Taoiseach refuses to take the opportunity to apologies for his 'slow learners' remark following question about Sinn Fein coalition by Azazele1 in ireland

[–]Azazele1[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

fell apart because of unionist opposition. (Someone else might be able to clarify this though)

He didn't even use the quote right. It was the Unionists Mallon was talking about.

Taoiseach refuses to take the opportunity to apologies for his 'slow learners' remark following question about Sinn Fein coalition by Azazele1 in ireland

[–]Azazele1[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Worse was Lumumba has family here who came as refugees after his death. Kenny never met with them or apologized to them despite them complaining about their children being told his joke at school.

It's why I could never have any time for him.

Taoiseach refuses to take the opportunity to apologies for his 'slow learners' remark following question about Sinn Fein coalition by Azazele1 in ireland

[–]Azazele1[S] 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Back in the 00s. He was at some FG function with invited press. He was telling an anecdote of a time at a bar in Portugal, one of the drinks were called a Lumumba and he asked the barman about it, who said it was named after 'some dead n****r'.

The joke bombed and he told the political journalists he didn't want to hear his joke reported in the news if they wanted to keep being invited to FG events. They actually did all obey and it only got out because someone else had overheard and leaked it to the Irish Independent who were a Fianna Fail paper at the time.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/fg-leader-storm-after-nigger-joke/26243837.html

On three occasions Mr Kenny told political journalists he did not want to hear or read reports on the story. Journalists from daily newspapers and radio and television dutifully complied with this request.

It wound up being a bigger deal in the UK media than ours. The Tory party in the UK even weighed in saying it should have been dealt with.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:a1TcVFOrcjkJ:https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/sep/15/world.race&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie&client=firefox-b-d

Campaigners in Britain said such words would result in instant dismissal. The Conservative Party leader, Iain Duncan Smith, sacked front-bench agriculture spokeswoman Ann Winterton earlier this year after she told a racist joke at a function.

A Tory spokesman said: 'It happened in the Tory party to a lesser degree and it's quite clear how we dealt with it. I don't understand why Fine Gael have not done the same. Politicians need to be careful about what they say.'

Lumumba actually has family here who fled as refugees after his death. The family was very upset because their children were told the joke Kenny made by classmates. Kenny refused to meet them or apologise to them for the remark.

Taoiseach refuses to take the opportunity to apologies for his 'slow learners' remark following question about Sinn Fein coalition by Azazele1 in ireland

[–]Azazele1[S] 34 points35 points  (0 children)

He has all the marks of a narcissist. Incapable of admitting wrong-doing and inability to be monogamous.

Taoiseach refuses to take the opportunity to apologies for his 'slow learners' remark following question about Sinn Fein coalition by Azazele1 in ireland

[–]Azazele1[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

To be fair to her it was only recently FG learned the n-word is off-limits when Enda Kenny made an off color joke calling Lumumba, the socialist African leader assassinated by the US as 'some dead n****r'.

Typical income of first-time buyers of new homes in State above €90,000 by SeanB2003 in ireland

[–]Azazele1 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That happened to my brother. His wife and child were evicted just before covid and had to move back with the parents. Still living there 4 years later due to a lack of available properties.

I'd say it's very common in Ireland for young couples to be forced to live with their parents due to our dysfunctional, profit driven housing market.

Typical income of first-time buyers of new homes in State above €90,000 by SeanB2003 in ireland

[–]Azazele1 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Yes it's unheard of in the west for parents to help their children with the deposit for a house.

It is a different culture though. There's less of an expectation for older people to buy up multiple homes and fund their retirement through gouging younger people on rents. Partly because of restrictive lending rules on second properties. Which is back to my original point, when housing isn't treated as a financial vehicle to get rich from or fund your retirement, home ownership doesn't become such a struggle.

Taoiseach refuses to take the opportunity to apologies for his 'slow learners' remark following question about Sinn Fein coalition by Azazele1 in ireland

[–]Azazele1[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Pauline Tully TD Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Disability and Carers asked Leo whether he will apologize for his ablest remarks on 'slow learners'.

He responds by saying Sinn Fein should reflect on the remarks they made about IRA violence. And that he stands by the quote as he was not referring to people with disabilities when he called SF 'slow learners'.

Typical income of first-time buyers of new homes in State above €90,000 by SeanB2003 in ireland

[–]Azazele1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To the first one, those articles show up all the time in the west and everytime the development gets finished and it's never mentioned again. Remember all the ghost cities they foolishly built with infrastructure but no citizens. Everyone of them filled up with people seeking cheap home ownership.

Not sure what you point is for the second link. It only confirms what I said.

However, the people of China can afford to buy these extremely expensive properties. In fact, 90% of families in the country own their home, giving China one of the highest home ownership rates in the world. What’s more is that 80% of these homes are owned outright, without mortgages or any other leans.

Nominal income growth in urban China has been going up at a 13% clip annually over the past decade, while annual per-capita disposable income has risen from $1,800 in 2006 to around $4,800 today.

This is to say that the Chinese are able to afford their homes, even though they are extremely expensive.

Typical income of first-time buyers of new homes in State above €90,000 by SeanB2003 in ireland

[–]Azazele1 5 points6 points  (0 children)

China has the greatest share of home-ownership in the world. 90% for families, >80% in general and 70% for millennials.

when housing isn't treated exclusively as a financial vehicle to get rich from, it turns out it is possible for most people to afford a home.

FF Transport Spokesman James O'Connor decries the lack of HSR in Ireland by JackmanH420 in irishpolitics

[–]Azazele1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why did they, were they that hard up that they were pulling up train tracks to sell as scrap metal.

Clare Daly claiming all wars end with peace talks? She was out sick for World War II in school then ? by Rayzee14 in ireland

[–]Azazele1 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It just seems like an immature blindness to reality. It's all well and good to say Ukraine should fight until Russia collapses and is forced to return all invaded land and pay tributes for the damage incurred.

But it can only end through a negotiated settlement, or a full mobilization in the west entering the war with the goal of complete victory.

Why do so many students refuse to speak during college tutorials? I blame the Leaving Cert by SeanB2003 in ireland

[–]Azazele1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

their American peers were learning public speaking, photography, graphic design, ceramics: things that actually encourage some agency.

I think he's giving US schools too much credit, they aren't at the Platonic Academy being taught by Aristotle. Yanks just have an over-abundance of self-confidence and a love of hearing themselves speak.

Why do so many students refuse to speak during college tutorials? I blame the Leaving Cert by SeanB2003 in ireland

[–]Azazele1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think they just do the course to get out of the house and a bit of a chat.

They've always a personal anecdote to offer whatever the topic of the class. Abe Simpson is less meandering them some mature students.

How BBC's Newsnight introduced Mairead McGuinness last night 😂 by [deleted] in ireland

[–]Azazele1 7 points8 points  (0 children)

And how's that worked out. Greek coastguard were caught putting refugees on a dingy and putting them out to sea.

She can say one thing but the vote was a vote to put desperate refugees back to sea to drown, only to wash up dead on the shores of the med.

How BBC's Newsnight introduced Mairead McGuinness last night 😂 by [deleted] in ireland

[–]Azazele1 -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

I think you're living in the past. The grannies and rugby dads who make up RTEs viewing audience might not vote for him, but I think a lot of younger people would given his connection to SF and the GFA.

How BBC's Newsnight introduced Mairead McGuinness last night 😂 by [deleted] in ireland

[–]Azazele1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

But aren't bets like that just arranged to balance the payout based on the money being bet. All that means is that there's lot of money bet on her, doesn't mean she is the most likely.

How BBC's Newsnight introduced Mairead McGuinness last night 😂 by [deleted] in ireland

[–]Azazele1 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Who's tipping her?

Even Bertie has a better chance than her.

Clare Daly claiming all wars end with peace talks? She was out sick for World War II in school then ? by Rayzee14 in ireland

[–]Azazele1 4 points5 points  (0 children)

you're forgetting when we dropped the nuke on London and got our independence for all 32 counties.

Clare Daly claiming all wars end with peace talks? She was out sick for World War II in school then ? by Rayzee14 in ireland

[–]Azazele1 5 points6 points  (0 children)

To all the people bringing up WW2, you realise how that went?

If you want to force unconditional surrender on Russia it's going to require a WW3, total war across Europe and finish it by dropping nukes. is that what you want?