Imagine the following scenario: a high ranking member of the Labour Party Youth group attends a foreign conference of international socialists. The conference, while banal in their eyes, plays host to a variety of far left Stalinists and Marxist-Lenninists sympathetic to armed insurrection.

The speeches given are militant, with unabashed Soviet symbols flaunted with rationalisations given to Soviet famines. Imagine then, upon returning to Ireland, this Young Labour member suddenly faces a strategic media campaign targeting him personally originating from the far right and their own Party.

The situation is of course absurd, many of the old guard of the Irish Labour Party cut their teeth in the extreme left through organisations like The Workers Party and that’s not even beginning with Sinn Féin’s connections.

The very concept of disavowing their own for radicalism is alien to the Left and they are much the better for it. People Before Profit activists can flaunt quirky Stalinist memes on their social media pages without a second thought.

Naturally a different dynamic exists for the conservative right. Reported upon yesterday in the Irish Independent we have an example of the above case but in the reverse. A handful of the upper echelons of Young Fine Gael (YFG) were revealed to have attended the annual Young Americans for Freedom Conference in Washington, addressed by American Vice President Mike Pence.

While perhaps the dweebiest of centre right events to possibly attend, their attendance has drawn fire not merely from the usual crazies on the far left, but also from the Fine Gael parliamentary party itself in the form of Noel Rock TD. While the conference has the same ideological depth as a Ben Shapiro video, the attendees are being tarred as having attended a Klan rally.

Young Americans for Freedom is quite literally the safest and most genuinely boring right wing conference going. The corporate styling of it is derivative, and I can see no genuine reason why an Irish person would want to go to it, especially seeing how that brand of centre right conservatism has gotten America nowhere.

The youth leader in question, Killian Folely-Walsh, has featured in this publication advocating for membership of Young Fine Gael. The points made in his article are of a centre right youth leader, not a far right wingnut.

The basic insinuation made in the criticism of the lads is that even the slightest deviation from liberal norms results in immediate purging. In a healthy democratic society Fine Gael being our mainline centre right should play host to a respectable conservative faction. However since the recent abortion vote, it appears that even a modicum of conservative thinking merits severe social repercussions.

To be honest, I don’t much care for Young Fine Gael. My family politics are on the other side of the Treaty and my income bracket well below their average member. The stereotypes are more often than not true with the youth wing is primarily populated by careerists or geeky South Dubliners. Ireland could be in flames but if their corner of white collar South East Dublin was making money the average Fine Gaeler probably wouldn’t care. However, the furore is as engineered as it is disingenuous.

Perhaps the greatest faux pas committed by the lads involved was thinking that imported reheated American conservatism could ever fly in Ireland. Anyone with an understanding of Irish politics above the level of half-watched Prager U videos understands Americanised conservatism hasn’t a hope in this country. Frankly, it’s just not radical enough to begin to address our current national malaise. A flat tax is not nearly enough to address the current trajectory of Irish society and, if we are honest, we all know it.

The perennial sin of the centre right is to eschew any and all radicalism originating from its right flank. While the British Labour Party feeds off the energy and ideas ofMomentum, the Tory leadership were adamant in shutting down their radical faction in the Monday Club.

The lads, whether they know it or not, are victims of the cowardice of the generation before them in the Party, happy to allow the Overton Window drift to the point where even the smallest of centre right utterances are prohibited.

A generation ago Fine Gael was happy to entertain the conservative firebrand Alice Glenn, now even Leo Varadkar’s comments against gay adoption from less than a decade ago would merit deselection.

The significance of the recent hit piece on this contingent of YFG members is that there are no safe spaces to hide within the centre right. Ireland may be governed economically by a centre right government but public discourse is dictated by the hard left.

So far it appears the lads involved are holding firm enough, perhaps understanding that it’s silly to back down and repent for their actions. The ordeal ends the notion that any negotiation can be had with the left-liberal consensus in Ireland. Also, smashed is the idea that any sort of a radical faction could be created in Fine Gael, a fact that most young people in this realm of politics increasingly gauge. You do not negotiate with terrorists, and do not hope to negotiate with the ‘anti-racist’ grievance mob.

Fine Gael is a vehicle for middle class careerists and we shouldn’t expect any lipservice paid to conservatives. The future face of Fine Gael looks more like Maria Walsh, not Killian Folely Walsh, and it’s about time people realised that.

Fine Gael is a middle class propertied version of People Before Profit, even if its members and detractors scarcely fathom it. The anti-national rot is the same in Fine Gael as anywhere else, even if it keeps a veneer of centre right respectability.

The warning signs were there two years prior with the public chastisement of South Dublin Councillor Brian Murphy for Islamophobic remarks. The chance to hammer out a conservative faction in Fine Gael was two decades ago These young lads, whether they know it or not, will have doors shut on their advancement going forward.

The very first step for Ireland to regain sanity is for the centre right to stop playing to the tune of the left on accusations of racism. Young Fine Gael shouldn’t be castigated for attending a bland centre right conference in America, but for failing to provide even the slightest fightback to the liberal-left takeover of Ireland while their Party is at the helm.

The future belongs to those willing to stare down the left leaning Overton Window, and don’t think for a second that’s going to come from Young Fine Gael.

Posted by Ciaran Brennan

2 Comments

  1. Mac Éochaidh 10/08/2019 at 4:33 pm

    Only right-wing Irish republicanism as exemplified by the National Party can save Ireland from its current leftist malaise, the visionless conservatives of Identity Ireland, Irexit, Renua etc. have no social vision that can inspire people while the fight for the Gaelic Ireland dreamed of by Pearse and de Valera (both of whom are slandered nowadays for representing everything our Anglophile “progressive” globalist masters hate) still has power to inspire. Polls have consistently shown that Sinn Féin voters are the most opposed to immigration despite the party’s stance, we just need a true republican party to lead the way.

    Reply

  2. It’s somewhat of a pitiful sight, when an island nation such as ours, sells out all which was hard fought for, to obtain.

    Sadly, those always relied upon to take the preverbial bull by the horns, such as Fianna Fail and Fine Gail, have themselves become victims of an obvious hijacking.

    FF because they allowed one immoral leader after the other, to simply bring Ireland to her knees, all done with lust for personal wealth and the opportunity of a fat paycheck, while serving for some foreign bank or for those less favored, a senior position within the EU.
    Those who followed, still unashamed to hold aloft the flag of FF, did so it seems not as servents of a nation’s people, but to ensure their future wealth.
    However, such a FF resurgence could only ever take place, IF and only IF, those spearheading this once respected party, sell out all principles which were once the very foundation of the party. The end result is what we see and hear from FF today.
    FF, today look, sound and act very much like the wing of any Socialist party or Leftist party, one wishes to name.

    As for FG. It became quite clear a long time ago, that those within the party were quietly and some secretly, sitting in the corner as their former leader Mr. Kenny, was almost in coup fashion muscled out by the left aligned members headed by Leo Varadkar.
    No doubt, some in the party allowed this to happen, with the full and clear knowledge, that what they were about to pull off was in total opposition to in many instances, the very constitution of the party.

    Like the author, my family and I, were on the other side of the same table (so to speak). For this very reason I mention the vulgarity, skulduggery, dishonesty and unabashed greed of those within FF, in the beginning.

    That said, at least there are those within the youth wing of FG, who grew into the party, perhaps as sons & daughters of long time members. These young men and women have witnessed the harm done to the party by Varadkar and company.
    For these future leaders of FG, future political leaders of Ireland, the current situation within the party, along with the failure of FG leaders to adhere to the very constitution of both their party and their country, Does Not Sit Well.

    Maybe, just maybe, there is still hope for FG, that said, there are very, very few signs from within FF, that their future leaders have any intention of restoring the party, confining future FF leaders to the constitution, the structure or the very DNA of everything FF once stood for. Greed, Woke politics, available & future wealth prospects and a desire to be seen to be subservient to the big powers, such as the United States is in the end, what will guarantee future FF leaders a healthy Bank balance and a cushy job.
    Not serving the interests of the voters of Ireland nor caring for the rights of All people of this nation. It is a recipe for success to serve the wishes of those who can ensure your personal wealth and future prospects.

    Sadly, for the very reasons highlighted above, Irish Catholics will continue to suffer the label of 2nd class citizen, because such is what is desired by those holding the purse strings.
    Protests against Abortion, immoral behaviour, anti – Christian abuse and all other obvious and clear statements against this new regime.
    Will be acted upon, denied and eventually stomped out completely , by new laws claiming only to deny hate speech!.

    It will No longer be some snot nosed, up herself, self entitled brat serving a council, who will call the Gardai to report your disobedience, as was the case during the Covid – 19 restrictions in Dublin.

    No!, soon in absolute Fascist like efficiency, your words will see you, at worst imprisoned, at best financially destroyed, as those who lead this new Ireland, ensure that each fine is sufficientlyharmful to you pocket to shut you up!.
    Those financially secure enough to continue paying for free speech, will of course eventually be imprisoned. Those who can not pay such fines, will become company for real criminals.

    This is the cost for allowing mismanagement of a nation for generations, even one as small as ours.
    The cost of being cute, being greedy or getting away with it! .
    It’s also the cost of an almost docile attitude to such behavior, be honest, how often has one heard of some politician who socked it to the state by directing monies to support his girlfriends new flat, illegally and immorally?.

    NOW, being honest!,
    How often have you heard tax payers of that country in the pub, using the old worn statement of acceptance?, saying : Ah sure fair play to him!, OR (this I hate most) Sure wouldn’t we all do it, if we had the chance?.

    This IS what those who break our laws, literally depend on!. Worse again, such blind acceptance or What can we do? attitude almost guarantees that the politician breaking the law, will get away with it!.

    All resulting in the very situation we as a country, find ourselves in today.

    My regards to the Author on yet another fine article.

    Reply

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