Is Ireland right-wing or left-wing?

Qualitymark

YOU decide.

stupidfishy

Is anyone else sick of politics?

Last night I had dream about 'Voting no against Romney in the Obama care childrens referendum'

Think my wires are getting crossed somewhere.

Balmed Out

since every party is either centre or left i suppose left, why what do you think?

Qualitymark

Balmed Out wrote: »

since every party is either centre or left i suppose left, why what do you think?

Right-wing or left-wing isn't only about parties; it's also about social attitudes.

NinjaK

question need more detail. economically without doubt right-wing, socially left-wing.

Balmed Out

even more left wing then

mikemac1

I hope Degsy joins this thread

Actually, where has he gone, not seen him around in a long while

Annasopra

Balmed Out wrote: »

since every party is either centre or left i suppose left, why what do you think?

Fine Gael is very right wing

Death and Taxes

The parties with the biggest representation, FG,Lab and Ff all pursue right wing economic policies.
We still have no national health system, most schools are privatley owned, most housing is privatley owned , and we are in the process of privatising our remaining utilities, and capitalism is the dominant economic system.
Quite obviously we are a right wing country.

Qualitymark

WileyCoyote wrote: »

The parties with the biggest representation, FG,Lab and Ff all pursue right wing economic policies.
We still have no national health system, most schools are privatley owned, most housing is privatley owned , and we are in the process of privatising our remaining utilities, and capitalism is the dominant economic system.
Quite obviously we are a right wing country.

And apart from the politicians, what about the attitudes of *actual humans*?

dfx-

Socially religious and conservative, right wing for me..

Death and Taxes

Qualitymark wrote: »

And apart from the politicians, what about the attitudes of *actual humans*?

Actual humans elect right wing politicans and demand economic right wing policies, actual humans also pursue conservative right wing social policies!
Who did you think actually elected right wing government after right wing government, the Leprechauns?:D

SmilingLurker

Left or right is old fashioned. It is 'populist'. Idealism free zone, full of localism. Resign after wrong doing? Never. Worst thing is the electorate vote in the same people.

We get the representatives we deserve.

speedboatchase

Politically I think it's mostly left/centre of left. Unions hold huge power, socialism isn't a dirty word and the government's size and power is enormous. Obviously it used to be a lot more socially conversative but that's changing.

Scioch

Centre left I'd say.

iDave

Pragmatic

Scanlas The 2nd

NinjaK wrote: »

question need more detail. economically without doubt right-wing, socially left-wing.

Economically we are left wing, our social welfare policy is ridiculously generous.

BillyMitchel

Chicken wing.

Defo more right.

Sunnyisland

I am out on a wing.

Death and Taxes

Scanlas The 2nd wrote: »

Economically we are left wing, our social welfare policy is ridiculously generous.

Relative to where? The USA, Zimbabwe?
Economically we are right wing and our SW welfare system is best described as residual, it is shockingly bad compared to the universal model as seen in Scandanavia, but then again as a right wing liberal economy we refuse to pay tax to fund SW.
I suggest you read Gosta Esping Andersons "Three Worlds of Welfare capitalism" before making any further ill thought out comments.

stevedublin

Ireland is left wing economically.
Socially we used to be right wing but moving to left wing over the last 30 years or so.

Qualitymark

WileyCoyote wrote: »

Actual humans elect right wing politicans and demand economic right wing policies, actual humans also pursue conservative right wing social policies!
Who did you think actually elected right wing government after right wing government, the Leprechauns?:D

The Leprechaun vote has significant power in Éire. Look at our President!

Scanlas The 2nd wrote: »

Economically we are left wing, our social welfare policy is ridiculously generous.

What kind of social welfare insurance system would you like, Scanlas? Would you like to be insured against unemployment at all?

By the way, by asking about "actual humans", I'm not talking about the way people vote - we know that, it's clear - but about people's attitudes to others and to the society we live in, and people's way of acting towards others.

dfx-

stevedublin wrote: »

Socially we used to be right wing but moving to left wing over the last 30 years or so.

Is that a case of there only being one direction in which to move but left wing from Ireland of 30-40 years ago

Balmed Out

mango salsa wrote: »

Fine Gael is very right wing

Fine gael support our a high level of welfare, huge government spending on the public sector and government intervention in pretty much everything we do. Thats not right wing. In an Irish context they are "very right wing" compared to the rest but that doesnt make it right wing.

Oafley Jones

Balmed Out wrote: »

Fine gael support our a high level of welfare, huge government spending on the public sector and government intervention in pretty much everything we do. Thats not right wing. In an Irish context they are "very right wing" compared to the rest but that doesnt make it right wing.

Precisely. Anyone who thinks we're in a right wing country has never encountered the real deal.

Shenshen

Economically, more right-wing than most European countries, but still on the sane side comapred to, say, the US.

Socially, highly conservative and right-wing.

Shenshen

Scanlas The 2nd wrote: »

Economically we are left wing, our social welfare policy is ridiculously generous.

In comparison to where, exactly? Russia?
Most of Europe has far more developped and extensive social welfare programs than Ireland.

folan

not right wing enough. lower my damn taxes.

smaller government for all. make locals responsible for their local area.

philologos

Ireland is neither. It's fundamentally centrist. The political parties are largely still divided along 1922 Civil War lines.

Qualitymark

folan wrote: »

not right wing enough. lower my damn taxes.

smaller government for all. make locals responsible for their local area.

If locals are responsible for their local area, wouldn't that mean high local taxes? Or would it mean that wealthy areas get better services? Is this a good thing, really?

Iwasfrozen

Qualitymark wrote: »

If locals are responsible for their local area, wouldn't that mean high local taxes? Or would it mean that wealthy areas get better services? Is this a good thing, really?

Yes because it will encourage people to move to wealthy areas.