Day of protests...doh doh dooooohh

10000maniacs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058250775/day-of-protests-doh-doh-dooooohh

It's because who are they protesting to? What can the government do?

The only thing they can do is hit the already hard pressed middle income families with more tax.

Oh wait, what they could do is reverse the cynical Fine Gael "save the rural pub" minimum pricing of alcohol policy so at least we could avail of discounted beer.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119221376#Comment_119221376

Probably because they're aware that there are no simplistic solutions and anything needed would require more than a single term of government office. Most of the problems are too firmly established within the country, and those that aren't would involve unpopular decisions. Most of the problems have been problems for years and simply deferred over to the next election or the next generation to resolve, but ultimately, not being resolved, and increasing in weight all the time.

When posters ask for solutions on threads such as these.. they're not looking for solutions. They're looking for something to take apart.. and have no interest in constructive criticism, or committing themselves to alternative possible solutions (and the associated criticisms). Any poster who has been on boards/CA, for a while, will be aware of this. So, why would you put yourself in such a position?

Protests without a serious following, and a definite media (both online/traditional) plan are doomed to failure. Look at BLM (who have everything going for them).. for all the marches in Europe, they've effected very little actual change that wasn't already in the pipeline before they marched. Now, it's almost as if they didn't march at all, now that people have moved on to other problems. Marches tend to fail to capture the attention of the general public for long.. and people's attention spans are very short, unless they're directly involved. So, yeah, I'd be critical of such protests.

skimpydoo

Earlier today I was in the city centre and I thought I might get an ice cream. I got a big shock. One scoop of gelato is €4.50 and a choc ice is nearly €3. How long will it be before a loaf of bread is €3 plus? In Malta diesel costs €1.21 and petrol costs €1.34, why does it cost so much more here for diesel and petrol?

These are some of the reasons why there was protests today.

Brucie Bonus

When people protest its because they have an issue they want addressed. Who said you have to have all the answers to shine a light on an issue? Snickering and taking the piss out of the like of Paul Murphy is just plain ignorant. Its just a way to sideline the fact members of the public were willing to get off their arses and protest. All that's happening is giving Paul Murphy more importance than he's due and running deflection for government.

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119222039#Comment_119222039

Protesting is the only way we can let the current government know that we want and need change. If we don't protest the government will do whatever they like and dam the consequences. As more and more protests take place, this will end up turning into lost votes. Just look at what's happened to Labour. From 37 seats down to what they have now.

StevenToast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119221278#Comment_119221278

FREE MONEY TO ALL!

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119221872#Comment_119221872

This may be the beginning of a backlash against the FFG government. These types of protests can tap into public anger and Labour was destroyed as a political party. FF and FG do not want to end up like Labour in terms of seats.

The most powerful thing in this country is the vote. That's how the electorate can get rid of politicians and the politicians know it. Don't be too surprised, if the momentum grows and more protest marches take place, to see these protests misreported and demonised by the party mouthpieces in the media and on Social Media in much the same way that the Water Tax protests were when they happened.

Regards...jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119222041#Comment_119222041

 If we don't protest the government will do whatever they like and dam the consequences.

When have protests (limited to Ireland) stopped/caused the government/political parties to stop their agendas, and take notice of what the people protesting want? Actual examples would be nice, cause I think it's just wishful thinking..

rolling boh

Only way a protest might achieve something is if FFFG see their voters out on the streets they don't mind the usual left groups out because they are not their voters no matter what . I do agree that people tend to rubbish protests when they see the likes of Paul Murphy involved and that's all they see and not the reason for a protest .There are plenty of solutions banded about but most likely the wrong ones .When the elderly came out about the medical cards the government changed pretty quick because a lot of their voters were on the protest .

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119222041#Comment_119222041

Labours loss in seats has very little to do with protest.

Actual their gain in 2011 had more to do with protest.

They came into the election in 2011 promising the sun, moon and stars.

An electorate reeling from the crash and FF government of the past 14 years took Labour at their word.

Then when it came to the real work of solving the countries problems Labour obviously could not deliver the sun, moon and stars.

As a result in 2016 all those people who voted for them went back to the likes of FF (remember they decide mid campaign that they were against the water charges they negotiated) and Labour went back to their usual handful of seats.

Labour are a "boom bust" party

The same will happen with SF in the coming years.

dorothylives

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119220616#Comment_119220616

What's not to get? People didn't go to stoke the profiles of politicians. They went because they're worried about the rising costs of pretty much everything. They went because they're frustrated at a government who seem to have abandoned them and who tell them that there's nothing they can do for them, all the while throwing open the country to tens of thousands of people we've no obligation to. Telling people to go to the Community Welfare Officer if they can't afford to put fuel in their cars, mere weeks after announcing 10.5 million euro in grants to welcome Ukrainians into communities. As I said, it'll change nothing, but they went out and protested.

Make no mistake about it, very tough times are on the way for many people and these small protests will get larger. There is a huge current of resentment and anger among the public. Not everyone bought their houses decades ago for a pittance and retired on a nice big pension. People will rally behind any politician that can persuade them that they have their best interests at heart, not a one of them does though. All are singing from the same hymn sheet and very few will be reelected. I wasn't at any protests myself, like most people I've been content to be angry about it and bitch online while not trying to do anything to change it. Our politicians rely on it.

griffin100

It will be interesting to see which mainstream party TDs blinks first and starts to link some of the inflationary pressures to the influx of Ukrainians. There’s a populist void there at the minute and someone / something will step in to fill it.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119222445#Comment_119222445

None of them will for two reasons.

They know they will get roasted.

They know that the taking in of Ukrainian refugees has very little to do with the inflation problem.

MFPM

Essentially I made the point that in 2008 people though concerned about the economy (evidenced by the FF victory in 2007) were continuing to spend etc. egged on by 'economists such as Jim Power and Dan McLaughlin and their mantra that 'the fundamentals of the economy are sound' and disingenuous politicians like Brian Cowen...

So the fact that people are spending and going on holidays etc is not a guide to the fact that there are serious economic concerns or indeed that there is a serious number of people struggling economically....that is the 'comparison' with 2007/8, not the inflationary issues.

griffin100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119222452#Comment_119222452

Neither of those reasons will stop an opportunist. The question is if the opportunist is already a TD or a fringe element. Verona Murphy and Peter Casey did ok off similar stuff.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119222492#Comment_119222492

This time people are continuing to spend egged on by the fact that they have jobs and COVID savings/pent up post COVID demand.

So how do you slow them down ?

They are not spending against an overinflated or speculative property market like before.

A lot of the problems are obviously external, the war and the continuing China COVID situation.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119222497#Comment_119222497

I was thinking more a sitting TD rather than some like the two you mentioned.

mikethecop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119221885#Comment_119221885

This is a very valid point,

Most politician i ve known first hand over the years are awful awful people whose main goal is to get reelected and line their pockets at the publics expense

The few genuine honest people Ive known involved in politics don't rise above local level because they spend too much time actually helping te people they represent

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119222375#Comment_119222375

It was FG who promised honesty, an end to cronyism, quangos. They lied. Labour sold out their base by supporting FG. And as usual the smaller partner paid for FG (or FF) policies and performance. If people vote for a party they've not previously supported they want value for money. FF/FG only got a pass to an extent because their base have little concern for others and we are all use to the FF and FG power swap.

We have people protesting and even those in support feel they have to preface it by disavowing and distancing from various left wing personalities. Thats the kind of environment allows FG and FG exist despite their god awful records.

macvin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119227014#Comment_119227014

If you think it will be better under sinn fein, you really need to have a look at the amount of cronyism and nepotism they employ here in NI. Everything from allowing their developer friends over build in some locations and even allowing one to provide the green space for the complex over 2km away!! (yes seriously happened in Belfast )

I really hope their manner of operation in NI is brought to the fore. It will enlighten people. EG. Very silent on the protests in Belfast and no representative there. Why? - Wasn't it an all island protest? (if you could call the few that turned up as a protest group) Didn;t they mouth off in Dublin, Cork Limerick, Galway 7 Sligo and had plenty of their banners about - but not one banner in Belfast which had the biggest turnout of all!

Why?

Oh yeah. they're in government up here

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119227038#Comment_119227038

I don't expect SF to be saints by any means. Why do people assume after decades of cronyism and corruption from FF/FG any of us expect SF or anyone else to be white knights above reproach? I'm not interested in having a SF or Paul Murphy discussion because there's a lot of arseholes in the wings wanting to turn the thread into another IRA shouting match, which is beyond tiresome. All I want is a government that looks after working people. A government that puts the public good over private investors and multinationals. A government who make building Social and affordable housing a priority, without taking a **** on the tax payer by aiding and abetting private concerns make themselves more profits.

A government that holds itself to account would be great, but we are unlikely to see that.

This government should, IMO, address the now. There's a war, there's high inflation. Also the items they are curating for a number of months in the future will likely not be fit for purpose by then.

Ham_Sandwich

you would think people would cop on already and get them to do another election so we can vote Sinn Fein in, if we look after them they will look after us its time for Sinn Fein to have a go at running things theyll tax the banks and the rich and sort us out

macvin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119227311#Comment_119227311

and remember they will pick all the money off the money trees that are growing in a secret location.

Irelandsnumberone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119227366#Comment_119227366

Bit rich to state SF will throw away money so to speak.

FG have done a wonderful job getting money from the `magical money tree' over the last decade. Very responsible indeed, whats our national debt compared to when they took over again?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119222445#Comment_119222445

At the minute ?

Who used fill this void. It's been empty since Eoin O' Duffy from what I can see.

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119227366#Comment_119227366

I do get a laugh out of the FF/FG lobby.

Here's your magic money tree, during years and years of worsening crises were people like yourself pretend others want solutions we can't afford...

https://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/1538823560868904960?t=AjpmZGrZw4fHz1457p_3Sw&s=19

3bn, is his back pocket. Magic money tree alive and well..

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119227918#Comment_119227918

Indeed.. After the last 3 years, and the last several months in particular, FG are in no position to lecture ANYONE about Magic Money Trees!

And what have we gotten for all this money? A housing crisis that's as bad as anything in the Tiger years, a health service that squanders at least 20 billion a year and still can't handle even a modest increase in demand, a massive opportunity and wealth divide between Dublin and rural areas, childcare that's unaffordable for even two working parents, people being forced to commute to work a county or two away while their coalition partners try to make driving as inconvenient and expensive as possible, and let's not forget the attempts to sell off key infrastructure to friends and hangers on.

I've said it before and I will say it again. The difference between FF and FG is that the latter are actually WORSE. They are only voted in in protest and proceed to make the situation so bad that they make FF electable again! We just haven't seen it as much historically because they're almost never elected in the first place, and now in an era of confidence and supply and outright coalition, it's become even more damaging to our political system.

But, I don't think SF will do any better. Their primary policy agenda is a topic that most here don't really care about at the end of the day - not when it comes to the idea of paying for it, compromising with the "old enemy", and certainly not in the face of all the existing domestic problems above.

But, we'll find out soon enough!

macvin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119227918#Comment_119227918

I vote for the person, not the party. When I led in the south I actually voted for Mark Wall (Labour). Up here I voted Alliance last month.

sinn fein are making wild promises in the south, yet seem unable to do anything whatsoever up here. Go figure! Yes, i know they donlt have absolute power up here, but they have some, yet they just don't bother

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119228129#Comment_119228129

I think any government not following the current housing policies of FF/FG will be an improvement.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119228192#Comment_119228192

I can't speak to the difference between policies North and south. I was responding to your magic money tree quip.

Our government in the south finds it anytime they need it.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119228390#Comment_119228390

They find it because they did not hand it out to all and sundry like SF promise to do.

The only reasons people were able to get the PUP and the TWSS during COVID was because of prudent economic policies in the years prior.

Opposition parties have a habit of telling voters they will do this that and the other, but in reality when they get into power they can't.

The SF money tree comes from their promises of building x thousand houses, y hundred hospital beds, free doctors, free child care etc etc.

But none of that is deliverable, because there is no money tree.

We are seeing it clear as day with SF in NI.