I think most of the country is aware we’re being screwed over right now, what it’s made people really aware of how illusionary our democracy is in this country when it comes down to anything important. We have a referendum where the result appears to have been decided irrespective of how we vote. My real world activism however will be to refuse to give them a mandate to pursue their agenda.

You’re right Contact. A lot of people get their information online now using links etc from Facebook and Twitter. These are useful tools to cut the crap that fills the pages of newspapers. But people have to leave the laptop at home, get a good deal on a smartphone and hit the streets.

I believe you are correct , Scarr. It is a good way of becoming aware and then using it in conjunction with going out there and becoming active in the community. It is a good way of sounding out ideas or opinions …. especially if you are generally shy !

Forget the online-v-offline debate, *any* form of protest against government policy is ineffective here unless there’s an election in the near future and you start getting widespread personal threats to not vote for someone. Mind you, you’d best get what you want before the election, because thirty seconds after the count is announced, the elected folk forget they ever heard of you and stop listening to the public until the next election comes round (and say what you like, Irish people have the memories of goldfish on this point).

i agree, it seems like every day we are subjected to more lies and corruption from our great leaders, maybe its the unfolding pace of these events that causes people to forget the last one, that along with the cop-out ‘but who do we vote for?’ dont pick the best of a bad lot, if there are no good candidates then dont vote for any of them

That’s not a real option though. If we had a ‘none of the above’ option on the ballot, it would be; but right now if you don’t vote or if you spoil your ballot, it’s just discarded and they use the other votes to elect someone. There’s no lower threshold of voter turnout either, so in theory, you could elect a taoiseach on one vote – his own – if absolutely everyone else stayed home and didn’t vote in protest.

@peasant – unfortunately by abstaining a vote it only leaves the position open to well meaning but deluded or power hungry types. I believe you are always best to use your vote. That is why I will still vote in the next election, just not for any of the main political parties.

im sorry, but if there is no one worth voting for in my constituency then it hardly matters which one gets in, so i will not help these power hungry scam artists get the high paid salary, i say this use your vote no matter what is a cop out, and maybe in theory you can get elected by a single vote but wouldnt it be a great silent protest if no one voted because all the candidates are liars? i think it would motivate a better quality of individual to run the next time

It would definitely show how politicians love silent protests (because they’re so easy to ignore…)

I would have to agree with @revolting peasant in one way, the volume of votes gives the politician the view, that what they are pushing has popular support, when in point of fact they got the votes because the are just slightly less crap than the others.

Other options are needed.
The only viable one is greater political engagement and understanding by the voters so that the gombean candidates stay away as they will be shown up to be the liars that they are.

Absence from the voter box only gives these gombeans an easier ride. The worst of two evils.

Political discourse and education is the only viable option.

I used to have a great way of getting over that problem. Vote for a no-hoper so that the poor bastard gets his deposit back. Then Ming got elected…!

I have rant here too but I also protest and annoy the politicians they have me blocked on their F.B. Pages lol lol. But they also know me to see lol

Congratulations 180228 which charity is it though

It’s the HP Alliance, Bernadette. I didn’t want to mention it in case it was seen as advertising.

@ 180228 what do you do as in who or what does it help and why not ask the journal to do a story on it

I used to agree with you, but it is not always possible . Maybe people have work committments that are contrary to their comments….it can happen, Or as has happened in some cases a person has bneen threatened, bullied or intimidated for their beliefs/comments. Or maybe they are just plain shy / private.

It will and does reform, though.