to ask if you know what the Irish backstop is and do you care

[HurricaneFloss]

If you know what it is, please explain it very simply to me.

If you care - why?

If you don't - why?

From the hills to Kerry to the streets of free Derry. This land is Ireland.

The Irish are welcome to NI ! It’s nothing but trouble anyway.

Have you been to NI. Have you seen the British flags, murals, have you had any experience of Unionist Paramilitarys how vicious and violent things will get.

I definitely believe the majority in Ireland would support a United Ireland. You would have to take out all the UDA first ship them over to Britain on a dinky.

mobile.twitter.com/PatricKielty/status/1045782711816708096

This explains the Brexit implications for Northern Ireland as well as I have ever seen. He slays Boris.

I read the Patrick Kielty Twitter reply to Boris Johnson in the Mirror this morning. A Cornish woman I was aware there were issues around the border but not really aware of the actual facts. Patrick's detailed and eloquent tweet has taught me a great deal. I am even more convinced than I was before of the folly of the leave vote and my respect for many of our politicians has slipped further down the drain.

I would like to know why there is an expectation that without the GFA everyone will immediately resume violence

in the Balkans, Serbia was subject to crushing sanctions, and a 78 day NATO bombing campaign using munitions made with depleted uranium. No aggression since.

Why can’t NATO intervene here? Is there an actual reason apart from ‘they speak English and are like us’

Serbia is just one of many countries whose issues were resolved by a hearty bombing campaign, of course.

I think the double standard around how conflicts are resolved depending on who is fighting vexes me.

"Why can’t NATO intervene here?"
Assume you are too young to know why NATO didn't intervene during the Troubles.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland–NATO_relations

www.joe.ie/news/rtes-simple-important-explainer-brexit-going-viral-642298

"A lot of catastrophising there from Patrick Kielty. Why do so many NI people see things in such apocalyptic terms all the time. Let them have their own country. They are small minded zealots with village mentalities stuck in the past."
You really have no idea, do you?
NI is UK. That's what it's all about.
My mum was Irish. I am Irish through her but also British. Even I can see that.
You are an embarrassment to yourself if you don't.

Ireland, and we're not Southern Ireland, we're Ireland full stop, have fuck all concerns about Brexit.

I think you'll find that we have plenty of concerns about Brexit. A hard border, either with NI or Britain, would have major implications for trade as large quantities of our exporters use the land bridge to get to mainland Europe.

Ireland has no constitutional claim on NI. Gave it up in a referendum to make GFA work because that was the important thing to do.
A referendum. One organised and run by grown ups. Making a grown up decision about the future.
Imagine that.

I’m old enough to remember nato intervening in

Iraq
Afghanistan
Bosnia
Serbia
Kosovo

And many many many more

In fact, just recently the venerable New York Times featured an editorial about how there should be a ‘peaceful’ (!) ethnic cleansing in Kosovo with people made to leave their lands and go elsewhere so a tidy partition can be effected : www.nytimes.com/2018/09/13/opinion/kosovo-serbia-land-swap.html

Maybe that could be a solution for Ireland too?

it seems to be a brilliant suggestion when imposed on others

Because partition always goes well. What a stupid idea.

NI is partition.
For. Fucks. Sake.

My God this thread is depressing. I live in NI and it's a beautiful place with lovely people, the majority of whom don't give a shit about what religion you are and just want a peaceful life for themselves and their kids. I've never been surrounded by such kind, generous, tolerant people and that's why we chose to stay here. Obviously there are still loudmouth bigots but you get them everywhere - it's just that ours mostly focus on one thing.

I agree that Ireland as an entity doesn't want NI, but I think there's plenty of Irish people who would want to see the six counties returned. And I know there's a growing number of people in NI who would like to see a united Ireland, especially post-Brexit.

@quizqueen - It's also disgusting that a return to violence is being suggested by countries which are supposed to be our allies.

Nobody is threatening violence, which is what your post suggests. They are simply stating the reality which is a backstop agreement is likely to result in a return to violence by the unionists. They will see this as another step towards a united Ireland. They do not want that and are likely to campaign violently to prevent it. A hard border is likely to result in violence from the republicans as they will see this as a step backwards. You do not seem to realise how fragile the current peace is.

The UK willingly helped out Ireland financially when they almost went bankrupt a few years ago

The UK gave us a loan. We paid it back with interest. I don't think forelock tugging is required in perpetuity to demonstrate our gratitude.

The Irish government is working very hard to prevent a return to violence. As part of that, we expect the British to stand by the international agreement they signed (i.e. the good friday agreement). That is not an unreasonable expectation.

I think my point is that all the brilliant things the U.K. wants to inflict on other nations, it should inflict on itself

NI might be partitioned, but let’s have the population exchanges which have been inflicted on other nations and which are currently being advocated for by western newspapers elsewhere

If you think this is outrageous to inflict on your mind of people maybe it’s outrageous to inflict on ANYONE

although I am sure there will be plenty of justifications otherwise

@VladmirsPoutine - thanks very much for that explanation.

See, i have really tried to keep up with developments since the Referendum but i find it mind boggling - which makes me worried about a People's Vote. I support it in theory but wonder just how much the average Jane still understands and how it will impact a vote. I'm old enough to remember the troubles in NI and don't want a return to that.

If I hear one more person say "I wish they'd just get on with it"!

Ireland is happy to stay in the EU. We're nothing to do with brexit

Stop trying to drag us into it. We might feel sorry for people in the uk because of this but it's nothing to do with us.

As for Northern Ireland, that's a no mans land, not wanted by Ireland, not wanted by England, a recent visit there shows that. The place is a bloody tip. Filthy, run down, empty buildings everywhere. Disgusting.

MadgeMidgerson your ignorance and arrogance on NI matters are an example of why so many people of NI have no faith in British justice. The British establishment had a huge hand in many of the murders committed in NI and their treatment of the people of NI was part of the reason the troubles carried on for so long. Do you seriously think the Northern Irish would just capitulate and be good serfs if you tried to control them?

You have Isis in your midst, carrying out atrocities and many of them are British by birth. How about we send NATO to England to carry out a hearty bombing campaign? There’ll be some collateral damage, but that’s ok, in the name of ridding England of their terrorists.

I don’t know what it is but I’m inchoate with fear and anger at the possibility that anything could happen which could upset the peace we have now.
English, living in England but with vivid memories of the Troubles, their impact here and more devastatingly in NI and the Republic.

Darling, you miss my point.

Bombing and partition is advocated by the U.K. and supported by the republic in the way of providing handy refuelling points for NATO planes on their way to drop death on others

When did you ever in your tiny life give a shit about that

Funny how it’s good enough for those over there, but not your family oh no

your arrogance, your geopolitical ignorance, your total lack of empathy with anyone who is not like you is incredible

Oh yes bomb them partition them but not us! Not ever us!