Do we cherish our republic enough?

neil_hosey · 22-02-2011 11:34AM

bonerm wrote: »

And yet I'm comic book guy? :rolleyes: Just out of interest may I add ^^ that one to my repertoire? You see I'm hosting a birthday party for my 5 year old nephew and his friends this weekend and I'm expecting the discussion of Ben10 and Dora the Explorer to get rather heated.

I was talking about it until you came along with your stupid little eyes to heaven bs.

As to assholes being expected, yes indeed it is AH. Good to see you again.

ok listen ill let you get the last post in, it seems important to you. gd luck!

Krusader · 22-02-2011 11:37AM

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

I'd love to know what the men who died for the republic would think of what it had become if they came back tomorrow.

I don't think there are anywhere near as many people "ashamed" of being Irish as people make out. JUst a case of not being massively proud and thinking another country offers a better lifestyle is not automatically ashamed.

I do think nationalism is a massively overrated concept though, regardless of the nation involved.

I think their souls have wept continously over the last 90 years.

The flag has changed but everything else is the same

Glenster · 22-02-2011 11:38AM

bonerm wrote: »

And yet I'm comic book guy? :rolleyes:
Nice use of smug rolleyes, you can taste the superiority.

Just out of interest may I add ^^ that one to my repertoire? Good use of repertoire You see I'm hosting a birthday party for my 5 year old nephew and his friends this weekend and I'm expecting the discussion of Ben10 and Dora the Explorer to get rather heated.
Nice detail

I was talking about it until you came along with your stupid little eyes to heaven bs.
falls down a bit here with the 'eyes to heaven' remark

As to assholes being expected, yes indeed it is AH. Good to see you again.

Ho Ha Body Blow! He's rubber you're glue, it's the old switcharoo, there's no coming back from that. Goodnight ladies and gentlemen!

/

bonerm · 22-02-2011 11:38AM

neil_hosey wrote: »

ok listen ill let you get the last post in, it seems important to you. gd luck!

Thanks for letting me get the last post in. Here it is. I'll let you get back to playing with your childish little emoticons.

chin_grin · 22-02-2011 11:40AM

Crosáidí wrote: »

I think their souls have wept continously over the last 90 years.

The flag has changed but everything else is the same

Ahem, apologies!

Krusader · 22-02-2011 11:41AM

chin_grin wrote: »

I think that's the most retarded thing I'll read all day. And I'm an avid lurker of After Hours!

thank you

chin_grin · 22-02-2011 11:42AM

Crosáidí wrote: »

thank you

Wait, I wasn't attacking you. Just that.....yeah...I could've worded it a bit better.......

The flag doesn't change it's what the flag represents that can. Was my point. So, my apologies. Knee-jerk post if you will.

Unless...........that's what you originally meant and I've just looked like a retard posting what you meant anyways. Ugh. Too early!

orourkeda · 22-02-2011 11:45AM

No.

We've sh1t so much over our country that it's reputation is almost beyond repair.

Krusader · 22-02-2011 11:48AM

chin_grin wrote: »

Wait, I wasn't attacking you. Just that.....yeah...I could've worded it a bit better.......

The flag doesn't change it's what the flag represents that can. Was my point. So, my apologies. Knee-jerk post if you will.

Unless...........that's what you originally meant and I've just looked like a retard posting what you meant anyways. Ugh. Too early!

We have always been ruled by an elite few people though, if you think Irish people have a say in how Ireland is run your sadly mistaken, election or no election. If they actually cared about what we thought, we wouldn't've been denied our democratic rights on 5 occasions (Nice, Lisbon, 3 by-elections).
We are just consumers, tax paying public to them not human beings

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 22-02-2011 01:05PM

Crosáidí wrote: »

We have always been ruled by an elite few people though, if you think Irish people have a say in how Ireland is run your sadly mistaken, election or no election. If they actually cared about what we thought, we wouldn't've been denied our democratic rights on 5 occasions (Nice, Lisbon, 3 by-elections).
We are just consumers, tax paying public to them not human beings

Democracy for ya!

Notorious97 · 22-02-2011 02:41PM

Simple answer is No, No we don’t. The Republic of Ireland is far from the Irish Republic which was proclaimed in 1916 and which the volunteers fought and died for in the war on independence unfortunately.

Im not sure if the level of anti Irish feeling from our own people is as high as it appears to be, or if it is alot of people jumping on the bash Ireland band wagon. At the moment its the only show in town, people should be uniting for change instead of arguing and fighting with each other.

All i know is that this country wont be fixed after this election, and there will be alot of hard work to do to get this country back on track, but i think we owe it to future generations and indeed ourselves to do whatever it takes to fix this once and for all, be it through dramatic political reform, financial problems etc. We are all aware of the sacrifices we will need to make, but this should begin from the top level down and those shameful politicians responsible should be made fully accountable for their actions while in power, and any future politicians the same if they step out of line.

Im just hoping by 2016 we are in a far better place financially and as a whole nation, to pay tribute to those who at the time could see Irelands potential for future generations and so decided it was worth fighting for and possibly dying for. We owe them more than people will let on.

I don’t see my identity as an Irishman disappearing despite what people may claim about our identity in general, im a proud Irish man, and consider myself nothing but that.

Wolfe Tone · 22-02-2011 02:42PM

AskMyChocolate wrote: »

Alright, most of ye would think of me as a shinner. I don't think I am. I would like to think that I both honour and respect the memory of James Connolly and what he fought and died for.

I think our republicanism is still respected and admired in the lands of our best and oldest friends;

I mean Britain, America, Australia and Canada.

And while they have been subject to sleeveen knackers in parliament just as we have, I'd love to think that there is still a great fondness for each other, amongst the people.

It would be nice if we could do something together to remember a real lover of the working man/woman for 2016 and remember again our fondness for each other.

He would have liked that immensely; our ability to show that we are neither communists nor unfettered capitalists.

Michael Davitt, James Connolly, Michael Collins.

True Patriots.

R.I.P.

If you think they died for the excuse of a "republic" we have today you are deluded.

ScumLord · 22-02-2011 03:23PM

Notorious97 wrote: »

Simple answer is No, No we don’t. The Republic of Ireland is far from the Irish Republic which was proclaimed in 1916 and which the volunteers fought and died for in the war on independence unfortunately.

Well really Ireland should be far removed from the republic of 1916. 1916 was nearly 100 years ago, it was a completely different time. Sure the rebels who brought us freedom did a great thing for their time but I don't understand why we're looking with rose tinted glasses to the previous century for advice on what we should be doing in this new information/technology age.

Notorious97 · 22-02-2011 03:33PM

ScumLord wrote: »

Well really Ireland should be far removed from the republic of 1916. 1916 was nearly 100 years ago, it was a completely different time. Sure the rebels who brought us freedom did a great thing for their time but I don't understand why we're looking with rose tinted glasses to the previous century for advice on what we should be doing in this new information/technology age.

True it was 100 years ago, but the proclamation is just as relevant today as it was back then, it was a document that was years ahead of its time, alot can be learned from it.

Even if people don’t feel they are important today, they are the primary reason of why there is no Union flag flying over the GPO today and other government buildings, they do not deserve to be forgotten. Like i said they obviously seen our potential in the future to decide a free nation was worth fighting and dying for, and then look at the mess our politicians and chums make of that freedom today!

ejmaztec · 22-02-2011 03:41PM

The only thing cherished in this republic is hard cash.

Jimmy the Wheel · 22-02-2011 03:55PM

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Democracy for ya!

We have the best democracy money can buy.

twinytwo · 22-02-2011 04:00PM

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

If you think they died for the excuse of a "republic" we have today you are deluded.

it all comes down to the fact we got soft and greedy. It was just so easy to ignore the countries problems and let the goverment throw money at everything rather than actually establish a worth while economy.

Snakeblood · 22-02-2011 04:01PM

I think our love for the republic is 4% too little. Year on year though, it's looking good, patriotismwise.

PatrickD32 · 22-02-2011 04:03PM

I'm proud as can be of being Irish.

Love my country.
Ashamed of our Government.

Id much prefer a 32county republic.

Also i think alot of people in the free state do not realise how good they also have it over here, things could be alot worse, although it could be alot better also.

flas · 22-02-2011 04:04PM

AskMyChocolate wrote: »

Alright, most of ye would think of me as a shinner. I don't think I am. I would like to think that I both honour and respect the memory of James Connolly and what he fought and died for.

I think our republicanism is still respected and admired in the lands of our best and oldest friends;

I mean Britain, America, Australia and Canada.

And while they have been subject to sleeveen knackers in parliament just as we have, I'd love to think that there is still a great fondness for each other, amongst the people.

It would be nice if we could do something together to remember a real lover of the working man/woman for 2016 and remember again our fondness for each other.

He would have liked that immensely; our ability to show that we are neither communists nor unfettered capitalists.

Michael Davitt, James Connolly, Michael Collins.

True Patriots.

R.I.P.

these 3 men wanted completely different things for this country after independence, Connolly was a hardcore sociallist who was willing to go through what ever it took to get what he wanted, if he had of survived. a great leader of men. if Connolly had of seen the way irish workers were treated over all in the last 90 years he would be spinning in his grave.

Orando Broom · 22-02-2011 04:30PM

I'm ashamed of what Irishness has become. The Shinners (gatekeepers of criminality and injustice on this island) have corralled the concept of republicianism and twisted it for thier own gain. You can't be a republican without it standing for a hotch-potch of anti-establishment, para-socialistic anti rule of law ramblings of a deranged lunatic fringe.

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have become the bastions of personal accrual of wealth and status. They act in concert against the citizens of this country in a bid to further thier own personal wealth.

Labour are just silver spoon idealogues who are clueless about how to run a modern economy, clinging to failed doctrines that died out forty years ago.

that is just our political parties. The good denizens of this country are essentially hyenas who have spent the last decade eating the tails off one another for personal gain. There is zero spirit or pride in where we are from. You have west of Ireland people who move to Dublin and can not wait to ditch their accent and deny their roots and upbringing. You have people from across they country ashamed of their parish, their little corner of this country. You have people of all stripes mimicking fake MTV 'realities' in the vain belief that this is social progression.

There is no civic pride in the citizens of Ireland, this lack of pride has seen us elect and more shamefully re-elect the Jackie Healy-Rae's, the Ivor Callelly's and a far too long a list of rogues and shills.

The talk of pride, we adorn our national flag with beer slogans kowtowed to a minority who refused to stand as an island for our national anthem. we look back on our history with such utter disdain.

Just two examples; He may not have been perfect, but Eamon DeValera at least walked the walk and the disgraceful excoriation of his memory should be all our shame. Even the Catholic Church can no longer be defended. Over 1000 years of enlightenment, (argue how you like) education and ecumenicism forgotten because of the wrong doings of a minority. This is not a defence of the shameful behaviour of the Irish Catholic Church and nor is it an apology for it's undue influence over Irish society, but bear this in mind, The Catholic Church influenced the state because for almost a thousand years it was the only semblance of state we had. They educated millions of Irish and clothed and fed and kept countless more from an early grave. It's the lack of balance in the argument that's shameful not the argument itself which is valid.

we have handed over our present past and future to an unelected minority of purported curators who have and are continuing to dictate how this country is, was and should be viewed.

When the people of Ireland stop being sheep and start to express their own, valid opinions on how they perceive the country and not parrot and ape and undeserving minority then we'll have a place we can call home with pride.

Snakeblood · 22-02-2011 04:34PM

flas wrote: »

these 3 men wanted completely different things for this country after independence, Connolly was a hardcore sociallist who was willing to go through what ever it took to get what he wanted, if he had of survived. a great leader of men. if Connolly had of seen the way irish workers were treated over all in the last 90 years he would be spinning in his grave.

I'm going to market Coffin Rotation technology so you'll be able to say your heroes are DEFINITELY spinning in their graves at the touch of a button. It will lend weight to the argument.

sarahisainmdom · 22-02-2011 04:41PM

In response to the "do we cherish our country enough" question, I'd say no, most people don't.

Krusader · 22-02-2011 06:14PM

Orando Broom wrote: »

I'm ashamed of what Irishness has become. The Shinners (gatekeepers of criminality and injustice on this island) have corralled the concept of republicianism and twisted it for thier own gain. You can't be a republican without it standing for a hotch-potch of anti-establishment, para-socialistic anti rule of law ramblings of a deranged lunatic fringe.

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have become the bastions of personal accrual of wealth and status. They act in concert against the citizens of this country in a bid to further thier own personal wealth.

Labour are just silver spoon idealogues who are clueless about how to run a modern economy, clinging to failed doctrines that died out forty years ago.

that is just our political parties. The good denizens of this country are essentially hyenas who have spent the last decade eating the tails off one another for personal gain. There is zero spirit or pride in where we are from. You have west of Ireland people who move to Dublin and can not wait to ditch their accent and deny their roots and upbringing. You have people from across they country ashamed of their parish, their little corner of this country. You have people of all stripes mimicking fake MTV 'realities' in the vain belief that this is social progression.

There is no civic pride in the citizens of Ireland, this lack of pride has seen us elect and more shamefully re-elect the Jackie Healy-Rae's, the Ivor Callelly's and a far too long a list of rogues and shills.

The talk of pride, we adorn our national flag with beer slogans kowtowed to a minority who refused to stand as an island for our national anthem. we look back on our history with such utter disdain.

Just two examples; He may not have been perfect, but Eamon DeValera at least walked the walk and the disgraceful excoriation of his memory should be all our shame. Even the Catholic Church can no longer be defended. Over 1000 years of enlightenment, (argue how you like) education and ecumenicism forgotten because of the wrong doings of a minority. This is not a defence of the shameful behaviour of the Irish Catholic Church and nor is it an apology for it's undue influence over Irish society, but bear this in mind, The Catholic Church influenced the state because for almost a thousand years it was the only semblance of state we had. They educated millions of Irish and clothed and fed and kept countless more from an early grave. It's the lack of balance in the argument that's shameful not the argument itself which is valid.

we have handed over our present past and future to an unelected minority of purported curators who have and are continuing to dictate how this country is, was and should be viewed.

When the people of Ireland stop being sheep and start to express their own, valid opinions on how they perceive the country and not parrot and ape and undeserving minority then we'll have a place we can call home with pride.

Bang on!

brianthebard · 22-02-2011 06:24PM

ScumLord wrote: »

I think people take the republic for granted, even though this is a peoples republic we sit back and expected to be waited on hand and foot by the government, our involvement goes as far as voting every few years, paying taxes and rants that are based on pure ignorance because we really have no clue what's happening and we have no interest in getting involved.

I don't think we truly have a peoples republic yet as the people are absentee bosses. The elite get to run amok because we couldn't be bothered.

I don't think its a republic really, the houses of parliament are seriously misbalanced, FG are going to make that even more so. There is no popular referendum which is key to citizens participation in a republic imo, and the President is a toothless office that has never exercised their true powers (I know some countries have ceremonial presidents but I'm not sure its the best idea but we should at least pick one or the other, not give them powers that are never used).

Krusader · 22-02-2011 06:35PM

Fintan O'Toole writes a good article in the Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0222/1224290515105.html

Since the foundation of the state we have had a centre-right majority in the Dáil and they've continously led us down the garden path. It's time for a change Ireland

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 22-02-2011 06:55PM

Crosáidí wrote: »

Fintan O'Toole writes a good article in the Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0222/1224290515105.html

Since the foundation of the state we have had a centre-right majority in the Dáil and they've continously led us down the garden path. It's time for a change Ireland

so... far-right or centre left? I don't think Ireland is comfortble with either option.

KeithAFC · 22-02-2011 06:57PM

orourkeda wrote: »

No.

We've sh1t so much over our country that it's reputation is almost beyond repair.

True. It has never worked. Seems many people are waking up to it.

Krusader · 22-02-2011 06:59PM

KeithAFC wrote: »

True. It has never worked. Seems many people are waking up to it.

You don't start, your country doesn't even want ye

Celly Smunt · 22-02-2011 07:00PM

proud Unionist,i'll respect your republic if you respect Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Do we cherish our republic enough?

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