The Left: A missed opportunity?

The Volt

My 2c:


RTÉ's The Week in Politics this week presented me with an eye-opener. Labour's Pat Rabbitte took on Richard Boyd-Barrett of the ULA in a discussion about The Left in Irish politics. Boyd-Barrett's stance on the current economical situation is that we should 'scrap the deal'. Parties deemed to be further to the left of Labour have criticized Gilmore and Co. over the last few weeks because of Labour's stance on the matter. What is clear to me though is that Labour are a party who are planning to be in government after the election. That is a key difference between them and the likes of the ULA and Sinn Fein. It is very easy to promise the sun, the moon and the stars if you are not planning to enter government. Deputy Rabbitte stressed it as plain as day to Boyd-Barrett that it makes his stomach sick to see the debts of private institutions dumped on ordinary people but that this is the result of that faithful night of the 28th of September, 2008. Furthermore, he stated that if we walk away from this deal completely then we have no means of paying policemen, nurses etc.

Ultimately, Labour have been forced into a scenario where the easiest party to form a government with is Fine Gael. The vast differences between the various bodies on the left show no real signs of wanting to compromise sensibly, as demonstrated by Sinn Fein's Euro-skeptic views. It has become commonplace for the ULA and Sinn Fein to attack Labour and group the party with the Tory-esque Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Economic recessions have historically always led to rise in popularity of fringe parties. National Socialism was an example of this. Hitler presented the German people with a finger of blame among other things. Now we are witnessing this in Ireland to a lesser extent. ULA and Sinn Fein have wooed votes away from Labour with romantic ideas that are in reality, impractical.


The inability of some groups on the left to take a logical, pragmatic stance on the current situation has left us with a real possibility of an erosion of social policy and worker's rights, the very thing that these groups claim that they stand for. These groups' unwillingness to compromise deems them unsuitable for Labour's vision. In effect, a vote for Sinn Fein or the ULA is nothing but a further blow to Labour. A vote for Sinn Fein or the ULA strengthens Fine Gael as they look increasingly likely to be the majority party in the 31st Daíl. Labour is Ireland's best chance for social policy, equality, reform, worker's rights and fairness. Thanks to Fianna Fail, the situation is absolutely critical and we have to make sure that there are as many TD's in there as possible that will have the vulnerable and the helpless at heart. This next government could have been a real alliance of the left. Instead, a likely Fine Gael majority will hinder any hope that the left had of making Ireland a better place. So Higgins, Boyd-Barrett and especially Adams and Co, well done, I hope you're happy, you blew it.

Fentdog84

This Boyd barrett while he seems like a decent, honest guy, is clearly living on another planet. Its just a waste of airtime having him on. Even a lefty like Pat Rabbite could take apart his crackpot policies about burning the bondholders etc like he was explaining it to a six year old. I hope he dosent become elected, but we do need new politicians who want to change the system & reform but who also live in the real world. There is a new centrist party called fisnua running a few candidates their manifesto whilst not perfect,could be a step in the right direction. www.fisnua.com

SafeSurfer

Voltwad wrote: »

My 2c:


RTÉ's The Week in Politics this week presented me with an eye-opener. Labour's Pat Rabbitte took on Richard Boyd-Barrett of the ULA in a discussion about The Left in Irish politics. Boyd-Barrett's stance on the current economical situation is that we should 'scrap the deal'. Parties deemed to be further to the left of Labour have criticized Gilmore and Co. over the last few weeks because of Labour's stance on the matter. What is clear to me though is that Labour are a party who are planning to be in government after the election. That is a key difference between them and the likes of the ULA and Sinn Fein. It is very easy to promise the sun, the moon and the stars if you are not planning to enter government. Deputy Rabbitte stressed it as plain as day to Boyd-Barrett that it makes his stomach sick to see the debts of private institutions dumped on ordinary people but that this is the result of that faithful night of the 28th of September, 2008. Furthermore, he stated that if we walk away from this deal completely then we have no means of paying policemen, nurses etc.

Ultimately, Labour have been forced into a scenario where the easiest party to form a government with is Fine Gael. The vast differences between the various bodies on the left show no real signs of wanting to compromise sensibly, as demonstrated by Sinn Fein's Euro-skeptic views. It has become commonplace for the ULA and Sinn Fein to attack Labour and group the party with the Tory-esque Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Economic recessions have historically always led to rise in popularity of fringe parties. National Socialism was an example of this. Hitler presented the German people with a finger of blame among other things. Now we are witnessing this in Ireland to a lesser extent. ULA and Sinn Fein have wooed votes away from Labour with romantic ideas that are in reality, impractical.


The inability of some groups on the left to take a logical, pragmatic stance on the current situation has left us with a real possibility of an erosion of social policy and worker's rights, the very thing that these groups claim that they stand for. These groups' unwillingness to compromise deems them unsuitable for Labour's vision. In effect, a vote for Sinn Fein or the ULA is nothing but a further blow to Labour. A vote for Sinn Fein or the ULA strengthens Fine Gael as they look increasingly likely to be the majority party in the 31st Daíl. Labour is Ireland's best chance for social policy, equality, reform, worker's rights and fairness. Thanks to Fianna Fail, the situation is absolutely critical and we have to make sure that there are as many TD's in there as possible that will have the vulnerable and the helpless at heart. This next government could have been a real alliance of the left. Instead, a likely Fine Gael majority will hinder any hope that the left had of making Ireland a better place. So Higgins, Boyd-Barrett and especially Adams and Co, well done, I hope you're happy, you blew it.

All political hues are divided, the left, the centre and the right. It is up to each candidate and political party to put forward the reasons why they should be elected.

Higgins, Boyd-Barrett and Adams have as much right to seek people's votes as Labour. Maybe you would like a one party left wing state like, oh I don't know North Korea?

This is a democracy and parties compete for votes, simple as that.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

nesf

Voltwad wrote: »

My 2c:


RTÉ's The Week in Politics this week presented me with an eye-opener. Labour's Pat Rabbitte took on Richard Boyd-Barrett of the ULA in a discussion about The Left in Irish politics. Boyd-Barrett's stance on the current economical situation is that we should 'scrap the deal'. Parties deemed to be further to the left of Labour have criticized Gilmore and Co. over the last few weeks because of Labour's stance on the matter. What is clear to me though is that Labour are a party who are planning to be in government after the election. That is a key difference between them and the likes of the ULA and Sinn Fein. It is very easy to promise the sun, the moon and the stars if you are not planning to enter government. Deputy Rabbitte stressed it as plain as day to Boyd-Barrett that it makes his stomach sick to see the debts of private institutions dumped on ordinary people but that this is the result of that faithful night of the 28th of September, 2008. Furthermore, he stated that if we walk away from this deal completely then we have no means of paying policemen, nurses etc.

Ultimately, Labour have been forced into a scenario where the easiest party to form a government with is Fine Gael. The vast differences between the various bodies on the left show no real signs of wanting to compromise sensibly, as demonstrated by Sinn Fein's Euro-skeptic views. It has become commonplace for the ULA and Sinn Fein to attack Labour and group the party with the Tory-esque Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Economic recessions have historically always led to rise in popularity of fringe parties. National Socialism was an example of this. Hitler presented the German people with a finger of blame among other things. Now we are witnessing this in Ireland to a lesser extent. ULA and Sinn Fein have wooed votes away from Labour with romantic ideas that are in reality, impractical.


The inability of some groups on the left to take a logical, pragmatic stance on the current situation has left us with a real possibility of an erosion of social policy and worker's rights, the very thing that these groups claim that they stand for. These groups' unwillingness to compromise deems them unsuitable for Labour's vision. In effect, a vote for Sinn Fein or the ULA is nothing but a further blow to Labour. A vote for Sinn Fein or the ULA strengthens Fine Gael as they look increasingly likely to be the majority party in the 31st Daíl. Labour is Ireland's best chance for social policy, equality, reform, worker's rights and fairness. Thanks to Fianna Fail, the situation is absolutely critical and we have to make sure that there are as many TD's in there as possible that will have the vulnerable and the helpless at heart. This next government could have been a real alliance of the left. Instead, a likely Fine Gael majority will hinder any hope that the left had of making Ireland a better place. So Higgins, Boyd-Barrett and especially Adams and Co, well done, I hope you're happy, you blew it.

Um, honestly, I'm really surprised this is only occurring to you now. The Left has been fragmented for years with the groups who have no chance of power leeching votes away from the only one that has a hope of coalition. This has been an issue for decades.

That said there is a sizeable group on the Left that reject our current economic/social system and as such cannot be expected to support Labour who emphatically want to do Leftist work within the framework of our current system rather than to enact systematic change. The right for some reason I've never figured out seems to lack this kind of divide and it most certainly isn't because Ireland is particularly rightist in system (it really, really isn't). The extreme right is a tiny handful of mostly religious conservatives and an even tinier dotting of libertarians and free market advocates.

Count Dooku

Voltwad wrote: »

Furthermore, he stated that if we walk away from this deal completely then we have no means of paying policemen, nurses etc.

only if we will try to preserve waste in public services

Voltwad wrote: »

ULA and Sinn Fein have wooed votes away from Labour with romantic ideas that are in reality, impractical.

If people want practicality, then they can vote for FG, not for populist Labour, who want to combine visibility of practicality with left wing rhetoric the same way as FF few years ago