Why dont the coalition ever utter the word austerity?

veryangryman

Every time i see an argument between them and FF/Shinners, it goes something like

FF/Shinners: Austerity has been proven time and time again not to work
FG/Lab: "We believe that XYZ policies are working." MINUS the word austerity

Is it because of the negative connotations of the word or whats the story with it? I imagine that there is more than just that political reason but maybe someone is more informed than me and can tell me.

ScumLord

Everything politicians say has been engineered to be as inoffensive and unbinding as they can make it. They try to avoid saying anything with any degree of certainty so they can't be held accountable further down the line.

Basically they're playing us all for mugs.

kneemos

Media advisors will have told them not to use it because it sounds negative or some such.

Wacker The Attacker

FF are totally getting re-elected because irish people are morons who deserve everything they get.

If and when this occurs I will seek employment abroad.

Shryke

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

FF are totally getting re-elected because irish people are morons who deserve everything they get.

If and when this occurs I will seek employment abroad.

If you haven't left already then I doubt it.

Wacker The Attacker

Shryke wrote: »

If you haven't left already then I doubt it.

Is there an age limit?

im invisible

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

FF are totally getting re-elected because irish people are morons who deserve everything they get.

If and when this occurs I will seek employment abroad.

Ray D'Arcy, is that you?

Wacker The Attacker

im invisible wrote: »

Ray D'Arcy, is that you?

No. That is another reason to emigrate though

Bullseye1

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

FF are totally getting re-elected because irish people are morons who deserve everything they get.

If and when this occurs I will seek employment abroad.

Hopefully not but FG and Labour have shown themselves since the foundation of the state to be no better.

keith16

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

FF are totally getting re-elected because irish people are morons who deserve everything they get.

If and when this occurs I will seek employment abroad.

I don't completely buy this idea that the "people get the government they deserve".

Democracy is an illusion in this country. Political reform is badly needed. We get what we deserve because we can't effect grassroots change of the political system. Not because we voted for broken political party x instead of broken political party y.

Cookie_Monster

It's because there no has been no austerity occurring what so ever to date.

veryangryman

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

It's because there no has been no austerity occurring what so ever to date.

I think youve been eating 1 too many cookies

VAT up last year
Petrol up last year
Rent Allowance down
Household Charge Implemented
Service charge relief abolished
Union membership relief abolished

5 of those 6 hit me directly. Thats what i remember of last years budget. Thats austerity in my book

Wacker The Attacker

keith16 wrote: »

I don't completely buy this idea that the "people get the government they deserve".

Democracy is an illusion in this country. Political reform is badly needed. We get what we deserve because we can't effect grassroots change of the political system. Not because we voted for broken political party x instead of broken political party y.

Can you suggest a viable alternative? Its not so much the system as the candidates that are the problem.

Hootanany

veryangryman wrote: »

I think youve been eating 1 too many cookies

VAT up last year
Petrol up last year
Rent Allowance down
Household Charge Implemented
Service charge relief abolished
Union membership relief abolished

5 of those 6 hit me directly. Thats what i remember of last years budget. Thats austerity in my book

You get rent allowance and you are in a Union.

Wacker The Attacker

Bullseye1 wrote: »

Hopefully not but FG and Labour have shown themselves since the foundation of the state to be no better.

That may be true. The only saving grace that FG and Labour had was that they were not the party responsible for the economic neutering of an entire nation. The fact that they havent forced this home to any great extent and improved matters has played right into FF hands.

However, the fact that FF had not completely buried either at the last election or after 2 years in opposition with less than 20 seats suggests to me that they may be in a position to at least partly rebuild, maybe even to the point that they may be a coalition partner next time round.

keith16

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

Can you suggest a viable alternative? Its not so much the system as the candidates that are the problem.

I can't. I can only suggest political reform is needed but I don't have the first clue in what that might look like.

I think it is the historical, culture of politics and the system that has developed around that is what needs fixing.

The problem with public representatives is that they become part of this system and it has it's rewards so why change it. Look what happens to the likes of a Roisin Shorthall when she dares question the system.

I want my "local TD" to be working to make Ireland better for the majority of it's citizens. Not going to funerals, shaking hands, helping people with their mortgage applications, getting people their passports etc. etc.

I reckon the old 80/20 rule can be applied in that 20% of constituents take up 80% of a TDs time on issues that are not in the strategic national interest.

I am basing the above on nothing.

veryangryman

Today again...

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Taoiseach Enda Kenny clashed with opposition leaders in the Dáil this morning, ahead of Budget 2013.

Gerry Adams said austerity was not working, however Mr Kenny said Sinn Féin could not criticise the Government's actions as the party had failed to devise its own alternative budget.

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Snore