<tuppence worth>
One of the big problems with the IRA has always been that idiot Americans who have
absolutely no idea what's going on have blindly donated money to organisations like Noraid
which have helped to keep a futile conflict simmering over. Just to clarify some things for
those who weren't paying attention:
1. The Provisional IRA are not the IRA. The IRA were freedom fighters, struggling against a
brutal English rule. They more or less disbanded after the formation of the Irish Free
State. The Provisional IRA were formed in the late 60's, originally to fight Catholic oppression
(the North was close to a state of apartheid then). It continued when it was realised that
money could be made from it - if you want to run protection, drugs and pornography rackets,
what better way than with your own private army? (For a more detailed history of the 'ra, see ryano's writeup at IRA)
2. Northern Ireland is under British rule because it wants to be. If their was an open
referendum on the subject tomorrow, it would choose to remain under British rule. The
majority of the electorate consider themselves British. To ask them to be anything else
would be tyranny.
3. British troops are in Northern Ireland to keep the peace, not to enforce British rule. In
practice they side with the Loyalists, but officially their mandate is a peace-keeping one.
They entered the country when The Troubles began. They left when the Good Friday
agreement was signed (or at least attempted to fade into the background)
4. The Republic of Ireland doesn't want Northern Ireland back. In a referendum three years
ago, an overwhelming 96% voted to waive our constitutional claim to the North. Similarly,
Britain doesn't want the North either. Mainland bombings? Army officers dying? Billions of
pounds being spent on the infrastructure? Who the hell wants that? The North is the hottest
of potatoes.
5. The entire situation in the North is a harrowing mix of tragedy and farce. The people
there barely understand it. Please don't comment on it unless you've researched it properly
6. Your parentage is unimportant. If you don't know all the words of 'Fairytale Of New York'
or you don't remember Ray Houghton scoring against Italy, you're not Irish. Sorry.
</tuppence worth>
Zach : Nope, blowing stuff up without attempting
political discourse makes them terrorists.
b_o_leary is Irish to the point of inbreeding. He lives 100 miles from Belfast, but still feels too distant from the conflict to really comment on it
He also promises to never use the phrase "idiot americans" again