Cant find Osama, lets screw the Irish again.

[rubydazzler]

Although I am in agreement that a united Ireland would not work because the southerrn state is simply not big or mean enough to be able to contain Unionist violence, I thought your post was well wide of the mark in its implications that: (cut for brevity)

I think I almost preferred it when you deleted your orginal comment before anyone had time to read it!

 

Both Catholic and Protestant citizens of NI were subjected to violence, intimidation and blowings-up by the IRA, is that not true? The IRA had a lot of support from Eire, is that not true? Most of the inhabitants of NI don't want to be a part of a United Ireland, also not true?

 

I was obviously slightly unclear in the comment that you've quoted, I was not intending to imply that the entire population of Eire were implicated in the IRA activities, but they did receive a lot of sympathy and/or support from that quarter, as they did from the USA. I have great sympathy with the NI Catholics and the discriminations they faced until fairly recent years. But afaik, they still wish to be part of the UK, irrespective of the desires of the people who comprise the various IRA factions. Not true?

 

Most people outside NI don't care either way and don't see what difference it would make to us if the Government handed it over, lock, stock and barrell. However, we surely have to be guided by what the people actually living there want? Or maybe not in your opinion? What would you do with the Unionists if that happened? Given that they were/are just as prone to bombings and intimidation as the other side, as you say?

[donkey]

Both Catholic and Protestant citizens of NI were subjected to violence, intimidation and blowings-up by the IRA, is that not true? The IRA had a lot of support from Eire, is that not true? Most of the inhabitants of NI don't want to be a part of a United Ireland, also not true?

 

I was obviously slightly unclear in the comment that you've quoted, I was not intending to imply that the entire population of Eire were implicated in the IRA activities, but they did receive a lot of sympathy and/or support from that quarter, as they did from the USA.

 

Most people outside NI don't care either way and don't see what difference it would make to us if the Government handed it over, lock, stock and barrell. However, we surely have to be guided by what the people actually living there want? Or maybe not in your opinion? What would you do with the Unionists if that happened? Given that they were/are just as prone to bombings and intimidation as the other side, as you say?

 

 

 

I've already said - in the very sentence you quoted - that I don't think a united Ireland would work as a political entity. Let me put it like this: If you are arguing that unionists have been subject to political violence at the hands of republicans as a reason why Northern ireland should stay in the UK, it doesn't really work as an arguent, because - as i pointed out in my post, which I suspect from your reply that you either didn't read properly or missed the point - nationalists have been subjected to far more political violence for far longer. In fact, the whole Northern ireland state owes it's existence to political violence Firstly, the violent colonisation of that part of ireland, and later the violence used to impose a border in exactly the place which ensured a unionist majority. There are actually nine counties in Ulster. Not six. If they had incorporated just one more of those counties into the Northern ireland state, there would not have been a unionist majority. The border was imposed there through political violence, and the catholics in that part of ireland were forced to accept it through political violence.

 

I'm not attempting to offer any solutions. Why should I?? Dicd I create the situation? In fact, I'm quite happy for Westminister to keep paying for it and sorting it out. It only seems fair. The Irish nrepublic have dropped their constitutional claim to Northern Ireland too. I think they have realised that it's a poison chalice not of their creating. So, I agree. keep Northern Ireland British. But please don't try and spin me that BS government/media line makes out republicans have been the main perpetrators of political violence and unionists have been the main victims. It just isn't true, no matter how much it gets repeated.

 

 

I have great sympathy with the NI Catholics and the discriminations they faced until fairly recent years. But afaik, they still wish to be part of the UK, irrespective of the desires of the people who comprise the various IRA factions. Not true?

 

Correct. Not true. As demonstrated by the fact that the majority of catholics vote for Sinn fein and the majority of the remainder vote for the republican SDLP.