On the subject of the Ra...
I've always been of the opinion that the SF vote is a coalition of people voting for them in spite of the activities of the provos, and another group voting for them because of the activities of the provos.
But is there an extent to which a big chunk of Irish society, are happy enough for it to exist as long as they can be put away when the neighbours come round?
Belfast is a different place, but I've been in the company of the IRA before. I've never felt in any way threatened or in any danger from them. These days they are mainly boys in their 50s & 60s who take more interest in Scottish football than most people. They aren't typically keen on drugs but most see little harm in a bit of weed. They are different from the criminal gangs Love/Hate was based on.
Whatever about the questions of whether they still have an army council or not, the same old lads are still drinking Guinness together in the same pubs together.
With kids being chopped up and bits of them left in holdalls by the side of the road, do a lot of us see those old lads down the pub as a last line of defence who can do things the Gaurds or the PSNI can't?
Does that explain why we didn't flinch as a country over the Paul Quinn thing?
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