National Forum

Non-Gaa Forum

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Replying To cluichethar:  "None of the far left parties and these include SF, SDs Labour & the PBPs put forth a candidate they all back CC thus making her their candidate. Saying you're an independent is one thing acting independent is something totally different."
SF SDs and Labour are not far left. none are anything like that. Catherine Connolly beliefs lay more with the left but she is independent. she is on the same side of political spectrum on many issues as those parties but she is completely independent of them

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3843 - 27/10/2025 22:08:42    2641938

Link

Replying To SouthGalway:  "Frightening compared to what? The good old days when their southern border was wide open for Fentanyl and human trafficking and cartels, etc? The auditing of the government by doge so they cant just burn through tax payers money at will? Deporting gang members to where they came from? Snap out of it please."
Why did you change your handle?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17332 - 27/10/2025 22:28:40    2641941

Link

Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "If they haven't explained it to you, how can you claim to know what their motivation was? One fella on the TV was motivated to 'break the system' by voting for Gavin, but he was the only Gavin voter that I heard from. For all you know, they're could be an element of 'a Fianna Fáil vote' left in the Gavin pile too. One would need to see some polling analysis to get a feel for the range of issues attaching to the Gavin vote, as opposed to assuming that one knows exactly what the vote represented. Some voters have a grá for seeing their vote getting transferred, for example."
Absolutely there was a Fianna Fail loyalty aspect to the Gavin vote. I was talking to 2 such voters yesterday....lifelong FF voters who told me that they couldnt bring themselves to vote for any other candidate apart from a FF one. They may be a dying breed but there's still a lot of their type still about.
That some people think they made a protest by voting for Jim Gavin is the most idiotic notion I have heard in years.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 2091 - 28/10/2025 00:52:38    2641944

Link

Replying To cluichethar:  "None of the far left parties and these include SF, SDs Labour & the PBPs put forth a candidate they all back CC thus making her their candidate. Saying you're an independent is one thing acting independent is something totally different."
You're not very familiar with Irish politics.
SF are not far left, Connolly is.
Connolly has never been aligned to SF and isn't now either. She aligned herself with Daly and Wallace.
Yea SF backed her after 4 other parties had done so but you said she was their nominee which she wasn't.
She got on the ballot back in July and had a lot of campaigning done before SF decided to jump on her bandwagon.
Connolly has always acted independently

Cumann1 (Mayo) - Posts: 106 - 28/10/2025 06:44:44    2641947

Link

Replying To cluichethar:  "None of the far left parties and these include SF, SDs Labour & the PBPs put forth a candidate they all back CC thus making her their candidate. Saying you're an independent is one thing acting independent is something totally different."
I dont think you understand the political spectrum as none of labour soc dems or sinn fein are far left.
And she aligns with many of those parties on issues she is independent as she doesn't have to vote/agree on certain issues like she may if in a party.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3843 - 28/10/2025 09:07:08    2641954

Link

Replying To KillingFields:  "SF SDs and Labour are not far left. none are anything like that. Catherine Connolly beliefs lay more with the left but she is independent. she is on the same side of political spectrum on many issues as those parties but she is completely independent of them"
You are right. None of the three are even socialist. They all accept the basic parameters of how state is run. Socialism is state ownership of the productive economy. None of them support that. You won't even find the 's' word in any SF policy or manifesto. ML is a much a socialist as Denis O'Brien.

Like all opposition parties they rabbit on about housing and social welfare etc but when in Government - as Labour have been and as SF are in north - they are no different.

PBP are different in that they are socialists and I suspect Connolly is closer to them but that's irrelevant to her role now. She can't nationalise Microsoft :-)

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3772 - 28/10/2025 09:33:58    2641960

Link

Replying To Viking66:  "Why did you change your handle?"
I thought I was the only one had noticed, but I have decided to adopt the old adage about not feeding crocodiles. Once you mention the T word in a negative way, a few jump out of the closet. Best to stick to politics this side of the pond imo. Plenty of interesting stuff on that topic on here lately, most of it informed and respectful.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1904 - 28/10/2025 09:54:23    2641965

Link

Replying To SouthGalway:  "Frightening compared to what? The good old days when their southern border was wide open for Fentanyl and human trafficking and cartels, etc? The auditing of the government by doge so they cant just burn through tax payers money at will? Deporting gang members to where they came from? Snap out of it please."
Frightening as In not releasing the Epstein files, frightening as in not standing up to Putin and calling him out for his stalling, delaying tactics, frightening as in spending 300 million dollars on building a ballroom in the White House while talking away medical care for 17 million poor Americans, frightening as in masked armed men randomly picking up non white people off the streets to try and deport them, frightening as in giving 40 billion to his Argentinan buddy who has wrecked his own economy while at the same time nor giving a cent to Ukraine, frightening in the way he threatenes media who questions him or go against him, frightening in the way his family have made billions through his political decisions and favours and frightening in his treatment of US allies while he bends the knee to US enemies.

updwell (Limerick) - Posts: 910 - 28/10/2025 10:37:11    2641975

Link

Replying To Viking66:  "Why did you change your handle?"
Forced to. More than once. That's why I laughed heartily when some of the posters here were so upset about Jimmy Kimmel. They can only see in one direction. Your handle is interesting, is there a story behind it?

SouthGalway (Galway) - Posts: 84 - 28/10/2025 10:56:23    2641980

Link

Replying To BarneyGrant:  "You are right. None of the three are even socialist. They all accept the basic parameters of how state is run. Socialism is state ownership of the productive economy. None of them support that. You won't even find the 's' word in any SF policy or manifesto. ML is a much a socialist as Denis O'Brien.

Like all opposition parties they rabbit on about housing and social welfare etc but when in Government - as Labour have been and as SF are in north - they are no different.

PBP are different in that they are socialists and I suspect Connolly is closer to them but that's irrelevant to her role now. She can't nationalise Microsoft :-)"
SD/Lab leftish of centre
PBP very left
SF populist
FF whatever you want us to be
FG Centre with bit of rightish leaning
Aontú right of centre
Ind Ireland permanently against everything

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 186 - 28/10/2025 11:10:12    2641981

Link

Replying To Seanfan:  "SD/Lab leftish of centre
PBP very left
SF populist
FF whatever you want us to be
FG Centre with bit of rightish leaning
Aontú right of centre
Ind Ireland permanently against everything"
Pretty accurate.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1904 - 28/10/2025 11:22:38    2641985

Link

Replying To SouthGalway:  "Forced to. More than once. That's why I laughed heartily when some of the posters here were so upset about Jimmy Kimmel. They can only see in one direction. Your handle is interesting, is there a story behind it?"
Forced to aye.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8595 - 28/10/2025 11:39:07    2641990

Link

Replying To updwell:  "Frightening as In not releasing the Epstein files, frightening as in not standing up to Putin and calling him out for his stalling, delaying tactics, frightening as in spending 300 million dollars on building a ballroom in the White House while talking away medical care for 17 million poor Americans, frightening as in masked armed men randomly picking up non white people off the streets to try and deport them, frightening as in giving 40 billion to his Argentinan buddy who has wrecked his own economy while at the same time nor giving a cent to Ukraine, frightening in the way he threatenes media who questions him or go against him, frightening in the way his family have made billions through his political decisions and favours and frightening in his treatment of US allies while he bends the knee to US enemies."
This looks like a list of headlines from CNN.

Not disagreeing with you here, if you find these items frightening, that is how you feel about it. But some of us who post here read alternative viewpoints from different websites or platforms. Perhaps we will be slaughtered for that but all part and parcel of it I guess.

For example, conservative/right wing media in the USA are reporting tensions within ICE and between ICE and Border Patrol. The tension is in differing opinions on whether to deport just those who have criminal records or those who don't and entered the country illegally. There is a balance to everything I think.

A person who I think is very balanced in his views is Bill Maher. He is a Democrat leaning voter and his views are mainly liberal. But he has made numerous attempts to cross the divide that exists in the USA. He has opinions I disagree with but arrives at them in a logical and constructive manner. I think a lot can be learned from him.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6617 - 28/10/2025 12:27:24    2641997

Link

Replying To SouthGalway:  "Forced to. More than once. That's why I laughed heartily when some of the posters here were so upset about Jimmy Kimmel. They can only see in one direction. Your handle is interesting, is there a story behind it?"
I don't see how anyone can force you to do anything you don't want to do.

Ah yes of course there's a story.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17332 - 28/10/2025 13:03:08    2642001

Link

Replying To PoolSturgeon:  "Absolutely there was a Fianna Fail loyalty aspect to the Gavin vote. I was talking to 2 such voters yesterday....lifelong FF voters who told me that they couldnt bring themselves to vote for any other candidate apart from a FF one. They may be a dying breed but there's still a lot of their type still about.
That some people think they made a protest by voting for Jim Gavin is the most idiotic notion I have heard in years."
So you spoke to 2 voters out of the 100k+ who voted for Gavin and came up with the conclusion it wasn't a protest vote. Right I see... An idiotic notion you say? Christ on a bike.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1566 - 28/10/2025 13:27:04    2642007

Link

Replying To slayer:  "This looks like a list of headlines from CNN.

Not disagreeing with you here, if you find these items frightening, that is how you feel about it. But some of us who post here read alternative viewpoints from different websites or platforms. Perhaps we will be slaughtered for that but all part and parcel of it I guess.

For example, conservative/right wing media in the USA are reporting tensions within ICE and between ICE and Border Patrol. The tension is in differing opinions on whether to deport just those who have criminal records or those who don't and entered the country illegally. There is a balance to everything I think.

A person who I think is very balanced in his views is Bill Maher. He is a Democrat leaning voter and his views are mainly liberal. But he has made numerous attempts to cross the divide that exists in the USA. He has opinions I disagree with but arrives at them in a logical and constructive manner. I think a lot can be learned from him."
I quite like listening to Maher, I think he at least "tries" to be balanced.

But then he came out saying something about trans kids and calling it out for the farce it is and was ripped apart by the extreme lefty types, so he's persona non grata.

dolfos (Longford) - Posts: 147 - 28/10/2025 13:45:02    2642010

Link

Replying To Viking66:  "I don't see how anyone can force you to do anything you don't want to do.

Ah yes of course there's a story."
I don't own the site. I don't make the rules. I try my best to follow them. That's not always enough I guess. Why would I change handles over and over? What sense does that make? Scroll back if you want and find any post that you think is mine and tell me what rule I broke.

SouthGalway (Galway) - Posts: 84 - 28/10/2025 13:54:12    2642012

Link

Replying To Seanfan:  "SD/Lab leftish of centre
PBP very left
SF populist
FF whatever you want us to be
FG Centre with bit of rightish leaning
Aontú right of centre
Ind Ireland permanently against everything"
Independent Ireland against everything? That's quite a misrepresentation of them imo. I have seen them elsewhere described as "The party of the slightly dissatisfied people of rural Ireland" and that in effect is what they are. They are no boat rockers. They started off wanting to nominate Gareth Sheridan , then late in the day came in behind Maria Steen, and in the end publicly supported Catherine Connolly. That's quite a flip flop on ideology , though eyeing CC's Dail seat in the bye-election that is to follow may be playing a part in it.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 2091 - 28/10/2025 14:07:13    2642016

Link

Replying To slayer:  "This looks like a list of headlines from CNN.

Not disagreeing with you here, if you find these items frightening, that is how you feel about it. But some of us who post here read alternative viewpoints from different websites or platforms. Perhaps we will be slaughtered for that but all part and parcel of it I guess.

For example, conservative/right wing media in the USA are reporting tensions within ICE and between ICE and Border Patrol. The tension is in differing opinions on whether to deport just those who have criminal records or those who don't and entered the country illegally. There is a balance to everything I think.

A person who I think is very balanced in his views is Bill Maher. He is a Democrat leaning voter and his views are mainly liberal. But he has made numerous attempts to cross the divide that exists in the USA. He has opinions I disagree with but arrives at them in a logical and constructive manner. I think a lot can be learned from him."
Maybe they are CNN headlines slayer but I don't think any fair minded individual would disagree that the majority of stuff I mentioned is at least worrying and probably strange to see. I'm not left or right, more or less in the middle and I'm not Democrat or Republican. To be honest I find people supporting any political party blindly and regardless of what to do to be strange because parties don't care about individuals. Getting back to Trump I just find the parallels with the 1930s and rise of Fascism to be too coincidental to be comfortable with and it needs to be called out before it's too late.

updwell (Limerick) - Posts: 910 - 28/10/2025 14:10:17    2642017

Link

Replying To KillingFields:  "SF SDs and Labour are not far left. none are anything like that. Catherine Connolly beliefs lay more with the left but she is independent. she is on the same side of political spectrum on many issues as those parties but she is completely independent of them"
You are entitled to your opinion but their policies put them to the far left.
Where does CC differ from these parties?

cluichethar (Mayo) - Posts: 605 - 28/10/2025 14:26:40    2642019

Link