lay man understanding polical debates

sandmanporto

I myself am a man who finds it difficult to understand the political debates. I am watching vincent brown at the moment and i am lost in the debate! I feel stupid even though i have a degree. I feel as though many terms have not been explained via the media relating to the economic state. I think that only the highly educated, intelligent and politically interested can make sense of what these people are saying. That's hardly fair to the voter who's an average citizen!

admiralofthefleet

sandmanporto wrote: »

I myself am a man who finds it difficult to understand the political debates. I am watching vincent brown at the moment and i am lost in the debate! I feel stupid even though i have a degree. I feel as though many terms have not been explained via the media relating to the economic state. I think that only the highly educated, intelligent and politically interested can make sense of what these people are saying. That's hardly fair to the voter who's an average citizen!

therein lies the problem

billymitchell

Do you understand bollox??? Well imagine that dolled up to sound like intellectual speak, and thats whats your missing.

admiralofthefleet

billymitchell wrote: »

Do you understand bollox??? Well imagine that dolled up to sound like intellectual speak, and thats whats your missing.

yeah its not politics its bolitics

OPENROAD

Have to say unbelievably dull election so far.

krudler

sandmanporto wrote: »

I myself am a man who finds it difficult to understand the political debates. I am watching vincent brown at the moment and i am lost in the debate! I feel stupid even though i have a degree. I feel as though many terms have not been explained via the media relating to the economic state. I think that only the highly educated, intelligent and politically interested can make sense of what these people are saying. That's hardly fair to the voter who's an average citizen!

Odd, considering a lot of the people saying these things are complete imbeciles.

Fremen

Don't bother watching that shíte. Who did you support in the civil war?

That's who you should vote for.

Absurdum

they're all talking bollox

we need guns, brandy, guitars, cannibis, hookers, and maybe a murder to get this **** going

sandmanporto

krudler wrote: »

Odd, considering a lot of the people saying these things are complete imbeciles.

Norwegian is my vernacular language. You are very insulting behind an ip adress.

Sanjuro

It's less political debate than it is political one-up-manship mixed with utter, utter bullshit. Especially when Gormely appears to pathetically reinvent himself and his party as the moralistic, misunderstood good-guys of the last government.

Sisko

basically FF and FG are the right wing hick george bush types

and labour and SF are the left wingers

Fremen

sandmanporto wrote: »

Norwegian is my vernacular language. You are very insulting behind an ip adress.

He was talking about the people on the telly, not you...

DonkeyStyle \o/

Well the reality is, procedures have to be put in place.

sandmanporto

Fremen wrote: »

He was talking about the people on the telly, not you...

I am not a moran and yes he was referring to me.

sandmanporto

krudler wrote: »

Odd, considering a lot of the people saying these things are complete imbeciles.

And why so?

krudler

sandmanporto wrote: »

I am not a moran and yes he was referring to me.

err no I wasnt, was referring to the idiotic politicians on the tv.

karma_

I'll let you into a secret OP. don't worry about not understanding, just know that all the politicians are lying. How do we know they are lying? Their lips move.

sandmanporto

Apologies

Absurdum

sandmanporto wrote: »

Apologies

I forgive you

starbelgrade

krudler wrote: »

err no I wasnt, was referring to the idiotic politicians on the tv.

It appears that politics is not the only thing he doesn't really get.

Badgermonkey

I would have to say OP, it's up to the voter to educate themselves on the issues which they feel are of most relevance to them.

It is possible to attain enough of an understanding from a mix of media analysis and your own research to form an opinion on most of the 'hot' issues in election 2011.

Political parties will use smoke and mirrors to attack eachother and confuse the electorate as part of the game that plays out. Same as it ever was.

fikay

Fremen wrote: »

Don't bother watching that shíte. Who did you support in the civil war?

That's who you should vote for.

Mick Collins'ud make ****e a da emmff

Badgermonkey

sandmanporto wrote: »

I am not a moran

Kevin will be pleased.

J K

Most of the heavy lifting has been done.

sandmanporto

starbelgrade wrote: »

It appears that politics is not the only thing he doesn't really get.

ok. Very informed. Can we hear your view on political information?

sandmanporto

starbelgrade wrote: »

It appears that politics is not the only thing he doesn't really get.

ok. Very informed. Can we hear your view on political information?

sandmanporto

Badgermonkey wrote: »

I would have to say OP, it's up to the voter to educate themselves on the issues which they feel are of most relevance to them.

It is possible to attain enough of an understanding from a mix of media analysis and your own research to form an opinion on most of the 'hot' issues in election 2011.

Political parties will use smoke and mirrors to attack eachother and confuse the electorate as part of the game that plays out. Same as it ever was.

I agree. But on this forum there seems to be more ignorance towards the ignorant! Hardly constructive, more arrogant.

sandmanporto

Badgermonkey wrote: »

I would have to say OP, it's up to the voter to educate themselves on the issues which they feel are of most relevance to them.

It is possible to attain enough of an understanding from a mix of media analysis and your own research to form an opinion on most of the 'hot' issues in election 2011.

Political parties will use smoke and mirrors to attack eachother and confuse the electorate as part of the game that plays out. Same as it ever was.

I agree. But on this forum there seems to be more ignorance towards the ignorant! Hardly constructive, more arrogant.

starbelgrade

sandmanporto wrote: »

ok. Very informed. Can we hear your view on political information?

Right, here's Star Belgrade's "Layman's Guide to Irish Politics"..


1. First, the sitting government has a generous time period in which it can call the election, which allows it to have giveaway budgets and track opinion polls so as to maximize their chances of re-election.

2. Then comes election day, and those who actually registered in time months before go and cast their vote.

3. Then comes RTÉ’s coverage of the results, where they bang on about quotas and thirteenth counts and transfers and surpluses and we all tune in pretending we have a clue what they’re on about.

4. Finally, the 166 seats in the Dáil are allocated to the numerous parties.

5. Some TDs unexpectedly lose their seats, but not to worry, the Dáil gets to choose who goes into the Senate so if anyone important was missed they can get chucked in there so as not to lose their “continuous Oireachtas service” status.

6. Since there are so many parties and so much time was spent on pre-election bickering over who was going into coalition with whom rather than actually discussing policies, naturally nobody has a clear majority.

7. The mandate is then taken from the electorate and the politicians retreat behind closed doors to haggle over coalition deals.

8. Finally a deal is struck, and three parties agree to run the country, even though one of them had lost three quarters of its seats.

9. A "Programme For Government" is drawn up and published online so that the people of the country have perfect transparency over the intentions of the coalition.

10. Immediately after signing the "Programme for Government", the leader of one of the junior partners resigns, since he promised before the election that he would never go into government with Fianna Fáil.

11. Less than a year after the election, the leader of the senior party in the coalition announces his resignation, and virtually appoints his own successor to the Office of Taoiseach.

12. A few months later, the third party in the coalition meets and comes to the conclusion that it is no longer viable as a political entity.

13. Even though all three parties are now completely, totally and utterly different to the ones who went before the people, and even though there has been a significant economic downturn which has unearthed numerous examples of mismanagement in the banking and building sectors, the coalition not only remains in government, but they allow the same "Programme For Government" to stand before the people as their pledge to run the country, even though there is absolutely no possibility that they can achieve any of its goals.

14. And then we go back to Point 1, where it all starts again.


Hope that's not too "arrogant" for you.

J K

Look we're not in the business of looking back on 14 years and who did this and who did what. We're in the business of getting on with the realities of dealing with the reality before us. I'm interested in getting on with the 14 year plan and getting us out of this mess. Most of the heavy lifting has been done. We have plans in place and I'm fully confident that if we can move forward in a postitive and constructive way that we will be in a position to move forward in the manner as stated.

sandmanporto

starbelgrade it's not arrogant. But yet it looks to me you're very proud and made that point. My bed is more important at the minute, thanks for your points they will surely help humanity and the irish financial situation. Goodnight. nøb