Not remotely, given the international status of NI. As far as I am aware, the UN recognises the complete United Kingdom as a sovereign state. That’s not to say that the UN hasn’t been critical of the UK’s part in the Troubles. nor that others might hold the view that Irish armed resistance was justified. The IRA got plenty of financial support from over the pond.
My view is that the GFA was a good deal for the province, no doubt influenced by a decade long association with that part of the world, including a good three years of living more or less full time in County Down.
I’m unlikely to endorse any political lobby with violence in its arsenal. That includes the IRA. That all said, we’re a long way from 1998 and it’s a bit sad seeing a man try to recycle 1980s Tory propaganda with little to no appreciation of what happened over there. What could have been a civil rights movement turned into a violent uprising, mostly because our idiotic action. We spent three decades demonising the Catholic half of the equation and colluding with Unionist paramilitaries.
Both sides of that conflict committed terrible atrocities on each other, and innocents on both islands. If you want to pick an example of both sides not being guilt free, look closer to home. I condone none, and abhor all of the harm and violence done there.
I understand why it happens though, just as any student of history understands. Those denied a political voice will find other ways to express themselves. Those occupied by a military force, especially so.
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And some of Ireland still believe they are, Pap I have also lived in Ireland, Cork by the way and my mothers side come from there, County Down? Staunch unionist territory, sure you’re not a tory?
What about Crimea?
Crimea? Isn’t that a little border crossing town in Armagh? Famous during the Troubles?
If we are going to go from Israel to Syria via Armenia, Ireland and the Crimea, can we change the thread title?
Barry’s world tour?
It’s like Mr Benn. Barry takes us to a different country every day and tells a story about it.
Where will he take us next?
Congo, Rwanda, East Timor, Tibet? You call it son and I’ll play it.
A true geography lesson. I never knew the Golan Heights covered so much territory.
Whoever controls the Golan Heights has a lot to answer for.
The Golan Heights are an important piece of land, hold the high ground, I think I have said this, and buffer zones and the worry or Lebanon and Syria surrounding Israels north, Syria own the land as such and I don’t think Israel question that, they hold the land for their security, they’re facts not conjecture.
Partial facts, like saying football is all about the goal keeper(in our case this is true, so a bad analogy).
As you say, you have mentioned it, but with a 1960’s outlook in my opinion. What’s there is more important than there itself.
You may laugh and mock. But the ski resort sums up the Western attitude to Israel’s contempt for international law, quite happy to go there for a once in a lifetime holiday but conveniently ignores the morality of it. When they come home they probably tell their ‘right on’ friends that they went to Switzerland.
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1960’s or not thats your opinion not facts being turned into a reality by Israeli forces in the Golan heights, I’ll take the actual reality of them being there and actually trying to legalise their occupation there as opposed to tin foil specualtion.
Not laughing or mocking @nottarf-krap . We’ll, I am, but the important point is that the majority of people only hear / see what the msm tell them about the Golan Heights. There’s no sense of geography, history or even details of the religious make up of the area etc etc.
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BBC5LIVE last night about 0030 or this morning was a show on middle class art and right on rascism, very interesting what genuine minorities think of fellow citizens and surprising views on Brexit, highly recommend.
“Syria own the land as such and i don’t think Israel question that”? Are you serious Barry? Or just naive. For their security? Seriously? Poor little Israel, loaded with nuclear weapons, being bullied by the rightful owners of the land, always the victims eh. The Golan Heights are Syrian territory, end of. By any definition Israel is a fascist regime, an apartheid state. Netanyahu has made it quite clear that, regardless of international law and natural justice, regardless of world opinion, they will do exactly what they want to do. And if the rest of the world doesn’t like it they can go hang. If push really came to shove the Samson Option would be invoked. The harsh truth is that for the modern day Zionists the holocaust is manna from heaven. They call it in whenever they are on the back foot with their fascist behaviour. And anyone who questions it is immediately labelled an Anti- Semite. But the non jewish victims of the holocaust never get a mention, Half a million Roma gypsies, of whom my fathers family were one, were wiped out during the holocaust, representing almost the entire eastern European Roma population. Thousands of Catholic priests and Christian pastors were forced into concentration camps. A special barracks was set up at Dachau for clergymen. A few survived, some were executed, but most were allowed to die slowly of starvation or disease. Tens of thousands of gay people died in concentration camps. Thousands of disabled people met the same fate. All told it is estimated that 5 million non jewish people were killed by the Nazis. But you never hear of them stealing other sovereign country’s land, and justifying it by invoking the holocaust. By any yardstick the modern State of Israel, with their philosophy and behaviour towards the Palestinians, their seizure of sovereign country’s lands, and settling European jews on this land, is no different than the nazi regime in Germany in the 30s. Exactly the same mindset. The elephant in the room that dare not speak it’s name is the indisputable fact that the horrors visited upon Jewish people in the 30s and 40s was visited upon them by white, Caucasian Europeans. Christians. So why are Palestinians and Muslim people in general paying the price? And have been for generations. No wonder they hate us. Hand on heart, who can blame them.
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Geopolitical brinkmanship tied in with countries like the U.K. (Government & Daily Fail readers) who think Britannia still rules the waves, or waives the rules, are the bane of my life.
I rarely watch the news these days as I start shouting at the TV - I’ve even been known to stand in the garden and shout at clouds.
Does anyone else want to wring the neck of every global “leader” responsible for fermenting all this shit?
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