Why Do You Vote?

RockinRolla

I dislike all of Ireland's political parties because none of them represent anything I believe in and I'm sure I'm not the only one disenchanted with our current system.

There is, literally, no party out there in this country who is willing to change anything in any meaningful way that will give us a real identity. Ireland has not changed much at all since WWII in how we govern ourselves so what makes the masses think it will be any different this time? No matter who is running the country this time next year - their hands are still tied by faceless bureaucrats in Brussels.

Sinn Fein - Not my ideology.
Fine Gael - Conservative "Lets bring everything under Government control" dinosaurs.
Fianna Fail - Failed.
Labour - We've no policies.
ULA - "Lets bring everything under Government control" socialists.
Greens - Failed.

Where are the Liberals and Libertarians? Oh right, we have none because anyone who tries to start something new are sneered at. We fought the British for 800 years and I've gone from being a diehard Irishman to a pro-commonwealth/British supporter because we've made such a cockup of it all. We are, conclusively, unable to govern ourselves and the tribalism in politics in Ireland is holding us back. Who cares who's granddaddy agreed with Dev - it's 2011 and we're in the sh!t.

I'm at a loss for words when I look and see that Fianna Fail, who have been in Government for such a significant time haven't, at one time or another, looked at the Dutch health system and said to themselves "Christ, the HSE is a mess, lets do what they're doing!"....or look to Finland for our education system to create the most skilled workforce in the world. God forbid we do something the British are not...we get everything from them - our social welfare plan, our values...sure why did we even fight them to get them out...we're trying to bloody imitate them since anyway...so many lives lost for nothing.

Then I hear people say, "well if you don't like it, change it"...thats all well and good, but how can I change it? There is no direct democracy in this country...the individual is kept down. And just to enforce what Ive just said, Fianna Fail changed the Information Act in 2003 I believe to restrict Irish citizens from their rights to interfere in Government. We can't even register parties if its not in Fianna Fails interests such as what happened already.

Fine Gael and Labour will be hated even more than the current shower of....next year.
An absolute sham of a party choice, a system, a culture and a country.

shofukan

Feel the same way.. Though I think everything under control of the government would be grand if we could do it right:(

later12

RockinRolla wrote: »

Fine Gael - Conservative "Lets bring everything under Government control" dinosaurs.

I stopped reading that ridiculous post when I got this far.

NWPat

RockinRolla wrote: »

Fine Gael - Conservative "Lets bring everything under Government control"

This is an Oxymoron. Can't be bothered to read the rest.

zig

Its your country, when your voting you have to be willing to compromise because no party is ever going to fit around your perfect little demands. Obviously there is frustration with all parties now so you may as well find one that is closest to what you believe, or vote for an independent.
Or get involved , begin an attempt at your own new party, or look around at the different groups trying to do their own thing.

JustinDee

The TD who represents my constituency does it very well.
So I vote for them instead of sitting on my hands, moaning about this country.
Easy.

zig

JustinDee wrote: »

The TD who represents my constituency does it very well.
So I vote for them instead of sitting on my hands, moaning about this country.
Easy.

this is why our system is messed up, not having a go, I know your only voting for who you think is the best candidate, but its just the reason why gombeens are making decisions up in the dail who have no experience in what their dealing with.

OhNoYouDidn't

Christ, with that OP, he wonders why he is sneered at?

Oasis_Dublin

That Fine Gael point is outrageously stupid.

Anyway, I vote so I can piss and moan for 5 years but not actually do anything about it. I am the personification of the Irish national.

KeithAFC

RockinRolla wrote: »

I dislike all of Ireland's political parties because none of them represent anything I believe in and I'm sure I'm not the only one disenchanted with our current system.

There is, literally, no party out there in this country who is willing to change anything in any meaningful way that will give us a real identity. Ireland has not changed much at all since WWII in how we govern ourselves so what makes the masses think it will be any different this time? No matter who is running the country this time next year - their hands are still tied by faceless bureaucrats in Brussels.

Sinn Fein - Not my ideology.
Fine Gael - Conservative "Lets bring everything under Government control" dinosaurs.
Fianna Fail - Failed.
Labour - We've no policies.
ULA - "Lets bring everything under Government control" socialists.
Greens - Failed.

Where are the Liberals and Libertarians? Oh right, we have none because anyone who tries to start something new are sneered at. We fought the British for 800 years and I've gone from being a diehard Irishman to a pro-commonwealth/British supporter because we've made such a cockup of it all. We are, conclusively, unable to govern ourselves and the tribalism in politics in Ireland is holding us back. Who cares who's granddaddy agreed with Dev - it's 2011 and we're in the sh!t.

I'm at a loss for words when I look and see that Fianna Fail, who have been in Government for such a significant time haven't, at one time or another, looked at the Dutch health system and said to themselves "Christ, the HSE is a mess, lets do what they're doing!"....or look to Finland for our education system to create the most skilled workforce in the world. God forbid we do something the British are not...we get everything from them - our social welfare plan, our values...sure why did we even fight them to get them out...we're trying to bloody imitate them since anyway...so many lives lost for nothing.

Then I hear people say, "well if you don't like it, change it"...thats all well and good, but how can I change it? There is no direct democracy in this country...the individual is kept down. And just to enforce what Ive just said, Fianna Fail changed the Information Act in 2003 I believe to restrict Irish citizens from their rights to interfere in Government. We can't even register parties if its not in Fianna Fails interests such as what happened already.

Fine Gael and Labour will be hated even more than the current shower of....next year.
An absolute sham of a party choice, a system, a culture and a country.

Do you want your country to join the UK again?

Wolfe Tone

KeithAFC wrote: »

Do you want your country to join the UK again?

Ah Keith, you make me laugh.