I support the IRA when they're going after the government rather than civilians - but their ambitions aren't that great either. They want to replace British thugs with guns with Irish thugs with guns. Woohoo. Any British leader could instantly cement his place in history by giving back Northern Ireland. He'd be hailed as one of the all time greats, purely for that act.
Not all of Ulster wants to unite with the south and of course that's assuming that the south actually wants them as well. They are self governing anyway.
As the son of a former British soldier who now serves in the PSNI, I hate people like you. If you wish death onto my family as part of "going after the government", I'll happily wish death onto you.
To clarify, I support the use of retaliatory force. If you're doing nothing wrong, and thugs with guns come and try to cage you - I have no problem at all with you using lethal force in response. The IRA is sketchy because they don't have much regard for the distinction between the initiation of force, and retaliatory force. They just want to use force. I like your sentiment. It's quite similar to mine. In your mind, you want to use retaliatory force to protect others around you. That's good stuff. However, I don't think your family member having a shiny metal badge gives him or her the right to prevent Irish independence. I don't think that gives thugs of any state the right to prevent people seeking independence.
Irish Independence was granted in 1921. The Irish won, they got their state, the Irish Free State was formed for those who wanted to be free from Britain. The Six Counties became Northern Ireland and it was for the Protestant people who wanted to remain part of Britain. Also, I support "retaliatory force" from the British Government, so if they were to flatten the entirety of West Belfast bar the Shankill Road, I'd be one happy Unionist.
Agreed. At that point it was up to the Irish to generate a consensus which unfortunately had to be formulated through civil war. Razing west Belfast would be collective punishment and not a retaliatory action. And on top of that it's not the way we do things and not to mention illegal.
Can this American just say that "I love Ireland and hope to visit someday". It has been my dream to visit Europe (don't think it will happen but that's why it's a dream lol). I'd love to see England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and walk the actual sod that so many in history have trod. I'd love to visit France, Austria, Poland (especially those cathedrals underground in the salt mines), Spain, Italy, Greece and Russia. But if I had to pick only two places that I could definitely visit Ireland and England would be it.
King John...now there was a King as maligned as the Queen Bloody Mary. Though King John may have been a complete @sshole he did sign the Magna Carta which did do some good. Bloody Mary? I often have the feeling if Elizabeth I had not followed Mary on the throne...Mary would not be regarded as such a horrible Queen. But then again...I'm an American and I only study history...what would I know?
I have relations that live did live in the shankhill. Enough said! But I'm taught to look at all the facts, not to cherry pick to satisfy ones agenda. The gerrymandered six counties were supposed to be handed back to a united Ireland, by the British government, another lie! The army was put into the Provence to carry one the marginalization of one community for the benefit of the community which had the support of the British establishment. Reality on the ground isn't religious or creed, it's outright bigotry against another. Surprise surprise, those that rule, divide and conquer and the blood spilt isn't there blood! Highlander
But according to your posts if the British disappear from the equation the bigotry will vanish overnight and there will be no more Catholic-Protestant problems. Just where are you getting that very optimistic opinion from, Highlander?
The Irish lost the Irish War of Independence. - - - Updated - - - No mention from Highlander that it's the Scots who are to blame for the problems in Northern Ireland. It was, after all, a SCOTSMAN - King James VI of Scotland - who started the plantations in Ireland, by sending lots of Scots over there to settle. Their descendants, of course, are now known as the Ulster Scots.
Any British leader "giving back" Northern Ireland would cement his place in history as an anti-democrat and a traitor. The vast majority of the Northern Irish wish for Northern Ireland to remain within the United Kingdom. In fact, even the majority of Northern Irish CATHOLICS wish for Northern Ireland to remain in the United Kingdom. A recemt poll found just 3.8% of the people of Northern Ireland want a united Ireland. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/poll-just-38-want-a-united-ireland-now-29584149.html As long as the people of Northern Ireland wish to remain in the UK, then they shall remain in the UK. That's democracy. And there is no pressure from the Republic of Ireland to be "given back" Northern Ireland, due to the fact that the Republic of Ireland relinquished all claims to Northern Ireland as part of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which acknowledged "that the majority of the people of Northern Ireland wished to remain a part of the United Kingdom." In the referendum of 1998, 71.1% of the people of Northern Ireland agreed with the Good Friday Agreement. So I wouldn't be counting on Northern Ireland being "handed back" to the Republic of Ireland any time soon if I were you.
I've been to ireland. Very un-inspiring might iadd. It shouldnt come as any surprise that the migrations between the two land masses is strictly one way ---> UK
You lost the War of Independence. The aim of the IRA was a 32-county Irish Republic - and they failed to achieve that. Northern Ireland is still in the UK.
I liked it. I've never been to Northern Ireland, but what I saw of Dublin was nice. I hope to visit the rest of the Republic of Ireland some day. Once the Republic gets its economy back into shape, I might actually move there. It is cloudy and rainy a lot of the time from what I can tell, but it never seems to get that hot or cold (at least compared to the extremes over here). Granted, it's rather rainy over in England too, right?
Climate in uk varies alot from north to south, the south is similar to france, mostly warm and sunny, the north is like scandanavia. Dont hold your breath about Republic of Ireland, theyve been in financial trouble for a while and its unlikely to get any better. Im no economic student but republic of ireland is a country in crisis ithink, thats why the uk likes to keep it in check so to speak, then again im no expert on the matter.
They got hit pretty hard by the housing bubble and austerity and are financially conservative people. The household tax probably did not help the cause to shake off austerity. They are not going to do what is necessary to accelerate their ability to stand as a solvent, independent nation.
The Aim of the IRA was independence we went from a home rule with sepecial provision for ulster to defacto independence for 26 counties. We accepted that with a clause in the Anglo Irish agreement promising that a boundary commission would be established to redraw the border to include all areas of the north with nationalist majorities. We were double crossed the boundry commission was stacked with an imperialist majority that ignored the wishes of the locals instead chose to add parts of donegal to the north. If the boundry commission had returned majority nationalist areas to the Free State alot of the difficulties of the last 50 years could have been avoided. We legislated the King and the UK out of our constitution within 15 years. You have a strange definition of loosing.
Dublin is tourist-central and is no more representative of Ireland than London is of England. Do yourself a favour and visit the West coast sometime. Rainy here? It's been raining non-stop for weeks! This is half a mile from my home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GdsaK3bfR4 The black and white building you see at 0:30 is my local pub, The Cowley Bridge Inn.
Yeah, I'd like to see Galway and Cork at some point. Granted, I'd like to visit the UK sometime too. I hear Edinburgh is nice, and most people I've known that visited London enjoyed it. Would you say Manchester is more representative of England?
Steer clear of big cities is my suggestion if you want a taste of what England is. Smaller provincial towns like, for example, Dorchester or Bath are far more likely to please, as the big cities have become clones of pretty much any big city anywhere. Of course do the tourist stuff-London can be 'done' in a day-but spend a little more time touring the paths less well-trodden.
Very well... The same is somewhat true of America as well. Granted, many of our big cities each have a different "flavor", so to speak.
I guess I'm backing Ireland. Me thinks it's about time someone saw some shillelagh's fly. In case they forgot what it was like.... [video=youtube;3jVomM7pC8o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jVomM7pC8o[/video] At least this way we know where ye stand.
