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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert)

@grouchymarx.bsky.social

370 followers 320 following 3.8K posts

Leftie 68 Aiming for a fairer & better world Hate injustice & corruption Free Palestine #redress Aussie retired to Ireland 2018 Irish Citizen 2025 🇮🇪 My life inside a children's home: https://insideblog.nma.gov.au/2011/11/16/my-life-inside-a-childrens-home

insideblog.nma.gov.au

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · Feb 8

@emmadragon.bsky.social
The essence of democracy is inclusion:
'Government of the people by the people for the people.' (Lincoln)

Democracy works best when all those impacted by decisions are included in the decision making process. There are better decisions and better outcomes.

Therefore...

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 57m

@uilliammac.bsky.social

My thread about the need for better processes to ensure democracy is as democratic as it can be.

As well as rights, citizens of a nation also have obligations.🙋🏻‍♂️

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · Feb 8

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 1h

Like driving on the left. How terribly authoritarian.🙂

Voters have obligations.

Democracy is inclusive so processes need to maximise inclusion and representation. The Irish system deliberately suppresses the vote to suit the establishment elite. Its not democratic. I'd argue deliberately corrupt.

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 3h

For example, Constitution Articles about elections and voting, for a start!

I'm not saying Aus is perfect because it's not, but in terms of fairer democratic processes that serve the nation, it's way ahead of Ireland.

To me the Irish Constitution is corrupt as.

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 3h

I agree.

I was in the Australian Public Service for nearly 30 years, have a strong commitment to due process, transparency & accountability, & never joined a political party, although my personal views are firmly Left.

I can refer you to any number of Aus examples of better process if you wish?

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 3h

Opinion Polls have CC on 38% to HH's 20%.

Oddschecker has Catherine Connolly at 86% probability and Heather Humphries at 20%.

Follow the money...😉

#Aras25

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 4h

100 year duopoly!

Still too long!!

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 4h

Agree. I started my public servant career in Aus working in Government Purchasing. There are strict Laws & Rules in Aus which must be followed. Value for money, full transparency & full accountability.

Unlike Ireland's 'Guidelines'.

Ireland could indeed learn lessons:

share.google/UEbCSNPmXC7q...

share.google

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 4h

Apart from not being the best candidate I get the distinct impression HH doesn't want to win. She's just going through the motions for the sake of the 200 year old conservative duopoly.

Slowly, Ireland is changing.

#Aras25
#Hope

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 4h

You had me worried there for a minute...until I read on!

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 4h

Will the spoiled votes be sub-counted or is there just a single total of spoiled votes?

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Reposted by Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert)

RobDonza @robdonza.bsky.social · 6h

The sentence of transportation had a double impact when it came to colonisation. Irish men and women were exiled from their native land and rolled into the business of colonising Australian territories. CON is out on 1 November. #auslit #tasmania #aushistory #irish #Eire

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 5h

Simon Harris signed the contract for the Children's Hospital with no budget, no timeline and no building approval.

Scheduled to open in 2019 for €600 million, its not going to open now till 2026 and over €2.2 Billion is already spent.

Simon Harris is responsible and should resign.

#irishpol

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 5h

Grey, grey, grey; and yet more fucking grey.

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 6h

is 🙂

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 6h

It's wicked. And there's no need for it.

A few are very comfortable while millions struggle every day.

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 1d

At least he had the grace to leave the Greens.

Meanwhile Alan Kelly in the Labour Party has declared he's voting for the Blue Shirts.

Needs to leave the Party or be kicked out.

#irishpol

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 1d

My DVD is the Aus release 15+. Must watch it again...

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 1d

Yikes I don't remember any of that! Maybe my DVD is a PG13 cut?

Great film for a young woman, and man.

Wonder if Maria Steen ever watched it?

Probably identified with the Sigourney Weaver character.🙄

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 1d

Incredibly insecure.

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 1d

The 2 richest people in Ireland have as much wealth as the poorest 50% Oxfam.

Ireland has 1 of the most unfair tax systems in Europe, rated 28th out of 32 countries. Income tax, consumption & property tax are all high while corporate tax is at very low tax haven rates.

The poor subsidise the rich.

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 1d

Health for profit is inherently wicked.

Everyone knows this.

But some governments nonetheless enable it.

Government is about people. That's why it's 'the Public Sector'.

Health is a government responsibility and must never be for profit.

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 1d

Isn't there an annual national wage increase in the UK?

Here in Ireland the Government regulates minimum wage below the Living Wage - but doesn't regulate prices.

How does it expect people to live on less than the Living Wage?

While corporations only pay 15% tax?

Wicked.

#irishpol
#ukpol

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Reposted by Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert)

Saoirse McHugh @saoirsemc.bsky.social · 1d

I'm still in shock that somebody would say that they care so much about the environment that they'll vote for HEATHER HUMPHRIES

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Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 1d

The party that's exempted inland waterways from the Environment Act so the Government doesn't have to do anything to clean them up.

The 'small government solution' to a major national problem. Do nothing - and make the problem worse.

Protecting environment polluters while vandalising Ireland.

Grouchy Marx (aka Rupert) @grouchymarx.bsky.social · 1d

Trading internationally with the least amount of tariffs is so much easier.

So why is Trump making it so difficult for everyone, around the world and in America itself?

It's only causing market turmoil. Simply doesn't make any sense at all.

Elite insider trading perhaps? Only explanation.

#uspol

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