Political parties are a lot like buses. You don’t see one for ages then two come along at once. Well, one is still slightly delayed with lots of confusion over who is in the driving seat, as the wayward Christian Democrat Party Reform Alliance struggles to get its act together despite the weight of a fawning news media behind it. However lumbering into view is a new movement, the inspiringly named National Independent Party (ta-dah!). As is usual with those who favour the rhetoric of anti-politics the NIPs are neither “right” nor “left” but “libertarian” (whatever the hell that means in an Irish context…). They have been dismissed as a sort of “Tea Party” for rural constituencies (which probably makes the Reform Alliance a “Tea Party” for urban ones) however that tag is not a terribly informative one. Whereas the RA are ardent Europeans to a sycophantic degree unknown since the dawn of time (or something) the NIP is positively antipathetic to the great European rip-off project. Some of its draft policies look fair enough while many more look to be couched in the language of political infants:
“…to reform the governance of the current Republic for the well being of this country’s inhabitants, with due regard for health, opportunity and security”).
Which is as meaningless a sound-bite as one can get. For fun I looked up the Irish language policy. You know, the protection and promotion of the Irish language and the rights of those citizens and communities in Ireland who speak it. So here it is:
“(33) Irish Language Education and Development The Irish language is an important part of our culture and heritage and given a revision of its delivery (currently overtly academic) we believe this would assist greater integration. We believe it should remain an active part of the curriculum at primary level and secondary to Standard High School Certificate level; thereafter, to become a select specialist academic subject as would English, or another language subject.”
Translation: the NIPs believe that obligatory Irish language education should end at the age of 16. In other words no different from Fine Gael, much of Labour, the SP-PBP, and god knows who else. National Independent Party? Bah…
AN SIONNACH FIONN 
all shows dearth of interest (see small numbers at saturday’s protest) among intellectual republicans in opposition to reactionary and baser groupings: if this NIP group are the calibre to compete against European Unionists, we’re federally f*cked! @
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Intellectual Republicans seem in short supply these days. Where have all the writers and poets gone? Did the Free State sterilize an entire line of progressives? Bring back Earnán Ó Maille! 😉
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Your answer to UKIP then? But probably less entertaining …
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There is certainly an informed discussion to be had relating to Ireland’s significant emigration of indigenous citizens versus the immigration of non-indigenous ones but perhaps not in the simplistic “UKIP” terms NIP are adopting. Looking at their website the NIPs seem to spend a lot of time worrying about fluoride in the water. That type of concern is usually a sign of worrying tendencies… 😉
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Or perhaps a reimagined Peadar O’Donnel or Diarmuid Lynch in opposition to this era of European Unionism @
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Floride I would take as a symptom of distrust in the government. Do you trust your government to have your best interests at heart?
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In general, no 😉 However in the case of adding fluoride to tap water I take the view that it is generally being done for reasons of public health (though I don’t discount that it suits certain invested interests in the “industry”). I have yet to see any real evidence of it adversely effecting public health. Then again if such was to emerge in a few years I wouldn’t feel too much surprise. Cynicism is the prime characteristic of the age we live in. Which itself is telling.
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Yes, but if they’re adding fluoride who knows what else they might be adding … 😉
Essentially then they’re hoping to gain support by preying on people’s fears and uncertainties. Generally the more vague widespread and intangible the ‘threat’ the more effective the scare.
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Well I cast my eye over their document last night (someone should teach them the basics of typesetting — ugh!) and they appear even more obsessed with immigration than UKIP. Please explain why anyone should want to immigrate to Ireland when the economy has gone down the tubes and the Irish are apparently emigrating in droves? UK pensioners looking for cheaper housing maybe? But then they’d probably vote NIP themselves??
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considering what happened today with “irish water” i’m more hopeful of general election by end of year – none of this water quango fiasco was supposed to be made public until well after the local and federal elections – hogan’s last stand! – unfortunately wouldn’t be till after general election and UK referendums will national politics change direction: currently federalism and immigration are no-go areas, as are complacency about Irish language teaching and emmigration @
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Emigration is a “lifestyle choice” is Ireland’s political lexicon. Which shows how far the ruling elites are out of touch with those they claim to represent.
I’m going back to my school French and moving to Québec! 😉
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judging from reaction against any notion of an Irish administration having any immigration policy (it’s “racist”), we’re at the stage where socialists and European Unionists alike learned from the 2004 citizenship referendum and now have the “economic” debate against national immigration controls framed around “racism” – ‘ireland’ was apparently last example of unrestricted birthright citizenship after the Good Friday Agreement – socialists lost that citizenship vote and now they use the tactic of “racism” in the fight against Irish republicanism and the Irish language, dissolving the nation from the inside and ending debate before it begins: it’s genius and unfortunately will win unless there is an intellectual counterpoint – but where the hell is it?!
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Reminds me of our conversations in the Brian Boru back in the day! :p
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i remember you giving me a boll1ck1ng over voting yes in Nice-I -:) — yeah, i know: tragic looking back where all the signs were there and of course i didn’t listen you, john: transient labour, competition for lowest paid temp jobs and ever increasing welfare rates – all setting up for a crash @
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