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FF/FG/Lab/SF..stitchup
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This is a serious question. All the other threads on here will dissect the performance of various Politicians, Media luvvies, Movers & Shakers. But surely the Elephant in the room is our voters. Personally i despair at how stagnant, sterile and unchanging our political environment is. The same old parties, same old surnames, same old lack of representing the wishes of Joe Public.
Beyond any doubt, most of our mainstream parties have a tainted reputation, a dodgy track-record and very many failures you can vilify them for. Yet they never disappear. In the UK the Whig party merged into the Liberal Party which itself went through many re-brandings. Across the world you often see a political party fall into disfavour and disappear. The most recent disappearance for us may have been the Progressive Democrats. But otherwise, its business as usual in the Dail while the people on the streets are angry.
Since Haughey i was always believing that our next Taoiseach couldn't be worse. A succession of great disappointments culminating in our current incumbent has proved me wrong. How much worse can this get ?
Of course the Media have a huge part to play in managing the expectations and the mindset of the public. But look at the Trump phenomenon. Using twitter to circumvent his critics and to get his message out there unedited and uncensored. Likewise Brexit was a shock to a complacent and arrogant ruling elite - a reminder of who politicians must listen to to remain in office.
but again and again it comes back to the voters. During Catholic ireland there was no secular voice in the Dáil. When US planes were using Shannon...the polls showed massive public disapproval, but not in the Dáil. During the Celtic Tiger i do not remember many voices telling us to slow down the financial profligacy. The signing of the morocco UN migration pact was another chance to hear dissenting voices in the Dáil....maybe there were a few, but it seems to always be a few quiet whispers of dissent in that echo chamber.
Why do voters in Ireland continue to vote for Gobdaws ?
Beyond any doubt, most of our mainstream parties have a tainted reputation, a dodgy track-record and very many failures you can vilify them for. Yet they never disappear. In the UK the Whig party merged into the Liberal Party which itself went through many re-brandings. Across the world you often see a political party fall into disfavour and disappear. The most recent disappearance for us may have been the Progressive Democrats. But otherwise, its business as usual in the Dail while the people on the streets are angry.
Since Haughey i was always believing that our next Taoiseach couldn't be worse. A succession of great disappointments culminating in our current incumbent has proved me wrong. How much worse can this get ?
Of course the Media have a huge part to play in managing the expectations and the mindset of the public. But look at the Trump phenomenon. Using twitter to circumvent his critics and to get his message out there unedited and uncensored. Likewise Brexit was a shock to a complacent and arrogant ruling elite - a reminder of who politicians must listen to to remain in office.
but again and again it comes back to the voters. During Catholic ireland there was no secular voice in the Dáil. When US planes were using Shannon...the polls showed massive public disapproval, but not in the Dáil. During the Celtic Tiger i do not remember many voices telling us to slow down the financial profligacy. The signing of the morocco UN migration pact was another chance to hear dissenting voices in the Dáil....maybe there were a few, but it seems to always be a few quiet whispers of dissent in that echo chamber.
Why do voters in Ireland continue to vote for Gobdaws ?
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