I thought about the IRA before and also the Cosa Nostra. Tomorrow they well may be again in the swing of things… who knows. Effective, yes. Christian, yes. Our age, yes.
I know they are two different beasts, but the fact that they are both effectively impotent (or merely idle) at the moment is an important fact and quite worthy of delving further into the why and how of the matter. I suspect the terror of the Cosa Nostra was quelled by equal government-based violence and application of excellent law (or at least Hollywood tells me ) but I am ignorant on the specific end of the terrorism of the IRA as to how and why it happened. Off to the Wiki and Googles for me.
(PS. Without depriving me of the glory of figuring the word out, what was the placement of the letter U you spoke of? First, second, or third?)
Most of the Protestant terrorists in Northern Ireland include a reference to their location in thier name. It is most frequently ther first letter, as in UDF, UDA, UDR, UVF, etc. It also appears in RUC, but including that as a terrorist outfit would engender an entirely new dabate.
Aye, but as is my way as you full well know by my odd judgments, I would give the RUC credence as a Christian terrorist outfit way, way more than I would the pathetic offerings I have come up against so far in this thread.
You say you live in California, that’s still in the United States right? When you say ‘we’ you mean the US right? The left controls congress, which I believe has something to do with the government. I don’t believe you’ll ever hear a right winger say the media is on their side. I also believe the political leanings of extremism is irrelevant, no side, left or right wants to see Americans die. I suspect far left or far right arguments often lack integrity, of which we’ve just been witness to.
The IRA and the Costa Nostra are not only different beasts but the Costa Nosta should not be classed as a “terrorist organisation”.
As noted by **Haunted ** in post #52 a terrorist organisation must have political goals. The Costa Nostra - and many other organised crime groups - have used terror as a means to criminal ends with no political objective. The Provisional IRA clearly had a political objective, bringing about a united Ireland. In their case the fact that they financed their activities by extortion and drug dealing (the same activities as most organised crime groups) still did not put them in the same category as the Costa Nostra.
It was the fact that the leaders of the the Provos had a political objective that allowed a cessation of violence. Working within the democratic system in the UK they had an a second way of achieving their ends - through the ballot box. Their political party Sinn Fein (whether you call it the Provisional’s political wing or not it was very closely linked with a common leadership) started making significant gains during the '90s to a point where the British government was willing to talk to them. At that point the optimal option for the leadership to gain their objectives tipped from terrorist activity to political dialogue (while keeping the bullet and the bomb tucked away in case of need) and this in turn led to the Good Friday agreement and all the suceeding twists and turns up to the present power sharing arrangements. (Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionists; Martin McGuiness and Ian Paisley :smack: )
The fact that the PIRA leadership could make this switch from terrorism to politics demonstates that terrorists are not - by definition - insane. Ruthless, amoral, etc, yes, but not insane.
Except in Italy the Mafia waged an explicit war against the State - killing judges and politicians - to scupper attempts to limit their corrupt influence.
True, but I would still see this as apolitical. The object of the attacks on judges and politicians was to allow them to go on making money as criminals - not to make Sicily independent
) but I am ignorant on the specific end of the terrorism of the IRA as to how and why it happened. Off to the Wiki and Googles for me.