Hey everybody! I'm just trying to get a new political movement or a faction moving and I would like to ask you what do you think of its ideas and the ten point plan it has. It would be a capitalist right wing movement, as I believe there is a gap in the public representation on the right, since FF or FG are more center based. The movement would be aimed at the middle-class people, business people but particularly, in the early stage, at the intelligentsia and students since I will be going to college next year and it will be much easier to get its ideas across. (this does not rule out having members from other classes, its just a prediction, an estimate). Thanks

Here's the plan:

1. Have a political system where the government is made up off top experts in their field, not TDs. The Taoiseach, who also would be a top expert, would be nominated by the coalition that will form within the Dail, and he will then pick out his cabinet. The cabinet will have to be approved by the Dail, along with its program. This will make the cabinet apolitical, which means it will take decissions that will be good for the country, as based on their analitical expertise, not on the popular demand. Since every law will have to pass the Dail, this will ensure that that people's wishes will be still listened to. Also since TDs have the power to produce new bills and acts in the Dail, it will but greater pressure on them from their electorate, who will demand that they shall draft out these bills.
2. Flat rate of tax. Introduce a flat rate of tax across the board on all taxable items. This way some taxes will drop, others will increase. The main advantage of this system is that it is very simply and a flat rate is proved to reduce tax fraud, as people generally don't bother putting in the work to avoid tax payments anymore. The decreased tax on incomes allows for more money for the citizen, which he can spend on goods, on which VAT will be taxed, giving the state more money in VAT payments and other such taxes and also supporting production and increasing employment ie more money for the state from new income taxes.
3. Reduced social welfare benefits, not payments. By this I mean things like the state granting people money to pay for heating or rent. Also the jobseekers allowence would be reduced to 60% or 70% of the minimum income, encouraging people to go to and find a job. Jobseekers benefit will remain the same.
4. A complete reform of the education system, with continuous assessment rather than one exam to determine your life. This would include a change in the primary education as well, where children would also be assessed annually, with a greater selection of subject to increase the level of knowledge between the children in primary sector, which is among the lowest in the EU.
5. A foreign policy that supports the EU and the integration and well being of the EU members. This would include following the path of the Lisbon Treaty. A vital part for this would also be to create great exchange schemes for students in the secondary schools. On these exchanges they would gain the knowledge of other European cultures and hopefully will learn to accept them.
6. Reduced minimal wage by the value of deflation. This would allow a greater competitiveness to the Irish workforce and would not damage the people, due to the deflation.
7. Selling off some semi state companies, such as the ESB, that the state doesn't need. In the case of ESB the state doesn't need it to regulate the prices of electricity as the state can still regulate the prices through Board Gais, which makes owning both companies a luxury that we can't afford at the moment.
8. Use the money from selling of semi state companies to finance stimuli that would attract new companies to Ireland. This would include reaching a deal with the company that the state would make such and such contribution towards the company for a workplace that it'll create in Ireland. The contract would include also clause of the minimal time the company has to be in Ireland, and not pack off to other country at the earliest opportunity. This would enhance the competitiveness yet again.
9. Make a great audit of the public service sector, axing all the incompetent and inefficient agencies that have been created in the public sector, to save money, and also to send the message that public service sector is not a sector from which you can't be fired or your wages reduced.
10. Reducing the role of the unions. I'm not saying the unions are bad, or that they are to be completely destroyed, but their influence has grown to a radically high level right now.

How old are you?

I'm sure we disagree on many issues, but he overall objective is sound.

I soppurt flat rate tax on income and corporate tax, but would abolish VAT altogether. Your political system in point 1 sounds a bit dodgy.

Your movement will fail without at least attempting to pull in working class members. I suggest you just join FG, and try push them to the right.

The problem with experts is that their were a lot of experts and businesspeople involved in the resent boom to bust which has led to the recession who will bail them out when they get it wrong the next time i presume you have thought that one out???

yeah i know the political system needs a much more thoughts, but its just there as a rough plan, i suppose.
thanks for the advice on the working class...i'll try to think of some ways of pulling them in.
i dont want to join FG, because they seem to me, to be very populistic and power thirsty, which is something i really don't like, mainly the populism and the demagogy.

when you have experts leading the goverment as i suggested they are controlled by the politicians. the dail has to approve of every meassure, so thats the mechanism to use to check that they dont get it wrong. but really to be honest there is a less of a chance of an expert economist, lets say, to make a mistake than someone who has no knowledge of the field and has just been promoted to the department from, say, agriculture.

18

Fire ahead - the more the merrier - the only catch is - that to get elected, requires cash,committed manpower and grassroots movements which take years to build up - isn't that right Declan?

Private school?

You'll be too young to remember the PDs.
They were right up your street.

I disagree with nearly all your points but it's good to see people taking an interest and trying to think of ways out of this mess. Fair play to you.

Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to break into the political system in this country. The established parties have it sewn up. I'd love to break up this cosy cartel, but I'm running out of ideas as to how.

On and before anyone asks, I'm 47. Maybe we should all state our ages.

__________________
If there is a future, it will be green.

Yer 18 and already looking to start a right wing capitalist movement

I suppose telling ya that at that age you really should be joining the communist party for the liberal chicks, enjoying the craic in college,doing all sorts of slighty legal/illegal stuff, having a go at authority whenever you get a chance and generally just living the life of not having to worry about responsibility that you will only get at that time of your life.

Nobody should be allowed join a political party before they are 30 years old -Im 37 btw -As a full member of the grownup version of FG for last 4 years - I think most of YFG scarily off their heads when they start talking seriously about things -you don't know sh^t about life so how the f^ck are you going to comment and possibly legislate on others said lives?.

By all means read as much political theory as you try and find where exactly you fit in in Life - but trying as many things as possible ( OK - Dont go the John McGuirk route) when you have the least responsibilities possible would be IMHO, far more preferable than trying setting up a Tory Boy political movement -

then again when it comes to political prodigys and the like you're in the right place.

What a load of bull.

Yes, YFG are off their heads as are the youth wings of almost all political parties (my labour youth friends are all commies..). In my experience young people are just as good if not better than "grown ups" at seeing things clearly.

As a fellow Fine Gael supporter I am quite shocked at your incredibly dismissive attitude ot under 30's. FG's highly competant Junior Spokesperson Lucinda Creighton is not yet 30, she served as a highly respected councillor being elected at around 24/25. Leo Varadkar who turned 30 this year was under 30 when elected to the Dáil and was in his early 20's during his first local election campaign. They are two of Fine Gael's most talented members of the oireachtas, you should be less dismissive of youth.

__________________
Economic Left/Right: 0.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.67


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.