the ahem socialist, working class country of ireland, which famously went to court for the right not to charge apple more than 0.005% corporation tax on its earnings, is the world's largest tax haven. the country exists to help the wealthiest in society pay zero tax. they had to change the definition of economic growth twice (GDP -> GNI -> Modified GNI) because of the distortions caused by unprecedented chicanery.

they have great PR.

Not that they haven't succeeded economically, the giveaway tax regime has attracted investment, but it's gangster economics. And they didn't have free secondary education till 1967 and the healthcare system's still a bit patchy. Both main political parties are profoundly conservative (except for strange outbreaks of wokery which just so happen to have reactionary intent and effect, like oppressing women and girls through 'genderism'), and Sinn Fein is getting more conservative all the time as it eyes the prize of power.

What you're both describing here is the disconnect between republican ideology and what politicians actually deliver. The IRA and PIRA campaigns were popular and successful because people wanted independence and marxism.

What is the common denominator of all these low tax companies in Ireland? They're all american and run by people of a certain persuasion. That's not what the people fought and died for.

its what the irish people voted for

A similar thing would be people in the midlands/north of england who were seduced by slogans like northern powerhouse and midlands engine by the tories. Just because they are gullible enough to vote right wing doesn't mean that they're no longer working class.

It's not what they fought for.

Yellowbentines we all apprectyour contributions even if we don't necessarily share your values; but can you please make a clear distinction between your preferences, and what happened and happens? You have a right to your preferences, but not to facts.

The country exists because Irish people exist tbh. But yes they, either by accident or by design, ended up being a sort of fiscal paradise for large international companies and benefit from it immensely (with significant distribution problems, for that benefit).

That doesn't mean the median Irish voter hates (say) mandated maternity leave, socialized healthcare, unions, and other significant forms of welfare or state intervention the economy (which is what usually determines if you are economically rightwing or leftwing)

Those companies all were pro BLM, always are pro the widest possible LGBTQI2S+ recent fad and so on.

They all donate to the democratic party and so on

The issue here is that I have to fend off multiple right wingers at the same time and they have an answer for everything but a solution for nothing.

That's almost never how democratic elections work.

http://www.thenational.scot/news/243...h-not-british/

TWO-THIRDS of people in Scotland identify only as Scottish, not British, according to new findings from the census.

The data, which was published on Tuesday and collected by a nationwide census in 2022, also found that the majority of the Scots population say they have no religion – for the first time ever.

The census was the first one run in Scotland since 2011, and the results have painted an interesting picture of national identity.

It found that, of the 5,436,600 people living in Scotland, some 65.5% of them identify only as Scottish. This has increased by 3.1 points since 2011, when 62.4% of people said they were Scottish, not British.

They were unpopular and unsuccessful, and Irish Marxists have tended to poll quite weakly, so you're just making stuff up.

'The people', whatever you mean by that, didn't fight and die for anything. The IRA, quite a small faction, lost the 'War of Independence' (which didn't really amount to a war) and the Irish delegates in London in 1921 had to agree a treaty which was basically what had already been on offer since 1914, the terms having been achieved legitimately by the Irish Parliamentary Party up to that time through persuasion and not violence. The supposed success of the violent revolutionaries in 1916-21 is a myth. And in Michael Collins's case the whole thing was a catastrophic personal failure ending with a bullet in the head from one of the violent crazies that Collins himself had unfortunately nurtured and encouraged.

The Irish people didn't want Marxism and neither did the PIRA actually. The Official IRA was Marxist and refused to engage with the British army as they wanted to achieve a Marxist revolution first, which led to a split between them and what became the Provisional IRA.

More rumours abound of a quick dash to the polls on the back of improved inflation news and heading off a revolt...

Speculation rife for a July 5th election, so I guess Sunak fancies a long summer holiday this year…

^^ Politics idiot doesn't know that GEs are by convention held on Thursdays.

My stars, the sooner the better

4th july

Yep, it's 4 July.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-69050450

yup

Wonder if this is how he'll be remembered, visually - the PM so rushed to call a GE to avoid being deposed by his own party that he had to do it in pouring rain.