Danny Healy-Rae

[[File:Danny Healy-Rae.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Healy-Rae in 2016]]
{{politics}}
{{Cquote|God above is in charge of the weather and we here can’t do anything about it.|||Danny, sticking it those know-it-all scientists<ref>[https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/only-god-controls-the-weather-danny-healy-rae-tells-climate-change-debate-1.2635192 ‘Only God controls the weather’, Danny Healy-Rae tells climate change debate] ''The Irish Times'' 4 May 2016</ref>}}

'''Danny Healy-Rae''' {{lived|1954}} is an [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] [[politician]], businessman and [[wingnut]] from County Kerry.

== Background ==
Like many European countries, Ireland doesn't have much of a [[Religious Right|religious right]] like the U.S has nowadays. Historically, the [[Catholic Church|Church]] was very powerful in Ireland and ran the country like a quasi-[[theocracy]], but nowadays it has very little power in Irish politics. Ireland's [[right-wing]] parties, the biggest being Fianna Fáil (a party that previously had a great deal of support from the Church) and Fine Gael, are socially liberal, while also being fiscally very conservative at the same time. However, there's an exception to every rule and Danny Healy-Rae is the most famous example of this. 

As for Danny himself, he comes from the Healy-Rae political dynasty and was first elected to the Dáil (Ireland's house of parliament) in 2016.<ref>[https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03/ Danny Healy-Rae] ''Houses of the Oireachtas''</ref> He also owns a pub in his constituency, which we're sure has nothing to do with his stance on drunk driving.

== Climate change and nukes ==
Healy-Rae has been fairly vocally opposed to Ireland's [[carbon tax]] and has even gone as far as denying [[Global warming|climate change]]. Now while there is a legitimate argument that the companies that are responsible for most of the world's pollution should be the ones paying for it, this is not the argument he's making. During a debate on climate change in the Dáil, he said that "[[God]] above is in charge of the weather and we here can't do anything about it." This led to some serious ridicule and him being compared to [[Sarah Palin]].<ref>[https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/danny-healy-rae-labelled-irelands-sarah-palin-after-telling-dail-climate-change-debate-only-god-controls-the-weather-34685561.html Danny Healy-Rae labeled 'Ireland's Sarah Palin' after telling Dail climate change debate 'only God controls the weather'] ''Irish Independent'' 4 May 2016</ref> Interestingly enough, by believing this, Danny is [[Irony|essentially denying papal authority as Pope Francis has taken climate change very seriously]]. He'd outdo himself quickly after this though, claiming in another Dáil hearing that [[Not even wrong|the hole in the Ozone layer was caused by nuclear testing]]. His source for God controlling the weather? [[Global flood|Noah's Ark, of course!]].<ref>[https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20416396.html Danny Healy-Rae: Noah's Ark is proof that 'God controls the weather'] ''Irish Examiner'' 18 August 2016</ref> As for the nukes claim we don't know where he got that from [[PIDOOMA|but we think we can make a fairly good guess]].

== Social views ==
In what should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone, Danny is [[Conservatism|a social conservative]]. He is [[Pro-life|anti-abortion]], and is also opposed to [[same-sex marriage]] and same-sex adoption, arguing that "What I was very worried about – and still am – is that two men, or two women, could adopt a little baby girl or a little baby boy and these babies would have no say in it."<ref>[https://www.buzz.ie/news/danny-healy-rae-voted-no-and-says-gay-couples-with-kids-are-not-natural-161108# Danny Healy-Rae: Voted 'No' and says gay couples with kids are not 'natural'] ''buzz.ie'' 20 August 2016</ref> He clearly seems to omit the fact that the same logic could be used to argue against adoption by [[Heterosexuality|straight]] couples since babies are ''incapable of choosing to have straight parents either.''

==On driving under the influence ==
This is the part you were waiting for, isn't it? Healy-Rae made international headlines after a [[German]] documentary described his campaign to loosen Ireland's anti-DUI laws<ref>[https://www.herald.ie/news/achtung-the-eejit-millions-of-germans-laugh-at-healy-raes-pleas-to-ease-drink-drive-laws-29389541.html ACHTUNG THE EEJIT... MILLIONS OF GERMANS LAUGH AT HEALY-RAE'S PLEAS TO EASE DRINK-DRIVE LAWS] ''The Herald'' 2 July 2013</ref> and attempt to return to the good ol' days — when you could have 2 pints and drive down a pothole-filled country road near the edge of a cliff, and the guards{{efn|Irish slang for police. It comes from an anglicization of the official term, Garda Síochána}} could do squat to stop you. To Ireland's great embarrassment, 2 million Germans watched this documentary when it aired. We here at [[RationalWiki]] can't stress this enough. Don't drink and drive.

== Stopped clock ==
Healy-Rae's drinking and driving campaign raised awareness of the problem of rural isolation. Because of decades of funding cuts rural public transport in Ireland is very terrible, and because of this many older rural people can't socialize without the fear of having an accident or being arrested for drunk driving. The joke at the top of the article notwithstanding, his heart was at least somewhat in the right place here. 

He has also come out in favor of allowing priests to marry, making the argument that it would encourage more people to become priests.

==Notes==
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==References==
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[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Ireland]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:European politicians]]

Categories: Christians, Ireland, Living people, European politicians