British in Ireland

[Tweed]

Where do the British public stand on the occupation of part of Ireland.

[icecoldin]

I'm fairly sure, is8748, that Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish or English people absolutely do not forget that they have British stamped on their passports. This, I'm sure also, is NOT through choice for many.

[ianess]

What`s the big problem about being British? Or European for that matter? We could always go back to the War of the Roses, The Scottish Clan System, Home Rule for Cornwall but who in all honesty sees that as a progressive step? God almighty, isn`t there enough division and confrontation as it is without adding to it?

[icecoldin]

Gosh, where do I start on the problems of being told you're British. Are we really all living as one big happy UK family? The world doesn't conform to the notion of...lets all live together as one big happy planet (sad though that may be). Scottish, British, European, Northern hemisphere, where would you like to stop? (very idealistic and slightly naive to think in these terms) I can certainly understand why people of one country would feel resentment of being run by another country. Do I really need to mention Margaret Thatcher using Scotland as a guinea pig when it came to introducing the attrocious poll tax to the people of Britain? If people were treated fairly and equally in the first place, surely they wouldn't feel the need of wanting to be run by their own country and hence separating certain unions in the process.

[sft42]

I would like to be associated with the remarks of the previous speaker!

Fact - Northern Ireland is NOT part of Britain.

Fact - The demographic of the population in Northern Ireland has steadly swung in the last 50 years towards a catholic/nationalist majority and many commentators believe this will be the case sometime between 2020 and 2030.

Fact - You can shove your passport up yer fundament mate...I'm Scottish and want nothing to do with your engerland and hooligan state...Give me another Bannockburn or Stirling Bridge and I'll be at the head of the queue.

[el duerino]

what getting massacred? lol scottish nationalists. when you can run your own country and not rely on huge uk subsidies then you can disappear and take your stinking haggis stench with you. miserable, stinking, raining, inferiority complex land full of manic depressives. oh please stay in the UK lol. man people are so blinkered. where does it say anywhere that countries must be divided by geographic features? a passage of water, or attachment to another island, does not give anyone else the right to take over? how about we be more progressive rather than lumping people in a country just because it's next door?

[icecoldin]

Oh my! Did someone manage to rattle el duerino's cage. They did seem to get a wee bit muddled with their facts didn't they (huge UK subsidies?...Mmmm). Wipe your little confused tears away. Some people are apparently living in their own wee world of make believe aren't they, when it comes to tearing down borders and embracing one another..Awww...very sweet. I did chuckle at that...thanks el duerino. I did, I have to say, take slight offence at your little feet stamping rant:-) but not much, taking into consideration where it was coming from.

[el duerino]

excellent :) don't lose too much sleep

[DumBlonde]

Getting back to N. Ireland. You all, as people tend to do, have over simplified the situation. It runs much deeper than catholic/protestant or nationalist/loyalist and both governments are useless at the end of the day cuz the fact is the thousands of people who were killed in the Troubles left behind families and friends - these are the ones who matter the most cuz it's people who were hurt that still bearing the grudge, who's children are being taught that the other side killed their uncle or their mummy and that it's ok to go and throw stones. And the kids who are throwing stones today are gonna grow up and get bored just throwing stones and who knows we might even end up back where we started. Things are a lot better now but until people forgive and forget there won't really ever be peace here. And it's easily said,but if it were an innocent member of your family shot or blown up you don't know how you'd react. The governments are just pushing papers around an office and getting paid a fortune for it. The money should be put into counselling for children and teenagers especially in hotspots so that we don't get into a vicious circle.

[icecoldin]

Fine, getting back to N Ireland. el duerino's last comments bored me into submission anyway:-)Your comments and views are noted DumBlonde. It is not my intention here to come across as pesimistic or defeatest in any way shape or form. However, history has shown us that human nature does not easily forgive. Vicious circles occur, they have always existed and will continue to exist. Whether in the form of a Northern Ireland, Chechnya, Palistine etc. take your pick. I'm merely pointing out one of very many obvious problems that are part of this oh so tolerent world of ours. It is however an ingrained and basic response to human suffering (whoever it is who inflicts it) where the inability to forgive thrives. How easy, do you think, would it to be to forgive someone who has blown your child apart in the name of oil, land or religion? To end on a positive note, I do believe people are basically good and decent and wish to act in a compassionate and understanding manner towards their fellow man and woman. There is hope out there...

[el duerino]

yes the problem is basicaly human. which is why the transfer would do no good anyway, merely reverse the present situation.

[beale]

I think it's quite depressing that even on a sit such as this we have Scots calling England a "hooligan state" and the English insisting Scotland exists on subsidies from the rest of the UK. sft42 - normally a perfectly rational contributor to this site actively wishing for a civil war for the oppurtunity to kill English people. And England and Scotland haven't been at war for 300 years! Just goes to show, even when the bombs stop for good there's going to be a lot of work to do.

[beale]

er..site? Yes, that's what I meant. 'Scuse spelling all.

[thewillow]

bobtheduck - I am in Northern Ireland. SLF are also from Northern Ireland.

[linseli]

I know this is an old thread and a bit off topic so apologies but... icecoldin and beale, the Westminster govt may have nicked Scotland's oil money for a long time (to everyone's shame) and you have every right to feel cheated but now more money is spent by central and local government on Scots per head every year plus you DO get subsidised I'm afraid. Figs from the Office of National Statistics: Scotland receives per annum about �8 billion of extra government funding while North Sea Gas revenues are valued at �5 billion. I know statistics and figures can be fiddled but Scotland really doesn't do that badly out of its current relationship with England particularly as Scottish MPs get to vote in Westminster on bills that will only apply in England! I can imagine the fun if English MPs suddenly demanded similar rights back over Scotland! If the local populations of various bits of the UK vote for independence then that's what should happen and I can't see there being a Chechen-style war over it. But they haven't (so far!)