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I may be reading the situation wrong but it's my understanding that the only thing we have in common with the south is GAA games and even at that I believe they'd be happy enough if we disappeared. They don't want a united Ireland and are happy with the current situation, if anything they can't stand the north hence MM's comments.
Should the north be a separate country of its own away from the south and the Brits and have their own identity, I know it couldn't sustain itself and would never agree on anything but what other things are on the table to us? London would get rid of us in the morning and the south wouldn't piss on us...We're pretty much f**ked and stuck in this current situation for another few generations yet

You pretty much nailed it there.

MM only represents 20% of the electorate. Ye have no idea how a vote on a UI would go or how many feel about MM comments. And people like rossfan talking about what motivates people in the 26 is only expressing his opinion. Same as MM, he does not speak for the people of the 26. He does not speak for me.
I'm normally not pushed on voting, I can take it or leave it. Sick of the sound of the lot of them. SF talk shite but they're in opposition so that's essentially their remit. But absolutely sick to the teeth of constantly hearing FFG talking about SF. SF are not the government. FFG are and should be talking policy and future plans, not acting like the opposition to SF. But MM's latest comments on the North were a new low. I'm sure in his own mind it was some genius dig at SF but for a former leader of this country and likely future leader, they really were shameful comments.

So I made a point of voting this time round. All went to independents and SF got just the one too as it happened. But my vote was essentially ABFF. And in future if I'm in Australia for a GE, and the only way home is to walk barefoot, I'll be first in the booth to vote for anyone bar the party associated with that sc**bag. That's what his comments meant to me. 

[Hasn't a clue]

Hasn't a clue I suspect.
He should be asking why his Party dropped from 24.5% to 19% instead of berating people for exercising their franchise.
Were folks like him expecting SF to sweep into power or what?

Oh good God the irony.

[They represent about 40% of the vote]

FFG don't speak for the people of Ireland despite their delusions of grandeur. They represent about 40% of the vote and they only hold onto much of that by scaremongering about SF. Old habits die hard and unfortunately people would happily watch their party flush the country down the toilet and vote for them again because SF are worse or something. But that spiel has a sell by date. They'll need to change their tune eventually or become irrelevant.

Do you not know how elections work ?

Understand perfectly. But we're talking about the comments of MM on the North and his general distain for the people up there. It didn't effect his vote too much because he only represents 20% of the vote. That is not a reflection of the general views of the people of Ireland on the North or an indication of how a vote on a UI might go, the actual topic of this thread. Try keep up.

FFG don't speak for the people of Ireland despite their delusions of grandeur. They represent about 40% of the vote and they only hold onto much of that by scaremongering about SF. Old habits die hard and unfortunately people would happily watch their party flush the country down the toilet and vote for them again because SF are worse or something. But that spiel has a sell by date. They'll need to change their tune eventually or become irrelevant.

Damn "free state(sic)" voters won't vote the way 6 Co shinners want.

Could you say that again in English please.

[vindictive, condescending, sneering, contemptuous or patronising]

On a human level, Martin has had more than his share of losses to cope with, and I would sympathise with that.
But as a politician,  I always thought his attitude towards the North and Sinn Féin was reprehensible.  Fair enough,  you can disagree with,  or even dislike, rival political parties or movements,  but I always thought his attitude was some combination of vindictive, condescending,  sneering, contemptuous or patronising, and I would love to see him challenged directly by asking him where he stands regarding moves towards a United Ireland,  what Fianna Fails stance has been since the Good Friday agreement, and if he believes they hold to their roots as the Republican party.
Around the time of Boris Johnson and others,  I often wondered does it ever occur to these political figures how they will stand in history,  or how will history books of the future depict them?
In the event of a United Ireland,  how would a history book describe Micheál Martin?

Probably answered your own question

If MM's comments on his own performance in the health ministerial position are anything to go by, or indeed his comments on the bank bailout that cough cough NEVER happened, when he's sitting back enjoying his lavish pension and contemplating his own career, I'm sure he'll regard himself as the greatest politician of all time. He is really that deranged.

FFG don't speak for the people of Ireland despite their delusions of grandeur. They represent about 40% of the vote and they only hold onto much of that by scaremongering about SF. Old habits die hard and unfortunately people would happily watch their party flush the country down the toilet and vote for them again because SF are worse or something. But that spiel has a sell by date. They'll need to change their tune eventually or become irrelevant.

https://www.thejournal.ie/stephen-seery-suspended-sentence-blackmail-intimate-images-6563141-Dec2024/

Doesn't give the age of the young girl involved but how in the name of **** did this guy avoid jail? Usual check box of excuses as long as your arm for judge too. Depressing.

HAWK coin became available yesterday (December 4), and it quickly rose to a peak market cap of $490 million...

What a world we live in, the amount of people worldwide in the gutter and a woman famous for a BJ sound releases something that doesn't exist (or does it?) and it's valued at nearly half a billion.

Absolute madness. That's what puts me off crypto. People that are really into it, say with bitcoin, will argue all day long about its scarcity. And they maybe right in a trending sort of sense, but it's really just made up coding at the end of the day and infinitely reproduceable.

Is now a good time to buy some Hawk Tuah coin do you think?

https://www.unilad.com/news/money/hawk-tuah-girl-meme-coin-crashes-529996-20241205

Edit: meant to put this in the cryptocurrency thread but fits in here just as well.

Unless your name is Hailey Welch, it's probably a fast track way to lose money.

Bitcoin gone over 100k  😮

A transfer of wealth ponzi, god help those who get burnt on the next controlled dive, you can be sure those pulling the strings cash out with everyone elses money just before, grade A corruption

Madoff stuff

If it keeps confidence as a storage of wealth then the value won't drop. I really don't know what to make of it. I looked at buying in 2020 during Covid but long story short didn't. I wouldn't like to but at today's prices but that's just because I don't know enough about it or have any interest in learning more. Plus the appeal back then was that I'd own a few of the whole coins. Owning a bit of one now doesn't appeal to me. But I still think it will rise for the time.

Jack Lynch address to the nation 13/8/69

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRqvus8k1z8

It is clear now that the present situation cannot be allowed to continue. It is evident also that the Stormont government is no longer in control of the situation. Indeed, the present situation is the inevitable outcome of the policies pursued for decades by successive Stormont governments. It is clear also that the Irish Government can no longer stand by and see innocent people injured and perhaps worse. It is obvious that the RUC is no longer accepted as an impartial police force. Neither would the employment of British troops be acceptable nor would they be likely to restore peaceful conditions, certainly not in the long term. The Irish government have, therefore, requested the British government to apply immediately to the United Nations for the urgent dispatch of a Peace-Keeping Force to the Six Counties of Northern Ireland and have instructed the Permanent Representative to the United Nations to inform the Secretary General of this request. We have also asked the British Government to see to it that police attacks on the people of Derry should cease immediately.

Very many people have been injured and some of them seriously. We know that many of these do not wish to be treated in Six County hospitals. We have, therefore, directed the Irish Army authorities to have field hospitals established in County Donegal adjacent to Derry and at other points along the Border where they may be necessary.

Recognising, however, that the re-unification of the national territory can provide the only permanent solution for the problem, it is our intention to request the British Government to enter into early negotiations with the Irish Government to review the present constitutional position of the Six Counties of Northern Ireland.

MM is a disgrace of a man, a shame on the history of the party and anyone calling themselves a FF supporter should be embarrassed by him. And anyone voting for him should drop the pretence and join FG or even the DUP. There is no curse strong enough to describe how I feel about that weasel.

[And Martin's comments were a disgrace.]

The FAI publish a map in a Match programme with the 6 counties a different colour and Derry labeled "Londonderry", makes me wonder why I even aspire to a United Ireland, well always just be Brits to the Free Staters

I wouldn't judge us all based on FAI. Clearly some clown grabbed a map from Google. Earlier in the year, they had to apologise to Latvia after their effort to translate the names of the Latvian u21 players. This is a grab of the program.

https://x.com/jzigajev/status/1833588673776128208?s=46&t=upCstAqzkTQY5JtOIziaYg

Players include:

Robert the Liar
Bruno the Black
Dario shit
Gleb liked it

It's not just the FAI, it's RTE, it's Micheal Martin, it's our fellow gaels when they call us Brits at matches etc

The general election thread is also grim reading. You do wonder sometimes how many people down south give a shite about people up north    You would just hope it's representative of the minority and not the majority. I am not convinced those two, non SF, major parties are all that bothered.

Depends how you look at that. A huge effort was put in by Varadkar and Coveney to keep north in EU internal market after Brexit. Ireland (26 county part) is now a net contributor to EU and is paying for the whole island. They wasn't worth one vote in 26 but is helping business and farmers in north and annoying greatly the TUV. Dublin continues to fund Erasmus for students north of border. 50 million was given to Magee, another 50 committed to Casement, 600 million going to A5, 25 million to train service from Belfast to Dublin, funding for nurses.

Yes, they are poor on outlining a plan for unity but now that south has a bit of money and clout in the world (ie Brexit negotiations), they have made some effort at last. Will never make up for 90 years of neglect, of course. And Martin's comments were a disgrace. But things are changing overall with the parties as Brian Feeney's column today outlined.

Doesn't seem to have done any damage whatsoever with the electorate.

FF will never get any sort of vote from me again while MM is associated with them. That I can promise you.

Newcastle looked very dangerous last night but Liverpool will be disappointed not to come away with all the points. But inevitable luck to go against them at some stage. To put it in perspective if Kelleher had not made that mistake, they would be on course for over 100 points. That pace is not sustainable over 38 games. City picking up 3 points another inevitability. A team like that will not lose games indefinitely. Thought Arsenal looked very solid and Chelsea are looking like a real team. Fixture list for next month is very difficult to call especially when you don't know that the teams or injury situations will be over a grueling schedule. Banana skins everywhere for everyone. Momentum might have shifted slightly but the chasing pack will need plenty more luck over this period and hope more things go against Liverpool.   

News as entertainment has a lot to answer for. Also as unbelievable as this sounds, there is loads of people who watch fake documentaries shows like Ancient Aliens and a host of others that appear on discovery channel or national geographic and believe they are real critical shows, not realising that its an entertainment show. Some of them are your friends and family. Mental.

Yeah news is gone the way of infotainment for a lot of companies. Or at least it's more important to be first with the news than to be accurate. That's what pays in today's world.

Why do certain people in the south hate SF? They've never been in government to even justify the level of vitriol of some people. Is it the media bias? Or is it the fact they are connected to the north?

Had great admiration for them a decade or so ago. The last 5 years they joined the mainstream, ran with the herd. They provided no opposition and look now to be a worse option to FFG. And that's bad. The United Ireland they want is not the United Ireland I'd want.

Not saying I disagree with you but times change and so too everyone with it or get left behind. The Ireland we grew up in has changed immeasurably and if there is to be a united Ireland, expect it to be very different to what you might have envisioned. It will be shaped by our grandchildren and the grandchildren of unionists. And it might be no harm their views be very different to ours.