This afternoon.
Buswells Hotel on Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.
The launch of the Anti Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit (AAA/PBP) General Election 2016 ‘common principles’. To wit:
A new type of politics, based on people power
Real recovery for 99% means challenging rule of 1% – Apple should pay back taxes, establish minimum effective corporation tax rate of 12.5%, introduce Millionaire’s Tax and establish debt audit commission
Public investment to develop quality services & infrastructure, strategic enterprise and create decent jobs
Scrap austerity taxes and reverse austerity cuts
Fight for equality – repeal the 8th amendment, end discrimination by schools, separate church and state…
Fight, etc.
Top from left: Brid Smith Richard Boyd-Barrett, unidentified Ruth Coppinger, John Lyons and Paul Murphy.
AAA-PBP Launches ‘Common Principles: Radical Alternatives & Real Equality’ (Anto Austerity Alliance)
Pic: Mark Coughlan
Looking forward to any of them coming near my property!
I shall offer them a glass of my paid for water then the hounds shall be released!
.. and then you’ll chortle about it down the golf course with your other rosscock mates,
Chortling, that’s made me chortle!.
I’ll bet rugbyfan’s “property” consists of his parent’s box room, an iphone 6, 42″ lcd tv and his x box.
And a lava lamp that doesn’t work since Brussels banned them hot light bulbs.
Wrong on all counts but come over for a glass of Midleton and we’ll toast the recovery!
If I played golf then perhaps I would!
How dare they highlight the inequality your private school mates perpetuate.
They….. are…..coming…..for…..your…..kind
really…..really…..slowly……like….a…..pensioner……in……your…….rear…..view…..mirror…..
How long before the inevitable split? Will they get to the election?
I’m a paid FG shill I know, but jaysis that place looks depressing. It’s like a 1978 politburo news conference from Czechoslovakia announcing the next 5 year plan.
What a predictable comment.
Your big hair comment was mind blowing. New age.
Trading insults across multiple posts. We’re such geeks.
Not a single tie because these are MEN OF THE PEOPLE.
This isn’t the 1950s J. Only bankers and insurance salesmen wear suits.
Joni uses his ties for the lonely ‘ol strangletoss in the holiday inn
Ties evolved from scarves that were worn because buttons were expensive. Buttons are cheap. Fupp ties.
I long for the day when I encounter their checkpoints on the road to check for calloused hands or face the firing squad!
It’s either them or the Nazis, apparently.
Worst. Election. Ever.
Everything in that blurb sounds great except this:
“Scrap austerity taxes and reverse austerity cuts”
“Scrap austerity taxes and reverse austerity cuts”
2006 2016
Tax Revenue 45.5bn 45.6bn
Current Expenditure 36.99bn 49.1bn
Current Exp ex interest on debt 35.14bn 42.12bn
Sub head on Expenditure
Education 7.644bn 8.179bn
Health 10.73bn 12.8bn
Social Protection 7.18bn 11.37bn
I’m confused. Where is the austerity supposed to be exactly?
Trolleys, homeless, cuts to SNAs etc….. Doesn’t affect I’m alright Jacks like you though so you don’t give a toss.
There’s little actually austerity in the financing – it’s plain incompetence, mismanagement, and corruption – in fuppin EVERYTHING!
I don’t give a toss either.
Martina, you’re missing the point – we’re spending even more now than we were then, so where has the money gone? Public sector pay at the expense of public sector investment? We’re taxing the same amount, so we have simply moved around where it is being taxed – from housing related activities (stamp, cgt, VAT, income tax related to construction sector) to general income taxes. We’re still taxing “people” more or less the same, we’re just taxing “people’s income” rather than “people’s capital transactions”. The idea that there was some horrific austerity in Ireland is simplistic – there was a very severe and rapid re-allocation of government tax and spend, but the ultimate numbers themselves are not necessarily that different.
Actually bodger that was a great line in the post above.
Fight, etc.
Ha – that’s a “couldn’t be arsed with multiple exclamation marks” full stop if I ever saw one. It’s only day 2 of GE….this is gonna be a long one
” Share the wealth “.
It’s easy to throw out common principles when you know you’ll never have to implement them.
Here’s why these guys will never get to govern- they don’t know how to compromise.
Politics, just like relationships, business management, and many other facets of every day life, is all about compromise. That is what coalitions need to do but these guys can’t even form a party, the left is full of individual fifes and factions all vying for glory from the ‘oppressed’.
Soc Dems could govern, in a coalition, because they are realists. And are exactly what the left needs. Not these overgrown college theorists.
+.5 cause I only half agree….
These are typical blind statements with no implementation plan. Standard Paul Murphy crap. Why bring cooperation tax up across the board? Knee jerk stupidity is why. A implementation plan to focus on particular industries over a period of time is smart…. not just chasing all out with a bat.
And how do these dopes expect the public sector to create more jobs? Every party says this crap, and none do it. So where is their secret formula?
Scrap austerity taxes and reverse austerity cuts? Good luck lads. Between that and the lack of cooperations left in the country after the tax hike, good luck creating more jobs…
Well I’m going to give you a +1 as I agree with all you said,
Really, the above principles are so simplistic that they could and are promised by those without a modicum of sense or responsibility when it comes to governing, or running a country. It’s the same type of claptrap you would see on the numerous new political ‘groups’ you find on Facebook these days such as United People, DDI, the Hub and other such loons.
Principles that can be decided over a quick pint and which really don’t need any ciritical thinking as they are to attract only those who are incapable of critical thinking.
Lot’s of “This is what we’ll do”, little of “this is how” or any form of risk assessments of any such principles.
Basically childish nonsense you would expect from a TY class.
The principals and message has to be simple so their voter base can understand it.
LOL
I spelled principles wrong!!
*gets coat*
Yes it is easy to throw out stuff when you’ll never have to implement it. The other partys have being doing it for a hundred years but principles are very lacking in Irish Politics and public cynicism at an all time high. There is nothing wrong with these people voicing their polices and there is nothing wrong with the electorate voting for them either. At least they HAVE principles?
Accessible health care, living wages and affordable housing are not something to be aspired to, they are what makes a country what it is. Maybe these guys are being idealistic and maybe it is not workable but there is a growing number of people who feel they are a workable alternative.
Oh and as for compromise, ask Labour where that got them on 1st March?
Re labour on 1st march,, maybe they don’t get back in but if they got to implement only some of. Heir policies via compromise with Fg then then it will have been worthwhile. This is the point of compromise, better you implement some of your influence than none at all
People before Posters
Those ‘effin posters
An’ tis only day 2
They thought of that, so they sat in front of their posters.
Their “share the wealth” motto…They seem like a very generous bunch willing to share their wealth
Soak the rich! (you’ve already paid for the water). And, to continue the hydrologic theme, what a shower!
As one of the simple great unwashed I shall be using all my votes for these guys… I don’t warrant a socdems candidate in my constituency.
too poor and stupid and yurning for a better tomorrow.
Yup. I’m voting for them too. Seeing as theirs nobody else worth while on the ballot.