It’s the principle of representative democracy – it’s not like people in other countries are being completely deprived of a voice. And the fact that the majority of our representatives in the Dail support the treaty, is in itself an indication.

From what I can gather this is basically the same treaty that we voted on in the last referendum which we gave a resounding no to, so why do we have to vote on it again this time with even less info then the last one?

I have read the literature and like so many others cannot get to grips with what the hell I am voting for. Also it scares me that all the major parties want a yes vote, wheres the opposition oh yea forgot sinn fein, they seem to be the only ones out there canvassing for a no vote which is also worrying.

I would not be at all suprised if it goes through, maybe not in Dublin, but in the remainder of the country, but I also would not be shocked if the turn out is low.

Why are we voting for it when others dont have to? I believe that has to do with the fact our constitution has to change which according to Irish law has to go to a referendum.

I agree that the information should be presented clearly to the public. That’s why the “plain speak” versions that have been prepared – both officially and by third parties such as Darren Byrne – are so important.

Re: shrillness and hysteria, I didn’t mean to imply you were engaging in any such conduct. Unless I’m very much mistaken, your general attitude to the government is that they’re entirely unstrustworthy and therefore we have to constantly hound them to keep them in line. The attitude of many dissenters in my generation is that the government is entirely untrustworthy and therefore must be burned to the ground with great prejudice. The standard of debate is degrading horrendously and sides are becoming more and more polarised.

So the hysteria is something I see on the horizon rather than imminently here. Alex Jones is a harbinger of doom as far as I’m concerned, and it pains me greatly to see the likes of We Are Change Ireland sinking to his level of rhetoric and even getting his endorsement.

Edit: I want to make it clear that I’m not trying to argue for or against the treaty. I just want to point out that we seem to be sliding towards the same kind of simplistic, ultra-partisan model of political discourse that’s choking American culture to death, and that worries me.

I agree that it is boiling down to ‘I trust/don’t trust the government’. We are supposed to rely on them for an impartial explanation of things. In a democracy, it is their moral duty to provide both sides of the argument in a clear and concise manner.

However, when they kick off their campaign by calling all dissenters ‘Loo-lahs’ then it is clear that we aren’t going to get a sensible response from them.

It it comes down to a case of trust, then I freely admit I wouldn’t trust the government to give me the right time of day. All we get are lies, deviousness and hypocrisy.

I don’t trust the government one squat.

With regard to the shrillness and hysteria, I have to disagree with you. Have I been shrill or hysterical? I have tried my best to get a clear picture, but all I get is obfuscation, smoke and daggers.

With all due respect, there are just as many sheep on both sides of the divide. The way the No camp is conducting itself is disgusting – they’re preying on paranoia and knee-jerk reactions rather than trying to help people understand what’s going on. On the other hand it doesn’t seem like the government learned much from the Nice treaty, when they just sat back and presumed things would go their way.

The problem is that we’re talking about global economics, a fractured, continent-wide bureacracy and reams of complex international law. Very, very few people are in a position to fully understand all of it and without a properly-run referendum campaign people are going to fall into one or other camp almost arbitrarily (largely along lines of “I trust the government” vs “I don’t trust the government”). Which just leads to all kinds of shrillness and hysteria and makes it all the harder to gain a proper consensus on any issue, big or small.

Le Craic – If people voted with their brains instead of their ears, we would have a completely different country.

Being a Brit, I have been refused votes in previous referendums, but the Constitution says that anyone entitled to vote in elections for Dail Eireann may vote in a referendum.

I am baffled as I know I’ve been entitled to vote in General Elections since a constitutional amendment in the 90s