How long before Irish reunification?

FrancieBrady

janfebmar wrote: »

Wrong again Francie. The army of the UK, called the British army for short, are called in exceptional circumstances on to streets and fields in the UK to defuse bombs etc, as happened recently. There is little or no chance of them "returning to our streets" Francie ie streets in this jurisdiction.

It's Ireland Jan...they are 'our'streets. As the Unionist leader said just yesterday when proposing their Brexit plan...'It's an Irish solution to an Irish problem'.

Those soldiers will be on Irish streets.

Junkyard Tom

30-40 years

blanch152 wrote: »

all terrorist killings are wrong

Really? So if unionist killers are trying to bomb and burn people out of their homes and are repelled by gunfire one of them getting killed is wrong?

I'd describe that as just deserts and I'd describe not resisting as utterly stupid.

Try as you might you just can't fit that Ladybird book, goodies-versus-baddies, narrative you have in your head to the Troubles.

RobMc59

10-15 years

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

Really? So if unionist killers are trying to bomb and burn people out of their homes and are repelled by gunfire one of them getting killed is wrong?

I'd describe that as just deserts and I'd describe not resisting as utterly stupid.

Try as you might you just can't fit that Ladybird book, goodies-versus-baddies, narrative you have in your head to the Troubles.

Tom,I agree that ALL terrorists should be treated the same-as scum.
I`d like your opinion on how the fast moving events in the HoC might effect the chances of a UI?

Junkyard Tom

30-40 years

RobMc59 wrote: »

I`d like your opinion on how the fast moving events in the HoC might effect the chances of a UI?

Even with a crash-out Brexit a United Ireland is still at least two border polls away. With a sane deal that keeps everything more-or-less as it is in Ireland it'll be more than two decades at least.

RobMc59

10-15 years

janfebmar wrote: »

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The British Army look like they maybe returning to our streets here. I just wanted to clarify where you stood.

Wrong again Francie. The army of the UK, called the British army for short, are called in exceptional circumstances on to streets and fields in the UK to defuse bombs etc, as happened recently. There is little or no chance of them "returning to our streets" Francie ie streets in this jurisdiction.

He might be getting confused with the time a whole battalion of British soldiers and a chinook took a wrong turn and ended up in his home town 50 years ago-only he could remember it though....

FrancieBrady

RobMc59 wrote: »

He might be getting confused with the time a whole battalion of British soldiers and a chinook took a wrong turn and ended up in his home town 50 years ago-only he could remember it though....

What lie are you inventing now Rob?

RobMc59

10-15 years

FrancieBrady wrote: »

RobMc59 wrote: »

He might be getting confused with the time a whole battalion of British soldiers and a chinook took a wrong turn and ended up in his home town 50 years ago-only he could remember it though....

What lie are you inventing now Rob?

I'm just pulling your leg francie

FrancieBrady

RobMc59 wrote: »

I'm just pulling your leg francie

It's hard to know, given the track record around here sometimes.

James Brown

10-15 years

I see John Major hit the nail on the head when in conversation with Clinton.
Anyone who lives/lived in England knows this, I would be surprised if Wales wasn't the same.
I would guess the DUP either don't know or don't care once they get their way, but is the whole British loyalty thing just a means to an end with them?

In a private telephone conversation on May 27th, 1995, recorded in the Oval Office, Mr Major told Mr Clinton that the IRA ceasefire, then nine months old, made it look like the paramilitary group “may be serious” about peace.

“Is any of this giving you a boost at home? Are your people recognising what’s been done?” the president asked.

“Not a bit,” replied Mr Major. “For most people here, Ireland is just another island. They don’t really care what happens elsewhere in the world.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/ireland-just-another-island-for-most-britons-major-told-clinton-1.4009347

History I know, but just released to the public. There was even a recommendation from a top army guy for a withdrawal from N.I.

markodaly

This is not really a shock. English people in the main could not care less about Ireland, both north or south.

Just as we, Irish people do not really care about, say, the intricacies of Belgium politics or Greek/Turkish relations.
The issue, of course, is close to 1 million Unionists who DO care about their link to the Union. Their opinion matters somewhat.

FrancieBrady

markodaly wrote: »

This is not really a shock. English people in the main could not care less about Ireland, both north or south.

Just as we, Irish people do not really care about, say, the intricacies of Belgium politics or Greek/Turkish relations.
The issue, of course, is close to 1 million Unionists who DO care about their link to the Union. Their opinion matters somewhat.

They 'care' now. Their past has caught up to them and is constricting what they want to do.

Looking at the machinations I fear Unionists are about to see how much the rest of the UK 'care' about the unionist version of the 'Union'.

markodaly

Who is 'they'?

Francie going for 1000 posts in one thread. Only another 28 to go Francie.

FrancieBrady

markodaly wrote: »

Who is 'they'?

Francie going for 1000 posts in one thread. Only another 28 to go Francie.

The 'English' or even the entire UK who are being prevented from getting what they want because of their lack of 'care'.

*27 to go.

markodaly

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The 'English' or even the entire UK who are being prevented from getting what they want because of their lack of 'care'.

Do you spend your nights arguing with yourself in the mirror?

Fionn1952

15-20 years

markodaly wrote: »

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The 'English' or even the entire UK who are being prevented from getting what they want because of their lack of 'care'.

Do you spend your nights arguing with yourself in the mirror?

Ah now, it isn't really fair to ask a man a question and then complain that he's posting too much by replying to you. To quote the English, it isn't cricket!

blanch152

markodaly wrote: »

Who is 'they'?

Francie going for 1000 posts in one thread. Only another 28 to go Francie.

It is unusual to hit 1,000 posts in a current affairs thread, but Francie has managed it already in the 12th thread.

RobMc59

10-15 years

blanch152 wrote: »

It is unusual to hit 1,000 posts in a current affairs thread, but Francie has managed it already in the 12th thread.

TBF,different opinions make threads more interesting and as long as its civil then long may it continue imo..

Fionn1952

15-20 years

blanch152 wrote: »

markodaly wrote: »

Who is 'they'?

Francie going for 1000 posts in one thread. Only another 28 to go Francie.

It is unusual to hit 1,000 posts in a current affairs thread, but Francie has managed it already in the 12th thread.

Play the ball, not the man, Blanch! Francie's post frequency neither detracts nor enhances the points made. Low blow taking mindless digs like that when you (or indeed I) certainly haven't been short of posts in either thread

blanch152

Fionn1952 wrote: »

Play the ball, not the man, Blanch! Francie's post frequency neither detracts nor enhances the points made. Low blow taking mindless digs like that when you (or indeed I) certainly haven't been short of posts in either thread

Does post frequency affect the quality of the debate? In my opinion it does. If one poster dominates a thread, then others don’t bother contributing or their opinions get drowned out.

There was a time when I would be the most frequent poster on a thread, but I have consciously dialled it back because I realised it was wrong to dominate a discussion in such a fashion. However, even then, at no time did I ever dominate a thread to the extent that some threads on here are dominated. Sometimes I now make top five, other times I don’t feature at the top.

Now any poster can contribute as much as they like - after all the most dominated thread on boards is possibly the best one, that being the daily weather forecast - but 20% of the posts on a current affairs thread can’t be good.

FrancieBrady

When you are reduced to counting another poster's posts, then that speaks volumes in and off itself.
I can guarantee you none of my many posts are of the juvenile 'somebody took the ball' variety.

Fionn1952

15-20 years

blanch152 wrote: »

Fionn1952 wrote: »

Play the ball, not the man, Blanch! Francie's post frequency neither detracts nor enhances the points made. Low blow taking mindless digs like that when you (or indeed I) certainly haven't been short of posts in either thread

Does post frequency affect the quality of the debate? In my opinion it does. If one poster dominates a thread, then others don’t bother contributing or their opinions get drowned out.

There was a time when I would be the most frequent poster on a thread, but I have consciously dialled it back because I realised it was wrong to dominate a discussion in such a fashion. However, even then, at no time did I ever dominate a thread to the extent that some threads on here are dominated. Sometimes I now make top five, other times I don’t feature at the top.

Now any poster can contribute as much as they like - after all the most dominated thread on boards is possibly the best one, that being the daily weather forecast - but 20% of the posts on a current affairs thread can’t be good.

Across the entirety of a thread, yes it's unlikely that a thousand posts will all be of high quality, but I meant on an individual post basis - taking digs at Francie because he has made a lot of posts, while ignoring the content of the post referenced is definition playing the man not the ball, especially when it's in response to a post that asks for a reply.

markodaly

FrancieBrady wrote: »

When you are reduced to counting another poster's posts, then that speaks volumes in and off itself.
I can guarantee you none of my many posts are of the juvenile 'somebody took the ball' variety.

If almost 25% of the thread is made up of one poster, that is an indication of poor communication and an inner need, dare I say it an inner compulsion to try and dominate another person.

My advice, take a day or two off and revaluate.

My experience with these things is that, if you are posting about the same thing for 5 or more posts with another poster, then its a wasted effort. You are not going to change someone else's mind, so who are you really doing this for?
More likely trying to stave off bordeom and trying to feel a little bit alive inside.

Most people are not on boards.ie 18 hours a day arguing.

FrancieBrady

markodaly wrote: »

Most people are not on boards.ie 18 hours a day arguing.

Most normal people I know aren't feverishly counting posts to have a go at a poster because they don't like a topic being discussed, Mark.

Poroguing is so trendy these days among a certain set.

Charles Babbage

markodaly wrote: »

This is not really a shock. English people in the main could not care less about Ireland, both north or south.

Just as we, Irish people do not really care about, say, the intricacies of Belgium politics or Greek/Turkish relations.
The issue, of course, is close to 1 million Unionists who DO care about their link to the Union. Their opinion matters somewhat.

Ireland is not responsible for any part of Belgium, we do not need to think about it if we do not wish to.



Just as person is responsible for their own children in a way that is greater than the population at large, a country must be held responsible for its own colonies.

FrancieBrady

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Ireland is not responsible for any part of Belgium, we do not need to think about it if we do not wish to.



Just as person is responsible for their own children in a way that is greater than the population at large, a country must be held responsible for its own colonies.

I dare say that the abstract feelings of Unionists will always trump the physical and real needs of Irish people, in some minds here.

It annoys those 'minds' so much when we force Britain to 'care' about the affect of their policies here on this island.

markodaly

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Most normal people I know aren't feverishly counting posts to have a go at a poster because they don't like a topic being discussed, Mark.

Poroguing is so trendy these days among a certain set.

The topic is fine, even though its been done to death at this stage and to be honest is there anything new actually being discussed at the moment, or is it like a bar on a Tuesday afternoon where the drunks are just shouting at each other?

If you do not like the fact that's being pointed out to you that you are somewhat obsessively posting the same repetitive content day after day, then good luck.

It is not my time you are wasting, it is your own.

Have at it, ill pop in again in a month to see you raking up the posts with inane posts about nothing at all. But I guess you feel clever about it all.

FrancieBrady

markodaly wrote: »

ill pop in again in a month

One is thoroughly excited at the prospect.

blanch152

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Most normal people I know aren't feverishly counting posts to have a go at a poster because they don't like a topic being discussed, Mark.



Poroguing is so trendy these days among a certain set.

Feverishly counting posts?

All you have to do is click on the number of posts in a thread and a pop-up tells you who has posted and how often in a thread, quicker than writing this post.

FrancieBrady

blanch152 wrote: »

Feverishly counting posts?

All you have to do is click on the number of posts in a thread and a pop-up tells you who has posted and how often in a thread, quicker than writing this post.

'Feverishly clicking on the number of posts in a thread and reading a pop-up that tells you who has posted and how often in a thread.'

Seriously, have you really nothing better to be at. Who cares.
If you think somebody has to sit 24/7 on boards.ie to have a high post count, you really need to get out into the modern world more yourself.

20-30 years

The British Home Office appeal in the very important Emma de Souza case has just opened in court today. Both her side and the British Home Office are presenting their case via videolink to two judges sitting over in Britain, interestingly enough.

'People born in NI remain British citizens', Emma De Souza court hears

A lawyer for the home secretary has said people born in Northern Ireland remain British citizens according to the law, even if they identify as Irish.

NI woman Emma De Souza won a case against the Home Office after it deemed she was British when her US-born husband applied for a residence card.

The Home Office has appealed the decision.

The Good Friday Agreement allows people to be British, Irish or both.

On Tuesday, lawyers representing the Home Office and Ms De Souza in Belfast put forward opposing arguments by video link to two judges sitting in London.

Anyone born in Northern Ireland has the right to identify as Irish or British or both, thanks to the Good Friday Agreement, signed in April 1998 by the British and Irish governments and Northern Ireland's political parties.

Ms De Souza applied for a residence card for her US-born husband in December 2015, making the application under her Irish passport.

However, the Home Office rejected the application as it deemed Ms De Souza was British, even though she says that she never held a British passport.

They requested that Ms De Souza either reapply as a British citizen or renounce her British citizenship to apply as an Irish citizen.

But she challenged the decision, citing the Good Friday Agreement's terms that assert her ability to identify as Irish, British or both....

The highlighted part seems quite a brazen claim by the British Home Secretary, amounting to a simple "You can identify as whatever you want but if you're born in the part of Ireland that's still under British occupation, you're British. End of story."

By that unbridled imperialist logic, all the Irish people were "British" when the British boot had all the Irish faoi chois for centuries until 6 December 1922. It takes a quintessentially imperialist mindset to dismiss the rights of the natives like this and impose Britishness upon them in Ireland.

Delighted that Varadkar has had the guts to come out clearly in favour of Emma de Souza in this very important case:

Leo Varadkar says UK government 'wrong' on Emma De Souza case