Sinn Féin - Irelands only opposition party

This blog is always surprised when people say that they are not going to bother voting in the next election. They give a number of reasons for their decision not to vote, all completely illogical.

"Sure whats the point, they're all the same anyway"
"My vote wont count in the grand scheme of things"
"Why should I do anything for them when they do nothing for me"

Not voting keeps the likes of Fianna Fail in positions of power. Not exercising your democratic right or doing so without giving any thought to who or what you are voting for, gives a mandate to corrupt incompetent politicians to continue running the country into the ground. Voting for a party because the rest of your family votes for them, or because you always voted for them allows the same worn old men and women to choose the welfare of their friends in high places above the welfare of the people who they were elected to represent.

This country needs an alternative now. It needs change. Our people need real representation from people who will listen to them and work for them. We need to put the opposition into power. In case you haven't sussed it yet, there is only one true opposition party left in Ireland - Sinn Féin. While the Fine Gael/Labour coalition have already agreed to continue the cuts which the current government have said they will implement if re-elected, Sinn Féin reject such cuts and agree with leading economists who have stated that no country has ever come out of recession by introducing stern cuts.

Fianna Fail and their mirror image counter parts in Fine Gael are prepared to cut vital hospital services. Sinn Féin are not prepared to sacrifice our health system and the welfare of Irish people to save toxic banks and european bond gamblers.

Our government and government in waiting are prepared to accept any draconian measures which the EU/IMF choose to impose on us. Sinn Féin are not, and will not. Fianna Fail have done nothing to deal with the emigration epidemic gripping our nation. In fact, some of their senior figures, including Mary Coughlan, have openly supported emigration has a means to bring about economic stability. What kind of people propose kicking our children out of the country to try and save their own hides? Are these the kind of people you want running the country?

Neither the Fianna Fail/Green coalition nor the Fine Gael/Labour coalition have come up with any realistic job creation packages. Sinn Féin has. The party's proposals to take €7 billion from the National Pension Reserve Fund and use it to employ Irish workers to construct and maintain new infrastructure which the country desperately needs was hailed by independent economists and citizen groups. The other parties would prefer to pump this money into toxic banks, or use it to pay off corrupt property developers.

An election is coming, and the wind of change is blowing. A new Ireland can be born from this election. The shape of that new nation will depend on how you vote on election day. Do you want the same tired, out of touch politicians, be they sporting a different party logo, running your nation and deciding the fate of you and your family? Or do you want real change? A new nation built on the democratic ideals of 1919 and the selfliss sacrifice of 1916.

Sinn Féin offers that change. We have the people and the policies to put Ireland back to work. Whats more important is that we have the ideals to bring about the Ireland that you deserve. Its time to make the big change Ireland.