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About LinkBacksSmall parties flourished before and all withered away. Why should the next era be any different? The post war years were a time of upheaval. The Celtic Tiger years were also a time of great change. That era has passed.
Small parties flourished before and all withered away. Why should the next era be any different? The post war years were a time of upheaval. The Celtic Tiger years were also a time of great change. That era has passed.
Liquidate labour, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers, liquidate real estate.
I could be wrong but I'm fairly certain Mary is an FF supporter.Originally Posted by Samarkand
Mary Frances, Haven't seen your other posts before this eve, but am guessing you are possibly in the Labour Party. I only get to log on this website occasionally due to time constraints, but even so, have noticed that both FG and SF (or at least ROC, who seems to be on this site full-time) have swung straight into strong debates about how to proceed to the next election. The next election campaign [/i]has already started.
What are Labour doing??
I realise and fully accept this site is but a ... portion 8) ... of the electorate. Still, I think it reps a fairly good cross-section of active politically engaged people.
honestly, tell me if i'm totally off-base and point me to the relevant threads, but as an occ. user, these Lab. threads to NOT jump out at one ...
Rebelman is right - I'm a FF supporter.
I usually am, it becomes boring after a while
Imho, the demise of the PDs is no more certain than the demise of Moscow in 1941. Same with the Greens.
The nature of our electoral system will always leave room for independents and smaller parties. Whether its going to be the same ones as we have now is another question but on the existance of smaller parties into the future, I have no doubt.
“Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen” - Albert Einstein
The Greens are still in a far far healthier state than the PDs. Sure, they may lose seats at the next election, but their long-term future is not in doubt.
As an environmental mudflap for Fianna Fail.The Greens are still in a far far healthier state than the PDs. Sure, they may lose seats at the next election, but their long-term future is not in doubt.
The way I see it, the main problem with any small party, is that they will always be a minority, and any small party that helps one of the big two get or stay into party is going to suffer the wrath of the opposition, irrespective of whether they are actualy making a differencce or not.
The demise of the PD's is a loss for Ireland, the demise of any small party, and any alternative to the big 2 is a loss to the voter.
The PD's were hated by FF, because they were seen as deserters, hated by FG because they helped keep FG out of power, and hated by Labour because they were where labour should have been (in government with FF or FG).
To hear talk by FF and others about "Gene Pool" independents etc, pretty much shows the state of irish politics, in that it is seen more of a clan that should not be betrayed. Principles and independent thought go out the window, if you betray your "clan" by deciding that you are not like your father/grandfather, then you are scum of the earth.
I know people who during the last campaign went out postering at 3am in the morning for a candidate because as much as they supported him, they could not be seen to be helping the opposition.
With regards FG, I think the same mentality applies, although to a lesser extent than FG. A note for FG however, as much as you can feel you can celebrate your recent success by virtue of the gains you ahve made, in effect, every time you deride the opposition and FF for being corrupt, wastefull, incompetent and self serving, you should bear in mind that in spite of all of this, you have failed to get into government yourselves. By the way many FG supporters talk on this site, getting into government should have been a walkover if FF were this bad. It should have been easy!!!
If this is the case, then it is time for FG to try and see why they have failed to do so, and perhaps identify why you have failed. There are two reasons to my mind. Firstly there is the "clan" issue which infects politics and stops people from making the switch to another party. Second is that FG just hav'nt cut it in opposition, and are just unable to offer a decent alternative. FG have failed the country just as much as FF have if you like.
Unless things change dramatically over the next 5 years, then we are truly going to be in a sorry state. The PD's gone, Greens potentially sufferring the same fate and in decline, and FG a weak and innefectual opposition again.
Wexfordman
Progressive and fair taxation = 2012 Merc e250 elegance purchase price/value €47,910 Road Tax:- €156 2005 vw passat 1.9L diesel price/value €8000, Road Tax :- €582
much as i would like it to be so, calling the GE result for SF a Stalingrad blow is possibly being a bit optimistic, as others have said of all the small parties they have the best recovery potential of the lot. PD's 80% likely in terminal decline, the greens - 5 years of being FF's b1tches will cause them more challenges then anything in the past, but SF are the most resilient party of the lot
Enda Kenny on FF government: “We’re in this mess, not because Fianna Fáil policies have failed, but because they have succeeded.”
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