinine terms) than anything your beloved Fine Gael is producing. Brian Hayes springs to mind immediately.

dlofnep

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

I could say but then I'd probably get at least a weeks ban.

It would be no worse than the rest of the tripe you post on this forum.

Rebelheart

Of course, the very last thing I'd like to inject into a Boards.ie discussion is intelligence but ...

I don't really believe all these people who claim to dislike Sinn Féin actually do. They like to think they do but they don't seem to have the stuff in between the ears to follow through with their hatred. If they really had any sort of decent, intelligent dislike or even hatred for them they'd be delighted to see Sinn Féin in government. The reason should be obvious, but let me spell it out:

Sinn Féin thrives on its radicalism and idealism which itself is based upon not being an establishment party, a government party. As soon as it enters government it, like any radical party based on oppositional politics, will have to make compromises, and this all done in a system which is in reality run by civil servants rather than politicians to boot. As a political brand, it's highly improbable that Sinn Féin will still be perceived as a radical anti-establishment party by the end of a period in government and will lose large numbers of its most committed voters. Anybody ever hear of Clann na Poblachta, or even The Green Party?

Genuine haters of Sinn Féin could do with reading some political theory on how to undermine radical, ideologically-based political parties. That, or get some basic common sense. Once again, Sinn Féin's so-called opposition is intellectually inferior to it.

imme

Rebelheart wrote: »

Only your average deluded Blueshirt (apology for the tautology) or Sticky hates Sinn Féin. Jealousy big-time, whether it's having passionate supporters, idealism and romanticism in heaps, meeting the President of the US, being world famous ... all those shallow things are precisely the values which these two crowds of absolute losers love. And losers they, particularly the Blueshirts, certainly are: despite the tsunami in Irish politics Fine Gael is now only 2% higher in the polls than they were in the 2002 election. Why? Because Fine Gael is incapable of being anything more than a party representing a sectional interest. Its politicians are more interested in having notions of big farmer/shopkeeper moral superiority than in being a serious alternative government. The smugness, the delusions of sophistication, the inability to abandon its West Brit background and become a truly modern Irish and European party.

And let's not forget this Fine Gael and Labour jealousy in the heat of political campaigns. Like when the Sinn Féin machine gets going with thousands of posters being put up by its large number of passionate activists around an area on an evening in response to a political event the Blueshirts and smoked salmon socialists get most animated. Why? Because the political parties of the big farmers and the born-again smoked salmon socialists are out wining and dining - just how many alcoholics are in conservative political parties like Fine Gael? - and talking about their next radio appearance when Sinn Féin is rocking the boat in their constituencies and demanding that they up their game. Sinn Féin will get the vote out in working class areas which neither of the other two parties ever bother to go near. And for this Sinn Féin receives resentment in heaps from Fine Gael and Labour party apparatchiks. Their laziness is only equalled by their hypocrisy.

there was me thinking the title of the thread meant this thread was about SF:rolleyes:
your post made me laugh, thanks:D

OP, everyone doesn't dislike SF.
Every party in the State has a history, just the party that calls itself Sinn Fein now is quite different to older/former Sinn Feins. New Sinn Fein has a history of association with the IRA, and all that that involves.

GuanYin

MOD NOTE:

Please try keep things civil and discuss the topic with maturity.

If it continues on the current vein, I will close the thread.

/mod

GarlicBread

irishh_bob wrote: »

they brutally slaughtered so many unarmed civilians , once that happens , an org becomes a terrorist outfit , very few people can sympathise or support such a movement

The sad reality however, if a wounded beast is cornered and poked with a sharp stick, somone is asking for trouble.

Political parties and peoples in the south and across the british mainland played their part in the catastrophe just as much as anyone else.

In the end of the day it was the paramilitries of both sides and the british army who were at the forefront of the violence. Thus it is them who will take the public relations flak for the mountain of dead, maimed and trumatized people that resulted.

The british gov(with their various wings) killed their fair share of innocent people aswell and they had the support not just of the "very few", but of the majority of british people via their democracy. Would anyone ever dare to call the british government a terrorist organization?

Best to understand the duality of it and to not have double standards.

Chucky the tree

This is an example of why people still are afraid of Sinn Fein. They are still hugely linked with criminal gangs.

Last week five men, all believed to be Sinn Fein election workers, were convicted of IRA membership after they were caught by gardai while apparently preparing to hijack a lorry at Bray, Co Wicklow, in October 2002. While searching a car and van at the scene, gardai uncovered clubs, CS spray cans, fake Garda uniforms along with election posters for O Snodaigh.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/cs-gas-discovered-in-home-of-o-snodaigh-supporter-465028.html

Fratton Fred

Rebelheart wrote: »

"totally cool" is, like, relative, like. What is relevant, however, is that they're "cooler" (to put it in your chosen asinine terms) than anything your beloved Fine Gael is producing. Brian Hayes springs to mind immediately.

Sorry, did I give you the impression I was a Fine Gael supporter, or are you jumping to conclusions?

It would be refreshing if, for once, you could tell us why we should vote for SF rather than why we shouldn't vote for everyone else.

Ren2k7

I don't 'like' nor 'dislike' Sinn Fein anymore than the other main parties. I prefer to approach a political party based on policy and performance in past government, both North and South. Hence, while I would be wary of some of Sinn Feins economic policies, I nonetheless think it's time the Irish political establishment need a good kick up the **** and Sinn Fein could be the solution.

In any case, I'm not going to be hypocritical and decry Sinn Fein for having prior links to terrorist/freedom fighter groups (delete as appropriate) when one is reminded of Labour (Citizens Army, Official IRA), Fine Gael (Army Comrades Association - a violent Irish fascist organisation) and Fianna Fail (Anti-Treaty IRA).

KeithAFC

Did i just read on here that Sinn Feins opposition is intellectually inferior?

caseyann

I dont dislike Sinn Féin,so not all of us dislike them.;)

I will edit to also say,i would vote for them and like them and the way they are moulding themselves.

HavingCrack

Dislike is the wrong word for it. Leaving aside their connection to violent republicanism I just do not agree with their borderline Maoist strain of socialism which is utterly anathema to my political beliefs. Therefore I would not vote for them.

OhNoYouDidn't

I thinl the OP regrets asking now.

SF are a political party on the up. How up and up where is to be confirmed, but since the 1990's are growing. This naturally causes resentment, fear and general stupidity from political hacks in the other parties. So the red scare that they will eat our babies if elected, as seen here, gets rolled out. Its bull and has no basis in reality.

The other reason id dislike / distrust because of their links to the Provisional IRA, which is far more tangible and legitimate. Senior members of SF were members of the IRA and one in particular won't admit it. So its valid to question the fitness for office of a party with a number of its membership who are hardened killers.

But its mostly the former. FF and Labour heads trying to throw mud to not lose votes.

OhNoYouDidn't

HavingCrack wrote: »

Dislike is the wrong word for it. Leaving aside their connection to violent republicanism I just do not agree with their borderline Maoist strain of socialism which is utterly anathema to my political beliefs. Therefore I would not vote for them.

Can you provide an example of these 'Maoist' policies?

irishh_bob

GarlicBread wrote: »

The sad reality however, if a wounded beast is cornered and poked with a sharp stick, somone is asking for trouble.

Political parties and peoples in the south and across the british mainland played their part in the catastrophe just as much as anyone else.

In the end of the day it was the paramilitries of both sides and the british army who were at the forefront of the violence. Thus it is them who will take the public relations flak for the mountain of dead, maimed and trumatized people that resulted.

The british gov(with their various wings) killed their fair share of innocent people aswell and they had the support not just of the "very few", but of the majority of british people via their democracy. Would anyone ever dare to call the british government a terrorist organization?

Best to understand the duality of it and to not have double standards.

i hold the london goverment chiefly responsible for what happened in that inherently dysfunctional part of this island known as ulster but that doesnt not excuse the killing of defenseless civilians who perhaps had no truck with margaret thatcher , ian paisley or king billy for that matter

Liam Byrne

irishh_bob wrote: »

i hold the london goverment chiefly responsible for what happened in that inherently dysfunctional part of this island known as ulster

Why ? What happened in Donegal, Monaghan & Cavan to make them qualify as "dysfunctional" ?

Godge

GarlicBread wrote: »

The sad reality however, if a wounded beast is cornered and poked with a sharp stick, somone is asking for trouble.

Political parties and peoples in the south and across the british mainland played their part in the catastrophe just as much as anyone else.

In the end of the day it was the paramilitries of both sides and the british army who were at the forefront of the violence. Thus it is them who will take the public relations flak for the mountain of dead, maimed and trumatized people that resulted.

The british gov(with their various wings) killed their fair share of innocent people aswell and they had the support not just of the "very few", but of the majority of british people via their democracy. Would anyone ever dare to call the british government a terrorist organization?

Best to understand the duality of it and to not have double standards.

I think the only bit of that post you got right was the bit where you compare Sinn Fein/IRA to a beast. They operated at the level of animals throughout the last 30 years.

KeithAFC

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Why ? What happened in Donegal, Monaghan & Cavan to make them qualify as "dysfunctional" ?

He means loyal Ulster.

OhNoYouDidn't

KeithAFC wrote: »

He means loyal Ulster.

So thats you admitting the 6 counties are dysfunctional?

gandalf

Why do I dislike Sinn Fein. Its for the following reasons.

Their history over the troubles and their link to a terrorist organisation with intertwined leaderships of the same.

Their half baked economic policies.