Latest posts
The speech I’d like Enda to make (revised).
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“My fellow Irishmen and Irishwomen: I stand before you today to ask you to elect me to the office of Taoiseach. As part of that, I would like to share with you some of the ideas I would like to pursue if you choose to elect me to that offic...
The Right List System.
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There seems to be a sort of consensus threatening to emerge over the idea that we may get, alongside PR-STV in the constituencies, some form of list system. This is to be welcomed, provided that it meets certain criteria: 1. That it be a National lis...
The reality of European Unity.
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Watching ongoing battles between pro and anti EU forces, it can be easy to forget what is actually happening in the world. The reality is that this century threatens to be dominated by China, and to a lesser extent, India and Brazil. Those opposed t...
Would Ryanair healthcare really be that bad?
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During the Lisbon referendum, one of the posters put up by those mysterious foriegn backed No campaigns was “No to Ryanair healthcare”. The phrase stuck in my head. Would Ryanair healthcare be that bad? I don’t like Ryanair. I like...
Can the Irish even comprehend voting like this?
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In the 2006 parliamentary elections in the Netherlands, the Party of the Animals won 180,000 votes and two seats in parliament, standing on a platform of animal welfare. Think about it. It was only 1.8% of the vote, but just imagine that group of 180...
Some good ideas from Fine Gael.
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Credit where it is due. FG’s proposals for political reform should be given consideration. They aren’t perfect, and in particular their proposals for electoral reform are too vague and limited, in that 15 seats is not enough and could, if...
Proof that FG will NOT abolish the Seanad.
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Enda Kenny’s inability to get his parliamentary party to carry out his wishes with regard to female candidates (see here) is a telling portent of his future ability to bring about radical political change as Taoiseach. If he can’t get hi...
The truth about TDs.
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There’s been a lot of debate in recent months about TDs and how we elect them, and what they actually do all day. As part of that, a division has emerged about what people (you know, the voters) actually expect of our TDs. The reality is a bit...
An Occasional Guide to Irish Politics: The Useless Revolutionary.
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You see him outside the GPO, denouncing the right-wing government and their paycuts and tax increases and their betrayal of the people. “Tell the banks to f**k off!” “Back the Greeks!” “Take to the streets now!” an...
Freedom Christians Vs. Bin Laden Christians.
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Some years ago, a senior figure in the Democratic Unionist Party expessed his distaste for homosexuality, and was savaged by the liberal media. I remember thinking at the time that he was being unfairly treated (for that particular remark) because I...
Yet another conservative anti-gay Republican who turns out to be gay.
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Here. You know, one of these days, we’re going to get a gay liberal democrat who’ll tearfully tell a press conference that he’s actually straight. ...
Geert Wilders: The first truly European politician?
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I don’t like Geert Wilders, because, whereas I do agree with some of his conclusions, I’m loath to pigeonhole any group of people because of their religion. Muslims are no more all anti-democrats than Irish Catholics are all pedophiles. Y...
A curious DVD: The Guardians.
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In 1971 ITV (before they became the moron channel) ran a gritty political drama called “The Guardians”. The series was set in the early 1980s, in a Britain which had collapsed in the 1970s, and been taken over (in a rigged general electio...
Nigel Farage: Defender of (some) nation states.
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” I cannot apologise for the fact that Belgium is a completely artificial construction and a mistake ” Nigel Farage, Sinn Fein/Coir ally and defender of national sovereignty, decides to tell 11 million Belgians that they are a non-country...
Oh those young people!
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Just watched “First time voters’ question time” on BBC3, where “young” MPs and celebs answered questions from young voters. Deeply disturbing. The MPs were struggling to contain their frustrations in not being able to go...
An Occasional Guide to Irish Politics: The Professional NGOer.
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It’s all about hedgehogs. If you don’t care about the welfare of hedghogs, and want to spend whatever it takes to ensure hedgehog utopia, you’re a bastard. Never mind the old, and the sick, and poor children, and the third world, th...
Snapshot: The British General Election, May 6, 2010.
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Given the imminent outbreak of a general election campaign in the UK, I thought I’d put together a few thoughts on some of the parties contesting the election. That and the fact that UK politics is actually about issues, as opposed to the polit...
Dublin Mayor: Is there much here that a minister of state can’t do?
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I have a lot of time for John Gormley, and really believe that he is a good guy trying to do what’s right. I also believe very strongly that local government change, based on elected mayors, is a key part of reforming Irish politics. But I thi...
Should US liberals champion states’ rights?
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Back in the 1960s, 1970s and maybe even today to some degree “States’ Rights” used to be a code word. Oh, it sounded noble enough, after all, who could be against states deciding their own affairs. Democracy in action, right? Well,...
Trevor Sargent Resignation.
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I’m not sure that was necessary. Was what he did really that different from what every TD does every day, writing bogus and ineffectual letters on behalf of constituents? Admittedly, it was an honourable thing to do (resigning), and not somethi...
