Page 2 of 2 [ 22 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

Vexcalibur
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Jan 2008
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,398

12 Sep 2012, 10:35 am

A vote for a third party impacts the elections a lot more than a vote for reps or dems (who are supposed to get votes). If the greens (they are homeopathy fraudsters) get an extra senator or college vote it is going to be a lot more meaningful of a win than Obama staying president or Mitt becoming it.


_________________
.


thomas81
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 May 2012
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,147
Location: County Down, Northern Ireland

12 Sep 2012, 10:51 am

Pyrite wrote:
thomas81 wrote:
Today I joined the Green Party, they seem to be the only ones sticking up for the 'little guy' that also havent been corrupted by the dirty world of corporate donations.


Is it really because they won't take them or because they aren't being offered?


It specifically says on their website it doesn't accept them on principle.

In regards to the Green party I'm not an environmentalist per sae, its more a case of they are the party I disagree with the least. but you have to understand that here in NI we have a different political status quo. Here our 2 horse race is between the DUP and Sinn Fein. Both of which are completely preoccupied with the sovereignty issue and the drama around sectarian festivals. The DUP are crazy right wing creationists whom I would have nothing to do with. Sinn Fein has a chequered history because of its association with the IRA.

The Green party in my view is the only local progressive voice trying to bring the debate back to bread and butter issues on employment, housing, public services, social justice and the environment. That is why i joined.

On a personal note I am hoping to find fertile ground to start campaigning for autism advocacy.



The_Walrus
Forum Moderator
Forum Moderator

User avatar

Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Posts: 8,789
Location: London

12 Sep 2012, 1:29 pm

Quote:

Support the local food industry, particularly the expansion of organic food production
Oppose the introduction of genetically modified organisms in line with the precautionary principle
Support farm diversification including energy crops as long as they are genuinely sustainable

1a contradicts 1b+2. You can't support the local food industry if you reduce their yields as much as possible.
3 is a meaningless statement, because energy crops aren't sustainable.

Quote:
The island of Ireland to remain a nuclear free zone
Harness indigenous renewable energy sources – some of the most promising in Europe - to ensure energy security and stop exporting money as we import fossil fuels

Given Northern Ireland can only provide (in theory) 22% of its peak winter energy demands, they will remain dependant on imported fossil fuels unless they install nuclear generators. Even if they halved energy consumption, over half of the energy used would come from fossil fuels.



Tequila
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,897
Location: Lancashire, UK

12 Sep 2012, 1:36 pm

thomas81 wrote:
The Green party in my view is the only local progressive voice trying to bring the debate back to bread and butter issues on employment, housing, public services, social justice and the environment. That is why i joined.


APNI? They're a social liberal political party.

I take it the GPNI advocates for a UI? After all, the Scottish Green Party advocates for Scottish independence, and the UK Green parties are so closely related that I can't see the NI one coming out for the Union (although they claim to be "non-sectarian" in that they don't take a constitutional position.)



Fnord
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 May 2008
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 59,750
Location: Stendec

12 Sep 2012, 2:41 pm

JPanzer wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Link to "Green Party Platform" homepage.

Link to the Green Party's "Democracy" webpage.

Link to the Green Party's "Social Justice" webpage.

Link to the Green Party's "Ecological Sustainability" webpage.

Link to the Green Party's "Economic Justice & Sustainability" webpage.

These people sure cover a lot of topics.

I think, since Thomas is from Northern Ireland...

D'OH!

Image

Sorry, Thomas! I shoulda checked.



thomas81
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 May 2012
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,147
Location: County Down, Northern Ireland

12 Sep 2012, 4:36 pm

Tequila wrote:
thomas81 wrote:
The Green party in my view is the only local progressive voice trying to bring the debate back to bread and butter issues on employment, housing, public services, social justice and the environment. That is why i joined.


APNI? They're a social liberal political party.

I take it the GPNI advocates for a UI? After all, the Scottish Green Party advocates for Scottish independence, and the UK Green parties are so closely related that I can't see the NI one coming out for the Union (although they claim to be "non-sectarian" in that they don't take a constitutional position.)


I've never been fond of the alliance party, they seem so concerned about appearing one side or the other it almost makes them a one trick pony. Under the surface they are unionists (most of their party activity happens in protestant communities) and i dont think they would ever put their weight behind a UI, even if the evidence showed that it was the best option forward. Besides which as liberals and students of old school Ulster politics they are inherently economically conservative to a greater or lesser degree. The greens are predominately younger, dynamic and susceptible to ideas inspired by alternative ideological systems.

I don't think the GPNI have a specific stance on the sovereignty issue. That is one of the reasons I like them, they aren't dogmatically tied to one camp or the other and there is room for debate depending on the pros and cons of the day. To me Northern Ireland should view its membership of the union as a bus journey; it needs to know the right time to get off. If you'd asked me when the celtic tiger was still booming if i'd have supported a UI I'd have said yes without hesitation, but not anymore. If the RoI can find a sustainable source of economic growth that will provide a better way forward than the union, then I will support a United Ireland.