Current Affairs Irish Border and Brexit

[peteblue]

It is in a sense a rolling vote. The 2021 Census will report a Catholic majority in the 6 counties as first time voters.

The demographics of the North guarantee you a “Catholic” majority in 2021 but the Conservative Party and the DUP are working hard to deliver a Nationalist Majority in their same life time.

Brexit will be breakup of the U.K.

And if that’s what the people want then so be it. It’s worth remembering however that the U.K. is one of the very few countries in the world that allows its people to vote on such things. Democracy you see. But be careful what you wish for because when some other sectarian terrorists get going at least it will having nothing to do with the U.K...even though we will get the blame for someone giving someone else a dirty look back in the 1700’s.....

 

[Emlynsqueakyvoice]

And if that’s what the people want then so be it. It’s worth remembering however that the U.K. is one of the very few countries in the world that allows its people to vote on such things. Democracy you see. But be careful what you wish for because when some other sectarian terrorists get going at least it will having nothing to do with the U.K...even though we will get the blame for someone giving someone else a dirty look back in the 1700’s.....

Explain gerrymandering in the context of the six counties. Democracy? Laughable! More irrelevance....

 

[Carl O'Ancelotti]

Indeed.

No one cared when 75% of the Irish people, throughout the entire island, voted for Separatist parties in 1918.

They just sent over the Black and Tans then drew an arbitrary line through the middle of Ulster and called it partition.

Inflicting a wound on the Irish people which as we are seeing played out before our very eyes, festers to this very day.

Arbitrary yes, but with your evident knowledge of Irish affairs Khalekan, you will know that there was a little bit more to it than that.

It was a line which deliberately only included 6 of the 9 counties of Ulster so as to give Unionists an in-built and permanent (until now) majority which they exploited for 50 years to their advantage until people rose up in revolt against discrimination.

There can't be a much better example of the 'divide and rule' policy of successive British governments which was prevalent throughout their empire. It was enforced in the sub-continent where there is still division today.

As you say, if they had accepted the democratic will of the Irish people as expressed in the 1918 general election the events which followed could and would have been avoided.

Big anniversaries coming up over the next few years of the War of Independence. How ironic is it that 100 years later a decision taken by the British people could lead to the fulfilment of the aims of that war by purely peaceful means.

 

[Khalekan]

The DUP's red lines are now "blood red" apparently:

“There cannot be a border down the Irish sea, a differential between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK,” DUP leader Arlene Foster told the BBC on Tuesday. The interview was aired on Wednesday. “The red line is blood red.”

“All along we have said: ‘No new regulatory alignment’,” Foster said.

When asked if she was prepared to vote down PM May on a Brexit deal, she said: “We don’t want to be in that position.”

“This is too important to be playing around with things because this is the union - this is what brought me into politics,” Foster said.

The DUP’s 10 lawmakers prop up May’s minority Conservative government.

Using emotive language like "blood red" is not very clever Arlene with regard to NI politics. It conjures up images of the past and people resorting to violence when they don't get their way. Absolutely stupid and unnecessary comment.

That is a very sinister statement from Foster.

And be assurred it was a well thought out, unsubtle and veiled threat, harking back to the type of rhetoric used by Unionist politicians in the early part of the 20th century when such as Edward Carson and James Craig threatened armed insurrection if Home Rule, the bill enacting such was making its democratic way through Westminster, was introduced in Ireland and actually went as far as to import arms from Kaiser Bill’s Germany through the port of Larne in 1912.

The DUP have not moved on one centimetre from that sort of thinking and by talking in such bellicose terms Foster illustrates that point.

 

[Carl O'Ancelotti]

That is a very sinister statement from Foster.

And be assurred it was a well thought out, unsubtle and veiled threat, harking back to the type of rhetoric used by Unionist politicians in the early part of the 20th century when such as Edward Carson and James Craig threatened armed insurrection if Home Rule, the bill enacting such was making its democratic way through Westminster, was introduced in Ireland and actually went as far as to import arms from Kaiser Bill’s Germany through the port of Larne in 1912.

The DUP have not moved on one centimetre from that sort of thinking and by talking in such bellicose terms Foster illustrates that point.

100% deliberate which was why I highlighted it earlier. It was also a veiled threat that they would be shifting their position to align with the Johnson wing if their wishes were not met.

But at the end of the day they are cutting off their noses to spite their faces, as discussed already.

 

[MarkK1988]

It is in a sense a rolling vote. The 2021 Census will report a Catholic majority in the 6 counties as first time voters.

The demographics of the North guarantee you a “Catholic” majority in 2021 but the Conservative Party and the DUP are working hard to deliver a Nationalist Majority in their same life time.

Brexit will be breakup of the U.K.

i love visiting belfast, part of me thinks if there was a united ireland it wouldnt be the same, i love the english money and that its like 3.50 a pint there instead of the rest of ireland where youre dependant on the exchange rate if its gonna be reasonable and the fact theres no passport control arriving there

but it just feels like your in ireland with a load of british rules forced on you, i maybe visiting the wrong places but certainly when ive been over there thats the impression i got

(maybe i shouldnt drink in kellys cellars as much!)

 

[Armaghtoffee]

i love visiting belfast, part of me thinks if there was a united ireland it wouldnt be the same, i love the english money and that its like 3.50 a pint there instead of the rest of ireland where youre dependant on the exchange rate if its gonna be reasonable and the fact theres no passport control arriving there

but it just feels like your in ireland with a load of british rules forced on you, i maybe visiting the wrong places but certainly when ive been over there thats the impression i got

(maybe i shouldnt drink in kellys cellars as much!)

Kelly’s is a nice wee spot indeed and steeped in history as I’m sure the regulars have told you.

If you like there you should try Madden’s.

 

[MarkK1988]

Kelly’s is a nice wee spot indeed and steeped in history as I’m sure the regulars have told you.

If you like there you should try Madden’s.

yeah ive heard that before its a great spot, when i go over there i tend to drink in the duke and the harp really

 

[Armaghtoffee]

yeah ive heard that before its a great spot, when i go over there i tend to drink in the duke and the harp really

With the downturn that Brexit will bring Belfast, and the North, in general it will need all the tourism it can get.

 

[MarkK1988]

With the downturn that Brexit will bring Belfast, and the North, in general it will need all the tourism it can get.

i saw that the game of thrones set will be open to the public, think that could be huge for the area.

i tell everyone about the north as much as in can, that causeway coast is incredible viewing. hiring a car and doing that was probs one of the best short breaks ive ever been on

 

[Armaghtoffee]

And if that’s what the people want then so be it. It’s worth remembering however that the U.K. is one of the very few countries in the world that allows its people to vote on such things. Democracy you see. But be careful what you wish for because when some other sectarian terrorists get going at least it will having nothing to do with the U.K...even though we will get the blame for someone giving someone else a dirty look back in the 1700’s.....

If you know your history, eh Pete?

 

[Khalekan]

Kelly’s is a nice wee spot indeed and steeped in history as I’m sure the regulars have told you.

If you like there you should try Madden’s.

yeah ive heard that before its a great spot, when i go over there i tend to drink in the duke and the harp really

Tourist traps.

Get yerselves up to the Felon’s Club or the Roddy Corley’s in the rebel heart of Belfast

Though the Harp is a favourite haunt of mine when in Belfast

 

[MarkK1988]

Tourist traps.

Get yerselves up to the Felon’s Club or the Roddy Corley’s in the rebel heart of Belfast

Though the Harp is a favourite haunt of mine when in Belfast

was over there a while back and got chatting to a guitarist called rory who played there and the harp, hes fantastic so always try and co ordinate going when hes playing

never been for a pint on the falls or around the area, just worry that despite being of irish decent how id fly round there

 

[Khalekan]

was over there a while back and got chatting to a guitarist called rory who played there and the harp, hes fantastic so always try and co ordinate going when hes playing

never been for a pint on the falls or around the area, just worry that despite being of irish decent how id fly round there

Well, I have never had owt but a big cead mile failte up the Falls and I have been going there all my life, even in the 70s

Go to the Roddy’s and they will open up their museum for you.

They even have plastic bullets on display there lollollol

 

[MarkK1988]

Well, I have never had owt but a big cead mile failte up the Falls and I have been going there all my life, even in the 70s

Go to the Roddy’s and they will open up their museum for you.

They even have plastic bullets on display there lollollol

sounds tremendous ill give it a go