More bullshit. It's perfectly valid to point out that someone from a privileged background who has literally never worried about the next paycheque or the roof over his head might find it difficult to empathise with the poor. That's not "playing the man", it's basic observation.
"Don't pick on Eoghan for being posh"
"Don't attack Simon for being a landlord"
"Don't tell Leo his stupid socks are a distraction from his failure to tackle crisis after crisis"
"Play the ball", they scream, as if they even know the rules.
"Don't attack Simon for being a landlord"
"Don't tell Leo his stupid socks are a distraction from his failure to tackle crisis after crisis"
"Play the ball", they scream, as if they even know the rules.
It's apparently perfectly valid to attack Richard Boyd Barrett or Paul Murphy as being too posh to be socialists.
But don't call Eoghan Murphy posh. It might upset him.
But don't call Eoghan Murphy posh. It might upset him.
Of course, the reason this vexes the establishment commentariat and Fine Gael so much, is that when they call someone posh, there's no second half to the sentence.
We say, "Eoghan is posh, can he really empathise?"
They say, "Paul is posh, so shut up"
We say, "Eoghan is posh, can he really empathise?"
They say, "Paul is posh, so shut up"
