To not find the name "Irish Car Bomb Cupcake"

[Hopandaskip]

... or cocktail or anything else similar acceptable.

Ugh, brings back way to many memories of near misses and growing up hearing about the latest civilian deaths on the 9 o clock news.

how do you explain Noraid halbanoo? I would be really interested to know.

Halbanoo, funds raised by Americans, enabled the IRA to kill people. I think that's worthy of some criticising.

I don't think there is any American bashing going on here at all; just an attempt to explain and understand why the name of this cocktail/cupcake actually exists in the first place and why it isn't deemed offensive in the US.

As for some of the claims made:
Is it not true that Noraid provided money and arms to the IRA?
Is it not true that American films use terms to describe disabled/SN people that are totally unacceptable here?

Obviously, not all Americans think this way, or support the IRA, but there must be either a reluctance to care about the issues, or a general acceptance of derogatory terms, or they would not exist.

Oh, and the USA refused to extradite Irish terrorist suspects. If that's not endorsing terrorism...

Clan na Gael was part of Noraid and did finance the IRA. Also Noraid funds went to the families of IRA volunteers, I believe.

I don't think you can dispute that some Americans romanticise the IRA.

I certainly saw this firsthand growing up (in very Catholic environment).

Even culturally, in films, IRA members are played by the likes of Brad Pitt and Sean Bean, terrorists from any other country are played by unknown and dodgy-looking actors.

Absolutely unbelievable! Who the hell thought this up? How distasteful.

YANBU.

I think it's really really poor taste. It's not, sadly, as if car bombs are a thing of the past in N Ireland (eg policeman killed less than a year ago www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/apr/02/omagh-booby-trap-bomb-policeman-killed).

I also think the cupcakes look delicious...

Bukimi:
(a) geographically speaking, Ireland is one country. Politically, it is divided into NI (part of the UK) and the Republic of Ireland (an independent state). People from Ni are Irish. They're Northern Irish.

(b) it is very offensive to say that it's okay to tar Norn' Ironrs with the 'terrorist' brush, but not citizens of Eire. It's offensive to everyone, on both sides of the border.

My granda lost a leg in a car bomb intended to kill my father (before I was born, in NI obv!) & I don't find it offensive. Fucking stupid, but not offensive.

dreaming totally agree. To Americans the IRA are freedom fighters rather than callous murderers but al quaeda? Well, totally different (ie they attack Americans).

To me anyone from whichever creed or culture who thinks killing innocent (or for that matter guilty) peoe is a reasonable means to an end are murderers.

painful name i agree.

having skimmed the comments on the cupcake recipe, it really seems to be a case of certain Americans not having a fucking clue what "proper terrorism" feels like (to borrow a phrase from another poster), and certainly not understanding that other countries do actually have histories. that are meaningful. you know, just as meaningful as American history...

it's painful to read the comments saying "get over it people!!1!"

if the cupcakes been called "Burning-the-Stars-and-Stripes", the same people would be spitting nails and sending death threats. never mind if they namechecked 9/11

'Oh, and the USA refused to extradite Irish terrorist suspects. If that's not endorsing terrorism...'

Yes, and if we fall out with them we are shackled and pushed onto planes to face US justice, God help us.

YANBU, I found Americans to be very pro IRA when I lived there, and assumed that all Irish people were too, and that the IRA somehow nobly represented all Irish people's honour when in fact only a very small amount of Irish people are IRA sympathisers.

I wouldn't be at all surprized to see such a cupcake name in Boston , would be pretty shocked/surprised to see it in Ireland though - can't think that anyone there would be that stupid!

they really haven't a f*ing clue over there - their idea of the IRA is all very hollywood, they have no clue about how the IRA terrorise/rob/kidnap/wifebeat Irish republicans in Ireland

It's unfair to say they haven't a clue.

It's a long way away - what do we know about the Italian mafia?

I doubt many Americans would be happy with the cupcake name but it's surely just another offensive thing on the internet.

It is, indeed, a long way away. But those who presume to glorify or romanticise something should make sure they know about it first.

Angeleena, lots of things are a long way away from a number of people - that doesn't mean it's okay to know nothing about them.

People have a responsibility to know what they are fundraising for and supporting. I don't think that fund raising for the mafia is widespread in Britain, so perhaps not comparable.

I have more sympathy for an American who admits to knowing nothing about the Irish question, than for the US colleague who was gushing on about their entertaining "Saint Patty's" evening singing IRA songs in a bar. Probably downed a few Bombers as well. Slainte!

Angeleena, if they had no or few opinions on it, then of course I wouldn't blame them for not knowing a lot about it

but if you fiercely (and in a lot of cases financially) support something you should bother to get your facts from someone other than Liam Neeson and Julia roberts!

I read about this for the first time last week, and being from northern ireland I found it incredibly tasteless and offensive.

I have rinsed a few Americans over their views on the IRA and their views on Muslim Extremist terrorism.

I think a few were shocked. But most got it in the end. They simply didn't understand the parallels and the fact that you are talking about children getting blown up in the process. (Not that either side should claim the moral high ground).

It all stemmed from the lack of exposure to news and general knowledge about the rest of the world in general. If it isn't on American soil its not covered.

As for the name. Its poor taste. I find it offensive. But thats the trend for cocktails, so I don't see it as worth getting upset about in that sense. It is in keeping with a theme.

And if it gives the opportunity to correct a few Americans about glorifying the IRA when discussing why you don't like the name, so much the better.

Drat lost my post.
America fought for their freedom from the british so see the Northern Irish as fighting for their freedom. Ridiculous really as most american immigrants came to the country long after the battle for independence but probably it is taught in school.

Also the St Patrick's Day fest paints Ireland and Irish as fun (and drunken) so they have a false impression. Also many have an irish 'grandparent' but this will probably be less important with the distance of time.

So it is infuriating but imo inevitable that they will support the ira in their ignorance. However, much changed after 9/11 and I dont' think there is nearly as much interest now. It is the Irish pubs, which seem to be all over the world, which probably promote the cocktails and I don't see how you stop that.

I started the thread and I certainly don't have a problem with Irish or Americans. I certainly don't think Irish=terrorist, would not occur to me to do so. I do however associate "Irish car bomb" with the IRA and all the various bombings and that makes me remember how it was and how scared I was by it as a child growing up in the 70s and 80s. It does seem crass to use that for the name of a CUPCAKE.

Bukimi, if you are not a supporter of the IRA I don't think anyone is referring to you.

DH is from Belfast and thinks the name is simultaneously offensive, tasteless and funny. It would not stop him buying a cake if he wanted one. But he grew up in a civil war so he has quite an, um, dark sense of humour where this stuff is concerned.

Don'twakeupyet NI isn't actually part of Great Britain. It is part of the UK though. But it would seem seem churlish to try and deny the British identity of some NIers on the basis of a distinction (between GB and the UK) that most of us don't understand anyway.

And yes, there are some Americans who have no understanding at all of the NI issues and struggle, but don't let it stop them having a view anyway. It isn't US bashing to point that out. The existence of Noraid is evidence of this. It isn't like this is limited to Americans either: for example lots of loyalist groups got funding from Canada. I'd be surprised if every single bit of that was the result of a thorough and unbiased examination of all the issues.