Attacks on Politicians

[supersuezy24]

I'm sat here listening to a discussion on Irish radio about an attack on the Irish minister for health Mary Harney,

She was at a ceremony of a new health centre in Dublin and a city councillor threw a tin of red paint over the minister.

A lot of people are condemning the city councillor who done this to the minister while others are praising her for standing up against all the broken promises which this minister had initially promised.

I have heard of British politicians been attacked in similar ways with eggs etc.

Do you think these protesters have a point or do you think they should resort to other means to get their points across??

[supersuezy24]

Oooh forgot to post the link:

http://www.thejournal...rmot-gallery-2010-11/

[sandyRoe]

Violence like that can never be justified. Especially attacking a woman.

[sandyRoe]

If I'd had the opportunity I'd have liked to have thrown a pot of urine over Rev Ian Paisley.

[mike11111]

I remember Edward Heath being sprayed with red paint when he signed the treaty taking us into the EEC (as it then was).

[Zeuhl]

It's a dangerous precedent.

where someone can land a tin of paint or a custard pie someone else can land acid or a grenade.

In effect, every time this happens ant security advisor worth their salt is advising politicos to reduce their exposure.

If we want to end up where our elected reps whizz by in armoured limos and never meet people without security vetting this is the way to do it.
.

[Davethedog]

I don't think you can ever justify violence unless its self defence.

Never in the history of politics did anyone deserve an egg in the head more than John Prescott, but it wasn't right.

We seem to have reached a social thing that we are untouchable, we can say what we want, to whom we want, whenever we want. No matter how opinionated, vulgar or down right nasty this is.

This is common assault if they want to voice opposition they should stand for office or join an opposing political party.

Imagine how society would be if we were free to attack people just because we disagreed with them.

CARNAGE :-)

[supersuezy24]

I don't condone violence but the government in Ireland is a joke at the mo...granted i know Ireland are not the only country experiencing recession but the politicians seem to have lost touch with reality in this country. hey constantly tell us that things are going to be tough yet these fat cats are getting chauffeured around everyday at what cost?? Why can't they use their own cars?? There are politicians who want to get paid for days when they did not even attend meetings in the Dail!!! And they pay them! What a joke. If i didn't attend work one day would I be paid..I don't think so

[jake-the-peg]

//You can't justify violence unless it's in self defence//

Do you think Steve that's in danger of being a slightly stock answer - perhaps a bit glib?

Suppose you could have prevented the world wide banking crisis by killing one person

Would that have been worth doing?

[jno]

suppose you'd been the one person, jake?

[Davethedog]

That depends how much you value a life. That person of course would have been Bill Clinton.

Well spotted on the name :-)

Yes a little glib, possibly more than a little naeive, but i mean in this context,. We all get outraged by politics, governments, councils even office.

How many times do you rage at someone or something? Suppose you acted on it what would we be? I understand the point but simply because you don't like it can't justify an act of violence, but I do understand why it happens

[jake-the-peg]

I know jno

I'm just pointing out that moral questions are rarely as easy as simply saying " Voilence can never be justified except in self defence".

Suppose someone had discovered a cure for Malaria but wanted to license it at a price that would make it unaffordable to almost everyone in the developing world.

Suppose then that someone killed him and published the formula on the Internet.

Dig through the morality of that!

[askyourgran]

I think is a dispicable to throw anything at anyone in public, I detest John Prescott and all tried to promote but I did not condone the person throwing eggs/tomatoes/ punches at him in public.

[supersuezy24]

I see your point headwreck but how many people in the country missed days in work due to ash cloud and were still paid...not many i'd imagine.

[Gromit]

In a free society there is no need to resort to eggs, flour, paint or fruit to get your point across. It is a very feeble gesture and totally unintelligent.

Mary Harney sounds like an easy target, not all such protestors are so lucky...
http://dirtyden.files...unch1sky410x30911.jpg

[supersuezy24]

That's the problem with the goverment in Ireland.
It's one rule/law for politicians and a completely different rule for ordinary working class people.

[supersuezy24]

I know i'm going a tad off point here headwreck but just when you mentioned Fas it triggered something.
They are closing the FAS training centre in Cabra due to "problems with the roof", i am currently doing a course here and it beggars believe that they want to close this building. People who do courses here are mostly unemployed, they are doing these courses to possibly give themselves a better chance at getting a job and they want to close the centre!! What a joke! Then they want to double college fees (registration fes is it?) ..This government must be stupid, how can we as a country get ourselves out of a recession when one; we are broke and can't do courses as they are closing training centres and two; we are broke and can't afford to pay double for college fees...There will not be enough qualified people to do the jobs that are created when things start improving, if they even do..It's a vicious circle.

I hope this post makes sense..am a tad angry here.

I think Mary Harney and her advisors have made a crazy amount of mistakes. How can they justify between €600,000 - €1 billion cuts to the health sector, which is in dire need of all the money it can get when they shovel billions upon billions into Anglo Irish Bank which is fundamentally a bank we do not need"

These gangsters running the country have lost touch with reality.

[supersuezy24]

Exactly Headwreck!! Well said.
Biffo by nature as well haha