Marching on the road to nowhere…
The violence in Northern Ireland has slipped under the news radar somewhat due to News International’s antics. It is, however, a reminder that a final settlement of the Province’s many troubles are far from final. Both communities have alienated fringes who have no stake in the peace process what so ever. It was the turn of ‘militant republican’s’ to catch the blame for last night but the spark the lit the flame is the annual 12th of July celebrations and marches by the Orange Order.
Why these marches are still allowed to pass through Catholic communities or indeed exist is a bit of a mystery to me. This is not about democratic freedom; this is about a deliberate provocation of one community too another, with one lording it over another and rubbing their faces in a painful defeat and that is unacceptable. Furthermore, I expect these marches to gain in popularity as the problems facing the British-Irish (Protestant, Loyalist, call it what you like) community grow. They will become lightening rods to conduct through which their anger and alienation is conducted.
Historically, I feel the partition of Ireland was a great wrong done to the Irish people by the British Empire. It looks like, especially with Sinn Féin extending its political hegemony to southern Ireland, that some form of reunion is inevitable and only a matter of time. How the Loyalist community is integrated into and given a democratic stake in that settlement and that will involve radical changes to the Irish state and probably some kind of federal settlement allowing a degree of autonomy to Loyalist-majority areas. However, it also involves that community recognising it does not have the right to route its ridiculous marches in a way that directly impinges on the right of other communities to feel intimidated.
19 responses to “Marching on the road to nowhere…”
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Moments of Clarity 
that some form of reunion is inevitable and only a matter of time. I take your point darrell but alot of Catholics who vote SDLP want Northern ireland to be part of the U.K,
the Orange man parades to me look like amixtureo Doogs from Clockwork orange and theKKK.
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There will never be peace while they can blame the English.
We should pull out.
If the Irish want a civil war, let them have one.
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but the majority of Protestants and a smaller majority of catholics want the N.I to b eprast of the U.K
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John,
That is no doubt true but its also true that the SDLP are a declining political force compared to SF. Very good comparison id say.
Gillig,
I actually support your conclusion but for different reasons – we have no right to be there.
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@John,
I would question your view that a ‘smaller majority of Catholics want NI to be part of Britain’, surely you mean minority?
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“we have no right to be there.”
How does that fit with open borders, global gov and Darrell’s World Domination party?
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Gillig
Quite easily actually. There is a difference between an armed presence acting on behalf another state ie, the British military presence in Northern Ireland and people who are migrating somewhere for whatever reason.
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The millitary are protecting migrants.
There are parts of England where the English are a minority, Who has a “right to be,” and who protects there?
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@gillig,
No they are not; they are enforcing the rule of another state. Also its worth pointing out that these are not ‘migrants’ unless you want to read dozens of generations back.
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Pulling out is fine with me, but there are parts of England where the English are a minority and are not migrants. Who has a “right to be,” and who protects there?
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@Gillig,
Both have an equal right. There is no need to ‘protect’ either community because to do so would just create barriers.
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Sharia law in Luton?
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Nearly all prots want N.I tro be part of teh U.k and polss say that of the catholics in N.I theres a majority of them who want Ni to be part of the U.K, buta amller amount in the Old days say 70% of peope who voted SDLP ( the northern Ireland part of the Labour party ,Who any laobur party supporter who
wants a labour victory should back)
the reason that SDLP’s support is falling si the 30% of people who voted SDLP whowanted N.I to be part of ireland that they could bring themsleves to support Sinn fein now, as Sin fein’s miltary wing the I.R.A has apparently dispanded.
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My argument is going nowhere.
I am going for a march.
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@John,
I don’t support the SDLP and there is absolutely no compulsion on me as a Labour supporter to do so. The SDLP is not the Labour Party. Maybe but maybe Sein Fein also has better policies in general?
Gillig,
Hyperbole.
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I like Sein Fein’s boycott policy on Westminster.
Makes Government look so stupid when we keep paying them.
Like when Thatcher tried to “strangle the voice of terrorism” by having their speech dubbed on the news.
I think UKIP would gain by boycotting the EU after we win the majority of British MEP’s in 2014.
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In Northern Ireland that even though the IRA wanted a united ireland and didn’t get one that the troubles were worth it and that it was a moral victory even though the DUP run Stormont and that as Catholics breed more than Protestants that the Catholics will eventually out number protestants and they’ll get a united Ireland by out breeding them, even though the amount of Catholics who vote for SDLP actually want Northern ireland to be part of the U.K
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@John,
Accept that Sinn Fein is the leading Party amoung the Catholic community…hence its place in the power-sharing administration…
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@John.
As Darrell said, it’s too far back to consider either side anything but Irish.
It’s an Irish problem, I would leave them to it.
The English are just a target while they have a presence.
With everyone banging on about cuts, Gov’t could at least stop non attending MP’s money. Adams and Brown.
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