The PD's legacy

[amblincork]

The curious thing about the PDs is that whilst they were regarded as right wingers, they actually presided over the very curious socialist experiment that was and is benchmarking.
Essentially this involved a very significant transfer of wealth from the private sector to the public sector without any perceptible increase in productivity from the public sector.!
the sell off of Eircom and Aer lingus again resulted in a very significant transfer of wealth to these public sector workers before hiving them off.
Comrade Harney & Co are the most curious right wingers I have seen. Comrade McDowell's wife is still coining it in from the public sector between her public salary and fees from her various Quango seats. And of course Comrade Harney's husband earn his fair share from the public sector

[juanpablo]

The PDs kept 2 crooks in power for a number of years. thats only the first item on the charge sheet but lets forget about it they are discredited and gone.

[bob3344]

The PDs kept 2 crooks in power for a number of years. thats only the first item on the charge sheet but lets forget about it they are discredited and gone.

FFS, the reason McDowell lost his seat was because he was seen as being unsupportive of Bertie by FF voters in the runup to the election.

[juanpablo]

FFS, the reason McDowell lost his seat was because he was seen as being unsupportive of Bertie by FF voters in the runup to the election.

Which is indicative in itself that history will record the PDs as a FF rump party.

[SilverLining]

The begining of the end of fascism in Ireland !

[bob3344]

The begining of the end of fascism in Ireland !

Watch a documentary & educate yourself as to the true meaning of the word fascist.

[riker1969]

The PDs major influence for me was in the 1980s. Anyone who lived through that period of despair will recall the hope they provided. The uplift they provided was based on a belief that we could break out of the lethargy of politics at the time. FG/LAB limped on while FF simply opposed everything. They influenced politics in a positive way by concentrating minds on a real effort to right the public finances.They showed the other political dinosaurs that there was an appetite (among the middle classes anyway) for swinging cuts by the election of 14 PD TD's in 1987.

They also brought in low taxes but went too far.

Whats happening with Harney-FF?

[MM FF]

poor aul PDs - I miss 'em

[FakeViking]

poor aul PDs - I miss 'em

I'll miss FF after the next GE. But don't expect the next generation to forget the economic disaster they've inflicted on my country with their PD-inspired populist nonsense policies.

[Clanrickard]

I'll miss FF after the next GE. But don't expect the next generation to forget the economic disaster they've inflicted on my country with their PD-inspired populist nonsense policies.

You really are tiresomely boring little fellow aren't you? You might like to educate yourself before making a total ass of yourself. The PDs are described as populist, neo-liberal and even fascist on this thread. They can't have been all 3 except in the overly fertile mind of the Cappuccino Leftists on here whose big decision of the day is to drive down to the shopping centre coffee house in Doddy's 4x4 or Mummy's 4x4.

The PDs had a liberal model that they tried to apply to Ireland. They got some of the way but their brand was contaminated when they brought on board Tom Parlon, a typical sleazy country gombeen who wouldn't know Liberalism if it bit him. Furthermore while Jack O'Connor, Joe Trotsky Higgins and Assorted other members of the loony left might class the PD/FF combo as neo-liberal the populist instincts of the FFers won out. A true liberal government would never have introduced benchmarking, never allowed the HSE to keep all their employees from the Health Boards, never allowed the monstrosity in Punchestown or the tax breaks for property to continue as long as they did.

It should also be remembered that their early crop of TDs were amongst the smartest and most articulate to enter the Dail. They had ideas and honesty. Had the PDs stuck to their early guns and insisted on proper tax reform instead of being FF lite post 2002 they would still be around today and I would be voting for them. What's more I wouldn't be the only one.