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WHAT’S IN A name? Well according to Sinn Féin’s Phil Flanagan: quite a lot. He has taken exception to erection of signs along the border saying ‘Welcome to Northern Ireland.’
Flanagan rightly points out in his statement that the tourist board in 2004 advised against the use of such signs pointing out their divisive nature. However, Flanagan goes further by stating that communities along the border ‘suffer the negative impact of partition on a daily basis and a large proportion of are completely opposed to the unnatural division of Ireland.’
Yet one would wonder whether Mr Flanagan’s own party are not too far away from putting ‘Welcome to Northern Ireland’ on their own policy documents as the gulf between their actions in government in the North and their protestation south of the border widens. Since the last election, Sinn Féin has become leader of the opposition to the various austerity measures pursued by successive Irish governments since 2008. The party had made solid electoral gains by attracting disaffected voters fed up with reduced government services and cuts to pay and benefits.
Yet in Northern Ireland, the party is implementing these very same policies they are opposing in Dáil Éireann. Take education for example where the Sinn Fein minister, John O’Dowd, talk about the need for “sustainable schools policy” which he noted could lead “to the closure of 70 schools”. The party in the Dáil voted against the 2010 Budget which cut €6 billion in January 2010 yet two months later voted in the Assembly for a budget which cut £3 billion over four years.
“Issue of devolution”
Now, party supporters will say there is a difference between being in government in a regional devolved government in Belfast and a fully independent state in Dublin. However surely this argument runs counter to Sinn Fein’s raison d’être of opposition to British interference in Irish affairs. If a party founded on the principle that policies in Ireland ought to be made by and for the Irish people is now claiming that it is introducing cuts at the behest of malign influence in Westminster then surely even the most humblest student of Irish politics could be forgiven for asking what are they there?
Even this defence runs contrary to some of the party’s statements on the issue of devolution. In early 2010, the party was a driving force behind attaining the devolution of policing and justice powers from London to Belfast. Their party leader Gerry Adams, at the 2010 Sinn Fein Ard Fheis, told delegates about the victory the party had achieved in bringing more powers back to the Irish people. Yet in the same breath, they are saying that these powers are limited in themselves as the British government ultimately decides what they can or cannot do.
More worryingly for the party is that these divisions between the Northern and Southern wings of the party had now crept into issues outside of policies being implemented in the Assembly. The recent case of Sean Quinn saw the bizarre appearance of the local Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew claiming that Quinn has been “treated disgracefully by the Irish government” and in Dublin her party’s deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald was quick to distance her party from supporting the businessman saying “neither loyalty nor emotion can be allowed to get in the way of justice being done in the Quinn case or, indeed, any other that may arise”.
“Your best defence becomes your biggest detriment”
The problem for Sinn Fein is that what one day can be your best defence can quickly become your biggest detriment. If elected representatives on both sides of the border pursue two divergent policy platforms then the party effectively becomes an umbrella organisation where the only unifying event is the annual party conference. While it is easy politics to point out the ‘partitionism’ in things like road signs, the party’s leadership could do well to reflect on the partitionism in their press releases and policies.
Why is this so important for the party going forward? For decades the party had told Irish voters that they are the only party to represent constituents on both sides of the border and now that they are achieving that goal with increased electoral support the party needs to now give serious thought as what they say and do on both sides of the border.
Hoping that voters do not notice the inconsistencies and critiques is not a strategy for the future. Continuing in this happy muddle will surely only lead voters to question the party’s capacity to truly represent voters on a thirty-two county basis.
David McCann is a PhD researcher in Irish politics at the University of Ulster.
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At long last it has been pointed out. Implementing Austerity up north while attacking it down South!
They have a standard line on that but I don’t think anyone’s buying it.
Just realised you’re a FFer. No credibility after what your party has done.
No credibility? What exactly have I personally done that discredits my opinion?
Fianna Fáil have to the gall to call another party out on being partitionist? You’re party doesn’t even organise in the North, or give a damn about it. I doubt they even know anything past Dundalk exists.
p.s.The fact that you’re a member of Fianna Fáil discredits your opinion, your party ruined the country.
Gearoid, check your facts, FF are in NI, we don’t run in elections though.
Aha, your plan is to get elected in the north and then ruin their economy too, thus making a United Ireland an inevitability, isn’t it? – Well played you crafty republicans.
If being a member of Fianna Fáil discredits ones opinion because of what the party did then being a member of Sinn Fein must make a person an ex-IRA member. Enough of the “yee roooooned the country” nonsense.
It’s not nonsense though, it’s the truth. The shear brass neck of any of you having a go at other parties after what you’ve done. Some contrition would be more appropriate.
What I did? Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know I was Taoiseach or Minister for Finance at the time. I don’t think I was ever Bertie Ahern so I don’t feel the need to defend myself for something that was done when I was in primary school.
Your comments make you sound like you’re still in primary school.
That being said Petr, at least you know where FF stands on the issues & don’t have to check which county you’re in first…!
Paul – Do you see SF as your main competitor? You comment on them a lot.
Well, deflection aside, in politics, everyone is a competitor…(!)
Do explain Petr? Or did you just decide to insult me because you had nothing better to add? ;-)
good man tom :) was going to join in on this one but in fairness you are on top of these guys ( not in a sexual way of course)
So what’s the alternative, corrupt FF / FG or sellout LAB? I will be voting SF because they represent our national interest and promote fairness. Ireland is currently a corrupt country with nepotism in the ranks.
Tim – Presuming SF won’t get an overall majority, who would you like to see them in coalition with?
So how does that at all address the point of the article Tim? Is austerity in Northern Ireland fair and in the interest of those who live across the border?
Petr Tarasov: I would like to see them in coalition with Independents and the Socialists. Having a coalition is safer in the event of anything happening.
“What’s the alternative” is never a good reason to vote for anyone.
Besides which, the very point of the article is that SF appear to be not averse to a bit of selling out themselves — compare and contrast the promises they make in opposition with their actions in government.
Absolutely delighted that someone FINALLY pointed this out!!
They get away with loudly climbing on their high horse to oppose austerity in 26 counties while actively implementing it in the 6…!
As I’ve been saying for a while,, since when they’re in power in 6 counties, they gleefully & dutifully implement austerity & blame Westminster. If past behaviour is indicative of future behaviourthey, if they were in power they’d simply implement austerity & blame it on Brussels!
You might be right but again, coming from FF dross it’s just a bit rich.
Well, you’re perfectly entitled to that view Petr.
Sure, let’s just say we agree about SF playing both sides of the row & leave it at that for now, shall we?
Funny how one of your kind [ABFF'ers] said in another article about Sinn Fein less than 23 hours ago- “How are they talking out of their backside? Theyre right! And no matter who says it, if your right your right.”
Got to love hypocrisy…
@Too: At least I’ve never hidden my political allegiance behind a fake name/ account…
Just to add Paul, you don’t seem like a stupid man, so you must be knowingly being dishonest in your post. The budget for the 6 counties is decided in westminister, not in stormont and NOT by sinn fein. The british government impose the austerity in the 6 counties.
Stop being so blatantly dishonest, or at least wait until you’re elected as a TD for your party, fianna fail, then you can lie your ass off professionally.
Thomas I am the one who said that yesterday- I am not a shinner, far from it i really dislike the total control of Gerry Adams, and i am not a hypocrite- I really dislike party political approaches to legislation rather than an informed opinion based on the facts, in that regard i would support any policy that i agree with regardless of who proposes it.
@Too: Is that your subtle way of saying you’d vote for me if I ran…?
@ Fiachra- It is typical of what comes out of the ABFF mouths, whilst the left get the utmost of praise even when they are guilty of similar actions…
Considering next election I’m planning on handing out flyers reminding people of how your party wrecked the country, and of how fine gael lied their way into power and broke their manifesto promises, you probably would not be getting my vote.
Oh, and I have never hidden my affiliations around here. Also, I hope you realise the stupidity of the following comment:
” I’ve never hidden my political allegiance behind a fake name/ account…”
If I was hiding, wouldn’t I use a fake proper name e.g. paul murphy? Typical two dimensional thinking from the party of two dimensional thinkers.
Incidentally, if you had any shame you wouldn’t be waving your party affiliation around, considering the suicide, emigration and suffering that your party has inflicted on your own countrymen. But, alas, typical FFer, no shame.
@Too: Well, I appreciate people who take political activism seriously, even if you’re more defined by what you’re against rather than what you’re for…
PS Never get tired of “Typical FFer…” comments!
Best I ever got was, while drinking a pint of Smithwicks, a lad I know said, perfectly seriously “Typical FFer… Drinking a girl’s drink!”
Two Through Left – good idea, if you’re prepared to pay the cost of the printing and put the time and effort into getting them into people’s hands. I’ll help you if you like. Good intentions are unfortunately just a load of hot air. Doing what you say you will do is the first and most valid political action.
Well said, and one of the reasons why I’ve stood in arctic conditions and p1ssing rain at protests.
Arah im sure too trueleft will ensure the flyers are printed in leinster house and billed to us the tax payer! ;)
You’ve a nerve Kevin. I’d prefer my taxes to be spent on preventing your Fine Gael party from ever setting foot in An Dáil again.
Too Trueleft, please add Fine Gael onto your list of “Whom NOT To Vote For” in the next GE. Blaggards and all as Fianna Fáil are, at least they don’t display sociopathic tendencies so prevalent in some of the Fine Gael ministers. I can’t help thinking that while Fianna Fáil were incompetent and trying to make a quick buck, Fine Gael are actually enjoying finishing off the job of selling Ireland down the swanny.
I’ll be voting Sinn Féin too. I think Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael know who are to blame for their being two jurisdictions on our island. Fianna Fáil playing their Republican card now is laughable.
A nerve eh? Well, that hurt. I thought Sinn Fein were supposed to be nice, respectable, hard working people committed to real reform and representing us working people?
It was Fianna Fail that got us into this mess, and its taking a FG/Labour government to yet again get us out of this mess. Fianna Fail are still a mess and in denial they ever did wrong, FG/Lab seem to think that because things are improving that they can do what they want, SF and the general left continue to claim they represent the working class but screw the people to the wall being closed doors while trying to justify it when they are caught out.
Its utterly hypocritical to come on here and try spin this dodgy yarn about how Sinn Fein are the only party worth voting for and the rest are all evil men and women out to get the working class when its your party that is constantly in a scandal surrounding the abuse/misuse of expenses north and south. Sinn Fein claim the FULL TD salary and anything you can top it off with. Then they give out about it when the government do likewise and claim it would never happen under their rule.
But even if their behaviour in opposition is the only one that stinks, we can see from their experience up North in government that they are far from squeaky clean and continue to implement austerity, water taxes, household charges, and still get caught up in an expenses shit storm because your party are claiming expenses against the rules and continue to misuse and abuse PUBLIC MONEY which we are in short supply of.
Whether or not you are “forced” to carry out these measures in the North does not shy away from the facts – the Irish government are in a very similar situation and you expect them to refuse to co-operate with Bruseels when up North you don’t even refuse to co-operate with English Rule telling you what to do. Same situation, except down here you want to do something completely different than up North. You could have refused to work under such conditions up North, stand by the people who elected you under the “working class” banner and stand by your well trumpeted policies but you wont.
So when you guys are printing your leaflet in Leinster House and putting them into prepaid envelopes, do let the people know your own guilty pleasures while in opposition in the Republic and in government in the North. Lets put the facts and finger pointing side by side, and not shy away from your own dirty history that continues to this very day.
With the facts and truth in their hand, let the people decide which party they want to believe and trust in.
Partitionist and incoherent. Not trusted by those to their right and those to their left.
Typical shinnerbots…playing the man not the ball. Sinn Féin speak out of both sides of their mouths when it comes to the 6 counties and the south.
How so? Budgets for the 6 counties are decided in westminister by the british parliament.
So Sinn Fein are subjects of the British administration? ;)
Is that the best you can come up with thomas? No wonder your party wrecked the country if little snide remarks are all they can bring to the discussion.
Ok then here is a musing for you. If Westminster decides the budgets, and Sinn Fein just has a token vote on them, then what is the aim of sitting in Stormont?
Oh boy. Sinn fein does not have a ‘token vote’ or any vote at all on the budget for the 6 counties as it does not sit in westminister. As part of the stormont assembly that are involved in governance and legislation, not budgetry matters.
Would you like me to post some links with some basics so you can ‘muse’ over them?
Please do, nothing would make me happier
Heres a good start spanky. Google is your friend
Actually, the pot of money is decided by the British Government. How it is spent is decided by the Exec which SF are part of.
Surely administering British rule in the north is partitionist?
Also, given that British regalia is festooned all over the buildings in which they govern the northern state, a couple of welcome signs should be the least of their worries.
SF is and always was a joke of a party populated by clowns who would not even be employed in a real circus.
Why don’t the journal allow a video debate with the FFailure author and a Sinn Féin rep?
David Mc Canns’ article is a clear incisive accurate analysis of SF and exposes their hypocrisy as a political entity. It is also an intelligent and articulate expression of how so many rational people feel about SF and their two track political agenda- (One track going North and one track going South.)
SF thrive on misery whether the misery being inflicted by them or inflicted by economic hardship through economic recession.Their Marxist agenda will become more apparent as the recession fades and people see throught the wolves in sheeps clothing.
Yet another ShinnerBot comes on an article rising questions about Sinn Féin and desperately tries to shift the debate away from Sinn Féin’s political record and on to the author/other posters rather than try refute any of the points made.
Ciaran Bolger, the article is fundamentally a wrong analysis. It’s comparing apples and oranges and deciding they are plumbs. Anyone comparing GB fiscal policy with our policy need to include facts like better health care, better child allowance, rates/house taxes, wealth taxes etc. If schools are too small to survive the same could apply to businesses and countries ask the troika. If equality is achievable only the rich are in a position to implement it but we all know they wont because they are either in government or are in control of our corrupt politics ref bank guarentee anglo and quinn. See how they pay and who they pay to sort it out. All the honest participants so far have walked or have been pushed with a very lucrative pay off, co-incidence or corruption. If one cheats on welfare you get barred or heavily penalised. If one cheats in decisions about our country (false election promises) they get elected or promoted.
There is nothing “marxist” about SF. Ciaran Bolger likes FF propaganda as usual.
This article annoys me primarily because it skims over the fact that the assembly is not a sovereign government, it is, in essence a federal government and as such does not have overall control of the area.
This is the key point that people like to dismiss or forget, the Northern Ireland assembly does not have fiscal control. Fiscal control is the crucial aspect of sovereign control that the assembly does not have- we cannot change our taxes, only our expenditure and as such when we face cuts to our block grant the assembly has only one option- how to distribute the cuts among the devolved ministries. This is not true of the Dail, the Dail can offset some cuts through taxation and therefore lessen the affects of the cuts. I personally would like Sinn Fein (And the SDLP) to lobby more for further fiscal control, but to be fair both are quite vocal on the issue.
The partionist aspect of this article is quite distasteful in its portrayal of acceptance of the Good Friday Agreement as being partionist, it was not it was for peace. I as a 16 year old accept that Administrative Partition exists, but not in what i feel or do. I live beside the border but it makes no difference to what i feel as nor what is “my country”. I would have thought that partitionism is not the recognition that there are administrative difference, rather an attitude towards the situation (us and them rather than “we”) and so although i am not a Shinner, i still believe in a united Ireland and am republican but does my recognition that there are differences in who its run by partionist even though i want to change that? I dont think so- thats reality.
There are a lot of things to attack SF about (eg. attitudes to social issues like abortion) but I dont feel the Quinn incident is one of them- that was very clearly about local rather than national issues, Phil Flanaghan is from Fermanagh and just like other local representative on both sides of the border (wrongly in my opinion) sympathised with the Quinns, that is not partitionism rather, parochialism.
I find your arguement absolutely null and void due to the fact Sinn Fein have the option to go to Westminister and stand up for the rights of their electorate i.e. a bigger budget for N.I.
This is the price they are paying for their abstentionist policy (whether you believe it to be right or wrong, there is a cost and this is it). So yes, I hold Sinn Fein accountable for the fiscal actions they take in the North.
With regards to partitionism, I believe the author was relating to the fact that not only is it a dividing line of one island. It also appears to be the dividing line of one party. One party that will say it believes one thing in one place and another in another. Whether you like it or not, beliefs do not change. However Sinn Feins do.
Quinn is not a local issue in the South as my taxes are going into paying of his huge debts. Not only that but then he had the cheek to sell off as much of his portfolio as he could before we could get to it to reposess it and maybe, maybe use it to make back some of the money we have used to bail out his bad loans (as well as other peoples). It very much invovles us all.
This is the type of person Sinn Fein claim to be after in the Republic (rrrooooonnnnnneeeeedd de country) and its very much the type of person they protect and support up North. It’s despicable.
Yes, I am in Fianna Fail, and if that means you won’t take note of what I say so be it.
Why would i not listen to you just because your a FFer? I already wrote my opinion on that a few comments above, I find dismissal of opinion due to poltical affiliation wrong.
To address your points I feel you are focusing too much on attending Westminster, personally I would support them going to Westminster but only if the oath is not compulsary, Northern Ireland has only 18 MPs in Parliament and so parties that are NI/Ireland based cannot such a big affect on parliament and so there is a huge need for further fiscal devolution. In Westminster the government relys on the will of the English people (and to a far lesser extent Scotland and Wales) but it is only through the devolved adminstration that change and proper governance can happen.
You are now trying to manipulate what i am saying about the Quinn issue, I am not saying it in itself is a localised issue, rather the parochial response of the politicians eg. Phil Flanagan which i think is wrong but not unexpected- but just like any other party, the central leadership whipped the representatives into a clear party line.
To be fair David, while I don’t often agree with him, Fiachra is usually fair & plays the ball not the player.
Missing the point entirely Fiachra I’m afraid. The author, rightly, points out that Sinn Féin are deliberately using the boarder to talk out of both sides of their mouth when it suits them. That disgusts me from a so called Nationalist Republican Party. I have noted this over the past couple of years and is particular, the use of the boarder to circumvent political fund-raising laws in the Republic, that prohibit fund raising abroad, to funnel US Dollars into elections in the South.
Use of the boarder for your own good in partitionist no matter what icing you try put on the cake. McCann is very light on SF above given that their policy differences North and South are only the tip of the iceberg. He also does not gloss over the fact that it’s a regional, fiscally dependent assembly. In fact it’s one of the first thing he points out.
Finally, Shinner Bots are on here already trying to claim/portray that it’s a difference on opinion among members. No, it’s completely contradictory PARTY POLICY on two sides of the boarder, contradictory PR statements from it’s senior public reps which are populist among their respective constituents.
Gutter politics that treat the people of Ireland with complete contempt. Are they as naive to think that this doublespeak would go unnoticed. Someone should tell Gerry and Co. that this isn’t Orwell’s 1984 and they are not Big Brother!
Eoin, I myself do not like the use of US donors and the loophole used in that regard so I’ll agree with you on that one.
However what party policies are conflicting, taking into account that the cuts in the North are not SF, SDLP, DUP or Alliances fault? (UUP are conservatives so i will blame them). The only considerable one i can think of is the rural schools, which to be fair to the minister had coped with quite well given the cut in his department. Ultimately this all leads back to Cuts v Taxes which the assembly has no control over. Indeed the one tax change SF & SDLP are seriously lobbying is parity in corporation tax- hardly partionist.
But I would like to address your use of Shinnerbots i find it quite juvenile in its dismissal of opinion as SF drones, much like the term Blueshirts or West-Brits (A term i find disgustingly juvenile) especially considering the abundance of FFers on this story (quite surprised i though FGers would jump at it).
But seeing as there are a lot of FFer on here, i would like to mention that id like you to run in the North, I dont support you (far from it) but i would like to see more interaction in Northern politics by Southern parties (Id like to see SDLP and Labour merge)
Just to clarify Fiarchra. A Sinn Féin member/supporter joining the debate to talk policy/refute the points made by the author – fine, I welcome their input. An SF’er desperately trying to avoid the issues and play the man not the ball = a ShinnerBot.
Tripe.
How so?
Why? Because:
1. It’s possible for 2 members of the same party to have different opinions.
2. The author attempts to discredit the achievements in the north by suggesting that SF are but lapdogs of the British Government’s monetary policy. Devolution is favourable to direct rule any day. They can only work with what they have. It’s not ideal, but at least some decisions that affect the people of the north are being made by Irish people.
Not much substance to this piece. Looks like it was written mostly for the sake of it, and to have a go at SF.
You represent it to paddy given how much u love this republic (which was created by untold bombings etc etc and another thing I find your fascination with anything to do with s/f curious , I’d say u log onto the journal just to give out about s/f …… Lol I’d say your more interested in them than Adams
The policies are different. Not just a difference of opinion but major policy differences.
Is implementing austerity in the North a difference in opinion to you?
Better than shouting from the sidelines any day! If the people of the north had control over their own tax affairs, it would be a different story altogether.
David McCann snakes and ladders journalism.Good to see SF can have different opinions on various matters.Democracy i think they call that .George Osbourne hardly cares about the North he’s not too bothered about his own country and he’s the money man up their so rock and a hard place for now for SF .
If Sinn Fein had as many voters as they do fake accounts, commenting on these pages, they would have an overall majority in the Dail.
@Too Trueleft It could be worse, we could be digging up all the people your party killed.
Eh, Emmet, I’m not a member of Sinn Fein or any other political party. My opinions are my own, not handed down from party HQ like some peoples.
Just stop. Words will be had. Time to send in a representative who won’t be an embarrassment. Will ye ever learn? How could any floating voter take the party serious based on how you’re behaving?
“If Sinn Fein had as many voters as they do fake accounts”
Where do you get your incredibly stupid generalizations? Get a grip on yourself Emmet, you are coming across as a total loon.
@Too Trueleft then why defend a party so vigorously if your not part of them? Just because someone is part of a party doesn’t stop them from forming their own opinions and thinking otherwise shows you know very little about politics.
You’re not a member on SF or any other party? Ah sure Seanie, we both know that that’s not close to being true.
It is wrong to attack the author the evidence is there Sinn Fein have two policy platforms North and South , one is as a party of government implementing austerity and the other is shouting loudly against Austerity in opposition . They are opposing for opposing sake and as a result of there failed economic policies in The South calling for non payment of the house hold charge county councils are loosing millions from their budgets .
Haha Too Trueleft, is that the best you can do? Master of deflection
What am I deflecting exactly with that post mocking the FFers crawling out of the woodwark to comment on an article written by a member of their own party??
Mocking is catching ;)
So’s the cronies, highly contagious.
Well, he gave you fair warning with his name.
Too Trueleft , I know how you can spot the Fianna Fail people making comments: “we are not afraid to use our names” maybe you will come out from beneath that rock you are hiding under and stop being ashamed of who you are and what you stand for. Oops on second thoughts you are correct to hide.
You are still under that rock! be a man and come out to play.
I was not aware that I have cronies…
Nope, I’m pretty sure I’m all clear
Thomas,
I have Crohn’s if that’s any help? :-)
I know, this article is from ages ago. Going through my saved ones.
Despite their claims that SF have no control over the spending cuts in NI, they come out strong to rationale and implement said cuts. If they’re strongly against such cuts then let them protest as they do in the south…
Aside from the mudslinging, the actual content of the article under question is visibly accurate and no reasonable argument had been put forward stating otherwise. Interesting the amount of deflection from SF, clearly it’s easier to criticise, condemn and complain than it is to provide a constructive analysis!
SF aren’t criticizing.They are debating the need for much needed reform. Not least the overblown expenses FG recently sanctioned (€27,000 extra per minister).
Is David McCann a member of any political organisation. Should it be pointed out if he is?
123,000 empty classroom seats in the north, so its either amalgamate schools in the same catchment areas or lose funding. not quite the same as swinging the axe. Road signs were erected to cause division by UUP minister pushing British agenda. fiscal powers still not devolved therefore assembly and SF working with crumbs thrown at them from London, unable to keep taxes raised in the north spent in the north, total about 8bn, block grant 4.6bn. still economy here doing lot better than in the 26. Partitionist mindsets on both sides of border will never unite Ireland. an all island education system, health service and economy as well as reunification are SFs goals. personal opinions and a few signs on border roads will not prevent from that.
Good post by Eoin Ó Nialláin on how Sinn Fein abuses the fundraising laws in Northern Ireland and the Republic to feather their own nest. Suppose they have to pay for Gerry Adams first class flights to the USA some how…
Where do they “abuse” it? Is that your conclusion from the article? Didn’t Phil Hogan recently rack a €9,000 trip to Rio? Or do you simply forget about the profligacy of FG and their idle FF?
Oh I don’t know, the whole “We won’t go but we’ll take the cash” thing………. kinda gives it away.
FF+FG+Lab are sounding more and more desperate every week. If you fellas are trying to work out why SF are gaining popularity, you need look no further than your own corrupt self serving policies.
@David McCann
Are you a member of Fianna Fáil?
Petr Tarasov, are you or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?
Sorry I thought it was redundant McCarthyist interrogation day. . . . .
Sean
It’s a fair question. If the author of this piece is a member of FF it puts a significantly different slant on things!!
Funny how a Sinn Fein topic gets the whole site buzzing. 3 hours in and its well over 100 comments defending their great party that never did anything wrong, can do no wrong and is always right even when its clearly wrong. I mean, how dare the good folk in the North tell people they have entered the North. Its like the Luas telling you what stop your on – its a disgrace to be told where ya are. No likey facts. How dare Ireland implement austerity that isn’t working (the figures stating otherwise are wrong I tell ya, WRONG!), water and house taxes. The republic that is, they can do it in the North if we wish (sorry if I offended members of the party by referring to it like that, its a tough cookie to refer to a location when you cant refer to it by its actual location..)
You need a new counter-argument. Every time you repeat the above you make yourself less credible. Argue intelligently, and you might bring some people around to your way of thinking. Throw muck around and no-one will want to support you, irrespective of how valid your opinions are.
Too true left no of us in FF are or have been hiding we have nothing to hide from you on the other hand hide behind a made up and false name just as every time you make a claim against Fianna Fail it is false as well .
Course you’re not in hiding and feel you’ve nothing to hide from. Shame and remorse were never your partys strong points, despite wrecking the economy and a litany of corruption.
mark: That’s the problem with FF. When you’re in a hole you don’t keep digging.
I think, if it comes down to it Too Trueleft will point out manually each of the 387,358 people who voted for Fianna Fail last time on this thread :-D
Was actually gonna make the exact same comment…!
Weird
Lads, seriously, do I need to check my wardrobes in case bertie springs out badmouthing sinn fein??
You’re not putting the effort in. You’re damaging your party and demeaning your fellow members. If you’re representing your party, straighten your back and rise above, don’t be undoing their hard work. You’re being a bad advertisement.
Are you referring to the ‘me’ party, nikolas, because I’m not actually in a political party.
The main difference between Sinn Fein (North) and Sinn Fein (South) is that in the North they are in power and have to deal with all the realities and responsibilities that brings. In the South they are living in the fantasy land of being in opposition where they can say what they want and make all the promises they like knowing that they don’t have to follow through on any of it. Sinn Fein (South) are an example of sound bite politics at it’s worst.
I wrote a very similar piece in my blog a few months ago. Funnily enough stat counter tells me someone was reading my piece that is very similar to this one the last few days.
That’s a pathetic attempt at slurring someone Paul. Not untypical of all the parties you have been a member of.
Maybe you should provide some hard evidence that someone ‘stole’ your article instead of implying so.
What the author fails to point out here is that there are different realities north & south.
Sinn Féin has no budgetary control in the northern counties and can only make do with the money given to the region by the British State! What can they do? Go back to the war to demand more??
– Labour in the south of the country is a “Social Democratic” centre-left party yet they are imposing cuts across the board on the poor and vulnerable, is this two faced or are they making do with the limited power they have as a minority party in Government with a conservative centre-right Fine Gael??
In relation to the Quinn’s rally, there was a Priest there too, so by this, are we also implying that the Roman Catholic Church is also a Quinn Sympathizer?? Off course not! Gildernew was acting of her own accord and it is her right to do so! Mary-Lou McDonnald was quite right to state the Party position that, “neither loyalty nor emotion can be allowed to get in the way of justice being done in the Quinn case or, indeed, any other that may arise”.
In Closing, Sinn Féin like the rest of us drive in Miles Per Hour up north and Kilometers per Hour down South, is this partitionist hypocrisy too or just a reflection of the realities that we find ourselves in and wish to change?
Too true left was it not a SF TD who was paid €10,000 for chairman of a committe that has no remit and has sat three times in a year . So look at your your own before commenting on any one else ..
To say is one thing to do is entirely different .
Is the amount Fianna Fáil support on this thread not surely a sign of insecurity regarding Sinn Féin’s inexorable rise to power?
Also, is it not ironic that the most likely challenge to the FG/Labour government come next election would be a SF/FF coalition? (As much as that frightens the life out of me)
Gearoid SF will not be in power in the South for a long time as they cannot bomb their way into Government here. SF is riding on the back of an economic downturn which like SF popularity won’t last forever.
“SF will not be in power in the South for a long time”
Guess what Ciaran. SF are the SECOND BIGGEST in the 26 counties after FG. What was your claptrap onning about again?
Did I miss an election?
This should clear up the whole second biggest party thing:-
Latest poll:- http://redcresearch.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/SBP-24th-June-2012-Poll-Report.pdf
Last election results:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_general_election,_2011 (I realise it’s Wiki…. it’s 1:43 in the morning)
For the record, I am extremely worried about SFs rise in the polls at it shows a move to the extremities of the Irish political spectrum. The government, whom, as I would have interpreted, would have been kept closer to the center by the Labour Party has drifted far further to the right than would have been imagined.
Sinn Fein/ULA etc on the left are just tranching more to the left……. policies be damned, we’ll oppose everything and anything we want will be paid for by the rich. I haven’t heard a cohesive plane come form Sinn Fein since they went in with their increased numbers…………. I’ve looked… but nothing. I’m waiting, because, the politics of protest is unfortunately working, but that’s what the current bunch did in opposition, and now they are in government, they haven’t got two ideas to put together a solution and they continue down the same track that Fianna Fail were voted out for following (Fianna Fail has admitted, numerous times, that mistakes were made and that certain decisions shouldn’t have been made… but yet the current government continues along the same vein). Also, before someone states that their hands are tied by the IMF I have two answers for that:-
1) The terms of the bailout are in figures the EU/IMF may suggest ways to reach the targets but it is up to the government to chose their fiscal positioning i.e. where they cut or invest money.
2) They could have taken down the FF/Green government before the budget of the last government. If they really cared about what would follow they would have wanted to control that budget. They didn’t care, they want to win and with an austerity budget as the last one before the next election… they were going to play hard. Can’t blame them really on the face of it……… Very short sighted though, and they are paying for it now, as are we.
People talk about FF/FG/Lab being the same……. I look at the current opposition and the current opposition and I just see FG/Lab/SF/ULA all shouting loudest.
One thing I will say, is I’m happy Fianna Fail is focusing on policy and substance before being heard…… Why speak if you have nothing to say?
It seems to get you into government, but does nothing for you for when you get there.
I have made the counter argument elsewhere in the thread. Sinn Fein has no control over how much austerity is imposed by westminister, or taxation within the 6 counties. They share governance and legislature powers only. The article is written by a member of fianna fail regurgitating a manufactured talking point from fianna fail HQ that is blatantly and demonstrably false, and relies on the basis that if you repeat a lie often enough to a politically ignorant electorate, it will gain just enough traction to make a difference.
He said she said. My teams better. This article and thread is the perfect example of why this country will be screwed, over and over and over again.
Everyone defending party ‘a’ and ‘b’ when they are both as bad as each other.
The Journal has turned into a PR mess, lots of party members chiming in to try and make everything about personality over substance. Depressing.
Hopefully the number of politicians the country pays can be dramatically reduced in the future, or shipped to mars with the next Nasa rover.
I’m proud to state at the outset I am a FF member, and for a Party supposedly confined to only 26 counties I strangely just finished 3 years on their Ard Comhairle and went from meetings back to Belfast each night, however,
David makes the point well that Sinn Féin tell the electorate in the 26 one thing while doing quite the opposite in the 6.
They can of course say, well that’s the difference between coalition and Consociational governments in that they have to agree with the rather right wing economics of the once left wing DUP to enable government in this part of Ireland to actually work, however the self proclaimed ‘peoples party’ have a poor record in respect to the type of tax hikes they can impose, via our ‘household charge’ or rates which they frequently vote, in local councils, to raise, imposing greater difficulty/cost on poor working home-owners like myself.
The people in the 26 have sadly been misinformed as to this matter, indeed, only once, during the FCT debate, have I heard the media attempt to challenge Sinn Féin on this and, frankly, Pat Kenny in conversation with Pearse Doherty, was too uninformed to challenge Pearse’s assertion that for our c.£2000/anum, in rates we got our bins collected for ‘free’, unfortunately Pearse nor Pat could hear me screaming at the radio when he said this that £2000 was an expensive ‘free’ service, and considerably more expensive than my employer in Dublin pays.
Please, please, do not get sucked in by the easy opposition of Sinn Féin, our taxes here are rising, our services, paid for by our higher taxes, are dis-improving, if they again take government in the ‘Free-State’ ther household charge will increase, water charges will come and rise quickly, hospitals and schools will close and reduce, don’t take my word for it, the beauty of the internet is, you can research this yourselves.
Well done Dathaí
Sinn Fein/ Fianna Fail/Fine Gael/Labour/Socialist, they’re all the same. Conmen in suits, conwomen too! When we get rid of all these parties into the history books, we’ll start making progress. Till then, we’re doomed!
have your say