Stark contrast of perceptions of the way Irish society functions

gugleguy

So, going thru diiferent threads on boards.ie one gets widely diverging opinions on how Irish society should function in community and culture.
In one perception, we are tolerant liberal Freedonians who are considerate and open minded and eager to see no party short changed.
Going by another perception, Irish people are small minded petty and have an entitlement minset in one way or the other. Often the depiction made is to help the case of the OP in diiferent forum, whether it be consumet issues, work topcs accomodation and property etcetera. Bearing in mind the thread is in AH, all replies ineresting or otherwise accepted.

darkpagandeath

Depends on what agenda your trying to further mostly

thecatspjs

Maybe all Irish people aren't the same. Maybe.

wazky

thecatspjs wrote: »

Maybe all Irish people aren't the same. Maybe.

No way, all 4.5 million of us are small minded and petty.

thecatspjs

wazky wrote: »

No way, all 4.5 million of us are small minded and petty.

Oh yea, sometimes I forget. Ban the gays, blacks out*







*Joking obvo

Sir Arthur Daley

It would be an ecumenical matter.

The Backwards Man

Can you retype the OP with less big words for those of us who left school a long time ago?

seamus

Like most of the rest of the human population, we are civic minded but inherently selfish.

This means that we like to see the right thing being done, and we like other people to think that we're generous and selfless, while privately we work to better our own personal position without regard for the rest of society. The needs of the person will always take priority over the needs of society, when the two come into conflict.

This is not an Irish thing, it's a human thing.

Bipolar Joe

Mostly we all like to bitch and complain, no matter what it is.

Czarcasm

thecatspjs wrote: »

*Joking obvo

Feckin' D4s, you're all the same, all the same I tells ya! :mad:

seamus wrote: »

Like most of the rest of the human population, we are civic minded but inherently selfish.

This means that we like to see the right thing being done, and we like other people to think that we're generous and selfless, while privately we work to better our own personal position without regard for the rest of society. The needs of the person will always take priority over the needs of society, when the two come into conflict.

This is not an Irish thing, it's a human thing.

Jeeesus

That's terribly cynical seamus in all fairness. There are many human beings who believe in self sacrifice for what they see as the greater good, or the good of another human being, not necessarily martyrism, but more giving something of themselves to help other people who are less fortunate than they are. OK I'll often tell people - "You're no use to anybody if you don't look after yourself first", but then I was always shìte at taking my own advice! I think THAT'S a more universal human trait than self-preservation or self interest tbh, is the idea that we believe we know better for everyone else but ourselves.

thecatspjs

Czarcasm wrote: »

Feckin' D4s, you're all the same, all the same I tells ya! :mad:

D24 actually. I wouldn't associate with those D4 types. I do like their lingo though, it's totes amazeballs

gugleguy

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Can you retype the OP with less big words for those of us who left school a long time ago?

DUNK.

gugleguy

I live in D 14.

Stavros Murphy

I've forgotten the question.

SpaceTime

Eh, in any society you'll get people with differing opinions and quite probably a left, a right and a centre.

I'd say (based on voting patterns and opinion polling) Ireland's in 2014 very firmly in the centre on most economic things and even leaning quite a bit left on social issues (except abortion which tends to get treated separately) and there are legacy issues in legislation / structures that come from another era entirely when we were pretty right wing.

For example, despite what you're reading online, we don't have any ultra-right or xenophobic parties. This is quite unusual in a European context and there are actually far fewer barriers to getting elected in Ireland than elsewhere as the voting system is an extremely open, non-party controlled, form of proportional representation. Getting minor parties elected in first past the post or list systems isn't as easy.

So to me, that underlines just how centre irish political opinions really are.

Internet forums tend to be somewhat unrepresentative, especially on controversial issues as you'll find people with strong opinions are the ones discussing them online.

It would be a very strange country though if everyone had the same opinions on absolutely everything. Of course there'll be stark contrasts in perception of society! Every society has those. If you go to the US or the UK, they're even more pronounced.

Stavros Murphy

I highly doubt any two people perceive colours the same way, let alone any more complex matter. Peoples perceptions of the scarcity or abundance of cash for example, or peoples perceptions of their partner, or of Bankers, or Judges. The list is endless. People come in so many different flavours it is impossible to lump out any one definitive "perception" shared by more than any small group. Some would perceive society as just, fair and equitable. Others would perceive the world and society as being hostile, repressive and un-fair. Peoples lives and circumstances colour their judgement. That and how much they had to drink yesterday.

porsche959

SpaceTime wrote: »

For example, despite what you're reading online, we don't have any ultra-right or xenophobic parties. This is quite unusual in a European context and there are actually far fewer barriers to getting elected in Ireland than elsewhere as the voting system is an extremely open, non-party controlled, form of proportional representation. Getting minor parties elected in first past the post or list systems isn't as easy.

Good point.

In Austria, for example, you will see mainstream political parties with openly anti-immigrant bill-board slogans at election time ("Vienna must not be allowed to become like Istanbul" - one example I saw a few years ago).

seamus

porsche959 wrote: »

Good point.

In Austria, for example, you will see mainstream political parties with openly anti-immigrant bill-board slogans at election time ("Vienna must not be allowed to become like Istanbul" - one example I saw a few years ago).

I think this is mainly in part because we have no great history of immigration. Until the late 1990s, movement of people was pretty much constantly outwards. We're on the periphery of Europe and had for a long time an awful economy and standard of living.
The rest of Europe has comparatively had immigration from the east pretty constantly for the last couple of centuries, which has built up centuries of anti-immigrant resentment.

Earthhorse

On most forums on boards that discuss political matters (including AH) you'll find the ideologists are the most likely to contribute two lungfuls of their best hot air. They have strong opinions on how society should be. In order to explain why society isn't the way they want it to be (because their system is superior in every aspect to the existing one) it's necessary for them to exaggerate the status quo sufficiently enough that it appears ridiculous. Only then can their visions seem less so.

Menas

The left wing liberals amongst us will fight to the death for more proper rights for our people whilst the right wing amongst us will fight to ensure existing rights are respected and upheld.

Not rocket science really....different people have different views and any attempt to define or catagorise a whole society in such stupid narrow terms will fail.

Czarcasm

Earthhorse wrote: »

On most forums on boards that discuss political matters (including AH) you'll find the ideologists are the most likely to contribute two lungfuls of their best hot air. They have strong opinions on how society should be. In order to explain why society isn't the way they want it to be (because their system is superior in every aspect to the existing one) it's necessary for them to exaggerate the status quo sufficiently enough that it appears ridiculous. Only then can their visions seem less so.

Totally stealing that phrase

Cantremember

Bollocks

eyescreamcone

In my opinion the main political parties in this country fall into the following categories:

FF - economically - left of centre
Socially - right of centre

FG - economically - slightly to the right of FF
Socially - also to the right of FF

Where is the choice?
I want to vote for a government that is right wing economically but socially to the left.

Does the fact that no party represents my views make me unusual?

Call Me Jimmy

Cantremember wrote: »

Bollocks

You rang?