You’re Hysterical

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Sinn Féin’s negotiating team, from left: Pearse Doherty TD, David Cullinane TD, and Eoin O’Broin TD

This afternoon.

Via historian Brian Hanley in The Guardian (full article at link below):

This hysteria has several roots. Some evidently dislike the idea of a “northern” party holding power “down here”.

Others, usually sotto voce, echo the view of the political correspondent John Drennan who once suggested that Sinn Féin supporters existed on a diet of “chips, Dutch Gold and batter burgers” – a nod to the party’s supporters being mainly working class.

The negative coverage of Sinn Féin’s breakthrough also reflects annoyance at the disruption of the two-party system, which has served as a comfort blanket for commentators who like to portray Irish politics as “non-ideological”.

… There is no doubt that republican veterans retain huge influence within Sinn Féin. But references to the IRA’s campaign had little impact on the new voters attracted to the party. For them the recession is far more relevant than a conflict that ended 25 years ago…

….Ironically the partitionist nature of Irish politics also benefits Sinn Féin. Most voters in the Republic pay little attention to day-to-day northern politics.

But what people are aware of is that since 2017 Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have been demanding that Sinn Féin return to government with the Democratic Unionist party in Belfast.

It seems strange then to assert that it is unfit for power in the Republic. Indeed if the IRA army council is really running Sinn Féin, then how does DUP leader Arlene Foster (a woman whose father was actually shot by the IRA), share power with them in Northern Ireland?

For many voters, particularly the young, the exclusion of Sinn Féin is more about the establishment protecting itself than morality…

Hysteria over Sinn Féin entering government is about power, not the past (Brian Hanley, The Guardian)

Earlier: After The Deluge

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30 thoughts on “You’re Hysterical

    1. topsy

      I suppose what we deserve is;
      €5 billion debt interest pa.
      Unaffordable housing.
      Unaffordable rents.
      10000 people sleeping on the streets.
      A €3 billion hospital.
      etc etc.
      But sure don’t let the facts bother you.

  1. realPolithicks

    This sums it up in a nutshell, the establishment are running scared that their cosy cartel is about to be broken up. Varadkar and martin are desperately scrambling around trying to find ways to smear sinn fein, varadkars performance yesterday was particularly pathetic.

    1. Pat Mustard

      Indeed, perhaps she can ask Drew why the PSNI screwed up the investigation into Paul’s killers.

  2. Amy.

    Sinn Fein are a danger to society. Sure everybody knows that. I put my trust in Varadkar, he’s a decent man with a very caring attitude towards the poor and homeless.

      1. Brother Barnabas

        he’s also a practicing homosexual which is a terrific thing if we want to be seen as a modern and cool country as we head into a new century

        1. Ringsend Incinerator

          Why does he still have to practice? He’s been at it a while now surely he’s got the hang of it?

          1. Brother Barnabas

            he’s only been gay for like a few months or a year max which in homosexualised terms is basically a virgin

      2. Termagant

        What do you feel are some qualities that Leo has which make him fit to run the country? He schmoozes very well, I’ll give you that, class-A rubber of shoulders.

    1. Said with real emotion

      Thanks for the laughs
      I’ve already told kids we are are taking holiday in the affected Lombardy region this year and even bringing the pets with us this year, shouldn’t be a bad boost to the bottom line

  3. Ringsend Incinerator

    Fintan won’t like that in the Guardian. He’ll have to write a response as soon as the immodium kicks in.

  4. Truth in the News

    The hysterics will get worse and will develop into crescendo of hate, where are the roots
    of thinking from, the bigorty and sectarianism operated by the Northern State from its inception
    in 1920, its underlying beliefs that certain inferior classes have no right to express their
    views or opinions or indeed to seek political power, this concept of ideology is also at root
    of current Fianna Fail and Fine Gael thinking, anyways we are overdue a political uphevel
    as nearly every 100 years we have one in Ireland

  5. Scundered

    If you think they’re worth a try then please take a trip to west Belfast and see for yourself the basket case economy and toxic politics of fear, be careful what you wish for.

    1. GiggidyGoo

      And that economy is financed by? Do the parties there have any control on taxes there? Lemons in ample supply in the scundered household

      1. Scundered

        It’s propped up by UK government costing at least 12 billion a year, not too hard with the tax of 60 million people to contribute, so tell me where you think SF will find that kind of money in Ireland to fund a united ireland, a billion a month and add to that the cost of a new civil war? Rob a bank?

  6. JD

    Hysteria on both sides. One at the realisation that the 2 party domination is gone and there is a different paradigm now (yet to be figured out by all most of all themselves). The other who don’t have the numbers for the change they promote but cleverly whip up the change frenzy. Even if they had a clear pass, the change coalition could not coalesce. At the end of the day 3 out 4 people didn’t vote for Sinn Fein.

  7. BS

    I mean maybe if they weren’t the political wing of a still active terrorist organisation who still have an “army” council making decisions for them. Has anyone asked any of the current members of Sinn Fein if they are or ever were members of an illegal organisation?

    Become a real political party. Not one that’s still rooted in the past, have some issues past “unification” which will never happen anyway, and try to be a real left wing alternative to ffg

  8. Cian

    Sinn Fein have an interesting dilemma.
    If they want to get/retain power in the republic they need the economy down here to be bad.
    If they want a unified Ireland, the only way that the NI would agree to a united Ireland is if the ROI economy is booming.

    Interesting times.

    1. BobbyJ

      You’re post is very FG, all about the market.

      The reason FG got a pasting and why the two party system of FG & FF is continuing to collapse is because of their slavish adherence to the market. People want to live in a fair society, not a market place. Until you understand this, your party, and your sister party of FF, will continue to lose seats.

  9. max

    Of course there are others who believe that SF are unfit for office as they may burst into inappropriate song and sing something like the back in tans or say something inappropriate like up the RA

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