Irish people

Heineken Helen

I know this should be on the MT but more Irish look here than over there... just reminding you that the deadline to register to vote is TOMORROW so get cracking if you're not sure. Go to http://www.checktheregister.com to see if you're registered.

Whether you're voting yes or no, this is a HUGE decision and it's a very very important vote... it's not like a local or general election cos they only affect the next five years... you're voting to make this permanent... so here's a non-biased site which makes everything simple in order to make your mind up:

http://www.lisbontreaty2008.ie/

But please note (I'm biased) a yes vote means we are essentially giving UP our vote on these things and allowing our government make these choices for us in the future (it's in the treaty).

So yes, ignore me, ignore the politicians, ignore the posters, whatever... but PLEASE vote and please know what you're voting for

Hitch-Hiker

I won't be in the country for it unfortunately. Although I'm not entirely sure yet which way I would vote. Leaning towards yes. That is partially because the sinners are saying no though, which isn't a great reason.

Heineken Helen

Hitch-Hiker wrote:

I won't be in the country for it unfortunately. Although I'm not entirely sure yet which way I would vote. Leaning towards yes. That is partially because the sinners are saying no though, which isn't a great reason.

It's not... and I really wish they weren't taking that side... cos I fear many people will vote yes ONLY for that reason. I fucking hate them but in this case they're right.

There are many lies on BOTH sides... but the worst one is saying that this PROTECTS our neutrality. FAR from it... it doesn't CHANGE it but it means if it becomes an issue in the future, our government can decide for us... there will be no referendum. It's all in there if ya don't believe me

Rhinocerous Surprise

Looks like there's a chance I won't be voting either. :(

Heineken Helen

Rhinocerous Surprise wrote:

Looks like there's a chance I won't be voting either. :(

:eek: How come?

Rhinocerous Surprise

Heineken Helen wrote:

:eek: How come?

I'll probably be working as a poll clerk on the day. But because you can't work in your own area, I have get over to Naas before the voting opens, and stay there till it's done. I'm hoping they'll let me vote in Naas, but I'm not sure.

Heineken Helen

Rhinocerous Surprise wrote:

I'll probably be working as a poll clerk on the day. But because you can't work in your own area, I have get over to Naas before the voting opens, and stay there till it's done. I'm hoping they'll let me vote in Naas, but I'm not sure.

:eek: oh come on... surely poll clerks get to vote :eek: . Who can you contact to find out? Cos it's not like it's a local or general election anyway so it shouldn't really matter where you vote . Are you sure you can't work in your own area? My Dad used to.

Irish Al

I'll be voting NO and I aint a sinner either (even tho I am from Louth).

In this treaty we will be giving up the little control we have to influence policy and decisions in Europe. We will essentially give up our veto and you just have to look across Europe and see that all other countries are not having a referendum on this bar ireland....because with the last treaty France and Denmark and holland all voted no....so in order to get it passed, the EU politicans are not allowing the public to vote on it...this should be setting off alarm bells in people. The only reason the irish politicians are allowing the public to vote is because its in our constitution that we must vote on such matters.
The YES campaign have not given any reasonable arguement for the treaty, only saying things like "this is not a big deal" and when this didn't get the desired response from the public they start saying "it will be catastrophic for Europe if we vote no".....I have a big worry that people are not informing themselves on this and they will vote YES.

Well done hells for highlighting it and yes I wouldn't have seen it in the MT as I stay well away from the mad fuckers in there

Rhinocerous Surprise

Heineken Helen wrote:

:eek: oh come on... surely poll clerks get to vote :ee k: . Who can you contact to find out? Cos it's not like it's a local or general election anyway so it shouldn't really matter where you vote . Are you sure you can't work in your own area? My Dad used to.

I'm hoping we get to vote, otherwise I'm gonna have to make a hard choice between €300 for a day's work, and, y'know, the country's future. :eek: I was told that you can't work in your own area - cos of some bullshit reason like "knowing too many people from there" or something.

Believe me, Helen, if there's any chance at all that I can vote no, I'll be doing it.

Heineken Helen

Thank you Al it scares the fuck out of me to be honest... what we'll be giving up. And yep, the yes side saying there's no other option... I mean come on, it's not like the world's gonna turn upside down if we vote no. They said the same for the first Nice treaty and people are still talking to us. My housemate, who's a rightwinger and we usually disagree on most things political, is voting no for the hundreds of millions of people around europe who DON'T have a say in this. Many of the smaller newer countries pretty much have to accept everything put in front of them anyway. The bigger countries will be the ones ruling europe if we accept this... it's only the likes of us who really need to worry.

Heineken Helen

Rhinocerous Surprise wrote:

I'm hoping we get to vote, otherwise I'm gonna have to make a hard choice between €300 for a day's work, and, y'know, the country's future. :eek: I was told that you can't work in your own area - cos of some bullshit reason like "knowing too many people from there" or something. : o

Believe me, Helen, if there's any chance at all that I can vote no, I'll be doing it.

that's good to hear... and 300 for a day is pretty good . I doubt that working at a polling booth would be exempt from the law that employers have to give you the time to vote... how bloody ironic would that be?

Heineken Helen

Irish Al wrote:

Well done hells for highlighting it and yes I wouldn't have seen it in the MT as I stay well away from the mad fuckers in there

well me and rhino and jordy have been discussing it on the lisbon treaty thread on the MT. Jenny popped in once saying she hasn't read the thread but she thinks she's gonna vote yes cos there's obviously a reason the other countries don't get to vote :eek: and she promptly flew off again before I could tell her why that was . I also fear we've lost jordy to the dark side... rhino may not be able to vote and hitch can't... so it's me and you Al... where's thierry?

Rhinocerous Surprise

Heineken Helen wrote:

that's good to hear... and 300 for a day is pretty good : ) . I doubt that working at a polling booth would be exempt from the law that employers have to give you the time to vote... how bloody ironic would that be?

How bloody typical, you mean. Now when does our "Let Them Eat Cake" campaign start?

EDIT: And I was gonna say you guys can call me Al, but now that's just gonna get confusing.

Heineken Helen

Rhinocerous Surprise wrote:

How bloody typical, you mean. Now when does our "Let Them Eat Cake" campaign start?

EDIT: And I was gonna say you guys can call me Al, but now that's just gonna get confusing.

Lol, yes it would


Ah, I see what's going on here... are the yes people hiring all the no people to work at the polling booth so their vote won't count? :eek:

Rhinocerous Surprise

Heineken Helen wrote:

Lol, yes it would


Ah, I see what's going on here... are the yes people hiring all the no people to work at the polling booth so their vote won't count? :eek:

I'm hoping that's just a coincidence because such a huge percentage of the population are voting no. But that seems unlikely.

Collin

At least you get to vote.

Belgium has to be one of the worst countries of the EU when it comes to things like this.

Heineken Helen

Rhinocerous Surprise wrote:

I'm hoping that's just a coincidence because such a huge percentage of the population are voting no. But that seems unlikely.

all the polls suggest the yes side are winning... which, if the gap widens, will discourage some no's from bothering to vote... thinking it's not worthwhile . Are polls really helpful?

Heineken Helen

Collin wrote:

At least you get to vote.

Belgium has to be one of the worst countries of the EU when it comes to things like this.

How's that? And yep, we're the ONLY country who get to vote on it every country should have a chance at voting for their new fucking constitution :eek:

Rhinocerous Surprise

Heineken Helen wrote:

all the polls suggest the yes side are winning... which, if the gap widens, will discourage some no's from bothering to vote... thinking it's not worthwhile . Are polls really helpful?

They are to the side that's winning.

It's just so hard to understand people's thinking. Collin's right - we're lucky we even get a vote on this... so, of course, we throw away all our future votes?

JordyWordy

Heineken Helen wrote:

well me and rhino and jordy have been discussing it on the lisbon treaty thread on the MT. Jenny popped in once saying she hasn't read the thread but she thinks she's gonna vote yes cos there's obviously a reason the other countries don't get to vote :eek: and she promptly flew off again before I could tell her why that was . I also fear we've lost jordy to the dark side... rhino may not be able to vote and hitch can't... so it's me and you Al... where's thierry?

geesh. the second time ive see "Jordy" and "dark side" together in one sentence in few days now helen!

....and i havnt fully gone over to Yes side, just said i was fully researching both sides. Havnt left the no camp yet. my bad if was unclear!

And to Rhino and Hitch:
You do realise that the result will be swung by two votes yeah?

Rhinocerous Surprise

JordyWordy wrote:

geesh. the second time ive see "Jordy" and "dark side" together in one sentence in few days now helen!

....and i havnt fully gone over to Yes side, just said i was fully researching both sides. Havnt left the no camp yet. my bad if was unclear!

And to Rhino and Hitch:
You do realise that the result will be swung by two votes yeah?

The guilt trip... Oh.... the guilt...

Collin

Heineken Helen wrote:

How's that? And yep, we're the ONLY country who get to vote on it every country should have a chance at voting for their new fucking constitution :eek:

I don't know, Belgium has always been a proponent of things like the EU (as far back as the European Coal and Steel Community). Maybe it's because Brussels is considered as the capital of the EU and they probably want to keep it that way.

Hitch-Hiker

JordyWordy wrote:

And to Rhino and Hitch:
You do realise that the result will be swung by two votes yeah?

Oh we know, but it won't be OUR two votes

anyhoo, I'll be in California.

Heineken Helen

JordyWordy wrote:

geesh. the second time ive see "Jordy" and "dark side" together in one sentence in few days now helen!

....and i havnt fully gone over to Yes side, just said i was fully researching both sides. Havnt left the no camp yet. my bad if was unclear!

And to Rhino and Hitch:
You do realise that the result will be swung by two votes yeah?

I'm only slagging ya... once ya know what you're voting for, I don't care which side you vote... ok well obviously I reallly do BUT it's your choice, it's your voice . It's just good to talk to people who actually have half an interest in it... although most people I've spoken to are going to vote anyway.

Heineken Helen

:rolleyes: I even posted in the first post why I put it in AET. I think it's a little more important that more people get to see it... rather than making sure it's in the right forum :rolleyes: