We have all been massively wronged and should protest

We have all been massively wronged and should protest

"You know, I remember a case back in the 1980's or 1990's of a woman caught shoplifting a pair of shoes who was sent to prison for 4 years - she was a mother of four children IIRC."



If we are going to have a rational discussion please use facts.
There is no way a woman was sent to prison for four years for stealing a pair of shoes in the 1980s/1900s. 10000 pairs of shoes maybe. but not a pair.

If you can give me evdence of this I will believe it but otherwise it is more exagerating typical of a Joe Duffy caller.
 
There have been protests. There are at least three that I know of for Nama.
Unfortunately, they've haven't had such a great uptake or have been hijacked by other interests (such as political parties).

There's another protest on 24 April about calling for a general election
http://www.thepropertypin.com/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=29545

All we need is more people to get that critical mass.

What mandate would such a protest have?

Anywhere up to a million people could join it and still not signify that a majority want an election.

We voted in the current crop of TDs and it's up a majority of them to decide whether we should have an election or not before the 5 years term is up
 
Yes, there has been disastrous behaviour from our "betters" but at the same time, people have to take a certain amount of personal blame for debt also.

A certain amount of it, but I've come to realise that the ordinary guy on the street had no hand in INBS and Anglo's disasterous loan books.

The ordinary guy on the street realised enough was enough by the end of 2006 when it came to fueling house price incrases, but Anglo and INBS continued with their cowboy lending practices for almost 2 further years running up much of the €22bn hole in that period.

I'd say over 90% of the mortgage holders who went in over their heads will ultimately honour their debts and a lot of us have to live with that and accept that as our own personal punishment. It's the additional taxes we will end up paying for the craziness that went on in Anglo and INBS from 2006 to 2008 is what we have every right to be bitter about.
 
One problem with street protests is that they tend to be hijacked by professional protesters from small minority left wing groups such as Socialist Workers Parties. It really annoys the hell out of most protesters when the see the news footage or pics in the paper with a load of large SWP banners held up by the probably less than 20 SWP protesters who may attend out of a total of e.g. 10,000 protesters. What's worse is when the SWP people give interviews to the press giving the impression that they organised the protest and the attendees are their supporters instead of the reality being that they hijacked the protest to the disgust of most attendees.
 
One problem with street protests is that they tend to be hijacked by professional protesters from small minority left wing groups such as Socialist Workers Parties.

So true. I saw the same thing happen with a demo outside a headshop. Sinn Fein turned up. In the end there were 4 SF protesters outside the shop and the school association's parents were at the other side of the road.
 
The skinned rabbits and a mouthful of teabags party.

I think Pat Rabbitte might have an issue with that. Barrys or Lyons tea bags? It's important that you give the right answer if you want my vote.:)
 
I think Pat Rabbitte might have an issue with that. Barrys or Lyons tea bags? It's important that you give the right answer if you want my vote.:)

Lyons tea only. If I get elected, I will have Barrys and all it's tea drinkers destroyed. Please subscribe to my newsletter...
 
I absolutely agree that we need to do more, but I don't see much value in organising protests. I find it hard to take this 'we need a new party' stuff seriously either. Unless you have a core group who are prepared to dedicate their every waking hour and lots of moolah to their new cause for a couple of years to get it off the ground, it's not going to happen. And if it does happen, it will end up going down the swannee with the Greens and PDs after a few years.

If you want to change things, pick your battles. Pick the one key issue that you care passionately about, and see what it takes to get a result. Get involved with existing lobby groups or community groups. If you want to focus on one geographical area, get involved in your residents assocation, or a local political party - if you can get one person elected locally, that could be very important when it comes to changing the government.

Less drama, more hard work.
 
Lyons tea only. If I get elected, I will have Barrys and all it's tea drinkers destroyed. Please subscribe to my newsletter...

bang goes any votes from the Real Capital of Ireland, including mine, I'll have to take my vote elsewhere I'm afraid
 
The real nutshell of all that has gone in Ireland over the last number of years is that we, as a nation, are very un-inclined to protest. The bankers, developers and their mates in government know this. Why wouldn't they? They are, after all, irish too and understand the national psyche.

What's going to happen is that the tax-payer is going to say nothing, remain disgruntled and forfeit their kids future by staying at home and grumbling on the sofa, to their family, their friends, the dogs in the street, but nothing will happen. It's all going to be sucked-up by the lot of you. Your choice, but I for one am very glad that I'll raise my kids abroad where they won't be born to a financial millstone around their neck.

I'm very unhappy and sad that my parents will have to cope in the 'new' ireland in their twilight years where my other 4 siblings will be unable to help them as they might wish because of what has gone on. They're strapped too. I'll do my best but it won't be enough.

If you were french you'd be already on the streets setting light to things and the government would have to listen to you.
 
For anyone who does want to do the street protest thing;

Make the Banks Pay: Protest for proper taxing and regulation of the banks


Type: [broken link removed] - [broken link removed]
Date: Saturday, 24 April 2010
Time: 14:00 - 16:00
Location: Outside Anglo Irish Bank, Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland

Description

An international day of action is taking place this Saturday as part of the global "Regulate Global Finance Now" campaign.

Groups around the world will be joining together as part of this campaign. Labour Youth and PES Activists willl be making sure Ireland does its part in the campaign.

The Banks have destroyed the economy and made us pay billions to make up for their greed.

Now they are working to make sure we that they don’t have to pay the price in financial regulations and taxation.

All this year world leaders will be deciding what new rules to bring in to make sure that the current crisis doesn’t happen again.

They could also introduce a very small tax on specific types of financial transactions which can be used to raise billions each year for good causes and with which we can begin to make the banks repay all the money we’ve given them.

Financial lobbyists are working hard to make sure they don’t have to be held accountable for what they have done in new taxes and regulations.

It's time for people to take a stand and demand that the EU and Irish governments make the banks pay.

Six Key Demands:

-A Financial Transactions Tax

-Regulate the markets properly

-Out of the shadows: Bring transparency to the banking system

-Protect workers and jobs from predatory practices

-Protect public finances and shut down tax havens

-Give consumers the protection and information they need
 
I think we're sort of too polite to protest.
But here's one for you, its even got its own video, released today:
Saturday April 24, noon, Call for an election.

So if you're in Merrion Square Dublin at noon, do the election protest, have a spot of lunch, then nip around the corner to Anglo Irish Bank in time for the Make the Banks pay protest.

Hope the protests don't clash - boom boom!:D
 
I think we're sort of too polite to protest.
But here's one for you, its even got its own video, released today:
Saturday April 24, noon, Call for an election.

So if you're in Merrion Square Dublin at noon, do the election protest, have a spot of lunch, then nip around the corner to Anglo Irish Bank in time for the Make the Banks pay protest.

Hope the protests don't clash - boom boom!:D

No no no no no no . .

Now is not the time for a general election . .Definitely not . . Whether anybody likes or hates FF, they have done remarkable work over the last year and I wouldnt trust anybody other then Lenihan to run public finances right now. . Any new person will have to start from scratch and learn the ropes in a time when Ireland is in a vital time of restructuring . .

Also, it would give the unions/public service crys for their own cause , a boost . . FG and Labour would pander to their every whim and we would be left with a complete mess, as a procrastinating government fumbles around trying to find its feet, while blaming the previous government for the mess . .

Oh yes, FF have to pay and should be made to pay for their mistakes of the past, but dont make a huge mistake trying to rectify another . . They are actually the first government who can do whats right for the country without considering public opinion and right now thats exactly what we need (not a weak/lame FG/Labour trying to please everybody). .

No no no no . . An election would do this country NO good right now . . Only thing it would do is satisfy the desires of many to see the back of FF. . This nation needs to grow up . . The nation voted these guys into power. They are finally making headway in this crisis and people still think that getting rid of them now will achieve something? All I can say is GROW UP PEOPLE . . Right now, giving the stage we are at as a nation, getting rid of FF is an emotional desire by most, not based on rational line of thought of whats actually the best course of action for our country nationally and internationally . .
 
-A Financial Transactions Tax
How would that possible benefit Ireland?

-Regulate the markets properly
I agree with that but that doesn’t necessarily mean more regulation or even different regulation. It means competent arms-length regulation where we are not playing musical chairs between the Dept. Of Finance, the Central Bank and the Financial Regulator.

-Out of the shadows: Bring transparency to the banking system
Sounds good but what does it mean?

-Protect workers and jobs from predatory practices
Sounds good but what does it mean? (It is just phrase for stopping the “race to the bottom”; the Union/Labour Party double-speak for stopping the poorest in the world from having the same chances we have?

-Protect public finances and shut down tax havens
We are a tax haven so that will not help us. I’m all in favour of protecting public finances but that involves cutting public spending.

-Give consumers the protection and information they need
Sounds good but what does it mean?
 
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