Is Martin McGuinness the Irish Nelson Mandela?
The difference in attitude in particular towards reconciliation between Sinn Fein and all of the Unionist parties is already glaringly obvious and only getting wider. Since the Good Friday Agreement, Sinn Fein have consistently provided positive leadership, have time and time again proven their commitment to building peace, growing our economy and in the reconciliation of our people.
And they have taken risks for peace, the greatest threat was always from republican dissidents who wished to step into the void left by the PIRA ordering a complete stand down and who remain committed to violence for violence sake in order to use the fear they incite to control communities for their own ends. I don’t care what they prefer to be called, they are no more than self-serving scumbags and a blight to the communities in which they reside as are the loyalist paramilitaries who have yet to follow the IRA lead and actually stand down and remain highly active in their communities.
In contrast, Sinn Fein have constantly faced down these groups, not only condemning them but putting it up to them that their actions are wrong, anti-republican and only fulfilling the need in the Willie Frazers of this world to have republican violence to feed his hate. Not only that but they have refused to sink to political point scoring when Arlene had to do a complete U-turn and reveal her concerns over the brexit risks to our economy, instead supporting their unionist partners in government in the best interests of all of our people.
Whereas the leaders of unionism still refer to the PIRA when talking about the actions of the UDA and UVF as if to try and justify their continued existence, yet the people in republican communities know perfectly well the PIRA no longer exist as a military unit the way loyalist paramilitaries still do. Instead of getting behind Martin McGuinness and helping society move on in the best interests of all of our people, we have unionist leaders still focussing on the past and seemingly more fearful of a positive, prosperous and peaceful future in case it leads to a united Ireland than they are to a return to violence and the return of the British army on our streets which in their eyes would safeguard the union for a while longer anyway.
I believe that more and more people in the unionist community are realising the opportunity for lasting reconciliation is real, and that there is little to fear from Irish unity. It is time to focus on growing our economy and making Ireland a more prosperous nation that can hold on to our young people. Unification can help both parts of Ireland through administrative savings, sharing infrastructure and the benefits of an island wide single economy.
Fianna Fail have left a burden of debt on the republic which is crippling public services and forcing our young people to leave to other parts of the world.
Likewise the Tories will be pursuing policies more relevant to needs in England which will see Scotland finally choose independence and a reform of the UK.
Partition is always going to stifle the economies in both parts of Ireland and it is only through unification that we can reach our full potential.
This will not only allow the north to finally grow our private sector and bring us into a net contributor to the Irish economy which will help reduce the burden of debt and share the load. But Unification also offers the opportunity to reform the Irish state and correct the economic damage done by Fianna Fail.
Sinn Fein have been at the forefront of making these positive changes happen and it is time the other parties all over this island stepped up to the mark and at least attempt to reach the they markers which have set.
It is time everyone on this island realised, that we are all in this together.
in what exactly together,i and thousands of others are in nothing and dont give a fiddlers what happens here or on the other side of the world.we are all in this together lark is only for the fools that listen to such nonsense.
You never cease to amaze me with your nihilism, billy. it makes me wonder if it is only a bit of an act sometimes or if you even give it much thought at all.If you don’t give a fiddler’s fuck about anything here or on the other side of the world, why would you bother even going online and reading all these viewpoints, here, eh? You could read anything else you wanted to.
Then there your right -of -Enoch Powell stance on something like immigratio,n where you sound like Alf Garnett’s long-lost step-son.Enoch was eventually put out to pasture on the rocky political slopes of Norneverland unionism from 1974–87 , which was his natural home. For all his undoubted wisdom on things “classical”, he would have been right at home with the neo-fascists of the modern-day UKIP or equally Mosley’s Blackshirts ,lot in the 1930’s. He criticised immigration into Britain from the very commonwealth countries that Britain had already gone to ransacked, colonised and then made”British”.He also opposed the very idea of anti-discrimination legislation.Earlier as Health Minister at Westminster he was of no support whatsoever with the victims of thalmidomide…basically saying ” I hope you are not going to sue the government. You can’t sue the government”. That’s the kind of company to keep alright.
I sometimes think Harry, there are people on both sides here who’s sole purpose is simply to frustrate Jude and undo the good work he does in getting a more impartial message out there which unfortunately seems to be working.
I would not normally be for censorship, but perhaps people who have consistently proven to be failing to add anything whatsoever in terms of positive contribution, why should we really have to put up with such constant derision.
MT is a pointless contributor and no more than a pain while billy is truly depressing.
I wouldn’t miss either of their contributions.
we are in belfast not n/korea thankfully,is this what the united ireland you preach about will look like.censorship,anybody with true republican beliefs labelled drug dealers,scum ect,ordinary posters pointing out true facts a pain,depressing,oh and then theres the protestants and the irish government their always good for a touch.why dont you just scroll on past posters you cant thought police.
Sure what would you care billy, you don’t give a fiddlers.
coming online and reading viewpoints doesnt make you care their only peoples points of view.you can say whatever about ole enoch,you cant take away his vision that he was right.
Let’s just get one thing right here, billy…Enoch was never right in any universe i’d care to live in .Granted …he was far to the right , but you should know he’s not remotely “right” which anyone would recognise by the company he has kept.
Thanks, Jessica, for this wise and courageous account of the current state of our country. As you say, we have a statesman of the stature of Nelson Mandela in our midst and the pusillanimous Dublin establishment is just as unwilling as NI Unionists to admit that Martin McGuinness is such a one.
As for the dissident scumbags that prey on our communities, I admire and support your courage in speaking a truth that I have hardly dared speak myself. Thanks for that..
Jessica you simply dont get it and i suspect you never will.
As you say, we have a statesman of the stature of Nelson Mandela in our midst and the pusillanimous Dublin establishment is just as unwilling as NI Unionists to admit that Martin McGuinness is such a one.
The only similarity between those two men is that there are ex terrorists.
You are very quick at using the terrorist word when referring to republicans Robert.
Yet unionism has never been shy of using violence to achieve its political aims which is the very definition of terrorism.
In fact it was unionist terrorism which started the conflict in the first place, and I don’t mean loyalist paramilitaries but political unionism who were the original terrorists here.
Then again, unionism doesn’t like to look too hard at its own faults, does it Robert?
Nope sorry, McGuinness is no Nelson Mandela. For starters I am sure Mandela would’ve preferred to have spent as much time in jail as Martin did.
If you see Nelson Mandela as simply someone who spent a long time in prison then I can see where you are coming from WT.
If you see him as I do, as someone who reached out to those who discriminated against his people for generations and came from being considered a terrorist to being a leading statesman who earned the respect of all sides in a deeply divided society and helped to build a better country for all of his people, then perhaps you can at least acknowledge where I am coming from.
I can see where you are coming from and respect it but again I would dispute McGuinness is even a ‘leading statesman’. The only leading he has done for nationalist people is to tell us to accept,tolerate and pay for orange bigotry.
Don’t forget that it’s under his watch that SF are running scared of the border poll they championed. You lament the lack of enthusiasm from the free state establishment concerning irish unity and yet you refuse to witness the woeful handling if the national question from McGuinness and co.
The British Secretary of State dismissed their ‘demand’ for a border poll right away, stating that there was no evidence/conditions for calling one. Now rather than seek a meeting to get clarification(remember that word) on what the conditions might be for calling one McGuinness would rather send a pathetic joint letter with arlene, whining about the brexit result, to terry may PM.
One wonders if Peter the punt,arlene etc would have been as keen if Gerry Adams had taken up the first minister position rather than Martin? The alleged baggage that Adams is levelled with seems to have escaped Martin McGuinness even though it could be alleged he had similar baggage? There’s been no constant hounding of Martin as there consistently is for Adams.
They used to say Paisley was the best recruiting sergeant for the IRA, well it’s looking like the unionists will say Martin McGuinness is the best recruiting sergeant for the existence of ‘northern Ireland’.
Likewise WT, I understand your point of view totally also.
It is not only frustrating but at times very confusing for someone who has strong patriotic feelings, who would give their lives for a country that at times doesn’t seem to care about them. Confusing a lot of the time actually.
One minute you feel confident we are moving in the right direction, then something happens and you feel despair that your country will never be how you want it to be, Especially when the problems are attitudes emanating from Dublin
I too have found myself at time wondering whether Martin and Gerry were agents themselves knowing how infiltrated all of the paramilitaries here are and have been.
But in the end I put this down to paranoia which comes from an inability or struggle to cope with British rule which for those psychologically traumatised from the conflict can consumes most of their waking lives.
If it weren’t for Gerry, the IRA would not have survived the 70s.
Why would you save them only to later destroy their memory decades after they have been stood down?
It just doesn’t make sense.
When I think about it, I don’t believe there is anyone we can trust more. But they have had setbacks.
Labour will not be in power across the water any time soon.
The southern establishment has sold the soul of our nation, cares more about their jobs than our people and controls the media like China or North Korea would.
I understand totally where you are coming from when you talk about accepting, tolerating and paying for orange bigotry.
There are times when I want nothing more than loyalists to start another war, a full blown war so we can fight it out once and for all.
But I also have children, who are happy and are the most important thing in my life, I want what is best for them also so a lot of this emotion is buried.
As for Martin not being a statesman, that I reject outright as falsehood. He demands respect in political circles around the planet, he is difficult to dislike, he has achieved the impossible in even some unionists supporting and trusting his sincerity in his efforts at reconciliation. It will stand by him of that I am certain.
That is what he has committed himself to do and he does it well.
Sinn Fein cannot unite Ireland except through control of the Dail for it is only Dublin can re-unite this country. That I am also certain off.
It is also not Sinn Feins responsibility alone to achieve this.
As for being a recruiting sergeant for the existence of ‘northern Ireland’.
There have been times when I would have opted for an independent northern Ireland free of England.
It is the behaviour of unionism in Stormont that turns me off this, and now I wouldn’t support a devolved Stormont even in a united Ireland.
I suppose there is no quick means of achieving unification and we each have our own ways of dealing with this.
Jessica ,I wrote something similar a few years back for Jude,, but it appears to have fallen off the back-end of his site , so luckily I still have another copy online….right here……it might give you a laugh to realise just how far we haven’t come ….
https://paddykool2.wordpress.com/stories-and-scribblings/when-did-marty-become-such-a-statesman/
I am in no doubt Harry, that he has committed himself 100% to the reconciliation of our people, to growing our economy and improving the quality of life for our people as much as possible.
There is no master plan or strategy, only the belief that with peace and focus on the economy a united Ireland will be inevitable in its own time.
If we could only bottle his patience and tolerance.
But Jessica, that would mean Ireland’s political parties having to take a good hard look at themselves and how both parts of Ireland have been run for 100 years and what they became.
Neither FF/FG/Lab/ in the Rep or the UUP/ Westminster are prepared to do that.
What’s obvious is that nationslists/republicans in NI and the people of the Rep can to a greater and lesser degree, see the wrongs of the past, unionist cannot or will not acknowledge any wrongs whatsoever.
What is needed is an All-Ireland political party to emerge to highlight these wrongs and propose a new vision for the future.
When the time comes for commemoration our respective centenaries that mainstream media will either ignore the whole thing or fail to examine the past in full. For any examination cannot but hurt FF in particular.
The fear of SF is too great as they have broken the monopoly of unionist NI and may yet break the duopoly of FF/FG. Don’t underestimate that fear.
Unfortunately, for many SF is the wrong party.
Well Ryan, the fact that you have acknowledged that a new All-Ireland political party is needed is a significant step in breaking duopoly of FF/FG which I believe Sinn Fein have already broken. The next election will be a three horse race for first place.
While I would support another all island party, in the mean time Sinn Fein is gaining support of the younger generations faster than any other party and I believe it is because they are an all island party and offer the greatest move away from the stale civil war politics of the past.
Fianna Fail may have bought the older generation at the significant financial expense of the younger but Sinn Fein will overcome this demographic in the exact same way.
The next election will answer the question as to whether or not they are the right party.
” I don’t care what they prefer to be called, they are no more than self-serving scumbags and a blight to the communities in which they reside”
Would you call Bobby Sands sister and brother in law “self serving scumbags” Jessica? Because they support dissident republicans. Billy McKee, the founder of the PIRA and who is now in his late 90’s, is a supporter of dissident republicans, is he also a “self serving scumbag”? Bear in mind the Short Strand wouldn’t exist right now if it wasn’t for the bravery of McKee and 2 other men going over and single-handedly fighting off an armed Loyalist mob, backed up by the RUC and Unionist paramilitaries. Would you describe Bobby Sands and many of the hunger strikers as “self serving scumbags” because you can be pretty certain they all wouldn’t support Sinn Fein’s actions today, the same goes for the Men/Women of 1916, as 105 year old Dan Keating proved. He was the last survivor of the Tan War and a staunch supporter of Dissident republicans even till the age of 105.
I don’t support dissident republicans but I wouldn’t dare describe them in the way you have, Jessica. To compare them to Loyalist paramilitaries, who literally are self serving scumbags (the mass drug dealing and abuse of their own community proves it), is completely inaccurate. All dissident republicans are, in my mind, are republicans who don’t share my opinion. Its very simple. They refuse to acknowledge the right of the British Government to be in any part of Ireland, hence why they resort to violence. They don’t resort to violence because they love violence, they resort to violence for exactly the same reasons why the PIRA did.
Why don’t I support dissident republicans? Its not due to their violence, its due to the political landscape, violence is no longer necessary today. The way the demographics are going, the way the political agreements are set up, etc a United Ireland is inevitable. It will take time but I think that is what is intolerable to dissident republicans, they don’t have the stomach for it and I understand that but I still don’t agree with their actions.
The UVF/UDA still exist today because the British Government are allowing them to exist, they are running them. Yes, running them. All the top people in the UVF/UDA are agents, they always were, every single one of them. The ones who couldn’t be won over are dead. A report done in 2003 showed out of 300 UDA men questioned that 297 were working for British Intelligence, that’s literally 99% lol The UDA/UVF were, and still are, just another wing of the British Army. All the mass murders committed by the UVF/UDA could’ve been stopped but they were allowed to go ahead by British Intelligence, that’s over 700 murders, the vast majority being Catholic civilians. The British State was behind it all. Even before Westminster got involved here the UVF was taking orders from Unionist Stormont, Gusty Spence even said he was paid by Unionist politicians to, I quote, “start a sectarian war”.
I’m not attacking you Jessica but in my eyes a republican is a republican, if they don’t share your tactical views then that’s to be respected. Calling other republicans “self serving scumbags” is hardly going to win them over to your way of thinking. Indeed that’s just behaving the same way the SDLP did towards the PIRA during the troubles….
“The UVF/UDA still exist today because the British Government are allowing them to exist, they are running them. Yes, running them. ”
I am well aware off this Ryan.
I supported the IRA during the conflict and was against the Good Friday Agreement at the time and did not support Sinn Feins stance on it then either.
But we now know they also had infiltrated the IRA significantly by the mid 80s and dissidents today are infiltrated with agents to the same extent as loyalists if not moreso? I have seen IRA recruitment officers coming out of RUC stations with bottles of buckfast, that is how cheaply some could be bought towards the end.
The IRA had been negotiating the terms of the end of the conflict since the mid 80s, it took 10 years and the canary wharf bomb to convince enough of the british there was no military victory in it for them and this was the best we were going to get. Not everyone on the brit side was happy about this and some would even like to restart the conflict to have a more decisive conclusion.
I don’t know how anyone could claim to know how Bobby Sands let alone the Men/Women of 1916 would have responded had he been given these facts along with the fact our community was totally war weary and could not cope with conflict for much longer.
Billy McKee initially supported the peace process for this reason, I do not know why he changed his mind. But it is not something you can pick and choose at will for any reason. There were thousands of volunteers equally as brave and having to stand down without victory was hard enough to swallow but such selfish indecisiveness as shown by Billy McKee in turning was simply an insult to their courage and sacrifice.
The IRA has been stood down. That was the decision taken by its army council and that is the end of it.
No individual can overturn it.
Going against this decision now, is damaging the sacrifices made by so many during the conflict which do I need to remind you they did not start.
There are thousands of families effected by their stance, each as important as any of the names you mention so I don’t see how anyone can say they have any respect for the IRA, the republican movement or any of those who lost comrades by turning on them now.
It has been many years since I have spoken to dissidents, but they are leaderless. There is no intelligence behind them and when losing an argument they quickly turn to violence, not to mention they are arrogant and operate in plain visibility as they are more interested in status. Look at who they are in our communities, in most cases simply thugs and hard men who do more to terrorise our families than anyone else.
“The ones who couldn’t be won over are dead.”
Indeed. What would you say if I told you that every loyalist directly managed by british intelligence in implementing collusion including pat finnucane and other directly ordered assassinations is dead except for Mark Haddock, the least involved of the lot who was left alive deliberately. Killed in a manipulated loyalist feud before the final cessation as a clean up.
Even Billy Wight wasn’t saved in prison.
“To compare them to Loyalist paramilitaries, who literally are self serving scumbags (the mass drug dealing and abuse of their own community proves it), is completely inaccurate. All dissident republicans are, in my mind, are republicans who don’t share my opinion. ”
No it isn’t Ryan.
What you are saying is completely inaccurate and it suggests you have never had a face to face debate with them over their stance.
I have, and it is my assessment that any republican today supporting violence in the name of the IRA are self serving scumbags, the lot of them.
They are no better than Loyalist paramilitaries.
“To compare them to Loyalist paramilitaries, who literally are self serving scumbags (the mass drug dealing and abuse of their own community proves it), is completely inaccurate. All dissident republicans are, in my mind, are republicans who don’t share my opinion. Its very simple. They refuse to acknowledge the right of the British Government to be in any part of Ireland, hence why they resort to violence.”
Just to clarify your stance on this Ryan.
You are coming on here and criticising unionist politicians for failing to do enough to tackle loyalist paramilitaries but at the same time are approving the existence of dissident paramilitaries?
And are you seriously telling me you aren’t aware of the involvement of dissident republicans in criminality all over this island including drug dealing?
What message is your tolerance of this going to send to Dublin where their drug dealing and criminality is at its worst?
Dissident republicans are not simply republicans who don’t share your opinion.
If they had any decency or respect for the republican cause, they would negotiate the removal of MI5 from Ireland and the release of all evidence blocked by national security in return for complete decommissioning and stand down. But no, they would rather kill prison officers in their fight to get better conditions in prison – where they can rot forever for all I care.
Does it matter that their refusal is leading to innocent republicans being interned for no reason by those in MI5 who would be happy to have a return to conflict by a group they have already completely infiltrated on both sides of the border and could quickly crush any day they chose to. No, they will probably rather try and recruit them, the whole point of the MI5 exercise in the first place.
What do you think the hesitation in the south is about?
I refuse to accept any right for the british government to rule any part of Ireland and I don’t always agree with Sinn Fein, but I would not turn against them.
I may have refused to vote for stormont which has failed, but if I was to cast a vote in the north at all, it would be for an all Ireland republican party and at the moment there is only one on this island.
And you as someone who self declares to have voted for the SDLP, a party with a long term history of support for the status quo here, a purporter of post nationalism and a party who are an engrained part of Westminster, don’t talk to me about showing respect for republicans.
Open your eyes Ryan, you are being lied to and misled by fools who are being directed by British intelligence.
Jessica, I can only speak for my own town, but I agree that dissidents are involved in the vile drug trade whether it be distribution or protection rackets etc. At the very least the proliferation and normalisation of the drugs issue had been under their watch sort of speak. However I will also add that those of a SF persuasion in my town have most certainly contributed to the growth of drugs as well amongst the community. At the very least they turned a blind eye.
I agree with a lot of Ryan said above but also with a lot of your points of view. I think the bottom line is this, if republicans refuse to listen and acknowledge different points of view, and hurl insults at all those that hold a different viewpoint then there is really no chance of the growth of irish republicanism in the near future. The dropping turnout of nationalist voters at recent elections is being used by others to claim that ‘nationalists are contented with their lot’. However, again speaking of what I have seen/heard in my own town, it appears nationalists are fed up with ‘their lot’. I have listened to people who keep themselves to themselves, don’t make it known their politics etc grow exasperated and disillusioned by how bad their neighbourhoods have got. The exasperation comes from the feeling that even SF don’t give a damn about them either. They seem more interested in the money available from holding office in council chambers etc and taking selfies than they are about addressing the concerns of their constituents.
Btw a spike in the nationalist turnout in the next election will really only be about the EU furore. Nothing else more should be read into it.
WT, we cannot blame Sinn Fein for everything and ignore the elephant in the room.
Ireland will not be united and a border poll will never be called while paramilitaries remain.
It is not only unionism which is facing a tough time ahead, but the republican community.
The next stage of this process will be the eradication of all of these parasites.
They deserve no respect and they will get none from me.
There is no chance of the growth of Irish republicanism while they remain.
Ryan is wrong about them, and those who know this can no longer remain silent about it.
With all due respect Jessica I personally know a few republicans who are critical of SF. They are also critical of the so called dissidents. Unfortunately these people would be labelled dissidents as well by SF followers. To bad mouth and hurl insults at those who don’t agree with certain policies of say, SF, is deeply offensive and indeed counterproductive. In my experience calling people names raises their hackles and makes them more reluctant to listen to your point of view.
Is there genuine republicans who oppose SF policies? I believe there is and they shouldn’t be lumped into the so called dissident camp for being so. But again and I can only speak for my town and state that the clampits running around claiming they are fighting a war are a bundle of fecking eejits! Btw, I see some eejits have built a bonfire on a road in the bogside……looks like they have a few eejits in that town too.
WT, I have never said anyone who disagrees with Sinn Fein is a dissident, I don’t always agree with them myself.
Yes there are of course genuine republicans who oppose SF policies and this in my opinion is a good thing. In fact I would love to see another all Ireland republican party, preferably more to the centre as Sinn Fein are too left for my liking but they would have to commit to peaceful means and that is the difference.
We are too far down the road to look to violence as a solution.
Plus I think you know very well who I am referring to. The very same clampits running around with guns, allowing their children to do what they like annoying pensioners with their drinking and throwing stones. The not the IRA IRA brigade. Our communities deserve better than to have to put up with them and the closer we get to independence, the greater the pressure will be to remove then from our society.
Does any single one of these republicans you know who are critical of SF, believe there is even the remotest chance that there will be a place for republican or any paramilitaries in a united Ireland? Do they seriously think they are gong to be invited to join the Gardai?
I doubt very much the people in the south would allow it. So sooner or later, one of the pre-conditions for unification will be their disbandment, and there will be targets and preconditions we will have to meet.
As I have been saying to unionists here, take the bull by the horns and discuss unification with us now, for if you fight us to the wire, don’t expect any favours later when demographics are no longer in your favour.
Well now I am saying to dissidents, you do not have a future. You can use your disbandment to remove MI5 and end national security cover up and gain respect for it as well as support for early release, but if you fight it to the wire, don’t expect any favours later, you will be turned on by the community you live among and you will rot in jail and don’t expect any sympathy then.
And the more of us you shoot and kill in our own communities, the sooner and harder that turn on you will be.
Please don’t think I am insulting you in any way WT, I have every respect for your opinions, but it is a difficult step that needs to happen so the sooner we address it the better in my opinion.
Maith thú Jessica. I can’t disagree with anything you said there. Btw most of the people I know have often said that ‘if the IRA couldnt acheive all they set out to acheive, what makes these clowns think they are going to be any more successful?’. Personally the haste in which these people regularly plead guilty to various ‘criminal offences’ suggests they should go and read up on Irish republican jail history a bit more, but that’s another story for another day.
“You are coming on here and criticising unionist politicians for failing to do enough to tackle loyalist paramilitaries but at the same time are approving the existence of dissident paramilitaries?”
Jessica, I suggest you reread my comment again. I clearly stated that I didn’t support dissident republicans, therefore logic obviously suggests I don’t agree with their existence. The same goes for all paramilitaries. But dissident republicans wont be won over by insulting and attacking them. They will only be won over to peace exactly the same way most of the PIRA was.
I have come on here and criticised Unionist politicians and will continue to do so because unlike Sinn Fein they want certain paramilitaries to remain in existence, aka UVF/UDA.
“If they had any decency or respect for the republican cause”
They would say the very same thing of you Jessica. Again, just making sure you don’t get confused again, I DONT support dissidents but am merely putting forth what they would say to you. How could you or Sinn Fein have any respect for the republican cause by supporting the British Government in Ireland? By playing along and working in a Government that they are part of? Do you not see the irony there Jessica? And even the Hypocrisy?….The founders of modern Irish Republicanism is undoubtedly the Men/Women of 1916 and its just factual that they would consider Sinn Fein today to be traitors. Its very simple. I understand that’s a very hard pill to swallow, I know because I have to swallow it too.
Again, I’m not attacking you Jessica. I sense your on the offensive when it comes to this topic. Any Republican who is engaged in drug dealing is more of a gangster than anything but if its true that dissidents are involved in drug dealing, then how do we know the PIRA weren’t? Many paramilitaries worldwide use drug dealing as a source of income. I’m certainly not approving or justifying drug dealing in any way, shape or form but this is why paramilitaries do drug dealing, its highly profitable.
Ryan I am aware Sinn Fein don’t want paramilitaries to remain in existence, and I am aware that unionism is vague on it and have also criticised them for their stance .What I am saying is if we are going to criticise unionists for their stance, and you mentioned hypocrisy, do you not think they will say the same thing to us if we prevaricate over the existence of republican paramilitaries today?
Times have changed, the conflict is over, we are just a few short years away from a healthy nationalist majority and it is time now to build a united Ireland and actually make it happen for the benefit of all of our people, not to allow these degenerates to hold it back.
I consider it an insult to even compare these arsewipes with the PIRA, but I am not prepared to get into that with you.
And I never said you supported dissidents, but you did defend them, your comments show respect for them which they do not deserve and that is a very bad message to give out.
Tell me, why should the republic show more of an interest in re-unification, in building a new Ireland and embracing the north while we tolerate or even encourage thugs and gangsterism in our society? I don’t want it, I am sure they wont either.
“How could you or Sinn Fein have any respect for the republican cause by supporting the British Government in Ireland?”
But the British government are in Ireland. Sinn Fein do not want them here, I do not want them here, the majority of people on this island don’t want them here, the majority of them don’t want to be here themselves.
But dissidents are only going to keep them here by trying to bring the British army back to our streets.
And they simply aren’t fit to deal with them. They are naïve if they think they stand any chance.
All they will serve to do is give MI5 the victory they crave and set back the republican cause decades.
We need to be cutting our ties not clinging on to them.
Let me ask you a question, what chance do you think they stand today?
They have no support and will never have it. They have no intelligence, no strategy and are infiltrated to their core.
All they will bring us is misery and shame.
“By playing along and working in a Government that they are part of? Do you not see the irony there Jessica? And even the Hypocrisy?….The founders of modern Irish Republicanism is undoubtedly the Men/Women of 1916 and its just factual that they would consider Sinn Fein today to be traitors.”
How can anyone say what opinions anyone would have in 100 years time which is what you are doing?
Even look at your words. The founders of modern Irish republicanism in 2016 were the Men/Women of 1916. I certainly don’t think 2016 was on their minds.
But more importantly, do you consider Sinn Fein traitors Ryan, because that is all that should matter to you?
Perhaps you do since you voted SDLP, perhaps you feel they have much better republican credentials, perhaps you genuinely feel Sinn Fein are traitors.
I just don’t see it.
You are defending people who have done nothing for this country and insulting those that have.
Sinn Fein are not simply playing along with the British government. They are seeking to take all of the control Westminster has over Ireland back into Ireland so we can severe the ties for good.
Do you think a few misfits planting a pipe bomb or shooting someone dead for speaking out against them is going to make Britain just up and leave?
Even if they wanted to , they couldn’t, international opinion would be that we are their responsibility and that they cannot just stop paying the bills to keep this place running. The way Sinn Fein are going about it is the only option we have, and if there is a bitter pill to swallow that is it.
“How could you or Sinn Fein have any respect for the republican cause by supporting the British Government in Ireland? By playing along and working in a Government that they are part of? ”
Britain have just voted to leave the EU.
How far has that gone?
They have to build teams of people suitable to transfer legislation which has to meet specific requirements to trade with the EU. They have to agree a new format for the UK and deal with the parts which did not support leaving.
It is not just a matter of upping sticks.
Irish independence will only be achieved through unification and this will be even more complex.
How are dissidents going to take us one step closer to achieving that?
Sinn Fein are at the centre of implementing these changes now.
I understand these halfwits don’t get this, but I know you do Ryan.
Don’t let them suck you in.
“Sinn Fein are at the centre of implementing these changes now.”
That, and the bit about being only a few years from said United Ireland…
Yep, pretty much.
Give or take a year or two.
Or, as I keep saying, we have a United Ireland in practical terms already.
I will tell you one thing Peter, there will be no place for paramilitaries in it.
Is Martin McGuinness the Irish Nelson Mandela?
No.
Is Jessica McGrann away in the head?
Yes.
“Is Jessica McGrann away in the head?
Yes.”
Play the ball, not the woman Kop.
“people who keep themselves to themselves, don’t make it known their politics etc grow exasperated and disillusioned by how bad their neighbourhoods have got.”
Maybe nationalists/Republicans should organise street by street – hold a meeting with their neighbours, decide what they want/don’t want in their street (traffic lights, speed ramps, more or less parking etc) and set out to get it.Liase with other streets, villages and towns.
Support and help each other. Learn from each other. Share resources. Solve problems together.
Sharing their experiences might show that some issues are greater than the very local and a concerted national effort might well be needed solve the problems they create
https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2016/06/09/building-the-irish-republic/