If the government called a general election tonight who would you vote for from the list below?
FF
FG
Greens
SF
Labour
SD
PBP
Independents
Threadbans
Skimpydoo
Liberal is not left wing. You seem to be trying to apply the incorrect US usage of the term.
And yes there policies are fairly similar because the two political creeds they share are close on the political spectrum.
They are European level political parties and the parties in them share similar positions/ideology. They choose who they affiliate with and they do so based on how they perceive themselves.
It isn’t up to your definition of what you think left or right wing should be (but isn’t).
And both of our traditional big two parties are unquestionably closer to capitalism than socialism which is why Ireland is the way it is today (for better and for worse). Neither of them have a tradition of singing The Internationale at their annual Ard Fheis! :-)
Let’s see overt hostility to the EU (a position that most European Far Right parties have abandoned), signing and then breaking the terms of the treaty (on withdrawal) that they signed, the serious attempts to withdraw from the ECHR because human rights are an inconvenience, the willingness to send people to Rwanda (a country with a poor human rights record), overt willingness to scapegoat others (EU nationals who moved to the U.K., people who cross the Channel (despite the majority of them qualifying as bona fide refugees once the Home Office actually processes them)).
The policies you attribute to our parties are par for the course for most centre right governments, so there’s nothing “left wing” about them per se.
Leninism isn’t the only kind of left , Labour aren’t Marxist but are still a party of the left, as are the Green Party and the Soc Dems
Not surprised that you are ignoring the fact that SF have run government departments in the North. Anyone who takes five minutes to look at their record up there will conclude that they are incompetent at best. You might give us an example of a SF initiative in Northern Ireland that both worked and is applicable down here. I guess I'll be waiting though.
...id argue our traditional left parties are lost in the wilderness, they got themselves wrapped up in modern, more right leaning ideologies such as neoliberalism, and now they dont know what they are, who they represent, you can clearly see this with older left parties such as the labour party, the greens, well theyd be lost also, theyre simply unable to collate their own thinking and ideologies, even to try meet their own primary objectives, i.e. the environment....
My take on this is a bit different.
The people doing the actual running won't be changing - it's the people with a government programme who will change.
Each dept will get a new CEO - each department is a separate organisation after all - but the reality is that the various government departments will continue in existence, and will be run by the some people as they are today.
The problem with these, 'which parties are on the left/right' discussions is that an awful lot of posters start off with the belief that their views are more centrist than they actually are, ironically it becomes more prevalent the further left or right these posters tend to actually stand.
It is fairly pointless discussion when one cohort is arguing that we've never had a right wing government and another arguing that we've only had right wing governments; by right wing both cohorts just mean, 'to the right of me'.
I'd vote National Party.
I think a lot of their ideas are badly thought out (to put it mildly). However they are only party that seems to speak out against mass immigration. For that reason alone they deserve a vote.
Would you check out the capability of your local NP candidate or just stamp a blind #1 on the ballot paper?
I wouldn't vote . I have done in every election the last 28 years. I don't see the point anymore.
Varadkar in on the ,6th count now taoiseach.
OGormon - 5400 total votes now government minister
The Greens 6% of the total vote now in government
Harris on the 15th!! count now government minister -multiple departments
Michael Martin saying a government with FG is not what people want them proceeds to do just that.
Is this the party you mean?
Anti abortion , pro death penalty.
Justin Barrett.
Need I go on?
You could assess the fortunes of most people in this Country and compare them to the fortunes of almost any other first world Country, in these very difficult times and see how well we're doing.
I also find it amazing that you voted for 28 years without having a clue what system you were involved in with PRSTV.
Presumably, in the past, you didn't mind cabinet members coming from down the count in their constituencies, so long as you agreed with them.
You think the NP will get any seats?
They are a protest vote party....
Their policy that I love is being anti mass immigration.
Lol, once upon a time, an irish political party putting the needs of irish people first wouldnt have been controversial....
Speak out, is it? Is that what it takes?
And what about their other policies? What about leaving the EU?
Because their immigration policies would require us to leave the European Union. And even then, Ireland has international obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Refugee Protocol, both embedded UN policy. Should we bow out of the UN too?
International protection policy, asylum policy, economic migrant policy and war and climate refugee policy all need global examination and action, thats beyond question. But that'll only be successful with global cooperation and trickle down policy changes from the UN, OECD, EU, AU, ASEAN etc.
Not by a bunch of dumb f*** face donkey dick yellow pack fascists like the National Party acting unilaterally.
I mean Jesus Christ, if they were even half way convincing and had the courage of those convictions as fascists, I'd have some respect for their commitment and tenacity, but they're actually just a bunch of pathetic useless pricks. Every last one of them.
Omg! You're insults have really made me rethink my support for the National Party!
We all know the National Party arent going to form the next government. However voting for them is a protest vote.
Another advantage of voting for the National Party is that it makes people like you angry.
There is no such thing as a protest vote. You're either voting for them, or voting for someone else, or you're not voting at all.
I counted votes for 18 years. There was always spoiled votes, twats who wrote essays on their ballots, as if anyone cared. No one has time to read them in an 18 hour count marathon. And even if they did, its the wrong audience. The parties never get to see them.
If you vote for the NP, you vote for the NP. Its no skin off Leo Varadkar's nose, or Mary Lou's nose. Its just you, voting for them.
What can I say except please reconsider.
Follow the link and see what you will be supporting if you really want to vote for them after that it's on you.
You know what a spoiled vote is? Voting for FFFG and expecting anything different.
Ireland deserves better.
There is nobody currently in the field that is better.
And I suspect everyone knows it. Some just continue to lie to themselves about it.
If Bertie grew a beard and ran as Bert, he'd win....people are fickle and forgetful... and Bertie's a charmer
then for his re-election his could be outed as Bertie, but could re-frame the campaign as Bert puts the IE into Bertie ... with a load of Irish flag emojis ... seemless
Don't mind your man...Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Vote for whoever you want but first and foremost make sure the candidate is truthful and honourable.
SDP. At least they acknowledge you have to raise taxes to provide better services though with the cost of living crisis that might change.
SF seem to forget we owe 220 billion
Be careful what you wish for. There have been protest candidates who got into the Dail when lots of people did as you did.
...you mean we were charged billions for the banks fcuking up!
Iv paid out reasons why I wouldn't vote again. Your reply of "it's the system" does nothing to redeem it's obvious flaws.
Pull names out of a hat would be equal if not better. They could draw straws to see who gets go go into the hat( this would also be equal or not better)
15th count!
In fairness if you don't vote you are leaving it up to other people to decide for you.
