#irish politics

[eretzyisrael]

by John McGuirk

From time to time, I get asked by readers why it is, exactly, that I spend so much time writing about official Ireland’s attitudes towards Israel.

There’s a personal answer to that question (I’ve been to Israel, have friends there, find it to be a wonderful and welcoming country where people live cheerfully even in the knowledge that there are constant plots to kill them) and there’s an substantially more important political answer: That Irish attitudes to Israel are a marker for so much else that’s wrong about the country.

The first thing I’d say is that no issue more clearly sums up the entirely performative nature of Irish politics, in which our dear leaders prance about on the stage playing at being the “goodie” in a pantomime. For example: How many times this week have we heard, solemnly, from our leaders that Ireland is committed to international law and human rights? 

And how many times, dear reader, have you heard that lie – and it is a blatant lie – challenged by the Irish media?

This is, of course, the very same Ireland that literally rolled out the red-carpet last year for the visit of the Chinese Premier, while that Government perpetrates what actually is an internationally recognised genocide against the Uigher people.

It’s the same country that sends Ministers every Saint Patrick’s day to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where women are routinely whipped for alleged adultery, which includes being raped by a man other than their husbands. It’s the same country where the party of the official opposition used to import guns from then Libyan dictator Muamar Gaddaffi in order to murder British (and Irish) civilians.

Indeed, the President who took to his rostrum yesterday to spew more invective against the Israeli Government, and to criticise the alleged extra-territorial ambitions of Israel, is called Michael D. Higgins. He bears, not coincidentally, the same name as the Irish President who just some months ago wished his very best in their endeavours to an Iranian regime that has infringed on the sovereignty of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq in recent years, and which openly exports arms to terror groups right across the Middle East.

He’s the same Michael D. Higgins also who extolled in the most poetic terms the late and apparently missed Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro. That’s the fellow spluttering barely coherent outrage about the apparent fact that the Israelis might think we were unfairly singling them out for criticism.

This rank performative nonsense – which is what it is – is not confined to the international arena.

Our Taoiseach is an actor. He acts, and poses, as a man of great activity and ambition.

He stands before us, tears in his eyes like a melodramatic republican-era Roman stageman of yore, telling us five years ago that he would solve the crisis of children unable to access Scoliosis surgery. He signs contracts for a children’s hospital, then pretends to be blameless for their contents. He talks a great game about leading the fight against climate change but knows full well his country can do nothing about it. It is all a performance; a man play-acting at power and influence who neither has it nor would know how to wield it if he had.

[destielmemenews]

"The Committee said on Tuesday that its newly-published report is the first output from a series of meetings exploring what a united Ireland would mean and examines the current economic relationship between the jurisdictions on the island and the potential of the all-island economy.

The report, the Committee said, goes on to examine the cost of a united Ireland and makes the case for planning and preparation for a united Ireland to begin."

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[ayeforscotland]

Let’s fucking gooooooo

[northern-punk-lad]

I’m obsessed with the fact the British right wing put Sinn Féin as a ethnicity

[phantom-of-the-memes]

⚠️ The general election in the Republic of Ireland is happening tomorrow, November 29th⚠️

Here’s what you need to know if you are a leftist/ just want Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael out of government.

Firstly, why do we need to get them out?

Because they have been in power for almost 100 years! 100 years of a “centre” right government. We have not even had a centre left government in all this time, never mind a left government. Something has to fucking change. Even if you’re not a socialist like me, you have to acknowledge that all the problems currently in Ireland have been caused, or at least not dealt with by them. They’re the ones in power! And yet they talk about the issues in Ireland and how something has to be done… Simon Harris is a joke with his “a new energy” signs. Cunt you’re the current fucking Taoiseach!

So, who should you vote for?

If you truly want change, and a government that is for the people, vote People Before Profit number one. They are actually putting actions behind their words. They have explicitly said that they will refuse to go into government with FF or FG. They want the other left parties to form a left coalition with them, and also make a stand to refuse a right government. Other left parties, however, are quite lukewarm on the situation, and won’t join the coalition. But still put other left parties for number two and three. Some are more preferable than others. But change is change.

Ok if you’re not a socialist like me, there are other options. Sinn Féin is centre left, so if a bit more conservative than others. This makes it the third most voted for party generally. It’s a bit more palatable to the general public than the commies I vote for lol. I don’t agree with the majority of their policies, especially with them dialling back their support for trans people. I assume to appeal to FF and FG supporters. As a trans person I wouldn’t personally vote for them. But I understand the logic of being strategic about your vote. They’re the most likely to win out of the left parties.

Why should you still vote for parties that likely won’t win the overall vote?

Because they will still get seats! This isn’t a presidential election where it’s all or nothing. The majority winner gets to be the ones in power. But this is a democracy. More votes for a party means more seats for them in the Dáil. So it does matter.

What is each party’s stance on taking action against Israel?

Here’s a very helpful graphic from the ucd bds group on Instagram (ucd_bds):

See FF and FG’s stance? Exactly.

Who you should definitely not vote for?

Aontú are literal nazis. Their main selling point is that they hate immigrants. They want to strip their rights and practically stop immigration all together. They also hate women, and want to criminalise abortion again. The members of the party were big parts of the pro life movement that tried to stop the abortion referendum. Of course they also hate trans and queer people. Basically any and all minorities. They aim to bring fascism to our government. Don’t let this happen. This is also why voting is so important, so we can prevent this.

And this should go without saying, but don’t fucking vote for the joker independent candidates that have signs around saying shit like “make crime illegal”. It’s not even a joke to vote for them. You’re an asshole if you throw your vote away like that.

Remember to find out where your local polling station is, and bring your polling card, on Friday the 29th of November.

[angsttronaut]

Anyhow, if you're in Ireland use checktheregister.ie to make sure you're registered to vote!

[destiel-news-channel]

[Image ID: There are three images. The first one is similar to a title card and shows a screenshot froom the show supernatural. Dean and Castiel stand facing each other. The screenshot is faded and superimposed with a blue background from a news show. In the front is a logo which says 'Destiel News Channel'. The second is a screenshot of Castiel from the same confession scene. At the bottom is a headline which reads 'Irish Unification?' and a subline which says 'Let's hope this Star Trek prediction comes true'. The top right corner shows a screenshot from Star Trek. It shows Data (an android in a yellow uniform with pale skin) talking to Picard, who is wearing a red uniform and is shown from behind. Subtitles read 'the Irish Unification of 2024,'. The third image is a screenshot of Dean from the same scene edited so that a text looking like subtitles spells out 'I love you'. /End ID]

Happy New Year y'all!

[sentient-sunset]

Because I think it would be funny to see what tumblr thinks, especially as most of you probably have no idea about Irish politics.

[q-soc-official]

Folding my voting ballot into an origami crane to the utter delight and thunderous applause of the polling staff

[femrodeeeeo]

#noexcuseforviolentmen

from another article

Natasha O'brien

[luimnigh]

Unfun Fact: In Ireland, there is a far-right party called the National Party. They're homophobic, islamophobic, antisemitic, racist assholes. They were founded in 2016, and have never won a seat at any level of government in any election.

Fun Fact: Guess who just got robbed?

According to party leader/founder Justin Barrett (who's attended neo-Nazi rallies in Germany and Italy), a significant amount of the party's funds were stolen by party co-founder/vice president James Reynolds (known Mussolini admirer) and national organizer Paul Conroy (once pictured literally goose-stepping at a party meeting).

It gets even funnier though: the funds that were allegedly stolen?

They were in gold bars.

Yeah, Barrett claims they kept their funds in gold bars, believing it would be protected in the case of the collapse of fiat currency. They kept it in a safe.

They kept their party's funds in gold bars in a safe.

And it gets better: Gardaí (Irish Police) have responded to the claims, and are currently investigating... whether a crime has been committed.

See, they've found the gold... but have not yet established that the gold was stolen. They're investigating the ownership of the gold, and who had the authority to move it.

Might have helped them if they'd supplied records of their accounts to the Standards in Public Office Commission, as legally required of all political parties, which they failed to do last year.

Of course, this does raise the question: how does a political party, with no elected members, and received 0.2% of the vote last election... have €400,000 in gold bars?

[lostmementomemori]

A British paratrooper comforts a young woman who was injured by a bomb blast in Donegall Street (Ireland, Belfast, March 20, 1972)

[banrionceallach]

VOTE AGAINST THE BASTARDS

Voting is open in Ireland for the local and european elections.

There are a record number of far right candidates on the ballot.

Decisions are made by people who show up.

VOTE AGAINST THE BASTARDS!

[ayeforscotland]

Irish election announced for in *three weeks* time. Absurd turnaround.

[just-ray]

Irish politics these days

[lesbiansandgayssupporttheminers]

25th Anniversary of the good friday agreement.

106th Anniversary of the easter rising.