I always thought ‘Trots’ don’t like Imodium.

“A Pot that belongs to many, is ill stirr’d and worse boil’d.”
Gnomologia

Terrible. And they had so much potential. So so much.

This will make things difficult, but you’re off the mark. Clare Daly’s ideology isn’t in question, her behaviour is. It’s better to lose Daly and retain credibility than to turn a blind eye to her hypocrisy.
She might think it’s worth in the long run to compromise her values, but if you keep doing that you end up like Labour, a party who seem to be as much use to anyone who works for a living as a broken arm.

“She might think it’s worth in the long run to compromise her values, but if you keep doing that you end up like Labour”…funny you should say that.
She was on the radio on Sunday saying she was leaving the ULA for exactly the same reason…

Typically sectarian comment from you there, Kerron.

Correct. She has shown her true colours. Let her off. She is already past tense. Doubt if she’ll get elected ever again. Much more probs to deal with.

‘seems’?

I think you are right on the money there. Where was Joe Higgins all weekend? How come the mouth piece for the SP was a guy who has never been elected to anything. Not even the position he now holds! Come on Paul Murphy what is your REAL motive in all this?
There ARE people out here who ADMIRE and RESPECT Clare Daly. And I’m one of them.

Could be a case of fifty shades of Red!
I’ll get my coat.

I love the way anyone people call Higgns a “broken record”. Fine Gaelers and those on the right do it constantly, accusing him of not “being pragmatic”.

But his core message since the recession has been bang on the money i.e that the debts of bankers are being foisted on the people of the state and that there is no moral responsibility on us to pay. That needs to be said again and again until we are no longer paying these debts which come in the form of cuts to vital services!

I love your logic – anonymous members of Fine Gael say it so it can’t be true! Next they’ll be saying he wears glasses and speaks with a Kerry accent!

Laudable as Joe’s points can sometimes be (and I’m not an Blueshirt before that is thrown my way – because apparently that’s what you need to be to contemplate any criticism of Uncle Joe it seems according to some), he is in no way pragmatic.

Agree totally with Kieron. Anyone watching the program on RTE last nite could see exactly what’s happening. SNA’s and RTH reduced so the likes of Roman Abramovich can be repaid. It’s only when your own child is affected you understand the unfairness of speculators getting there money ahead of much needed services.

that’s not my logic at all. I just stated that those on the right say it quite often.

My logic is that the obviously pragmatic (and morally correct) thing to do is to not make the people pay for debts they didn’t create

the pragmatic thing to do is to dump the neo-liberal agenda of austerity which is clearly failing and adopt a new approach.

this is what wikipedia describes pragmatism as: “a philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory. It describes a process where theory is extracted from practice…..”

so if the practice of austerity has and is a complete disaster (can anyone argue otherwise and keep a straight face?) then the pragmatic thing to do is to not continue with austerity which is Higgins’ core argument.

Has Higgins lost it altogether ? He has condemned Wallace for not paying his Tax and in the same breath he is telling people not to pay the Household Tax !
Joe, you are losing the plot.

Are you serious? there is an ocean of difference between not paying tax on income (of millions of euro) and refusing to pay an unjust and anti-social tax on the worst off

David Conroy, not paying VAT that you have already collected from your customers and refusing to register for the Household Tax are entirely different. You cannot compare the two.

You are obviously somebody who has paid your Household Tax. As soon as we have it abolished we’ll be looking to have monies refunded to you. Fear not. :)

Lads, only two things certain in this life,. Death and Taxes. The money has to come from somewhere. Politicians failed us and history will decide who was right. I remember the bad old days of 13% interest, negative equity, Household rates, 65% income tax and no work. Then to add insult to injury our Taoiseach said we were living beyond our means. We are not even close to that and yes I did pay my taxes for 44 years and continue to do so.
” Ask not what my Country can do for me…………

Or Fianna Fáil Réada

Again loose with the facts Reada. There were TWO other resignations at the weekend. Two brothers and they had nothing to do with Daly. I like the way you invite people into sf , like a spider into a web.

Sure listen McBab a few months ago Réada was all about PBP and RBB but she has some lovely SF playmates now to shout slogans and brave words with. So let her off because the few she’ll persuade to join SF will be of the same ilk as herself.

This constant labelling of the government as sociopaths is just ridiculous, a total misuse of a psychiatric classification symptoms of which can be applied to many who are not remotely sociopathic. Try Syria for sociopathic behaviour from the government or maybe the Congo but get a grip people you are only being asked to pay a charge for servicing your houses not having limbs lopped off. I don’t like the way things are in Ireland at them moment either, I most certaintly didn’t vote for FG/Labour or FF before them but they are the bloody government like it or not and even if you traded them in for a new lot the same changes will need to be made no matter how unfair it seems. SF are pro-Europe, Mary Loud herself proclaimed them thus so they will have to work things out just the same and ULA et al. are simply impractical and too divided.

Don’t fecking bring up Iceland, burning bondholders or any of the same old crap you negative nellies keep trotting out either, we live in today people and have to look forward and make sure the same mistakes are not made again and that we as a country do not get caught up in our own mess of materialism and greed again. Look to the bloody future and try to build something positive and sod Clare Daly who is quite obviously blinded by her ‘loyalty’ to wee Mick.

EMD I’m being kind calling our government sociopathic and not psychopathic. I have no wish to argue with you. I respect you for your environmental endeavors you undertake on behalf of Ireland.

@ EMD: Absolutely true.

@ Réada: You’ve really changed your tune away from Joe and to Gerry. Haven’t you previously spoken of your disappointment in both Labour and FF? There might be more of the same to follow. Towards 2016 SF will move further to the centre as that is the place where the most votes are to be won. So, as someone who likes the far left, brace yourself for disappointment.

It’s less of a bias and more of a genuine concern about their ability to govern.

That’s bullshit: a lot of the above comments are emotive and spiteful. With some I even doubt they read the article, or perhaps the first two lines.

Irish people in general are deeply suspicious of left winged politicians. That’s why, even in these times where left is the only real alternative they won’t achieve much: When the sheep are trained to enter a meadow every night, even when that meadow is full of dirt and poison they’ll come back to it.

We’re a democracy, if you want to run the country then convince the people that you have a credible plan and that their fears are baseless, rather then call them sheep.
There isn’t some grand conspiracy to keep the far-left out of government, it simply that the centre-left, centre and right are better at convincing the people to support them.