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McDowell is losing it
Read more about: Economy, Environment, Green Party, Progressive Democrats
I have to say that I never thought McDowell should have been leader of the PD’s. He simply does not have the tact to lead a party. He is an attack dog. And he is proving that he has zero tact. A poll comes out that shows that the PD’s are at 1% and this very day he comes out and attacks the Green Party and mis-representing their tax policies. Not only does he do this on the day of a poll. But also on the day of the UN report on climate change. Basically by appearing desperate he has handed the Greens a propaganda field day.
By setting them up as near opposites, McDowell demonstrates his ignorance of the interaction between the economy and the environment. A deteroriating environment will place an unsustainable strain on future economic resources. Further, transforming the environment (e.g. investment in public transport to relieve congestion) will create real returns both for society and business. In other words, there’s gold in them thar’ sustainables and deficits in pollution.
I agree generally with what Michael (Taft, not McDowell!) says above.
Obviously McDowell needs to attack the Greens, they share a voterbase in Dublin (at least) and they’re gaining big while the PDs are suffering their worst polling result to date.
Now - McDowell is trying to create a subliminal link between the environment and recession, because it’s probably their party’s weakest point (that is to say they don’t care about it at all).
Of course, there is a huge benefit to be had by going green, besides the drop in polution.
Firstly, our economy would be less reliant on unstable countrys in the ME, and secondly as an island nation we have huge resources at hand - wind and wave specifically.
I’m not sure what percentage of our consumption we could potentially replace by indigineous green energy, but we could easily become a European leader - heck, even an exporter!
Unless McDowell is very very cunning indeed and none of this is about national politics at all, and is much more local. Perhaps he thinks that he can secure his own seat against his great nemesis John Gormley by appealing to the more conservative instincts of the electors in his constituency.
McDrool.
The Green’s economic policy work for the planet as a whole. Unfortunately if we introduce their policies just in Ireland then a couple of new power stations in China will make up difference and our economy will be destroyed.
I’m not arguing that the environment is the second biggest threat to the Irish economy (after Sinn Fein IRA) but there is no point in us making Ireland martyrs to the green cause while the rest of the world fights over our carbon quota.
Just this morning Sargent said on RTE that if they come into power they will immediately stop all investment in the road infrastructure. Now that’s basically a Dublin centric party telling rural Ireland to go **** itself.
“Just this morning Sargent said on RTE that if they come into power they will immediately stop all investment in the road infrastructure. Now that’s basically a Dublin centric party telling rural Ireland to go **** itself.”
Rural Ireland doesn’t need the motorway network planned by this government, unless Rural Ireland wants to transport itself to Urban Ireland every morning (or has land to sell to the NRA). I didn’t hear Sargent on the radio, but I very much doubt he said he wants to “immediately stop all investment in the road infrastructure”. As far as I’m aware Green Party policy is to upgrade existing roads and bypass towns where needed, and to invest in public transport. Even in, yes, rural Ireland.
“Perhaps he thinks that he can secure his own seat against his great nemesis John Gormley by appealing to the more conservative instincts of the electors in his constituency.”
They do say that nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the public, but I reckon the voters in DSE are a couple of steps ahead of McDowell on this one. Most of his wealthiest constituents live near the coastline, remember!
In any case, I think it’s time we all stopped playing along with the myth that McDowell is the Smartest Politician in Ireland and that everything he does is a carefully calculated manoeuvre. I’ve lost count of the number of times he’s completely reversed his position overnight in the past few years.
Rural Ireland doesn’t need the motorway network planned by this government, unless Rural Ireland wants to transport itself to Urban Ireland every morning
Have you ever been outside the pale?
but I reckon the voters in DSE are a couple of steps ahead of McDowell on this one. Most of his wealthiest constituents live near the coastline, remember!
And drive SUV’s so what is your point?
“Have you ever been outside the pale?”
Outside the Pale is where I spent all of my time up until relatively recently. We didn’t have motorways in my day I can tell you.
Seriously though, what is the benefit of a motorway for “rural Ireland” as against a decent national road which bypasses busy towns? The motorway network as planned by our current government is all about shaving time off journey times between the main cities, or in most cases between Dublin and anywhere else in the country. Except of course that studies show that journey times haven’t actually decreased significantly, mostly due to the increased number of cars on the road. And what is a good way of bringing cars onto the road? Building motorways.
To be honest, I’m surprised to hear this utterly Dublin-centric motorway programme defended on the basis that it’s a boon for rural Ireland. A roads programme designed with the needs of the rest of the country in mind would like quite different.
“And drive SUV’s so what is your point?”
I’m not saying they’re smart, I’m just saying they may be slightly smarter than Michael McDowell.
Outside the Pale is where I spent all of my time up until relatively recently.
Sorry you just get alot of people thinking the rural ireland is still horse and cart based gets me defensive.
I am not talking specifically about NDP. But alot of transport is needed. We are not talking about motorways between small places but for instance Cork to Sligo via limerick and galway. Look at the main roads between dublin and cork they are often choc a block. A dual carriage way would do alot for these areas and cut down travel areas. Remember also must of the pollution from cars is from being in slow moving traffic. Making sure the traffic moves would lower emmisions somewhat.
I’m not saying they’re smart, I’m just saying they may be slightly smarter than Michael McDowell But does McDowell drive and SUV?
McDowell has lost the plot, it comes across as petty and silly. Weren’t FF courting the Greens in the last few months after badmouthing them to rural voters. It almost seems like McDowell is a possessive lover bitchy about other parties that his current partner FF casts his eyes at.
Oh er look at Labour, isn’t she fat?
Sinn Fein, they’ve no breeding completely nouveau riche
And the Greens flaky spend thrift, buys all her clothes from a charity, she never washes herself and she smells…
The Green’s economic policy work for the planet as a whole. Unfortunately if we introduce their policies just in Ireland then a couple of new power stations in China will make up difference and our economy will be destroyed.
The answer to that would be that China are going to bring in their new power stations anyway - and if every country takes the “well they’re not doing it” attitude, we’re fucked from day 1.
As I said - Ireland could (I imagine) become a pretty decent player in the green energy market if we get there early… the way I see it there’s no reason why we should switch from relying on one country for one source of energy to relying on another country for another source of energy - especially when we have the potential to become self-sufficient in at least some of our output.
“Just this morning Sargent said on RTE that if they come into power they will immediately stop all investment in the road infrastructure. Now that’s basically a Dublin centric party telling rural Ireland to go **** itself.”
As far as I know, that’s untrue. Here’s a link to the piece on Morning Ireland.
http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/morningireland/2215336.smil