Gaza vs. Northern Ireland

[Onemutehedgehog]

If you stand against oppression in Gaza, do you also recognise and speak out against the ongoing occupation and control of Northern Ireland by England?

Would you care to share your views on this matter. I am half -British and didn’t grow up here. It’s not a theme that I ever see touched on in comparison.

NI isn’t occupied by England though. The English, by and large, don’t know much or care much about NI or ROI.

Many Irish in both communities care very much about their identity and their country. Some of them want all the land, which they think their history entitles them to, and find the continued existence of the other an intolerable affront. I’m not here to say who is right or wrong, it’s not my issue, just that comparisons to Gaza are facile.

NI is occupied by the Northern Irish.

Try telling them they're not British.

I am grateful for the responses. Forgive my crude analogy. I am on the autistic spectrum. I’ve always wondered if this was something that others would consider similar in its basic terms.

Irish nationalists and republicans often describe Northern Ireland as occupied. I understand the frame work of the Good Friday agreement and rule by consent but wondered what others made of it.

You sound confused.

Its really not comparable. If everyone in Northern Ireland wanted to join with the Republic, I think that would be a negotiated settlement with the UK government. And unlike Gaza, there is now no ongoing impact on the rest of the UK. Peace is possible.

No I do not. "England" (a political entity that has not existed since 1707 by the way) does not "occupy" Northern Ireland.

The people of Northern Ireland are part of the UK by their own democratic choice back in 1921. The original intention of the UK Government at the time was to hand the 6 counties over to Dublin along with the other 26. This plan was blocked by the people of Northern Ireland led by a lawyer named Carson (a Dublin man as it happens).

To compare Northern Ireland with Gaza is beyond ridiculous and merely shows your total ignorance of the history of the place.