LogFAQs > #980124023

Yeah I see no problem with some CE people taking part if theyre willing to match the vibe and culture (and most importantly, general politeness and friendliness) of B8 and the Containment topics. After all its not like there was a shield around the board before these topics were banned. But it should be understood that there is a specific culture to be preserved here. I wasnt joking when I said in a Board 8 topic on the politics ban that these topics are unironically one of the least toxic places to discuss politics online.

Sheep007 posted...

Interesting that people with right-wing populist beliefs tend to go to Sinn Fein! I would have thought Fianna Fail would try and draw them in as we've seen a lot globally with the centre-right, although I'm not super clued in on Irish politics so I've probably missed something. Regardless of the many, many problems in the UK (again, I can't speak for Ireland but as far as I'm aware it's not quite so messy there right now?), the ultra-right have generally managed to be kept out of power, even though the Tories keep leaning in and flirting with them.

Most of my experience with nationalist parties is with Plaid, who are generally a bit more left than the SNP. And since Welsh national identity basically died until the 90s, outside of rugby and language in pockets, they've basically had to construct half of a more progressive national identity from scratch (I've got a migrant background and rarely feel unwelcome even when I have to mention my name to Welsh nationalists). Still some more conservative voters as I mentioned but it's very interesting to see how the different nationalist parties are taking different approaches, both socially and from the "get us the hell away from England" angle.

Thats a good point about Fianna Fail and to be honest with you I dont really know why they havent capitalised on that audience so to speak. To speculate a bit it could be as simple as the fact that they never recovered from the recession and their 2011 drubbing, they went from the largest party in every election for eighty years to half or less of where they used to be. A lot of their working class Catholic or nationalist base went over to Sinn Fein and simply never came back. Also, their current leader is pretty liberal and has been around forever, so I think the party itself has moved on social issues as well. And yeah you hit on the interesting paradox of these progressive nationalist parties! For what its worth I am no expert on Wales but I think it has historically been much to the left of Ireland and Scotland (and England) going back centuries too. So that probably affects things too.

Anyway, sounds like the UK general election might be getting called on Monday? We can only hope.