Simon Harris, the TikTok Taoiseach

You'd have to wonder how long FF will put up with this showboating. I think Martin and Harris will clash as we get closer to the elections.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/harris-says-becoming-taoiseach-quite-a-rollercoaster-1612487.html

He said he first got involved in public life as a “moody opinionated teenager” campaigning for better school facilities for his brother with autism in Co Wicklow.

Mr Harris added: “So to go from there to here, it’s been quite a rollercoaster. But, I intend to give it my all.”

So not much has changed since then, still very much self opinionated.

As usual your free to make your own twisted conclusion, from a post.

I never said I was OK with online abuse in any form, who ever it is targeted at.

Or that I condone it.

https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/tweeting-tds-who-excelled-on-social-media-in-2017-3775685-Jan2018/

@Cluedo Monopoly Twitter use to be a very effective media tool for politicians. We will see if it is still effective in upcoming elections and the next GE. And yes there is report tools on twitter.

@Clo-Clo Don't know how you've interacted on twitter if all your seeing is online abuse. Are you going out of your way to find it?

https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/twitter-algorithm

The other interesting thing about that video (and she makes good points), is the background picture and the placement of certain (you'd think prominent) ministers wayyyy at the back, or almost hidden by others.

Stage-managed to the last.

Apologies in advance all.. This will be a long one!

See, this is the sort of thing that personally drives me mad when it comes to politics here.

This apparent "need" for validation and approval (internationally) that both our politicians and many people seem to have - usually at the expense of our own domestic interests or needs.

I have sympathy for the victims of the Gaza conflict (on both sides), but neither side involved are innocent. The Palestinians are just as guilty of atrocities as the Israelis, regardless of the reasons or justifications given. This conflict also goes back a lot further than this current installment, and some reading of history would also be useful to understand the causes and issues involved. It's not quite as clear cut as the soundbite/snapshot reporting style of social media and some of the press would make out.

But it's not our fight. We have no say or influence on the fighting, and we certainly don't have any influence on whatever the eventual outcome and settlement ends up being, and frankly - it's none of our business. We had our own Gaza for decades and likewise atrocities were committed by both sides, and even now there is still that low level resentment of "de Brits" among many here, and the political situation in NI remains unstable even though the violence has at least ended. We're hardly in a position to preach however.

Harris is clearly just latching on to popular opinion on the issue to grandstand on the EU stage (much as Leo, Enda, and many others before him) for essentially "likes", and the idea that this is something to be proud of genuinely baffles me! Who cares what the political reporters of foreign press think of his stance? I would be very confident in saying that their readers probably don't anyway.

What possible difference does it make to the victims on both sides of the conflict? "Ireland has our back" is poor consolation when bullets or shells are flying! The Israelis are not likely to stop their part in the violence either because "Ireland and Spain are coming out against us". Now, if the US changed its position, then maybe there might be a shift in the situation, but again, why Harris and Ireland are getting involved is ridiculous. It's certainly not going to help address any problems here!

He and the Government would be far better dealing with issues like the one you started with above and the rest of the laundry list of serious and worsening domestic issues we face - but given that he and his colleagues have sat back and allowed/encouraged/caused many of these issues over the past decade, I wouldn't hold my breath on much progress in the months he has to do something.

Indeed, an article in the Independent this morning is suggesting that Budget 25 prep is already underway and the theme (unsurprisingly) will be a mega giveaway to try and distract/con/buy off the electorate before the general election with our own money - never forget that the only money the "Government" has is taxes collected from citizens and companies who work here.

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/fionnan-sheahan-tax-credits-school-books-creche-grants-budget-2025-to-be-mother-of-all-giveaways/a1936660058.html

But back to pride....

I'll be proud when people aren't paying over 2 grand a month to a investment fund/landlord, or when adults aren't living in their childhood bedroom and can buy their own home if they wish, and without having to move a county or two away in the process.

I'll be proud when people can get urgent medical care without maybe 14 hours sitting on a metal bench in A&E and then not simply shunted to a trolley in the hall for the next 2 days (speaking from personal experience here too).

I'll be proud when the revolving door justice system and pathetically lax sentences are done away with and criminality is actually punished - and I don't just mean more penalty points issued to people on motorways which is where most of the focus seems to be a lot of the time. I mean gangland crime, violence and intimidation in city centres and less prosperous housing estates, white collar crime, and so on.

I'll be proud when we have an immigration system that supports those genuinely in need, and welcomes those who come here legally with skills to offer, jobs to start, and who are a positive benefit to our community - but which is also tough on chancers, foreign criminals, and which protects our borders and recognises that there's only so much we can do/so many we can support too.

I'll be proud when those who "get up early in the morning" are actually supported and recognised for their efforts. That working hard actually pays off in opportunities and options to build a better life for a family. When those who don't engage are sanctioned rather than rewarded with discounted housing and supports that the workers can't afford, don't qualify for, and have to compete against with their own taxes used against them.

I'll be proud when we have a Government that puts Ireland first. Not in an isolationist manner but which represents our interests at international level. That negotiates with our needs and mandate in mind. That essentially negotiates as equals rather than sycophants.

I'll be proud when we have political accountability and transparency. That does away with the culture of nepotism and waste and corruption, and doesn't treat the electorate as a cash cow to be exploited or talked down to or ignores, but remembers that politicians serve us, not the other way around.

I'll be proud when we focus on and meaningfully start to resolve all of these issues, rather than pursuing imaginary agendas of hurt feelings, foreign conflicts, or whatever else is currently trending on social media.

But I fear I'll be a long time waiting for any of these prideful feelings under the current Government or crop of weak, self-serving, apathetic politicians. Big on spin and saying the right things alright - very poor on followup and outcomes.

We have a lot of fundamental issues that need to be addressed and resolved in this country - basic things (like the examples above) that have only gotten worse in the past 15 years, despite our supposed prosperity and wealth.

THAT is where the political focus needs to be. Not grandstanding in Europe and internationally on things that have nothing to do with us in a very transparent attempt to deflect from those far more important problems.

Or, if you prefer - here's the TL;DR version...

Get back to work Simon! Stop sticking your/our nose into issues that are nothing to do with us and far more complicated anyway, and focus on doing your job here at home by tackling the problems that are making headlines in OUR press every day!

(to those who stuck with it, thanks for reading this far!)