Is there any point to political and economic campaigns

mariaalice

For example I have been following the debates about 0 hours contracts and it seems to me if they were banned by law they would just appear in another form and have the exact same out comes i.e employers will always find a way to make sure they have flexible labour. So in way there is no point in interfering in the labour market beyond min wage, as a way around it will always be found or am I wrong.

Or take the Jim Stafford gaff, it make you realise something are perhaps never going to change.

_Kaiser_

To answer the question in general terms - no, not really.

- Most of the power has been handed over to the EU

- Most of the TDs are only there to make up the numbers and collect their fat pay cheques

- We've seen very clearly that political campaigns and promises will be torn up the minute the party gets into power. FG/LAB aren't unique in this granted, but they are the most blatant about it in recent memory.
Ironically FF pretty much delivered on what they promised - that the party would continue.. well, at least until the whole house of cards came crashing down!

- If the electorate or other group votes an undesired way, they'll just be told to go back and do it again until the "right" result is returned
Ask the Dublin Bus drivers about that one at the minute! While I happen to agree with the management on that one, why bother with the farce of a vote if you're going to ignore the result/force through your own agenda anyway?

If it sounds like I'm repeating myself I am, but it's amazing really how the same points can be applied to different scenarios in this country and still be perfectly valid. The OP is right - nothing DOES ever change!

johnnyskeleton

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

To answer the question in general terms - no, not really.

- Most of the power has been handed over to the EU

- Most of the TDs are only there to make up the numbers and collect their fat pay cheques

I think you're missing a vital point. FG/FF/Lab are all pro Europe parties. If people want out of the EU etc they need only vote in SF or other anti-Europe types as a majority and we could leave the EU tomorrow. Thus, Europes influence (I don't accept that most power has been handed over, by the way) is only exercised because the vast majority of Irish people want it. They know that leaving Europe would be an unmitigated disaster.

At least, I hope they still will after 3 more budgets and rising nationalist sentiment.

- We've seen very clearly that political campaigns and promises will be torn up the minute the party gets into power. FG/LAB aren't unique in this granted, but they are the most blatant about it in recent memory.

Would you care to be more specific? In general terms FG offered more spending cuts less tax increases, Labour offered less spending cuts more tax increases. The people voted neither as majority party so they had to compromise, but as FG as the majority partner it is more towards them.

In some areas they have been a let down - independence of appointments to state positions, boards etc had been just as bad as FF when they promised a more honest approach, but equally they are bringing in many of the political and social policies that they promised. Mostly irrelevant sideshows, to be fair, but they promised them and they are delivering them.

Icepick

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Ask the Dublin Bus drivers about that one at the minute!

Apparently a lot of public and semi-state employees still haven't realized that their employer does not exist for their sole benefit.