Hmmm . . . Well, turn it around: Would it make any Irish lives better if the Republic were to re-unite with the UK? Under, say, the same “devolved” autonomy Scotland has now?
Huh? Did I say something funny?
Not very funny at all.
It’s such a vanishingly unlikely scenario as it’s kinda hard to say. Circumstances would have to be very, very bad in this country for anyone to seriously propose it, let alone it become politically viable. Leaving aside the likelihood that such a move would lead to huge civil unrest, I doubt it would make much of a difference to people in the Republic. There might be some perks of being sterling instead of euro but I ain’t no economist.
If reunification of Ireland with the UK is impossible, and reunification of Ireland alone would do more harm than good, and the status quo is still intolerable enough to some people that they will commit murder to change it – Mary, Patrick and Brigid, is there a fourth option?!
The status quo is adequate to all but a handful of murderous idiots. There are murderous idiots in every single big American city. Should the political system there be changed to accommodate them?
Make it the 51st state of the USA?
and there was much rejoicing
The 51st and 52nd, just to keep things smooth. I mean, we have a North and South Carolina, a Virginia and a West Virginia, etc., right? Then the State of Ireland and the State of Northern Ireland are united (within the U.S.) but still separate (as sovereign states of the Union), dig? Hey, this could work! 
Urrrkkkk . . . Excuse me, I have to clean some pig feces out of my hair . . .
Except they’d both vote Democrat.
And the down side is? 
No, we generally find the best way to prevent bloodshed is to vote for them. [rimshot]
A quick couple of points .
The Catholic minority in N.I WERE most definitely deprived of their human rights back then, just before the troubles restarted.
In the U.K. Scotland for example has its own laws,just as N.I. does/did?
Catholics in N.I. were quite rightly pissed off at being oppressed by the Protestant majority and made civil rights demonstrations.
The Protestants reacted by burning out Catholics from their houses and attacking them physically.
HMG sent in the Britsh army to protect the Catholics .
All ok for a while,but the Cold War is on.
Britain is a major NATO member .
The Sovs are at that time into rousing up ANY movement that might cause dissension within the "enemy " countries(and believe it or not that included feminism)
An Englishman of suspect Irish ancestry,and a comitted communist,John Stephens, who worked for British Rail,changed his name to Sean Mc Stephoin(Not sure about the spelling) and with money and arms went over to N.I,
Started shooting at Brit troops protecting the Catholic community, and inevitably the Brit army sealed off an area to take the weapons off of the IRA.
Then the Brits became the enemy.
The hunger strikers…
They were never actually locked up for their political beliefs,which being in Britain they could stand for office,vote poster,whatever, but because they murdered,conspired to murder or aided and abetted murder.
Not, get this, of the hated opressors from the British army, but poor old civilians,not necessarily from the opposing community.
An old lady who sold a newspaper to a member of the R.U.C. certainly deserves to be be murdered for "collaborating "with the Brits.
But lets get to the hunger strikers.
Maybe we were wrong, but the word in NOR SquaddiEland, The ordinary soldiers on peace keeping in Northern Ireland, was that Sands was just about the most inept terrorist you could ever meet.
Allegedly he blew himself up while attempting to plant an I.E.D.l
The man was a disaster.
And thats why he was strongly encouraged to go on the H.S.
The people who were useful were not only advised not to volunteer,but were FORBIDDEN to volunteer.
But I digress.
The Iron Lady, Maggie Thatcher,all but totally capitulated to the I.R.A.s demands.
Adams and McGuiness amongst others were flown to London and Maggie gave in.
She asked only for some face saving words, and it would have been a done deal.
The Republican demands given with.
HMG with at least a little self repect left.
But the Republicans were getting incredible support and sympathy worldwide from countries and peoples who had never before been interested, let alone sympathetic.
This was too good a thing to lose.
They NEVER told the hunger strikers about HMGs backdown .
They let their own people die,when they had won.
It’s like performance art.
Or something.
These comments are bullshit. First you blamed Albert Folens for stirring up Irish nationalism, now you talk as if the Troubles were a proxy war in the Cold War. Absolute bollocks, apart from anything else, the Communist element in the IRA was sidelined in the split that created the Provos. Although to this day Sinn Féin and the Provisional IRA are left wing, the more extreme left wing went their own bloody way. See the IRSP, Official IRA, INLA etc . This was a popular myth all down the Troubles, that it was the “Communists”’ fault. Seán Mac Stíofáin was if anything, anti-communist.
The Falls Curfew that you alude to was instigated after an exchange of gun fire between Republicans and Loyalists. The British Army were not involved in the initial exchange. And for some reason, despite the fact that Loyalist terrorists were active at the time and had been before the PIRA even existed , British Army searches concentrated on Republican areas. Four Catholics who were not members of any terrorist organisation were killed during those events.
Northern Ireland always had its own laws; this was both because it had its own Parliament from its creation, and also because it inherited Ireland’s laws, which were separate from those of England in the same way as those of Scotland were. (Albeit that Irish law was closer to English law than Scots law was.) I’m not sure what real relevance any of this has, but since you asked…
(I note that Lust4Life admits to being “drunk as askunk” not that long after the quoted post!)
Totally agree that the Provos turned away from the communist ideal.
Also that **Gwilliiam ** was right on the ball with his post.
As I have posted in other threads have had an official warning for it,and am guilty as charged.
I just hope that in the future I don’t start posting “I love Ya man, not, not, not in a queer way you understand , you’re my best mate you are, I wanna a curry”."
The latest revival of this recurring zombie has been given its own thread and this thread is being closed:
New Rioting in Belfast