Northern Irish leaders struggle to quell worst violence in years

Well, "The Troubles" took a lot less time to resume than I expected. Scotland says they want a referendum on independence, and even Wales is making noises about a referendum. Meanwhile Bojo's conservatives are calling for a reduction in the current devolution of powers. Bojo and Brexiteers ought to be proud of their handiwork. Can the dissolution of the union be that far off? Or maybe civil war?

Can the dissolution of the union be that far off? Or maybe civil war?

Calm down. As Zichi pointed out, we are nowhere near the levels of the violence of ‘the troubles’ when we saw tit-for-tat killings, assassinations, attempted assassinations and innocents blown up.

It’s certainly concerning, but not at that level yet.

Brexit - I don’t remember too much talk about issues like this coming from the leave side in their grand plan for the UK. Surely they considered it?

Give Ireland Back To The Irish.

Give Ireland Back To The Irish.

If that’s what the majority of the people in NI decide in a referendum, yes.

Same goes for Scotland and Wales.

Remember when UK conservatives said that Jeremy Corbyn was a threat to national security, so they should elect Boris Johnson? Now Johnson has single-handedly restarted the Troubles. Good job, idiot.

Brexit - I don’t remember too much talk about issues like this coming from the leave side in their grand plan for the UK. Surely they considered it?

Johnson said he'd never allow a border in the Irish Sea and then put a border in the Irish Sea.

He's a stupid PM, but to be honest I don't think that's such a problem. I've read in UK publications like Private Eye (which I consider to be much funnier than our Onion website, and more informative than many other media outlets) that the Civil Service and similar can handle ministers, even Prime Ministers, who are dumb, or unprepared, or just not up to the gig (at least at first), because even the least gifted office holders are expected to want to do their jobs.

But the problem with Johnson is that he's lazy and disinterested. And you can't fix that.

Give Ireland Back To The Irish.

It already belongs to them. Many don't recognise the occupation. And, ironically, some Unionists are not against calling themselves Irish, from time to time.

I personally would like to see a united Ireland but there's too much hate from the protestants to ever allow that to happen.

Down south, there's a rich history of Irish protestants fighting for Irish independence. And would you believe there's even Orange Lodges in the Republic? There's too much scaremongering from loyalists that all their culture will be lost when unification happens. A 32 county Republic will be inclusive, regardless of colour, creed, orientation etc.

Although some of the friends of Billy will have to lose the ties with white supremacist groups abroad. That won't be tolerated.

If my own country weren't so dysfunctional I would marvel at the fact that British citizens voting for Brexit were like Turkeys voting for Thanksgiving.

Brexit, the pile of excrement that keeps on giving. The UK is sliding into the abyss just a little more every day.

But the problem with Johnson is that he's lazy and disinterested. And you can't fix that.

And an utter liar. Here he is, back in 2018 at the DUP conference, claiming that no Conservative government “could or should sign up to any such arrangement” that saw regulatory checks down the Irish sea.

https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/videos/2490329994585799/

Johnson's job was to deliver Brexit, which he and the others achieved by lying through their teeth and not giving a toss about the consequences. Now the chickens are coming home to roost and the Tories own this mess. They were warned repeatedly but deflected the criticism with ludicrous claims about project fear scaremongering.

3600 died in troubles.

At a grim time, this thread needs more positivity.

How often do you see a government policy actually work? And Brexit is certainly working. It was designed to drag the UK back to the 1970s, and it has done.

We've had a spike in hate crime that the National Front of the 1970s would be proud of, exports have gone down, tax revenue has gone down, any firms that the pandemic hasn't put out of business are having trouble attracting workers, and that 70s retro buzz is now starting to blossom in Northern Ireland.

Over the water, the kids are embracing their heritage, doing what their grandparents used to do, chucking petrol bombs at the old bill. Instead of being stuck inside playing computer games, they are out in the fresh air, getting some exercise. And they are doing it in a covid-safe manner, balaclavas and facial coverings being part of the uniform.

I don't think Brexit can be said to have promoted sales of vinyl, and the pandemic is enforcing staycations, rather than the exotic holidays that were rare in the 70s, but the reversion to times past continues a pace, largely due to Brexit. 70s levels of cultural isolation are returning too, with restrictions on bands performing on the other side of the new Great Wall of Dover and imports from abroad blocked by new biosecurity and tax border laws. Isolation is seen as the way to go. Expect more of the dangerous foreign internet to be restricted too.

It's true that Boris said there would be no border between NI and the UK and then created one, but that's how Boris rolls. He has built a career and a surprising amount of popular support on his bumbling ineptitude. If it works, why change it?

Ironically, the DUP had leverage over Theresa May's regime. But they overplayed their hand, undermining her and ending her regime. Corbyn had declined to fully back 'Remain' and made Labour unelectable. It is fair to say that Boris is PM largely because of Labour's choice of Corbyn as leader and the DUP taking down May. Which must rather irk both parties.

He's a stupid PM, but to be honest I don't think that's such a problem. I've read in UK publications like Private Eye (which I consider to be much funnier than our Onion website, and more informative than many other media outlets) that the Civil Service and similar can handle ministers, even Prime Ministers, who are dumb, or unprepared, or just not up to the gig (at least at first), because even the least gifted office holders are expected to want to do their jobs.

Anyone who watched the old British TV series "Yes, Minister" knew that much.

The current riots are no where near to the troubles. Caused mostly by the Brexit.

Don't be too sure. I didn't expect to see big demonstrations with things like buses burning for at least a year or so, anniversaries being the sort of thing that leads to protests when people are unhappy with a situation. But here we are just a couple of months into Brexit and we have demonstrations in Northern Ireland edging into violence. It strikes me that tempers are growing short at an accelerating pace and opinions hardening perhaps even faster as the hard men of violence train a new generation of fighters.

Usual double standards in practice and analyses for NI. The Unionists/Loyalists spent the last three months warning that there would be a return to violence, including threathening the Irish (Joint) PM who has had to move home as a result. DUP leader met with those Loyalist paramilitary leaders last month and brazenly defended this act. Boris Johnson paid a visit to Belfast two weeks ago -Shin Fein asked for a meeting with him. He said no but had a meeting with the Unionists.

The UDA paramilitary organisation have never been outlawed - The IRA were 50 years ago (That fact in isolation should say it all about every British government since 1969's attitude to the Catholic population).

Now, after 6 nights of attacks from loyalist rioters, the PSNI didnt use offensive methods, such as watercannons - now suddenly they are using those methods against Catholic youths attempting to defend their area from an attempted incursions by those loyalist rioters. In short: British government Double Standards and discrimination persists against the Catholic population-irrespective of Brexit or the peace Process or the politcal party (Both conservativeand labour are anti-Irish Catholic).