I read the news today (oh boy) - Current world events | Page 145 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

In political news that will interest maybe the Brits if that but you other non-British or Irish users should also know because yay world politics.

Ireland had a weird general election on Saturday. With 151 of the 160 seats available for TDs (our MPs) now taken, the republican party Sinn Féin has managed to show the middle finger to both our two ‘regular’ leading parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. They were running 42 candidates and managed to get 37 seats (so far), bloody incredible odds. To get a majority government they would have needed 80 candidates so they’re nowhere near that and will have to be propped up by either one of the two big boys, FF or FG or the smaller parties (People Before Profit, Green, Labour, Social Democrats and a good chunk of Independents). 

Problem is SF don’t really want to join-up with FF or FG. FF had originally said they will not go into government with SF but since Sunday have expressed interest in partnering up. FG has said they might go into government with SF. 

My main assumption and what I’m gathering from online commentary is they voted SF because FF and FG have practically ran the country for the entirety of its history either as the majority government or in a coalition with another party. We’re experiencing both a health and housing crisis at the moment, which our country has always been a shamble when it comes to health but FF started the housing crisis by selling off social housing and not building more housing when the country was rolling joyfully in billions of euro and FG have exacerbated the problem by still not building social housing even though the country is on steadier feet now than it was when FF were thrown out of government. However, all you have to do is simply look at Northern Ireland to see what a crap party SF are but hey I guess we’ll have to learn from our own mistakes won’t we?

We’ll just ignore the fact that both past and current members of Sinn Féin probably/most definitely know where bodies of murdered victims of the IRA are buried but refuse to tell their grieving families or the fact that their beloved IRA tortured a man to death in 2007, long after the Good Friday Agreement or that members of SF literally have to pledge an oath that they will listen to their “high counsel” when they join the party. Hmmmmm I wonder who is on this counsel. Also, one of the reelected SF TDs, David Cullinane said in his reelection speech “Up the Republic, up the ‘RA, Tiocfaidh ár lá” (IRA catchphrase for ‘Our day will come’). Ah yes, I too love organisations who killed approximately 1800 people over 25 years, including circa 600 civilians. Up the ‘RA indeed.

I am not a fan of either FF or FG. I’ve said before that FF is one of the most corrupt shower of c—s to ever come out of a ‘rich’ western country, FG roll over and do nothing bar ride on the success of bringing in abortions and same-sex marriage which would have passed anyways no matter what party was reigning but I hate SF with a passion. Literal scum of the earth and I cannot understand how people (it’s mostly young people who voted them in) would think that with their very dubious history, they would be in any way good for the country (particularly with our relations with the UK at this perilous time).

I look forward to hearing about reunification referendums in the new few weeks/months. I don’t want the country to be reunited because NI is a limp fish, socially and economically-repressed mess of a country and I want to thank GB for paying for that drain but Lord knows the loons on this side of the border will be cheering for “26+6=1” and playing ‘Come Out You Black and Tans’, while making jokey IRA memes (whoever did Gerry Adams brand management is incredible, they turned him from a ‘terrorist’ to ‘granddad Gerry’ in a few years, very impressive spin doctoring going on there).

In slightly more historically impressive news, this could mean we will get our first ever female Taoiseach (our Prime Minister) in the form of SF’s leader Mary-Lou McDonald. I was hoping I would be the first one but I don’t know if I could juggle being both the first Irish astronaut and the first female Taoiseach .

I will happily do POTUS first, AG <3 . I will be the most overly-qualified Taoiseach Ireland will ever have and I’m sure during my 8 years that NASA will let me practice at their training facilities. Two birds, one stone and all that. 

My forged birth certs for 2020 are coming along nicely, I got them from the same guy who did Obama’s, he’s a real pro!

Harvey Weinstein, that disgusting sack of shit and sexual abuser, while acquitted of the more serious charges he faced in New York (two counts of predatory sexual assault, which could have seen him face life behind bars, and a charge of a first-degree rape), has been found GUILTY OF THIRD-DEGREE RAPE AND FIRST-DEGREE CRIMINAL SEXUAL ACT. The CONVICTED RAPIST is now behind bars, where he belongs, awaiting sentencing on 11 March, when he faces 25 years.

He still has a charge of rape and sexual assault to face in Los Angeles, with other cases there still under review, so could face more charges there.

What really appals me about the American system is that so many States (21 + Washington DC) have a statute of limitations on serious sexual offences – including rape – which range from just three years in Minnesota up to 20 years in Ohio, with the majority of those States (17) having a statute of limitations of ten years or less. California has a 10-year statute of limitations. Imagine the case he would face there were it not for that.

Were I an American, especially an American female, I would be demanding that those States that still have a statute of limitations for serious sexual crimes abolish them.

Still, today was a good day for justice, with the serial sexual abuser and rapist now behind bars.

Here’s hoping you enjoy your new life, Harvey, you disgusting pervert.

Myself, I don’t like there being any statute of limitation on serious crime, @Dark Overlord, especially not sexual crimes — considering those statutes have usually been put — and kept — in place by predominately male State legislators on crimes men are the majority perpetrators of. It’s like men offering other men a “Get Out of Jail Free” card if they can avoid getting caught for long enough.