General Election 2016

There is no party!called IRA running in the election, pal.

Can we go ttonight

Interesting article in the Irish Times today about SF in gov in the North which included this line:

"“They don’t act like screaming Trots because they know that is not how business gets done. They don’t like to be seen as the political establishment but that is what they are.”

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Yeah I read that this morning.

Contrary to what Rocko thinks, I’m not against SF because of their economic policies. I certainly wouldn’t vote for them, nor would I vote for Labour for that matter because of their Union connections. Within a Coalition government though SF would simply be another Govt Party apart of the norm with their slight preferences and hobby horses. They aren’t proposing anything truly radical (their housing policy is the most thought through one, however). They are targeting a group of voters who are looking for the same thing they always have. In contrast to the US which is where this discussion came from, there is a real anti establishment vote out there looking for change. What Bernie Sanders is proposing is radical. Much of what Trump says is radical - talking about a fundamental change in US foreign policy, trade agreements et cetera. That isn’t what SF are doing, their governance in the north and their proposals in the south such as keeping CT at the same level shows they are just part of the norm.

I’m against them though because Gerry Adams et al are the leadership and I don’t want to see those sorts of characters in government in this State when they still protect themselves.

Adams has risked more personally for the betterment of his people than any single member of the free state government has since its inception.

Bizarre rationale behind your motives there.

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Yatesy calls Carlow KK
2 FF
2FG
1 SF.

Regarding foreign policy, Trump seems to be saying the same sort of stuff Bush II said prior to 9/11. A sort of vague commitment to the non-interventionism that has always been part of the American mindset, but for the last 100 years has had no bearing on policy.

I have to say the fact that Gerry Adams can’t speak Irish is news to me. I thought they all conversed as Gaeilge in the prisons etc.

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Who’s lining up for the debate tonight?

Adams was never in the H Blocks.

Incorrect.

:popcorn:

I just googled it there and Adams claimed at various stages he learned to speak Irish in prison. Now that isn’t to say he felt he wasn’t fluent enough to hold a debate in Irish which is fair enough.

As far as I recall Adams was only ever in Long Kesh and was not in the H Blocks. Long Kesh was a POW camp and they had freedom to associate and move around their confines.

Richard Boyd-Barrett
Gerry Adams
MicheĂĄl Martin
Enda Kenny
Joan Bruton
Stephen Donnelly
Lucinda Creighton

I think Eamon Ryan had a court case to get included - not sure if it’s been heard yet but I doubt he’ll be there anyway.

He was only there for a few weeks, pal
 on remand. Never really served time there.

Fair enough but that’s only remand and most likely an extremely short duration.

Also, TV3 have a deputy leaders’ debate on tonight I think. Stupid night to pick.

Reilly FG
Kelly Lab
May Lou SF
Cowen FF

High Court has just ruled in RTÉ’s favour, Eamon needn’t have wasted the 20 euro getting his hemp suit dry cleaned

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