Nah, that's when he really was Iris's toyboy. Complete with loaded weapon?
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Nah, that's when he really was Iris's toyboy. Complete with loaded weapon?
No look sniping
Interesting article on RTÉ. The article itself is pretty dire and lightweight, but it's interesting that it is being discussed. Reunification is now a topic that's just going to keep being talked about.
I like.
http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2017...-wont-be-easy/Quote:
Originally Posted by David Murphy, RTÉ
Heh, no, not quite. Could you tell? :)
I don't tend to believe much that emanates from the mouths of (self-)serving Tories. So-called "liberals" and "right-thinking" people blame Trump for the supposedly-new phenomenon of "fake news", but haven't people heard of propaganda - or of its modern-day variant (since pervasive questionable and sinister usage by the US's Creel Committee during World War I, by the UK's Ministry of Information during both World Wars and by the Nazis before and during World War II led to a heavy tarnishing of the once-neutral term "propaganda"), public relations - which has existed and been moulding/distorting public consciousness/perception/understanding/discourse since time immemorial? We even have the term "perception management" now too. All very Orwellian and Machiavellian...
The Tories are pastmasters at it. Think of Jeremy Hunt recently lying and manipulating studies, facts and figures to promote his blatant anti-NHS agenda, for example, just to single one of them out. He's so insincere, he even wears an NHS badge on his lapel! It's clear overcompensation, or a twee little facade behind which he conceals his ultimate privatisation designs, in other words.
The inconvenience and hardship that Brexit will inflict upon Ireland and especially those in the border regions may well drive people to look for an alternative constitutional arrangement, so it may help the cause of Irish unity in the long run - which would undoubtedly be a silver lining and makes the whole thing a bit of a curate's egg in a way - but it will be disastrous in the short-term.
Do you think it's a very welcome thing as it enhances the likelihood of unity or do you envisage other benefits?
Although I ultimately believe that Brexit will prove to be an act of great self-harm for the UK state, the primary motivation I had in voting Remain was to contribute to a probable Remain majority in NI. In the event of the Leave vote winning the referendum, this, together with a similar majority Remain result in Scotland, would lead to some measure of constitutional crisis thus enhancing the likelihood of Irish unity as you say.
So, in that sense I'm not sure a curate's egg is the most apt description for me as that would pertain to something partly good but mostly bad.
Don't forget that it's because of Brexit that the whole question of unity has been pushed to the forefront of public discourse in a way that it has never been before, and it's the Southern engagement with it that is more significant than any awakening of the nationalist population from their slumber in the long grass of NI.
The cherry on top is that this has all preceded the inevitable border poll call that will arise from the result of the next NI census.
England's difficulty is still Ireland's opportunity
Different article, but getting plenty coverage.
Link - http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/na...ears-1.3011696
John McGowan discusses the economic failure of the northern statelet and the solution presented by the prospect of Irish unity: https://www.derrynow.com/news/united...economy/151164
Quote:
Originally Posted by John McGowan
But would Dublin willingly share these tower cranes etc around ? :)
You often hear griping on Dublin centered thinking and this would have to be addressed to a point where people trust it, particularly if the UK / EU are financing a transition meanwhile. The below, (although I accept is more layered & complex than the quoted part) did result in a swing to Dublin, which was of course seen as nothing but the same old story re Dublin in certain quarters Shannonside & the west generally, particularly with an eye on the key tourism spend in that part of the world upon which so many depend.
Link - http://www.irishtimes.com/news/shann...2008-1.1184691
Posters may be interested in "The Rule of the Land" about Garret Carr's journey along the Border - currently available as a podcast on the BBC Radio Player, and the book is also out now.
Interesting stuff linked above.
I've just finished reading Kevin Meagher's book 'Why a United Ireland is inevitable'. It's well-argued on British disinterest and NI's structural economic weaknesses, less so on how scrapping the border will end the latter, and most significantly of all how you sell the idea to Unionists and others prepared to tolerate staying in the UK. He does point out that the NI party keenest on equal business tax rates across Ireland is actually the DUP, before describing Arlene Foster as an 'archpragmatist' ;)