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What you want to say – 26 February 2020 February 26, 2020

Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.
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As always, following on Dr. X’s suggestion, it’s all yours, “announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose”, feel free.

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1. EWI - February 26, 2020

The economics ‘science’ continues to encourage and raise up sociopaths:

And the President’s top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, made a startlingly confident assessment of the situation on CNBC Tuesday.

“We have contained this. We have contained this. I won’t say airtight, but pretty close to airtight,” he said.

He added later, after acknowledging the “human tragedy” of the outbreak, that “I don’t think it’ll be an economic tragedy at all.”

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/despite-cdc-warning-trump-doesnt-sound-too-concerned-about-coronavirus

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2. Tomboktu - February 26, 2020

I overheard two people in the kitchen at work yesterday discussing the Coronavirus outbreak. One said it would be weird being allowed outdoors to go shopping for only an hour a day, like in some cities in China. The other said she wondered what it would be like coming back to work after two or three weeks if we did have to shut down. Everybody being out at the same time would be different from going on holidays. It was all rather chirpy about the novelty of having routines disrupted on a large scale.

I wondered what it would be like coming back to work learning or knowing that how many colleagues had died and that others had lost family members in the crisis.

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tafkaGW - February 26, 2020

Indeed – or the boy who was found alone in a house with his dead grandparent.

To cross-post from last week’s WYWTS:

It’s not looking good. To hear one of Germany’s leading viral epidemiologists tell it, we’ve got a virus that is likely to become pandemic in humans, has a lethality of about five times that of the typical new-strain winter flu. Add to that that our immune systems have pretty much total ‘naivety’ with this type of virus, and have to start from scratch, as it were.

Between 20 and 30% of patients need medical intervention according to Prof. Kekulé.

I hope the HSE has a plan for large-scale acute care, and the rich will be taxed to pay for it.

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FJ - February 26, 2020

No plans to close off outside travellers either. Ireland could look at the example of the small Pacific island nations as to how to deal with it.

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WorldbyStorm - February 26, 2020

What surprises me is how few cases there are in Europe given international travel, but there’s no room for complacency – this is dangerous particularly to specific cohorts and not just them. It is abysmal to hear the quotes above about the economics. Having had pneumonia myself once albeit non viral it was a horrible and frankly scary experience and just human sympathy makes my heart go out to those suffering from this.

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CL - February 27, 2020

“Competence means following the science. Mr Trump has given the role of coronavirus tsar to Mike Pence, the US vice-president. Mr Pence has wrestled with scientific doubts all his life. Among the highlights are denying that smoking tobacco kills, declaring global warming a myth and presiding over an outbreak of HIV as Indiana’s governor by withholding free syringes…

Rising suspicion about an interconnected world is also likely to benefit Bernie Sanders….A global pandemic could sharply tilt US politics against globalisation….

On Wednesday Rush Limbaugh, the radio host to whom Mr Trump awarded the Medal of Freedom earlier this month, said the deep state was using the virus to undermine Mr Trump. He implied that Nancy Messonnier — the CDC’s leading epidemiologist and sister of former deputy attorney-general Rod Rosenstein — was part of a deep state plot to defeat Mr Trump.”
https://www.ft.com/content/b9b76c44-5916-11ea-a528-dd0f971febbc

Science writer Laurie Garrett has said that the lethality rate of the coronavirus is greater than that of the 1918 flu pandemic which killed millions worldwide.

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3. Paddy Healy - February 26, 2020

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil may be simply killing time until something turns up to generate a demand for the immediate putting in place of a government which can pass new legislation. Something arising out of the Corona virus, or out of a breach of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement etc, would have the media baying for the formation of a government. Then FF and FG could portray themselves as “putting country above party” by forming a government. For example,It is not clear that a sufferer from a contagious virus can be forced into quarantine by the state!
But this could backfire later if Sinn Féin is excluded according to
Conor Lenihan in the Irish Times today:
Conor Lenihan in Irish Times”The inclusion of left leaning populists in Greece (Syriza) and in Italy (Five Star) in government led to their electoral demise, not least because the much hyped promises could not survive full contact with the fiscal realities of being in office. Excluding Sinn Féin simply allows them to grow further in a snowstorm of outlandish promises. The moral imperative should be to include them not exclude them at this stage.”

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tafkaGW - February 27, 2020

Spot on there about waiting for an excuse to form a Fx plus Independents coalition.

To some extent they would have a point; both the coming pandemic and Brexit negotiations with a cornered and highly unreliable interlocutor requires a functioning government for the RoI.

My waters tell me that the end state will be a F(F/G) arrangement. How stable that will prove is another matter.

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4. Paddy Healy - February 26, 2020

Just to Clarify my most recent post: Sinn Féins manifesto is implementable by a left wing government within the EU Fiscal Treaty because the extra spending is funded by extra taxation. Department of Finance has verified this. What Conor Lenihan is really saying is that FF and/or Fine Gael in government with Sinn Féin would not allow the taxation of the rich required to fund the extra spending.
Even if FF or FG promised to support the tax impositions on the rich in pre-government talks, they would renege on any such agreement later. It is the nature of these beasts!

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tafkaGW - February 27, 2020

Many of us have been saying for a long time that there is far more fiscal and political room for movement by national goverments even within the idiotic Fiscal Compact and disfunctional Eurozone.

Those who deny that split into:

a) Neo-lib national parties who want an excuse for austerity and
b) Lexiteers.

Both the above are effectively allies on this matter.

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5. Paul Culloty - February 26, 2020

The Dáil agrees NOT to hold a vote for Taoiseach tomorrow week:

https://www.thejournal.ie/no-vote-for-taoiseach-5022987-Feb2020/

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Paddy Healy - February 26, 2020

There is to be no vote on the appointment of Taoiseach when the Dáil meets next week! Fine Gael hasn’t even appointed a negotiating team yet!!! As I said in an earlier post: Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil may be simply killing time until something turns up to generate a demand for the immediate putting in place of a government which can pass new legislation. Something arising out of the Corona virus, or out of a breach of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement etc, would have the media baying for the formation of a government. Then FF and FG could portray themselves as “putting country above party” by forming a government together!!!!

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tafkaGW - February 27, 2020

Yep.

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6. Dermot M O Connor - February 26, 2020

FFS Fergus.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/views/columnists/fergus-finlay/fergus-finlay-if-a-grand-coalition-collapses-it-will-usher-in-a-decade-of-sinn-fein-983727.html

Not only will it be the first time that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have ever served in government together, it will also be the first time in the history of Irish elections that two of the losers will have formed a government, while the winner went on to lead the opposition.

Uhhhhm.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_1982_Irish_general_election

FF 75
FG 70
LB 15

Not the only time that happened either.

Irishexaminer, if you’re looking for a freelance editor, gimme a call. My rates are reasonable (because I don’t live in Ireland and don’t need to pay e2500 a month for a prison cell).

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Stan - February 26, 2020

That’s desperate – every non-FF govt. apart from the last two, FF have been the largest party, and the oppostion.

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Aonrud ⚘ - February 26, 2020

Is he reading too much majoritarian nonsense from across the water? There was a lot of that ‘coalition of the losers’ talk in 2010 when there was a brief suggestion of a Labour – Lib Dem govt. from journos who didn’t understand parliamentary systems (but at least in their defence it was unprecedented in the UK…)

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Dermot M O Connor - February 26, 2020

Their blindness and bias when it comes to policies and parties is bad enough, but yikes, when they can’t even get basic facts straight! Even Garret the Good never came within reach of surpassing FF, it was only Enda who managed that; you’d think a ‘professional’ columnist would know that.

Speaking of majoritarian nonsense from across the water, see Shatter’s recent BS about FP% and SF not having a mandate, as though we had a FPTP system instead of PR!!!
His claim that SF ‘only’ got 25% of the FP willfully ignores the large number of second prefs which are – duhrrr – a tacit desire to see that party in power. Nobody gives a #2 or a #3 for a candidate who they don’t want to see in power.

FFG and their media minions could begin the painful task of dealing with reality, but instead reality is going to deal with them.

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Stan - February 27, 2020

The next step, should SF even threaten to take power, will be dark mutterings about a coup

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Aonrud ⚘ - February 27, 2020

Yeah, that’s just lazy. As you say, it’s a proportional system. Compare the FP % of any govt. – I’m sure none were over 50% anyway. (Which would be generally true even if we were looking at FPTP).

I’m back to the one political question I can never answer: is it disingenuous, or just stupid? 😉

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7. tafkaGW - February 27, 2020

Great to see that the Brexitanian government is already giving the lie to the big election lie that they have somehow ‘got Brexit done’.

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sonofstan - February 27, 2020

If they want to keep winning, they have to keep Brexiting I guess.

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8. Paddy Healy - February 27, 2020

Who are they Kidding? People urgently need rent reductions and a rent freeze, quicker access to health services etc etc These require legislation by the new Dáil. But FG and FF are going to have “a one-day policy exchange” next week!! FG say they are not yet in a position to appoint a negotiating team to hammer out a programme for government with FF! Both parties are deliberately killing time.
RTE: Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have agreed to hold a one-day policy exchange next week, following contact between Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin earlier today.
The two leaders also agreed to meet again following these discussions.
It is expected that the policies which are likely to be reviewed include housing, climate change, health, cost-of-living, the economy, and taxation.
However, at a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party this afternoon, Mr Varadkar said the party position on government formation has not changed, and he intends to lead them into opposition.
Fine Gael’s parliamentary party chairman, Martin Heydon, said in a statement that Mr Varadkar “does not believe there is currently sufficient basis for appointing a negotiating team, or initiating discussions on a potential Programme for Government”. —RTE

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9. Paddy Healy - February 27, 2020

Homeless up by 540 in a month!

“Rise in Homelessness Disappointing” FG Housing Minister Murphy . He is still Minister and the Dáil is paralysed! FG haven’t even appointed a negotiating team and FF and FG will have a policy discussion day next week ! !

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10. CL - February 28, 2020

“A “Slaintecare-type” plan aimed at dealing with the country’s housing shortage is being developed in the government formation talks….
All parties involved in discussions have said that a cross-party agreement as to how to tackle the undersupply of housing is badly needed….
One of the ideas being proposed is constituting a new joint Oireachtas committee on housing to allow it begin a programme of work before the government formation talks are concluded.
A decision could be made when the Dáil convenes next Thursday.”
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/slaintecare-type-approach-urged-to-social-and-affordable-homes-plan-984566.html

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Joe - February 28, 2020

Government of National Unity by means of Joint Oireachtas Committee?
National unity on health has (allegedly) been attained already and is set out in Sláintecare.
The (formerly) big two now going to try to tempt SF and others in to a similar process on housing.
To which SF might say fine – as long as we also set up another Joint Oireachtas Committee to work up national unity on … national unity?

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CL - February 28, 2020

‘A new joint Oireachtas committee on housing’ would aim to have a cross-party agreement on housing, thus reducing controversy and Sinn Fein’s ‘ownership’ of the issue.
There is still considerable disagreement re Sláintecare, funding, implementation period etc
Its difficult to see the parties of the landlords and developers reaching agreement with SF on what needs to be done.
There is clear reluctance by FF and FG to coalesce and then face an energized SF in opposition, so they would like to neutralize the housing issue beforehand with some form of agreed cross-party proposal while keeping SF out of executive power. Its difficult to see SF agreeing to this.

The posturing will eventually have to end and FFG will have to face the new political reality.

“Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has been clear and unambiguous about what needs to be done but, so far at least, Fine Gael seems more intent on sulking in response to the rebuff it received from the electorate rather than facing up to the imperative of participating in government….
There is no mystery about the stark options facing the mainstream parties. Either they agree on a formula to put a government together or they trigger another election. If the second option represents an appalling vista then they had better get on with it and engage in serious talks about the formation of government before they further erode public confidence in our democracy.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fine-gael-s-sulking-will-further-erode-public-confidence-in-our-democracy-1.4186952

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Alibaba - February 28, 2020

Stephen Collins is right when he notes Sinn Féin’s ‘unprecedented step of organising public rallies to demand inclusion in the next government’. The fact that SF the dealmaker is going public is what annoys FF and FG the most. Government formation usually happens behind closed doors. 

I do remember Gerry Adams being asked his views on the day electoral results became known and he invited those who had voted for SF for the first time to join the party. That’s what’s going on with these rallies, building the momentum for getting SF into power or failing that, growing them big time as the Opposition.

Collins’ concern is not about eroding ‘public confidence in our democracy’. He fears that delays will gift SF with growth prospects and maybe push it further to the left if (some of) its demands aren’t met. FFG economic tokenism is his panacea.

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WorldbyStorm - February 28, 2020

Yes, and the odd thing is that rallies (or to use a less contentious term, though honestly what’s the problem?) were far from unknown in Irish politics in the past.

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CL - February 28, 2020

Some in the MSM seem to think that political rallies began with Trump. Daniel O’Connell held huge political rallies. There are historians who claim that the Irish transferred this tactic to America where political rallies are a standard feature of political campaigns.
Self-proclaimed socialist Bernie Sanders says his campaign is of, by, and for the working class. He’s got the establishment a little worried too. Here is speaking at a rally in S. Carolina today.

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11. tafkaGW - February 28, 2020

Mr. Market seems to be in a highly Nervous State(tm), due to Covid-19.

The thing is there is no more gas left in the monetary easing tank, and the only route to calm his nerves might be printing money for fiscal stimulus, which would be rank heresy.

Interesting times they come apace.

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tafkaGW - February 28, 2020

Talking of rank heresy, Hong Kong is planning to drop $1,300 of helicopter money on each resident.

Hong Kong’s leaders clearly didn’t do the right MBA.

https://taz.de/Geld-fuer-EinwohnerInnen-Hongkongs/!5664280/

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12. rockroots - February 28, 2020

Should be interesting:

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rockroots - February 28, 2020

(the full line-up for that panel):

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13. roddy - February 28, 2020

Finally a journalist has the balls to take on Drew Harris.See Pat Flanagan in todays Irish Mirror.(Its on Flanagans twitter account and I would post it only I don’t know how to)

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CL - February 28, 2020

“Mr Harris joined the RUC in 1983 and as a senior officer had, and obviously still has, interactions with British intelligence.

Maybe he should have inquired of his contacts who murdered 33 of our citizens in 1974 when they were briefing him about Sinn Fein and the IRA.

Are we to abandon support of an Irish political party on the word of the same MI5 which was more than likely behind the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane and the Miami Showband massacre?….

the indisputable fact is the commissioner made comments that sought to undermine the credibility of one particular party at a crucial time in Irish politics.

There are many people who believe Mr Harris has completely overstepped the mark and think he should consider his position.

He has certainly undermined his own credibility and lost the trust of a good proportion of the people of this republic.”
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/news-opinion/drew-harris-sinn-fein-mi5-21597379

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14. roddy - February 29, 2020

Sunday times poll puts SF on 35%

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Dermot M O Connor - February 29, 2020

JEeezus! So it tallies with the prevous post poll with SF in mid 30s.

Sunday Times/B&A
Feb 17-25th, 2020.

SF 35% (+10)
FF 20% (-2)
FG 18% (-3)
GRN 6% (-1)
LAB 3% (-1)
SD 2% (-1)
SPBP 3% (-)
AON1% (-1)
IND/OTH 10% (-3)

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WorldbyStorm - February 29, 2020

The other two big parties will do anything to avoid an election now I’d imagine

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Paul Culloty - February 29, 2020

And based on those numbers, the parties on the left seem better placed to recoup their temporary losses, with FF and FG seemingly circling the proverbial plughole.

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Dermot M O Connor - February 29, 2020

Indeed – if they’re smart. But let’s hope that FFG are as stupid as they’re showing signs of being! Would love to see AK out of hibernation with seat projections on this one.

FFG also want to consider that their current strategy (which is identical to their previous strategy only LOUDER and stupider) not only isn’t working, it’s backfiring – keep it up lads. Maybe if Leo stopped trying to portray the SF rallies as anti-democratic, he might at least stop losing votes, and stand still at least. In a hole, but digging faster. What a maroon, I really thought, back when he became leader that at least he’d be smarter than Enda. How wrong could I be?

Heard one of the RTE interviewers go at a SF TD about the rallies during the week, god almighty, I wanted to punch my computer, you’d think the RTE gobshite was talking about Nuremberg. Just yelled at him like a harpie. Rubbish about “the government is formed in dublin why aren’t ye in dublin”, as if cars didnt’ exist, and as if the two major parties hadn’t ruled SF out in any case!

I said over a week or so ago that this was exactly what the elites would do, unable to realise the new reality they would scream and shout and do more of the same sort of guff that failed before, because well it SHOULD work darn it, maybe we got the VOLUME wrong.

The clever people are not so sharp when the cosmic teleprompter stops delivering them lines.
Deep breaths, RTE/Indo/IT/FFG, and:
“ARMY COUNCIL ARMY COUNCIL ARMY COUN….”

That rot (failing to deal with the problems that gave rise to Trump/Brexit/SF) hasn’t worked against Brexit, isn’t working against Trump, and won’t work against SF either if this is a pointer. (Not saying SF is politically analogous to those projects, but the reaction by the establishment definitely is). SF certainly represent a threat of change from the previous FFG TINA slop.

Wonder about seat bonuses now, if SF edges into 36% or 37% territory or who knows where the ceiling is now? They’ll have to start thinking of 2 seats all over the place, and 3 in some. 80 candidates minimum, go for it. Put FF and FG out of our misery, pleeeeease.

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dermot - March 1, 2020

I was wondering about their ceiling myself. Given that MLM has an approval rating of over 50%, that might give a hint. Not that they’ll hit 50, but I think it’s well north of 35 at this point.

COMPLETE failure of FFG to comprehend that they are despised. Fantastic! Even the slightest Act of Contrition is as beyond them as it is Labour, still wheeling out that ghastly Jeuisitcal Rabbitte to remind voters to avoid like a Fukushima reactor. Unless they change direction they are likelty to end up where they are heading. Can’t happen soon enough.

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15. Paddy Healy - February 29, 2020

Note SF 35% FF+FG 38% MOE 3.3%

Lehane on RTE News “this result suggests that Sinn Féin has consolidated its position since the general election”

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Paddy Healy - February 29, 2020

This is an earthquake!

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16. CL - March 1, 2020

Support for Sinn Fein has increased by 40% over the previous poll
(from 25 to 35, 10 percentage points over 25 equals 40%)

This is unprecedented. Is there a ceiling?

The ruling powers’ crisis deepens; coalesce and be faced by a powerful Sinn Fein-led opposition, opt for another election and Sinn Fein will take state power.

Sinn Fein’s power continues to grow as it captures the discontented mood of the people.

So resort may now be had to a third option; assimilate Sinn Fein to the
power structure by FF or FG accepting SF as a coalition partner. But with the wind of change at its back SF may now be less amenable to such a convenient resolution.

Sinn Fein has now more legitimacy than FF or FG

Meanwhile…..

“Barnier is becoming increasingly insistent on making the point,” says one source, “not least to Dublin, that if this thing doesn’t go well there are only two options for Ireland. One is the imposition of a land border, the other is exclusion from the single market.”
https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2020/0229/1118290-brexit-blog-tony-connelly/

Well may the ruling powers tremble….

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17. Tomboktu - March 1, 2020

Labour running four candidates on the Seanad panels (plus Bacik in the Universty of Dublin constituency)

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18. roddy - March 1, 2020

I see SF are running 7 for the senate.I don’t know how it works but would all 7 have a chance?

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irishelectionliterature - March 2, 2020

They should have just enough votes on the various panels for them all to be elected.

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19. CL - March 1, 2020

“Biden won South Carolina by nearly 30 percentage points over Bernie Sanders.”
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-bidens-big-south-carolina-win-might-mean-for-sanders/

But…

“New CNN polls conducted by SSRS finds that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders holds significant leads ahead of Super Tuesday contests in California and Texas.”
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/01/politics/south-carolina-bounce-super-tuesday/index.html

“Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s campaign on Saturday will begin a massive voter outreach push, with plans to hold more than 2,400 events across 30 states ahead of Super Tuesday…

With Bloomberg appearing on primary ballots for the first time on Tuesday, his 2,100-person campaign’s effort will complement the overwhelming advertising campaign he’s waged on television and online. He’s spent more than half-a-billion dollars since entering the Democratic primary, at an average of more than $5 million a day.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bloomberg-campaign-plans-2400-events-30-states-ahead/story?id=69300673

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20. Paddy Healy - March 1, 2020

Sinn Féin’s Share of the Vote In B&A Poll was 42% not 35% !!!!
Irish Opinion Poll analysis https://wp.me/pKzXa-jh
In the Unadjusted Raw Poll (Core Vote) Sinn Féin got 7% more than FF and FG COMBINED
From B&A Website
Raw Poll “Core Vote”
SF37 FF 16 FG 14 Lab2 Greens/Independents/All others 18 Undecided 13
Eliminating “undecided”
SF 42 FF 18 FG16 Lab 3 Greens/Independents/All others 21
Result Adjusted by B&A
SF 35 FF 20 FG 18 Lab 3 Greens/Independents/Others 24

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21. CL - March 2, 2020

The roots of our discontent.

“Imagine being in the prime of your life and at the top of your career and deciding what you want to do is target the most disadvantaged in society, those most discriminated against in the most tangible ways, economically and socially. Imagine feeling that you want to spell out a message that the most scandalous misappropriations are by the welfare classes not the bankster classes….
What constitutes robustness when standing up to the clowns in Fianna Fáil accelerates into meanness when deployed against the vulnerable and the impoverished in society….
Varadkar melds neoliberalism and anodyne blandness. But the glue he deploys is the most interesting thing about the man, for the glue is the glue of nastiness….
His MEPs unblinkingly voted against life-saving search and rescue measures for migrants in the Mediterranean on obscure grounds…
Uniquely in Europe Ireland does not have a system of universal healthcare.  Cross-party consensus led to the reinstigation of universal healthcare as a goal under ‘Sláintecare’ but only at the end of the decade. There are more than 10,000 people waiting on hospital trolleys, twice the number a decade before and that has been the case for the last year.
85,000 people are on social housing lists. Yet hotels and student housing are rising all over the country’s capital….
Fine Gael is ideologically opposed to social housing as there is nothing in it for its buy-to-let-fetishising members…..
Its solutions are all developer-facilitating.  Its Minister for Housing is in thrall to the building industry and will not consider compulsory purchase measures….
It is extraordinary that in every case where it cannot or won’t effectively intervene it is the wealthiest who benefit from Fine Gael’s inertia.
Fine Gael stands above all for property rights; it stands for sniffy intolerance of those economically and socially inferior to the party’s – now often youthful and cosmopolitan – hegemons….
it stands for laissez faire and deference to developers and multinationals; and for indulgence of those who are intolerant of migrants….It is the Nasty Party. And Leo Varadkar is its icon.”
https://villagemagazine.ie/go-easier-on-the-nastiness/

This right-wing extremism led by Varadkar, and supported by Fianna Fail, is the cause of the current crisis.
Any new government that continues this extremism cannot be the solution.
As a republican party, believing in the sovereignty of the people, Sinn Fein should be opposing the predatory class,-and not contemplating perpetuating their power and exploitation by coalescing with them.

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Daniel Rayner O'Connor - March 2, 2020

As I said when he became Taoiseach, Varadkar is basically a mean spirited bean counter.

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CL - March 2, 2020

You’re being very kind.

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22. Paddy Healy - March 2, 2020

Could Mary Lou McDonald Become Taoiseach on Thursday Next?
RTE: Sinn Féin is understood to be considering whether to nominate Mary Lou McDonald for Taoiseach when the Dáil reconvenes.
Should the party decide to make such a proposal, it seems unlikely that other parties would oppose it.
Today, the Labour Party called for a vote to be held for Taoiseach on Thursday.
In a letter to the Committee this lunchtime, outgoing Labour leader Brendan Howlin argues it would be a “mistake” not to hold a vote because there is “a constitutional imperative that a government be elected as soon as possible”.
Mr Howlin cited public concern over the COVID-19 virus as a further reason.

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Paddy Healy - March 2, 2020

On behalf of Sinn Féin, Aongus Ó Snodaigh TD has just announced that Mary Lou McDonald WILL NOT be proposed for Taoiseach on Thursday Next

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Jolly Red Giant - March 2, 2020

Sinn Fein know this is a non-runner

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Daniel Rayner O'Connor - March 2, 2020

Brendan Cornish’ nomination in 1961 was even more of a non-runner, but he stood anyway, as symbolic act showing that there might be an alternative to the two conservative parties. Dumbo Gilmore should have done the same in 2011, with even more justification, instead of rushing to Kenny with his tango protruding. Mary lou should get it into people’s heads that the office is not the private property of FFG.

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Paul Culloty - March 3, 2020

I think JRG’s point is more that it’s premature at present.

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23. Paddy Healy - March 2, 2020

Coronavirus is not the main cause, it is just the trigger for the new world economic crash-Paddy Healy
From Matt Cooper Sunday Business Post, 1st March, 2020
Coronavirus fears weren’t only factor behind rush to sell shares
Investors worldwide belatedly realised last week that vast quantities of cheap money had pushed the valuation of many companies far too high.
Stock market values have been too high for too long. Fears of the spread of Covid-19 was just one of a number of factors that led to the widespread sale of shares over the last week.
On markets all over the world, including Wall Street, there was a belated realisation by investors that a wall of cheap money had pushed the valuations of many companies way too high and that was even before this crisis.

Full article on paddyhealywordpress

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24. Paddy Healy - March 2, 2020

Would you believe this??
Varadkar: VOTERS WERE DISTRESSED AND OFFENDED BY FINE GAEL HOUSING RESPONSE
By Daniel McConnell,Political Editor, Irish Examiner, Monday, March 02, 2020
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar admitted many voters were “very distressed and offended” by the failure of Fine Gael to address the housing crisis.
“I think housing homelessness was a really important issue in the election that actually, a lot of people are very distressed and offended at the fact that we didn’t make more progress when it comes to homelessness,” he said.
“And I really heard that. And obviously, the housing crisis has affected so many people in so many different ways, whether it’s people in their 20s or 30s, who are still living at home at the low paying really high rent, so I think housing was a really real issue in this election. I do feel we made a lot of progress in the last year or two,” he added.
“But I think the public took a different view that we didn’t do enough. Now we need to reflect on that. And refresh our policies when it comes to housing and see if there is more that we could have done, or at least things that we can call for in opposition that the new government should be doing,” he said.

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25. Paddy Healy - March 3, 2020

Varadkar’s Contempt for Voters!
It is not surprising that a right wing politician could think as in the quotation below. What is truly amazing is that he should say it and expect the public to believe it! He must have supreme contempt for the intelligence of voters!
Varadkar:“But I think the public took a different view(on housing) that we didn’t do enough. Now we need to reflect on that. And refresh our policies when it comes to housing and see if there is more that we could have done, or at least things that we can call for in opposition that the new government should be doing,” he said.

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makedoanmend - March 3, 2020

If I remember wasn’t one of his first PR wheezes when just elected about the housing crisis?. He held high level, televised meetings and then did sweet FA afterwards.

And now Leo finds it disconcerting that people don’t think he and FFG didn’t do enough.

I wonder do he and his fellow travellers have any conception of what working people have to deal with anymore? I’m betting not.

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26. tomasoflatharta - March 3, 2020
makedoanmend - March 3, 2020

Actually it’s nice that welfare recipients are able to take a brief holiday. I suppose they’ll be sending holiday post cards of Ireland back to Benefits Street. And to think our budget strapped national broadcaster can spend resources reporting on these scroungers. It’s win-win all around.

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WorldbyStorm - March 3, 2020

🙂

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27. tomasoflatharta - March 3, 2020
28. Paddy Healy - March 3, 2020

G20 Meeting Fails to Tackle Key Issues in World Economy as New Recession Looms
Michael Roberts Blog : G20 and Covid-19 February 23, 2020
In my last post on COVID-19, I commented: “it could be a trigger for a new economic slump because the world capitalist economy has slowed to near ‘stall speed’. The US is growing at just 2% a year, Europe and Japan at just 1%; and the major so-called emerging economies of Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, Argentina, South Africa, and Russia are basically static. The huge economies of India and China have also slowed significantly in the last year and if China takes an economic hit from the disruption caused by CoVid-19, that could be a tipping point.”
The finance ministers and central bankers of the top 20 economies in the world met this weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The G20 finance summit had a lot to ponder.

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