post-nice (1 Viewer)

[silo]

any thoughts?

like, what convinced you one way or the other?
what issues did you hear about, and more importantly, what ones did you not hear about? what are the government thinking now?

 

[egg_]

I abstained in the end. Went to the polling booth with my wife but decided not to vote. Reason? Mainly I thought being asked to accept/decline so many changes to EU law at once was a bit of a cod, a travesty of democracy if you will

 

[Chocohead]

if i was in your shoes, i would have voted no then.

I did vote no, and Im glad I did, though i get concerned by the yes voters Ive met who now admit they really didnt understand it. One even said they voted Yes becuase of yer man, the No neo nazi. Another said that it'll protect our neutrality. I laughed at that.

Hats off the the government though .. they're experts at the whole conning people philosophy

 

[pete]

Originally posted by Chocohead
if i was in your shoes, i would have voted no then.

likewise

 

[potlatch]

Voted no. Ended up thinking that we shouldn't be voting on something so complex in the first place but I voted no because it was better than abstaining.

Reasons for voting no:

• Democratic deficit (Parliament; Council; didn't go far enough etc.)
• Not the way I want to see Europe going
• Two tier Europe; questions about QMV
• Militarisation

Issues like migration and loss of jobs are going to happen anyway and Nice wasn't about that, so I didn't bother with that. The other issue of more power to big states looks like it would happen anyway, Nice or not, because all the accession states are small countries so opposition to Germany, France and Britain remains just as difficult, so that didn't feature for me. It concerns me but it's the nature of the game right now.

 

[IrishUnsigned]

Originally posted by silo
any thoughts?

like, what convinced you one way or the other?

Didn't vote. Why?

Nothing convinced me one way or another. I *was* v.annoyed to see RTE doing a story on Austria and Poland arguing about a new Nuclear power plant being built in Poland, last night.

Apparently it has been going on like this for weeks and Austria is going to use it's veto to tell Poland to fuck off. I can see why the Govt wouldn't want us to know about all this (Poland being one of the first expected into the expanded Europe and us being all hot and bothered about Sellafield) but it really phases me that RTE didn't tell us about it before the vote.

It would have made thousands vote no, I reckon. This is the 2nd time in three weeks I heard about RTE news policy decisions that are "Mommy knows best" or else downright machievellian (which is something I was called last week. Me!?). The other time was when then were taken to the high court and *made* to show a series of adverts. I mean, they're out of cash, falling to bits and blatantly refused to show some adverts? I could understand if it was pornographic, or insensitive or something. But it wasn't. It was the new "Power To Change" movement which is a group of christian organisations clubbing together to try to persuade young people or lapsed religious people to return to God. I don't actually agree with much of it but RTE basically said "We can't be seen to promote christianity over other religions" while this week they're saying "Let's not make that news stuff public so we can influence the NICE vote".

Someone in RTE needs a right good kicking

That's 'politics' where I grew up.

 

[P. Littbarski]

Originally posted by silo
what are the government thinking now?

they're thinking...what a great job we have. Hardly any accoutability, great pay, great holidays, expenses, flexi time and lots and lots of pensions...


from todays independant...

School's out for Dail just three weeks after start

THE Dail will shut down for a mid-term break next week, just three weeks after the new session began.

Deputies left Leinster House yesterday evening at 5.30pm and will not be required to return until Tuesday, November 5.

That day will mark the 21st sitting day of the House since the General Election was held in May.

Government chief whip Mary Hanafin last night defended the week off saying it was in line with the Government's family friendly policies to have breaks coincide with the school holidays.

But Green Party leader Trevor Sargent was critical of the early vacation.

"Today was only our 20th day of Dail sitting since the election in May," he said.

The Dail sat for a total of eight days this month.

Fine Gael chief whip Bernard Durkan said his party had originally agreed to the proposal but had objected to it in a vote yesterday, along with objecting to all Government business in protest at changes to Dail standing orders which allow the Taoiseach to absent himself from the Chamber on Thursdays.

Labour also voted against the proposal.

Ms Hanafin explained that civil servants who work in Leinster House are entitled to a day off following Monday's Bank Holiday and would not be returning to work until Wednesday.

"In that respect there would have been a day lost next week anyway."

Ms Hanafin pointed out that during the three days the Dail sits each week TDs put in long days, a total of over 25 hours over Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. (P. Littbarskis Note : bloody hell, imagine that - an 8 hour working day...poor beggars)

"Once the deputies go back home they have constituency work. And when the Dail resumes they will also have committees to attend."

Mr Sargent was sceptical of the Government position that the week off was to coincide with school holidays.

He said it added to the "sense of unreality" about the Dail as a result of the Taoiseach's reduced appearances.

"If it is so family friendly I am not sure we are providing the best example for school children if the 'headmaster' is only around on one afternoon and one morning a week."

By Christmas the Dail will have sat for 28 days since October 9.

 

[billygannon]

Unfortunately it's now a case that people just want to work the system as opposed to changing it.

 

[P. Littbarski]

Originally posted by billygannon
Unfortunately it's now a case that people just want to work the system as opposed to changing it.

ne'rr a true word was spoken billy...i was talking to es about this last night and it's impossible to change & improve the world, innit.
but people shouldn't stop trying to help change & improve even 1 persons life because it all starts at your doorstep. The frustrating thing is that people like Ms. (fucking) Hannafin get (re)elected (becasue her Da was a senator and sure it's best to keep it in the family) and then defends taking fuck loads of holidays and doing no work becuse they work 8 hour days...who votes for these people...and why isn't the minister for education a former teacher or lecturer and the minister for health a former nurse or doctor etc... and why are the government condoning child abuse and the cover up of this by doing nothing (ah we'll set up a commitee in a few weeks to look into this was their reply) and why are tribunal lawyers getting an €800 a week or month or whatever it is pay rise and who votes for fianna fail anyway...

thank god it's friday