Is Richard Boyd-Barrett the worst person who has ever existed, including fictional characters?

mazdamiatamx5

liam24

No

I think Richard Boyd-Barrett is an exceptional politician. He would certainly get my No.1 vote if he was a TD in my constituency.

nullzero

Difficult for him to claim such a title when he is in the same party as Paul Murphy.

tphase

Surely you mean Richard Boyd Paul Murphy Barrett?

gameoverdude

Stalin would be a close second.

amacca

I mean he's probably up there but its not as if there aren't many others in contention for the prize

If there was a ranking system I think it would be hard to separate the likes of Paul Murphy, Clare Daly, Mick Wallace, Gemma O'Doherty, Maria Bailey and Josepha Madigan ....I'd put all of them in front of him (or behind depending on how you look at it) in the rankings

And there are many many more contenders in all spheres of public life that deserve consideration for that honour...and if they don't become outright winners there should be other categories they can gain recognition in.

Eg: outstanding contributions in the field of spineless sleveenism

The lifetime achievement award for gombeenism

Best reckless disregard for honour and decency

Best politician in a corruption supporting role

Etc

mazdamiatamx5

Yes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303693#Comment_121303693

Agreed but Gemma doesn't really count as a politician.

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303696#Comment_121303696

I would argue none of them do.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303683#Comment_121303683

Don't be ridiculous. Shame on you.

You are trying to create a false equivalence between a power-hungry ruthless meglomanic, and the son of a simple Georgian cobbler.

Nowhere near close.

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303713#Comment_121303713

Too easy to go down the Murphy route.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303719#Comment_121303719

It's a road that, if taken, you may not return from.

Lightening quick on the draw for the megaphone.

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303723#Comment_121303723

Oh! I see what you did there.

mode1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303676#Comment_121303676

Absolutely! Anyone who voted for Paul Murphy didn't hear the Pat Kenny interview regarding the nationalisation of Aer Lingus , I don't like the man but I was butt-clenching with embarrassment for him ! A smug Kenny said , well Paul you really didn't think it through !Oops

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303723#Comment_121303723

😝😝😜

mode1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303713#Comment_121303713

And not forgetting a significant portfolio that included Texaco , unloaded so as to keep his working man appeal !

Heart Break Kid

No

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303676#Comment_121303676

is he not technically in a different party?

Murphy in Rise.

Barrett is PBP.

tphase

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303739#Comment_121303739

Rise...is that not a drug for ED?

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303750#Comment_121303750

I'm watching robocop tomorrow

tesla_newbie

Yes

Most get tired of being an idiot student in their early twenties, for RBB that day never arrived

I think Adolf Hitler as well as a couple of my bosses might have been a bit worse. 🧐

OneEightSeven

I don't like him but he's not even the worst person in his alliance; Paul Murphy takes that title. He thinks he has the answer to everything, is constantly outclassed in debates, has to have an opinion on everything, spent the last 20 years calling for sanctions against Israel and then contradicted himself when Russia invaded Ukraine by saying sanctions will harm women and children; now he's back calling for sanctions against Israel again.

Mick Wallace would be the most dislikeable elected politician; a shameless, low-quality human being.

Finty Lemon

Richard strikes me as a chap who has his list ready for when the revolution comes and the shooting starts.

riddles

Yes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303927#Comment_121303927

He’d need someone to buy the bullets though!

Most likely the people on his list.

FFS, he's not even the worst of his alliance.

And none of those assh0les deserve to tighten the belt of Haughey or have a whip around for Bertie

Grayson

No

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303683#Comment_121303683

And Mao a close third.

francois

No

A Poll just as ridiculous as some of Barretts policies.

Jim2007

Honestly, when someone comes out with a question like that, one can only wonder about their knowledge of history!

I don't agree with any of his policies nor do I know him, but the voters are entitled to elect whom every they wish to represent them. And in this case there are clearly a large number of people who agree with him and that is the price we have to pay for democracy - respect the views of those you don't agree with. My grand uncle, a veteran of the ware of independence, use to say the most difficult part of being a Republic was having to accept the will of the people when you don't agree with them. But given the alternative and he lived the alternative, he'd prefer it.

And realistically, it's not as if he is ever going to be in a position to do serious damage to the state of it's people.

runswithascript

I am do not share as keen an interest in RBB as the others posting so I am not up to date on his actions, though I am unsure how any right minded person could dismiss the idea of sanctions on Israel witnessing the crimes against humanity and collective punishment of civilians they are currently perpetrating.

The acts of Hamas on October 7 were also crimes against humanity and I utterly condemn them but to borrow a phrase from the UN Secretary General in recent days, they did not happen in a vacuum, and the people of Palestine have been subject to 56 years of illegal occupation, so let's not pretend this was the first aggression between the parties, or as Netanyahu put it overnight 'Israel did not start this war'.

A recent brief history of the conflict by RTE made the point that when the British agreed to support the creation of an Israeli state the land was 90% Arab at the time.

Ash.J.Williams

He's no Albert fish

The Orb

A 50-something phoney sounding like a first year student politician, happy to sit on the sidelines throwing stones at those who have to make decisions, like the rest of his ilk he'd soil himself in office.

VinLieger

No

I severely dislike the man but calling him thee worst person to ever live is a bit hyperbolic. Im curious what he did to OP to cause this overblown reaction tbh.

Hoop66

No

I know him quite well, our kids were in the same class in school, and he's a very nice fella. Very active locally, and not just when there's an election coming up.

I wouldn't agree with a lot (but my no means all) of his politics and I won't, because of his stance on Russia, be voting for him again.

To suggest he's "the worst person who has ever existed" however, is ludicrous and reveals more about the OP than anything else.

Fred Cryton

Yes

And privately educated i believe just like the other champions of the left - Mary Lou and Paul Murphy.

No doubt all 3 also have private health insurance.

They're not really embracing their socialist revolution in how they live their lives are they.

StevenToast

No

Ryan Tubridy is far worse.

tesla_newbie

Yes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303959#Comment_121303959

Haughey was hugely talented and did plenty of good while obviously being a corrupt individual

RBB never created a job in his life , nor has he ever had a proper job

tesla_newbie

Yes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303997#Comment_121303997

he does plenty of harm , like Paul Murphy, he’s never off the airwaves, RBB was a regular on RTE years before he even became an elected councillor, he influences Young impressionable minds ( already stuffed with Marxist friendly rhetoric from their college professors) with his clown world politics and economics

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304431#Comment_121304431

We don't live in the US, college proffeesors do you mean university lecturers?.

He is not all over the airwaves, nor does anyone know if he has privite health insurance for his children.

I personally think Marxism is almost total rubbish but they let them at it they are a tiny side show in the Irish political landscape.

tesla_newbie

Yes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304502#Comment_121304502

They are tiny electorally speaking but receive a hugely disproportionate level of airtime, Paul Murphy is on a panel at least once per week on virgin media or RTE

oh and universities do employ professors here

Beta Ray Bill

No

I think RBB's political ideals and policies are a bit "hairy" at times.

A HUGE number of people confuse Socialism with Communism, because Capitalism has conditioned them for that.

People think about socialist policies the same way that people who do not live beside rail transport feel about rail transport.

They've never used it, and are content with the Bus/Car. They'll never realise how better rail transport is for everyone themselves included (Even if they love their S Class Merc)

Same applies to Socialism. Socialist policies benefit the 99%, they do not benefit the 1%'er's

No, Jeremy Jihad Corbyn is even worse

I had to disagree with the poll until I read, "including fictional characters", then I changed my mind.

Wanderer78

No

....no, theres clearly been far worse, hitler comes to mind!

...op, grow the fcuk up!

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304431#Comment_121304431

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121305005#Comment_121305005

I feel I'm offering my own unique contribution to this thread...

WrenBoy

Yes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304009#Comment_121304009

A real jerk

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121305121#Comment_121305121

We should hang out

hoodie6029

What about Mary Mitchell O’Connor?

Went through advisers like anyone else goes though kleenex. Eventually skewered by her own staff to get rid of her (leaking docs and she had to take responsibility for) and dumped by Leo.

Despite being separated/divorced for 20 years, kept her ex-husband’s name so she had a double-barrelled name to fit in with the SoCoDub set.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121305339#Comment_121305339

And that makes her the worst person that's ever existed? Worsr than say Ted Bundy or Vlad the Impaler?

Astartes

What did he do? Did he intimate that Palestinians might actually be human beings?

VinLieger

No

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121305339#Comment_121305339

Imagine the embarrassment of voting for her after she drove down the steps in front of the dail

Loafing Oaf

Maty I cite the nomination of one distinguished thinker for this title who is also, in line with the OP's thinking, a contemporary politician

https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/noam-chomsky-believes-trump-is-the-worst-criminal-in-human-history

Now there's a man who's not mellowing with age...

rolling boh

Don't agree with almost all he says but he does talk about national issues and that is something I prefer in a TD than one that is doing the work of a county Councillor in the Dail going on about tiny local issues .

hoodie6029

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121305352#Comment_121305352

Thought we were just complaining about Irish politicians.

Maybe this thread was an experiment to see how long it would take someone to say ‘what about the nazis?’ 😂