EU ultimatum regarding Northern Ireland border

[GirlsBlouse17]

Just been watching the BBC news about the EU demanding we must come up with a solution to the Northern Ireland border issue by the beginning of December.

My immediate thought was what the bugger has it got to do with the EU if we wished to put up a hard border between northern and Southern Ireland. Of course I understand that in reality a hard border is probably not ideal because of the turbulent history of Northern Ireland, but putting that aside, my question is why should this be part of the EU's Brexit negotiation. I don't consider it any of their business. Just because Southern Ireland is in the EU and Northern Ireland won't be is not a reason for the EU to demand we don't have a hard border. If France left the EU for example, they would be quite within their right to put up a hard border between itself and any EU countries bordering it.

Seriously OP, given the content of your first post you clearly didn't do much research and haven't since.

Do you honestly think the EU is just trying to be difficult over Ireland and there's actually no issue?

I did do a lot of research Bearbehind but not on Northern Ireland because no-one flagged this up as an issue so I didn't consider it.

Ok, but to start such an ignorant thread more than 18 months on is pretty much unforgivable.

What do you think would happen if we put up a great big wall along the Irish border?

Well research it now and you will find that Southern Ireland is cork, Waterford, that area, as a country it is the Republic of Ireland,

Well I personally did mention this to everyone I knew, and on social media (and I'm pretty sure on here) but I'm not a politician. I do feel like I was let down by politicians who never mentioned NI.
I don't understand how so many people conveniently forgot that the UK actually has a land border with the EU though. Or ignored the small niggly part of the brain that thought that they might have heard that NI was somehow a bit of trouble.
What did you think would happen with the borders when you voted? If you voted either way.

It's not ignorant. It was on the news and prompted me to ask the question why the EU are bringing this into the negotiations. Instead of just receiving an answer, I receive a load of condescending insults.

My argument wasn't about whether there should be a hard border or not but why it's the EUs business telling us whether we should or not

No one in Ireland - north or south - wants a hard border between them. The Good Friday agreement relies on there being no border.
It is the UK wanting Brexit that has caused the problem and it is up to the UK to solve it. If anyone who voted for Brexit didn't bother to look at the consequences then it's their fault.

You’ll potentially have a land border with an eu country of course it’s the eus concern. I give up, I really do.

I'm not being condescending.

If you really can't see the problem here there's literally no point in continuing this discussion.

For a start your point is completely the wrong way round- the UK doesn't want to put up a hard border.

It wants to carry on as before without a border but that can't happen if we are not part of the Single Market.

I had to laugh a few weeks ago when someone in the British government (can't remember who now) said that Ireland needed to get imaginative with border solutions...I felt like a petulant child shouting at the radio that Ireland didn't create this bloody mess Britain did! And they should have had a solution in place before it got this far. Living in a border county (in NI) I'm very anxious for the future.

Even if you take the GFA out of it, it's a border between an EU and a non-EU country. Why wouldn't the EU have a say? Do you not think the UK would have something to say if the shoe was on the other foot and the EU was deciding what to do with the border?

(I'll ignore the fact that that seems to be exactly what the current lot seem to want - someone else to make the decisions.)

It's just fucking hypocritical for the UK to cause this problem and then blame the EU.

Irish and NI history is barely taught in British schools. Irish( like all non British born writers) literature is banned on GCSE english literature courses. British media gives a very partial picture, if any of NI news. None of it is a co incidence. I have a pretty patchy self taught understanding of Irish history, but try. Not knowing about it is not the fault of british mainland voters. Keeping us ignorant about it has been a deliberate British government policy for donkeys years. Hence the DUP bribe.

The referendum is nearly 2 years old. People's views harden or change. Those who voted leave are more than welcome to have second thoughts now they have more information. We need to move on with where people are now, pretty urgently. And keep that precious peace.

Yes give up Ghost

It's also beyond bizarre that people voted for this shite then blame the people who didn't vote for it for not explaining it to them.

Ok, but to start such an ignorant thread more than 18 months on is pretty much unforgivable.
Dramatic much?

If people don't ask questions, how do they learn?

My immediate thought was what the bugger has it got to do with the EU if we wished to put up a hard border between northern and Southern Ireland.

Like, do you not think Ireland should get a say?

I get why you think you're being attacked, but for those of us who have lived through the shit (and I'll say I've experienced only a fraction of it compared to many others) this lack of knowledge and empathy from people in the same country is breathtaking. The difference since the GFA has been night and day. It is terrifying to contemplate going back to those times.

I wasn't educated at school level in the UK and haven't got any kids, so forgive my ignorance here. But are you really saying Irish literature is banned on GCSEs?! Wow, just wow. Bloody hell this is a bad state of affairs isn't it.

The first post wasn't a question- it was saying the EU shouldn't stick its nose in to something that the OP thought was none of their business.

I have empathy for those who were effected by the troubles but I wondered why it should be part of the EU negotiation on Brexit. Sorry for asking.

There was a question in there Bear

But as I keep asking you, what did you think would happen with the land border and why did you think the EU wouldn't be involved about a border between an EU and non-EU state?

I get that you didn't know any detail of the GFA, but surely you realised that the UK isn't just one island?

Rhu Yep, Michael Gove's new GCSE English literature syllabuses only contain writers who were born in Britain. No Wilde, no Paddy Clarke, no Joyce on exam syllabuses ( Likewise To Kill a Mockingbird etc) no non British born writers.
if people don't ask questions, how do they learn?
Absolutely, and we don't have the luxury of time. What's happening now is what matters. If people have changed their minds, that's great.

Ok, if there was a question then what have you learnt since asking?

HolyShmoly Maybe it's because there's a whole generation or two who've grown up on the mainland since the troubles, and have no idea about how terrible it was? I don't think my kids believe me when I tell them about it.