Can anyone tell me why the DUP are so hellbent on Brexit....

[Oakenbeach]

.... even if that means we crash out in 31 October? It seems to make no sense for a party whose overriding top priority and raison d’etre is the remain in the UK... Don’t they see this that a no-deal Brexit is the biggest threat to the union for NI in a century? It seems totally insane, far more so even than the mainland British no-dealers! What am I missing?

Of course I can @InTheHeatofLisbon . My mother was an Irish Catholic. Born and raised in Ireland. They aren't fucking heroes. Nor are the other side. Nor were the British Army.

The GFA is precious and should be protected at all costs.

Let's not forget that it wasn't just the shooting.

The peaceful civil rights movement was a response to years of routine discrimination against Catholics in employment and housing.

Saying it, and it happening @bellinisurge, are not the same thing.

The only one I see saying it is Leo Varadkar. NI and Britain don't give a fuck.

@FinallyHere , that was the stuff my mum focused on. She always used to say that the civil rights movement in the sixties wasn't just going on in the US.

Ireland is just trying to get on with things. Britain seems like the typical arrogant bully and NI doesn't seem to know what they want. They've only had 20 years of peace in fairness, but surely they should be speaking out more - and by 'they' I don't mean the fucking DUP!

@Thump , no they don't give a fuck. It's a fucking disgrace and every No Deal wanker on here needs to know that this shit is on them.
It's more important than precious Brexit unicorns.
Luckily, I think the EU gives a shit too because it was involved in the creation of GFA.

The GFA is precious and should be protected at all costs

I couldn't agree more.

They aren't fucking heroes. Nor are the other side. Nor were the British Army.

I know, I've been saying it all along.

The peaceful civil rights movement was a response to years of routine discrimination against Catholics in employment and housing.

Absolutely. In fact Bloody Sunday was a direct response to a peaceful protest against such discrimination. They weren't IRA, they were civilians sick fed up of being treated like shit in their own country.

Ireland will suffer as a result of Brexit - there's no two ways about that. However, we have a strong PM or Taoiseach, and a stable government. We are one of the more progressive nations in the West and have a stable economy (finally). But there's only so long you can carry your little sister when she doesn't appear to want to help herself at all!

I'm Irish, not NI, so I don't understand what it is like to be NI, but I don't know why you never hear about them at all!

Varadkar is Fine Gael - traditionally the more emollient towards the UK (I know it's more complicated than that). I don't know how long he can keep up the charm offensive.

I think he knows his electorate.

InTheHeatofLisbon
I too fully agree with that last longer post of yours.
You seemed happy to try and twist other things I have said, or (maybe Thump) read into it what I haven't said. Mankind has been brutal to 'others' since forever, but perpetually dwelling without an attempt to reconcile will only make things worse.

There was a 'plan' suggested, perhaps very early 1970's to 'cleanse' NI. It was not carried out and I there were not many details in the article I saw about it (it was a year or so back I read it, while they were talking about storing fuel oil in the 'right' countries as prep for leaving the EU).
There is a similar kind of plan being talked about in the Balkans as a 'land swap' to separate fractious parties.

1tisILeClerc to be fair I usually agree with most of your posts, especially political ones. I vehemently disagree that anyone other than the Tories have the responsibility to sort this mess out, and the Irish/Northern Irish people have taken more than enough shit from the British government over the years.

I didn't twist anything, your posts weren't entirely neutral, despite your efforts, and I said so.

Ignorance of British involvement in Ireland is sadly all too common, and I'm struggling with the leavers (not you, I know you're not one) wailing that they didn't know when it's a bit bloody late.

The only people I ever hear speaking on behalf of NI are Arlene Foster and that spokesperson for the DUP (can't remember his name). They are hardly representative of, nor brilliant ambassadors for NI. I follow Sinn Féin on FB, so they do speak out, with whatever twaddle they're peddling - but it's never covered by British media. But what can you do if they stubbornly refuse to take their seats at Westminster??

If I was Northern Irish I'd be setting up my own fucking party!!

Thump
I appreciate you are angry, as are something like 50% of the UK. It is impossible to know exactly the percentage because the polls do not really ask the right question.
To say the British do not care about Ireland or NI is not true. There is a lot of difference between it being 'in the back of your mind' like the situation in Catalunya or the Basque region of Spain and the day to day realities of living in NI.
It would probably be more fair to suggest that the 48% of the UK that voted remain and a fair number of 'Leavers' who simply didn't think it through ENOUGH at the time ARE very supportive of the GFA and all the progress that has been made.
As we are all aware, the referendum was a complete dogs dinner and the issue of the GFA (the possible issues) was 'bundled' with a large package of goodies. It will be a relatively few, principally Tories, that have a real disregard for NI. It is a tragedy that they are the ones holding the reins and shouting the loudest.
Apart from Trump, many in the USA also want peace to continue across the whole of Ireland so in reality it is the DUP, a few others in NI and some Tories who are the ones that need to be shouted at.

Of course Sinn Fein could, of course, also stop a “no deal” if they really wanted to. If they took up their seats this Government would be out on its ear the next day!

@bellinisurge

* Mother ... . She always used to say that the civil rights movement in the sixties wasn't just going on in the US*

Sounds like a very sensible lady.

Very possibly the same era as me, we may even know each other in RL, given it's not such a large place 😀

If they took up their seats this Government would be out on its ear the next day!

They have to swear allegiance to the Crown in order to take their seats. Can you see why that might be a problem?

I wish they would take their seats tbh, but I can see why swearing allegiance to something they hate would stick in their craw.

A50 shouldn't have been triggered before Stormont was sitting again. Although not the whole solution it might have helped. It would (I presume) have dissipated the calls from the DUP so the rUK would have heard a voice from the principally remain citizens in NI.

1tisILeClerc agreed.

Why was A50 triggered so quickly without any need to do so?

After the court case when it was determined that Parliament had to agree to it, Leaver bleating formented it and , frankly, MPs were too chicken to delay it.

bellinisurge

So long story short, the Tories shat it from the backbenchers?

Jesus wept.

{Why was A50 triggered so quickly without any need to do so?}

I can't remember, my life was being turned upside down at that time.

1tisILeClerc I'm sorry to hear that, I hope things are better/easier now.

What I found frustrating is that until October/November time last year, it was blatantly obvious that very few in the HoC and many of the cabinet had not read or understood the WA that they were supposed to be voting on. I only watched a couple of the special Parliamentary question times and it was obvious they had no bloody clue what it meant. Then they voted against it. Almost the same but actually worse than leavers voting for £350 Million on a bus.