Okay. That clarify things. You don't think that an organisation which blew up children, planted the bomb at Enniskillen and so many other attacks targeting civilians was a terrorist organisation.No, it is an organisation that is defunct. And according to every recent security assessment from Gardaí and PSNI its has wound down its military capabilities and its members are engaged in exclusively democratic programs. I take their word for it, do you?
are you looking for Kerrigan's job? I didn't get the €9.99 reference.
I agree with most of that but none of the people who planted the bombs in 1881 are still alive and none of their comrades in arms are now in public office. It's not just that the Shinners refuse to condemn the murder of children in the recent past by people who are in the same Party as them but when those killers die they attend their funerals and eulogise about what great people they were.My overall view is that we have reached a space where finally the constitutional political path has taken outright ascendency and has nullified any proclamation for armed revolt. Some will argue it could have been done a long time ago, Sunningdale, for example. I would argue that the violence of the past century from 1916 onwards achieved nothing more than what a constitutional path would have achieved at a minimum over the same period anyway. But hindsight is a wonderful thing so I am not going to try disqualify some elements of the violent past while placing other elements of violence on a pedestal for hero worship. I'm not going to pretend that planting bombs in 1991 is an act of terror but planting bombs in 1881 was not. Or that torture, killing and disappearing alleged informers in 1972 was any more despicable than torture, killing and disappearing in 1920. Nor will I ever accept that continued cover-ups of heinous murders from Miami Showband, Dublin/Monaghan, Loughinisland, Ballymurphy etc is not part of a collaboration to protect criminal elements within the British State system.
Where we differ is in the interpretation of their relevance.
But as the years rolled on
I agree with most of that but none of the people who planted the bombs in 1881 are still alive and none of their comrades in arms are now in public office.
I don't think Dessie will provide an exhaustive list of what he was up to during his previous career.Dessie Ellis is the only convicted bomber I know of. I dont think he killed any children.
the moment the people who ran the PIRA campaign in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Britain are still heavily involved up front and particularly behind the scenes in SF.
The level of barbarity and the indiscriminate nature of their PIRA's actions differentiates them from what happened 100+ years ago, as does the fact that there was a viable alternative in Northern Ireland, particularly after direct rule was imposed.
I will never agree with your perspective of the Provo campaign, you know that
The Unionists are aware of every slight, real or otherwise. The British don't care either way.Has anyone told the Unionists, the people of Britain, that while our some our political and media establishment are comfortable wearing poppies some of their colleagues are quite comfortable with the memories of their fallen being used as Twitter fodder?
The British don't care either way.
Stanley features at least 3 times in the IT today, its Editorial, Michael McDowell and Kathy Sheridan. The Editorial makes my point that Stanley is simply echoing the SF line that the Provo campaign was every bit as justified as the WoI but that SF see this as electorally damaging and would prefer to keep that to themselves.
I agree. I was talking about Northern Ireland in general.The British care profoundly about the memory of all their fallen service officers, as evidenced each November. The soldiers who lost their lives at Kilmichael were all veterans who served in WWI. That significant elements of our media can pontificate the outrage of Stanleys tweet for referencing the killing of British soldiers in N Ireland in 1979 only, and not the lives lost in 1920, is a demonstration of efforts to control a particular narrative of our past rather than establishing the truths of each narrative.
Stanley features at least 3 times in the IT today, its Editorial, Michael McDowell and Kathy Sheridan. The Editorial makes my point that Stanley is simply echoing the SF line that the Provo campaign was every bit as justified as the WoI but that SF see this as electorally damaging and would prefer to keep that to themselves.
There was quite a bit of support in the RC ghettos of Belfast and Derry. These could never have sustained such a sophisticated campaign without substantial support from elements within the Southern Irish establishment. I see Arlene is now on this case.Theo said:The reality is that while the Provo campaign never enjoyed majority support even amongst nationalists, it did enjoy significant support from nationalist communities. It is the only plausible way in my opinion that it could have sustained itself for 25yrs.
These could never have sustained such a sophisticated campaign without substantial support from elements within the Southern Irish establishment. I see Arlene is now on this case.
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