politicss<grumpyoldman ON>
Right, I’ve been stewing for far too long. I’ve been saying “Don’t get me started” for a while now, to anyone who’d listen. So, to put them out of their misery, I think I’d better get started. Time to get it off my chest.
To begin with. Nama. Or, more particularly, Anglo-Irish. I’m not an [...]
In a remarkable turnaround today, Brian Lenihan delivered what he termed the “Children’s Budget” and made a startling apology for the disastrous mess his party had made of the country’s economy.
“The only honourable thing for us to do” he said, “is to acknowledge that it is our fault. We are sorry. It is our [...]
Spent today in Green company, at a general meeting for members in the morning, and an economics seminar in the afternoon. All the Oireachtas members were present, and it was, in the main, a day that reassured me I was in the right party.
I learned something about which “wing” of the party I am on, [...]
I rarely get baldly political in this blog but as the Medical Card fiasco progresses I am picking up one constant theme. The ideological debate is being won constantly at the Cabinet table by Mary Harney, and there isn’t an intellect agile enough to combat her ideologically driven agenda, to tackle her on principle. She’s [...]
It’s a strange recession we’re in. I still see jobs being advertised in shop windows in my area of Dublin. Anecdotally, it’s not easy to find evidence that things are as bad as the word “recession” implies.
Naturally, I don’t want it to get worse. But it’s hard to challenge the assumption that the only good [...]
Breda O’Brien, of the Iona Institute, wrote an article for the Irish Times last month with the intriguing title: “Activists using ‘homophobia’ label as a bullying tactic”. She opens her piece by patting herself on her back: “it takes courage to champion traditional marriage, knowing it will unleash invective from alleged liberals”.
So: the plucky [...]
The following is a Press Release from MarriagEquality:
Over twice as many Irish people favour civil marriage over civil partnership for gay and lesbian people, Lansdowne poll shows.
A new poll shows an increase in the number of people who believe that gay and lesbian people should be allowed to marry rather than just form civil partnerships, [...]
Written for the Hot Press 2007 Annual
What stands out for me, in 2007, is the entry of the Greens into Government. Ever since I saw the late lamented German Green pioneer Petra Kelly speak in Dublin when I was fourteen or fifteen, thirty years ago, I’ve thunk in a green way. I was one of [...]
As I was going to bed last night I heard a raucous rendition of “Happy Birthday” from across the road from my window, and my heart sank. I knew I was in for a sleepless night. And so it proved. Two hours later, and I was woken up by screams and the unmistakeable sound of [...]
A Fine Gael TD, Simon Coveney, recently called for “aggressive, tough” legislation to target people who use prostitutes in Ireland. He wanted to target the “acceptability” of buying sex. Sometimes, that party really scares me.
I am not convinced of the efficacy of using the law to change social mores. Certainly, the law has a big [...]
Interesting
