As I previously detailed, FG has decided to move early on attacking Sinn Fein before next general election. Where previously most parties ‘hold their fire‘, their main political ‘ammo‘ for the weeks and months surrounding an upcoming general election, Fine Gael is in a very unique situation. A situation, along with Fianna Fail, they never had to really had to suffer before.
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All previous forming governments had either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael involved. They were often connected at the hip of each other by official agreement or by gentleman’s agreement through “Confidence and Supply“. Whatever happened, one part or others, was always sure that between themselves, they would be somehow holding government office.
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This was till 2022, reassuring to both. Over decades and generations, they continued to keep a tight rein on matters they wished to both control through often similar thinking – or keep a tight control on matter that they also don’t want others to delve too deep into! Up till now and a 2025 general election looming, there has been no Garda follow-up investigations allowed on many inquiry or tribunal matters. The last thing either party ever really wanted (and still don’t want) is an actual real Garda investigation of many matters – that then might spiral out away from their once existing direct or influential control, as further explosive matters/scandals are more genuinely delved into and uncovered to their much worry and dislike. Their friends, their business mates, even their extended family remotely connected, sometimes acting as front for things they are mixed up in or connected to, have to be protected by ‘hook or crook‘.
This tactics is often now entitled #HowIrelandWorks – a now popular hashtag on Facebook and Twitter, easy found.
I, however, suggest an alternative – if another is more needed. #BOHICAireland (Bend Over, Here It Comes Again!)
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Previously, both parties have repeatedly successfully managed to hamper and limit the scope of many tribunals and inquiries. They have done this directly and through others they have appointed to over see things. It’s important to point this out, as it’s one aspect of many that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael wish to retain control of – and have done so successfully for decades, operating like a tag-team at times. However, for the first time in Ireland modern history they both stand a good chance of neither being part of a future Ireland government.
This not only scares the hell out of them – but they now have to really up their tactics in order to see they worm their way back to controlling and yes, suppressing things. A future government without either of them, could be enormously disastrous for them. Stuff they have buried for decades, reports, files and more, could be unredacted and brought back into light.
* The more likely this is to happen, the more likely a lot more state files will be discovered as missing in the future of a next government? If FF/FG are to be total removed, will there be destruction of evidence before they go? After all, if Garda can get away with oddly losing too may multiple phones that’s thought to contain incriminating details, what’s to stop others elsewhere making sure that there’s very little left behind in their own wake, to incriminate their party or friends at some later stage? Time will tell!
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Panic mode has set in. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are so scared now of more of their modern activities being possible future exposed, they have now started to operate with no official records being taken. Meetings with lobby setups are now not allowing records to be kept and no note taking. Gambling organisations are inviting government elected and senators to functions without officially abiding by the law, in registering their lobbying their activities with the appropriate state department officials. More and more is being done “off the record” or indeed, no records at all being allowed to be kept! Thus, less that can be later dug up and used to expose their possible crooked activities.
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As I’ve said, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are now having to seriously change their attack strategies.
A lot more people are tuned into their long existing and well dosed out, attack and scaremongering methods. At times it feels never ending. At times it is. A lot more people are aware of their biased media friends and outlets that support them in open and sly, underhand ways. This includes many a head in RTE radio and television and local media outlets. Every attack now that they unleash upon main opposition, is greater judged to be they once again operating from gutter level – if only so that they might gain – rather than the state and it’s people actually gain.
It’s become a running joke that every attack Fine Gael now tries, is like ‘water off a ducks back‘ to an increasing number of the population. More and more people are sick and tired of the governments attacks on others speaking up. The more the government parties attack, the more they lose more votes or drop in polling numbers – and they certainly are dropping big time!
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So, two old parties of Ireland have had to change methods where previously, traditional timed ones tried carried out, were once used but no longer as effective. Fianna Fail and in particular, Fine Gael have had to go back to their planning drawing boards and get modern inventive. The result of their closed door thinking sessions, is far earlier, more gutter bitter attacks being later made at anyone in opposition who even dares to ask any question or requests greater accountability from corrupt government parties and their individuals.
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Where previous attacks were put off until much closer to election times, such is the serious dramatic loss in poll percentages now being suffered by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail like never before, both have decided to come out more earlier to longer try and regain support ground. They now realise that the traditional period of saving their main attacks till election times, is no longer working for them. They know thy have serious ground to make up (in gather back public support) and previous traditional time periods of less attacks, is no longer an option for them. If they are to even try regain support ground, they have to launch political attacks more bitter and more earlier. This is what Fine Gael has now begun embarking upon. As uncovered just this week by public media but known to others including myself, their tactics now include using a quiet drawn up 18 page attack document and agenda, created behind even more closed doors of Fine Gael Mafia style, war planning gatherings.
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However, even in doing this, they have created another dilemma for themselves. More and more people are asking:
- “How are they getting away with spending more time attacking than, it seems, actually giving accurate, honest answers and assistance in the Dail or beyond it?”
- “Why aren’t they actually better addressing more of their decades long issues, they so far have repeatedly failed to remedy?“
The public has not only grown tied of their attacks – and to be fair, tired of opposition attacks to some degree – that the pubic now more wants to see Fianna Fail and Fine Gael actually getting on with the jobs they were hired and still highly paid to do! …Not go off on yet another attack on someone for even daring to ask a moderate and decent question!
* Speaking of questions, it’s become another running joke with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, that on issues of scandal, government incompetency and non-accountability, is near to impossible to gain a “Yes” or “No” straight answer to simple questions put to the government in the Dail and Seanad.
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The Future.
What comes next, is more localised attacks! Fine Gael to greater extent, more recognise national attacks are also putting them in even more bad light with voters, seeing them operate in vicious attack throat mode. Now changing tactics to new created ones, and then starting even earlier before a general election, the aim is to try further undermine at greater local levels. Attack opposition at its root.
However, here too they face a dilemma. Many provincial newspapers deliberately tend to stay away from printing bitter political attacks. Where national media prints the latest muck throwing efforts of Dail and Seanad heads, more local media tends to shy away from such stated oratories, if only for more legal reasons besides wishing to concentrate on tamer items such as road conditions, local council decisions or who’s attended the latest local function!
Local undermining therefore will have to be more done through subversive attempts care of local radio stations, where they are available. Throw in a much listened to, party friendly radio presenter who has no love for many opposition members, then things get more interesting and potentially more one sided as political attacks will be unleashed – often on a more regular basis, deliberately given opportunity.
The aim of Fine Gael – and Fianna Fail to some extent – is to more attack and earlier attack at national and local levels. They see no option but to do so now. For a possible historic change coming, they see no option but to do so. What comes next in months and (2.5) years ahead, will be an even more serious effort to attack at local levels, more aimed directly at specific individuals at those levels!
Social media tools (Facebook, boards dot ie, politics dot ie, etc) that have their own more local sections for counties, towns and even estates, will be more used to outpour greater bitter, often anonymous made slanderous and lying attacks.
The main government parties know it presently takes serious money and long lengths of time (in years) to even try hold such forums to account, never mind additionally hold an anonymous false name coward, to individual account. FG/FF are in no hurry to address this legal matter – as to great extent, the current status quo suits their attack agendas and that of their supporters that ofen online attack like a pack of dogs who when ‘smelling blood’ and a commenter on their own, move in for a kill (troll, insult and lie about).
So, while more attacking at national level over more policy ideas and supposed failings of opposition (overlooking their own failings of course) through traditional media, more local level attacking though other firms of media, especially through social media, will be more personalised and increase in viciousness and regularity.
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Jumping Ship.
To their credit to some extent, there are still decent people in all the parties – when it come to some matters they are not so willing to overlook.
Some Fine Gael and Fianna Fail current elected will not be running again at next local and general elections. They see how increasingly bitter political attacks have become primarily at national level – but for themselves in particular, more so at local level. Some don’t want to exit politics for reasons that is a whole topic itself, but they also see the coming ‘writing on the wall’. They are therefore opting to play no part in it all. They will exit while the going is relatively good. They will take their pensions, exit payments and remaining perks left before either complete retiring or taking up a private sector position that will be of lobbying nature or advisory disposition. They will ‘cut their losses and head for more quiet hills’.
Foreseeing what is coming, in fairness, who could blame them?
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The coming political battles are going to be more bitter, more underhand and more personalised like never before fully seen. Certain government supporters (many trying to stay cowardly anonymous) will see to this. It’s now what they do often. They are just increasing their efforts. Comment sections (when bias allowed open when it an opposition attack piece – sometimes closed when a news matters is FG/FF related) such as Journal dot ie, proves this out with increasing regularity. The FF/FG trolls haunt these locations, just waiting for someone they don’t like, to post something – then they move in…
The message is clear for those that have the insight to see what’s coming! Buckle up. If you are in politics and speak out against main parties of government, you are going to need either a further thick skin or a suit of armor to fend off, ride off, what’s coming. With their backs now against the wall and dropping in national polls to great degree, Fine Gael (and Fianna Fail) are going more on attack and more scaremonger mode. Some of the time you won’t even catch the ways that they will psychologically do it. You are not supposed to! With friends and outlets to aid them in their effort, the psychological mind war for the next 2025 general election has already begun.