The wondrous adventures of Sinn Fein (part 3) Mod Notes and Threadbanned List in OP

In my my mind I equate SF and their supporters to Men’s Mayo football supporters. Diehard believers. But more than that SF support are expert at that the ducking and diving.

There remain rumours of extensions in Cabra being built at the Northern Bank's expense, have heard them myself, not saying Mary-Lou's being one, but Jonathon Dowdall, her old friend, had a large extension built. So maybe let's just deal with the SF questions here.

Your problem is that the concept of a united Ireland is just a wet dream for you. Harsh reality is that a substantial proportion of the NI population, inc people from nationalist tradition are happy enough with the current way their lives are funded and run. They no vote for a lower standard of living and loss of many PS jobs. Then down south, many people would look askance at the prospect likewise - the costs associated and the fact that a rump would always be unhappy up there and would cause trouble.

So the general message to northern nationalists as far as I ascertain down south, is that you should go and sort out your own problems first. Build inter community links and learn to compromise and work together peaceably.

But you know this anyway. And would rather avoid the hard work this entails.

You keep misrepresenting the census figures on identity.

While those of British identity are at 42.8%, this does not make in any way reunification as the only viable option left.

The number who identify as Irish is only 33.3%, a horribly low figure to base anything on.

"The hybrid identities, a jumble of Irish/British/Northern Irish/Scottish mixtures (plus Others) has risen to 19.4%. Taken together with the NI Only figure of 19.8%, the total who are moving beyond the solid bloc identities of exclusive British and exclusive Irish is now 39.2%."

That is the real story. The Irish identity is now in third place.

You miss the point continuously and deliberately I guess. There are two significant problems with your idea that a UI is the only viable option. Again

1) there is no sense yet that a vote up north would be in favour for both pragmatic and cultural reasons.

2) I don't know whether you reside in Northern Ireland or in this Republic, but there is often an assumption made by those with your mindset that voters down in this Republic are substantially in favour of a UI. And it's a huge assumption. Personally whilst I'd aspire to some mutually agreed solution, I wouldn't dream of voting in favour unless there was evidence of very substantial agreement on both sides of the border - you need at least 4 to 1 in favour.

So it's not going to magically happen just because of demographics and simplistic notions of binary identity.

Another factor down here, maybe less so up north, is the substantial amount of immigration into the state in recent years and rapidly increasing as noted elsewhere. Many of these people will likely end up staying and become voters. They have their own cultural traditions and agendas and I don't think a UI will be very high on their list of priorities, more like protecting their own interests.

If I were you, I'd be talking to my unionist neighbours, finding points of agreement, ditch all the contentious stuff like language and get them on board with the idea. Cos you're going to need them to get it passed.

don't forget the members of sf enriching them self's from their real actual links to criminal gangs,

I'm always amazed that no matter where posters on threads like this lie on the 'I'm-alright-jack partitionist' to, '32 county socialist Republic at all costs' spectrum, they're absolutely convinced, without a doubt that theirs is the most moderate and reasonable position. The horseshoe hypothesis is writ bare on both extremes.

I say this with full awareness that the critique applies to me also.

Now I know the bar is already incredibly low in Irish politics but ladies and gentlemen I give you a potential future Finance Minister........

was that Pearse on the old ad.....

The last poll I saw was that most people (in the south) were in favour of the idea of a united ireland, but not if it meant an increase in taxes. That's a fairly big circle that needs to be squared