Id like to draw the line at orange marches in their current guise. They are not âcultureâ, they are naked sectarian triumphalism. Couldnât stop them, or it would make matters worse, but they are provocative in the extreme.
Sorry for intruding but the shite is still bubbling over,and will run on and on and on until thereâs enough work ( real work not stupid government schemes to massage real unemployment figures and until meaningful talks ie prisoner release with what some call dissidents)jaw jaw
In the hinterland of Loyalism, yes ⊠by n large, outside of Belfast and deepest darkest Loyalist areas, they are simple marches ⊠Now, of course iâm aware of the origins of the OO â but many outside the worst areas of Belfast are merely marching to celebrate their community and faith ⊠in the new world order this could be watered down or take shape in a new guise ⊠maybe I have too much faith in humanity, but Is feidir linn.
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I made my feelings known last year but was ignored by the party â I see it has taken a few posts on TFK to finally get the message across to Mary Lou.
''Thing is, said Mary Lou, they have to drive home the message that Sinn FĂ©in âis positive and front footed and solutions focusedâ. She accepted they havenât been particularly good in communicating this to voters and that they must improve.
Public humility â a big step forward for Sinn FĂ©in. The recent elections were a sobering experience. Many voters turned away. âAnd I want to say to all of you that we have heard what you said and that we are acting on it.â
Another thread ruined. Sid knows more about the North than the people who live there. Thereâs plenty like him. I barely bothered reading this shite but a few points:-
- itâs the responsibility of the UK government to come up with solutions to the hard border risk and no one else. Thatâs the Irish and EU position. Some people want to betray that EU position to score a cheap shot on SF.
- a UI would be entirely dependant on a very favourable and helpful EU.
- during the Troubles the UK made the decision to resist UN intervention. In the event of serious trouble after a UI we wouldnât have to make the same decision and UN intervention (troops) would probably suit both sides.
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Cheap shots on SF are a very long standing tradition in Irish society - not just at SF per se, but on anything thatâs considered nationalist â This started in the 19th century with the rise of OâConnell and the shopocracy - it was spearheaded by the church⊠in more recent times we have the media, and our beloved establishment political parties, that carry on this tradition of shunning anything nationalist and equating it with violence. Shaming people for being proud of their heritage while railroading them to become little Britons - If these institutions had shown real leadership and care for their people fuck knows where this island would be now. The troubles lay at the feet of the south more than anyone else - a nation of quislings who betrayed their own and spit on anything that doesnt aspire to be middle - class west British.
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âSay Nothingâ is a salutory read.
Sure arenât the Germans running the country anyway? Aul pascals budget is like giving the child a tenner to run down to the shop and buy sweets
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Ulster contains Donegal, Monaghan, Cavan⊠Get another meme
Based on what
As someone who voted SF at the last two general elections, it really fucking pains me to day this, but SF have done nothing for the CNR community since the Brexit referendum
Itâs all well and good staying out of Westminster on a point of principle, but that means the CNR community have had no representation at the time of their greatest need since the end of the Troubles
Itâs been completely left to the Dublin government and the EU to stick up for the CNR community
Thatâs the reality
How have the Dublin government stood up for the nationalist community. They are standing up for their own interests and using the nationalist community as a pawn.
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Whatâs could they do? Itâs the British governmentâs job to come up with solutions.
By insisting that the UK recognise the GFA and that any deal maintains the GFA and the open border intact
Theyâve done this through exercising soft power in the EU and have massively influenced the EUâs negotiating position
Britain wants to throw the CNR community under the bus, but is totally hamstrung as regards this stance by its GFA commitments which the Irish government and the EU have insisted upon
Even in a no deal, that remains the case because Britain then becomes effectively a pariah state until it comes to its senses
Without EU power and leverage over Britain, that would not be the case, the Tory headbangers could do what they want and get away with it
Since 2016, the CNR community have had no representation at either Stormont or Westminster, which means theyâve had no representation from those they elected full stop
If you have no representation, you have no power
The CNR community are lucky that they have allies to do the work while their representatives have abdicated responsibility
If anybody is using the CNR community as a pawn right now, itâs SF
Ah ok, itâs a cheap shot against abstentionism. This would all be solved if SF werent an abstentionist party. Why did you vote for SF if you know that they abstain from Westminster?
Ah ok itâs also SFâs fault that the DUP would rather be in government with the tories in Westminster than involved in powersharing. Thanks for clearing that up Sid.
They could take their seats in Westminster for a start or hand them over to people who will give the CNR community some actual representation there
They could stop ramping up tensions as regards calling for a border poll
The British government has been backed into a corner, not by SF, but by the Irish government and the EU, and they canât get away with reneging on the GFA without becoming a pariah state because of that
The Irish government has played its cards very well
I donât vote in Westminster elections
And the last time I voted for SF down here there was no Brexit
When the facts change, I change my opinion, what do you do
Why did you vote for this party when you knew it was abstentionist?