Yesterday's Spotlight programme highlighted the campaign, by victims group FAIR, against the Libyan dictatorship responsible for IRA murder due to Colonel Gaddafi's supplying weapons and financial support to the provisionals.
Willie Frazer, the head of Families Acting for Innocent Victims (FAIR), has been a very outspoken campaigner for IRA victims including many members of his own family; to republicans however he is a bigoted "Brit", an image not helped by Frazers prickly demeaner or past associations with unsavoury characters - but his suffering has been very real and is in the end deserving of sympathy.
After a decade in the wilderness Frazer and FAIR were recognised as representing a silent but very real and long suffering set of victims. Documents leaked to the press showing the breathtaking lack of concern for victims of the IRAs Libyan connection finally pushed the British government into action.
Now perhaps a few innocent victims of the IRAs international terrorism will be compensated or recognised. It remains to be seen if it is really a meaningful gesture and that nothing will be gained by provo-terrorist elements or their sympathizers.
The Provos of course speak of not acknowledeging a "hierarchy of victims" which is provospeak for "republicans are top of thier own hierarchy".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nnnv8
Showing newest posts with label sinn fein. Show older posts
Showing newest posts with label sinn fein. Show older posts
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
My Choosiest Choice of all
Jim Allister is a strong minded, articulate and able politician, a good MEP for Northern Ireland. On domestic (Northern Irish) issues he stuck in a "NO"-unionist time warp, which may be a principled stand on his part, but for the stability and security of Northern Ireland his principles lead to a dead end. If it was his European record alone he'd get my number 1.
Jim Nicholson seems unable to articulate his Ulster Unionist/Conservative agenda, perhaps because of certain media distractions; Lady Hermon, party defections, David Cameron and unionist in-fighting. However he does have a good record as an MEP, his party has put more emphasis on European issues and an alliance with the Tories opens up the possibility of putting Northern Ireland at the centre of mainstream UK politics. It’s the wider European and UK issues, not Jim Nicholson’s charismatic personality that gets the UCUNF my first preference.
Diane Dodd’s is clearly out of her depth, without the aid of her handlers Nigel and Peter, Diane clearly cannot cope especially when surrounded by opponents or sat next to Jim Allister. Her attack dog style of debating and her fantasist anti-Sinn Fein rhetoric are off putting, she's third on my list behind Jim Allister as usual. Peter & Iris certainly don't help the DUP cause (whatever that is). Diane Dodd’s gets my number 3 simply because she's a "unionist".
Sinn Fein won't get any votes from me, much to their disappointment I’m sure, but they're a not trying to build an "Ireland of equals" not with their sectarian reactionary anti-Britishness, or while Bairbre de Brún stands up in the European Parliament to rail against "Unionist death squads". Not to mention the shinners have the worst attendance records in Brussels compared to their opponents. Also de Brun seems to lose all knowledge of English when asking even basic questions, nothing wrong with Gaelic, but using it as a cultural weapon is clearly objectionable.
Jim Nicholson seems unable to articulate his Ulster Unionist/Conservative agenda, perhaps because of certain media distractions; Lady Hermon, party defections, David Cameron and unionist in-fighting. However he does have a good record as an MEP, his party has put more emphasis on European issues and an alliance with the Tories opens up the possibility of putting Northern Ireland at the centre of mainstream UK politics. It’s the wider European and UK issues, not Jim Nicholson’s charismatic personality that gets the UCUNF my first preference.
Diane Dodd’s is clearly out of her depth, without the aid of her handlers Nigel and Peter, Diane clearly cannot cope especially when surrounded by opponents or sat next to Jim Allister. Her attack dog style of debating and her fantasist anti-Sinn Fein rhetoric are off putting, she's third on my list behind Jim Allister as usual. Peter & Iris certainly don't help the DUP cause (whatever that is). Diane Dodd’s gets my number 3 simply because she's a "unionist".
Sinn Fein won't get any votes from me, much to their disappointment I’m sure, but they're a not trying to build an "Ireland of equals" not with their sectarian reactionary anti-Britishness, or while Bairbre de Brún stands up in the European Parliament to rail against "Unionist death squads". Not to mention the shinners have the worst attendance records in Brussels compared to their opponents. Also de Brun seems to lose all knowledge of English when asking even basic questions, nothing wrong with Gaelic, but using it as a cultural weapon is clearly objectionable.
Monday, 25 May 2009
Vote DUP: Smash Sinn Féin! Really?
Think DUP topping the Poll will "smash" Sinn Féin
Doesn't look like it, does it?Monday, 18 May 2009
Ireland of Equals?
Why does Sinn Fein feel the need to honour republican death squads on their online store, their claim to be building an "Ireland of Equals" is simply hollow rhetoric with insensitive sectarian displays such as this. The action of Provo terrorists is nothing to gloat over.
If the DUP were selling UDA t-shirts republican hypocrites would be hysterical with rage, but the DUP don't nor should they; this Ireland of equals is business is completely bogus unless we are to fall in line behind the shinners.
If the DUP were selling UDA t-shirts republican hypocrites would be hysterical with rage, but the DUP don't nor should they; this Ireland of equals is business is completely bogus unless we are to fall in line behind the shinners.
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Parties Sectarian League Table
Parties should look beyond topping the sectarian league
Patrick Murphy
BY Patrick Murphy
16/05/2009
If we are morally obliged to vote in elections, surely there is an obligation on political parties to give us something to vote for? In the forthcoming European Parliament election, parties in most countries will offer wide-ranging social and economic policies.
If we are not offered the same choice, it would appear reasonable to argue that we may well be morally justified in sitting at home on polling day. [click]
Patrick Murphy
BY Patrick Murphy
16/05/2009
If we are morally obliged to vote in elections, surely there is an obligation on political parties to give us something to vote for? In the forthcoming European Parliament election, parties in most countries will offer wide-ranging social and economic policies.
If we are not offered the same choice, it would appear reasonable to argue that we may well be morally justified in sitting at home on polling day. [click]
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Gerry's Vision
While visiting Gerry Adam's blog Léargas (vision) I came across his usual appraisal of unionists, as with all Irish Republicans, ignorance is bliss when it comes to the "silly wee Prods". Needless to say Gerry sees unionists as lost sheep or confused Irish nationalists led astray by the evil Brits.
Far from seeking to build an 'island of equals' Sinn Fein seem only interested in turning unionists into republicans; and making hollow speeches about our rights guaranteed in a United Ireland serves no purpose but to make themselves look good and feel better inside.
What republicans seem unable or unwilling to grasp is the fact that we our British, proud citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, aye and like Edward Carson Irish as well. We will not change or stop being what we are; pro-union, British, Irish Ulstermen & women, our heritage and culture will not end with a redrawing of the border or under intellectual or physical persuasion by Catholic Nationalist republicans.
"Like the Afrikaaners some unionists continue to oppose change."
We are not a people opposed to change or afraid to meet changing circumstances, the Plantation, Siege of Derry, American Revolution; United Irishmen the Union of Great Britain & Ireland, Ulster Crisis, Ulster Volunteers and World War 1, Partition. We are not opposed to the changing tides of history, we are opposed to cultural genocide and Orangephobia, and we are opposed to republican patronisation and propaganda. We are not the oppressors or segregationists nor do we feel ashamed of being who we are.
Irish Republicans want to grab a branch of history and beat unionists over the head with it, yet they say we live in the past and are unwilling to or our slow to change. But again we won't change fundamentally what makes us who we are; there is no final solution to the unionist question, certainly not in a non-existent united Ireland in the foreseeable future.
You really want a United Ireland?
If republicans desire a United Ireland sooner rather than later, maybe they should consider these issues:
1 Accept Unionists as they are, your fellow Irishmen, our Britishness are an integral part of our being as are our symbols and emblems of identity - stop the cultural genocide in Craigavon and Newry and everywhere else.
2 Orangephobia is a real and present threat to unionists cultural expression and identity, remember the tricolour has an Orange fly. It is our right to define our history, heritage and culture, not to have it dictated to us by republicans and statist structures.
3 You talk of Afrikaners (we know you mean Unionists are bigoted racists), but you raised an issue; minority rights. In your proposed Ireland of equals, we would constitute your largest minority group, arming republicans and nationalists with a huge veto.
We must be allowed our own space for cultural expression. Like Afrikaners and Zulus in South Africa, like Flemings in Belgium, African-Americans in the US, Catalans & Basques in Spain or Arabs in Israel.
4 Our experience of the brutality and violence of the PIRA's campaign against our existence as a unionist people must be acknowledged, the veneration of dead IRA volunteers who committed violent atrocities must be done without triumphalism.
"We are back with that great Protestant patriot Wolfe Tone. Genuine democrats and thinking republicans will recognise the validity and wisdom at this time, of Tone’s great call for the unity of Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter. That my friends is what this is all about."
Wolfe Tone was a United Irishman not a Provo, he was not motivated by Catholic Nationalism, and he did not fight the same fight the PIRA fought because he was a true republican who did not take up arms for a narrow Gaelic Irish nationalism like the Fenian Brotherhood, Patrick Pearce or you Gerry.
Far from seeking to build an 'island of equals' Sinn Fein seem only interested in turning unionists into republicans; and making hollow speeches about our rights guaranteed in a United Ireland serves no purpose but to make themselves look good and feel better inside.
What republicans seem unable or unwilling to grasp is the fact that we our British, proud citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, aye and like Edward Carson Irish as well. We will not change or stop being what we are; pro-union, British, Irish Ulstermen & women, our heritage and culture will not end with a redrawing of the border or under intellectual or physical persuasion by Catholic Nationalist republicans.
"Like the Afrikaaners some unionists continue to oppose change."
We are not a people opposed to change or afraid to meet changing circumstances, the Plantation, Siege of Derry, American Revolution; United Irishmen the Union of Great Britain & Ireland, Ulster Crisis, Ulster Volunteers and World War 1, Partition. We are not opposed to the changing tides of history, we are opposed to cultural genocide and Orangephobia, and we are opposed to republican patronisation and propaganda. We are not the oppressors or segregationists nor do we feel ashamed of being who we are.
Irish Republicans want to grab a branch of history and beat unionists over the head with it, yet they say we live in the past and are unwilling to or our slow to change. But again we won't change fundamentally what makes us who we are; there is no final solution to the unionist question, certainly not in a non-existent united Ireland in the foreseeable future.
You really want a United Ireland?
If republicans desire a United Ireland sooner rather than later, maybe they should consider these issues:
1 Accept Unionists as they are, your fellow Irishmen, our Britishness are an integral part of our being as are our symbols and emblems of identity - stop the cultural genocide in Craigavon and Newry and everywhere else.
2 Orangephobia is a real and present threat to unionists cultural expression and identity, remember the tricolour has an Orange fly. It is our right to define our history, heritage and culture, not to have it dictated to us by republicans and statist structures.
3 You talk of Afrikaners (we know you mean Unionists are bigoted racists), but you raised an issue; minority rights. In your proposed Ireland of equals, we would constitute your largest minority group, arming republicans and nationalists with a huge veto.
We must be allowed our own space for cultural expression. Like Afrikaners and Zulus in South Africa, like Flemings in Belgium, African-Americans in the US, Catalans & Basques in Spain or Arabs in Israel.
4 Our experience of the brutality and violence of the PIRA's campaign against our existence as a unionist people must be acknowledged, the veneration of dead IRA volunteers who committed violent atrocities must be done without triumphalism.
"We are back with that great Protestant patriot Wolfe Tone. Genuine democrats and thinking republicans will recognise the validity and wisdom at this time, of Tone’s great call for the unity of Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter. That my friends is what this is all about."
Wolfe Tone was a United Irishman not a Provo, he was not motivated by Catholic Nationalism, and he did not fight the same fight the PIRA fought because he was a true republican who did not take up arms for a narrow Gaelic Irish nationalism like the Fenian Brotherhood, Patrick Pearce or you Gerry.
Party Website Homepages Rated
Being slightly bored I decided to rate the local party websites purely in terms of their aesthetic appeal, use of colour, design and functionality. I numbered them 1 to 7; 1 being the best, 7 the worst.
1 Green Party (NI) - Is the most visually attractive site with the use of flash as the header, changing colourful photographic backgrounds, with the party’s slogans and views highlighted - although "Change we can believe in" is an annoyingly unimaginative Obama-ism. Also their leader Steven Agnew looks like an out of shape Ronan Keating.
2 Sinn Fein - Comes in second for visual with their cloudy pastel blue header background set off by their new logo, a damn site better than the ghastly old logo. Information is easy to locate and they have the modern sign ups, YouTube, face book & Bebo etc.
3 TUV - Jim Allisters party site is very much red, white & blue, but the royal blue and white mix well together. The header features the party logo to the left on white with a sky blue cloud and faded union flag to the right. Twitter is the only sign up available. On bad thing is Jim Allisters mug plastered over the page three times, makes it look like a one man outfit.
4 Ulster Unionist - Fourth behind Sinn Fein the UUP header is a dark sky blue, with the party logo on the left and small version of the Euro election poster on the right; Jim Nicholson has a fixed Botox smile. It also has sign ups to twitter and face book. UUP get extra points for humour with a "dup pants on fire" link site.
5 SDLP - With a good use of their colours and logo is visually appealing without being OTT. Mark Durkan however looks like Harry Enfield's "Tory Boy" character. Info on policies is quick to locate, but they have no sign ups available.
6 DUP - Update: Damn DUP, they've gone all Diane Dodds crazy and set up a Euro elections site, ruining my rating. They've lost my vote anyway!
One of the plainest sites, but with good simple graphics & logo placement. The main header picture features all the DUP gang in what looks like a wedding photo. They have a YouTube sign up.
7 Alliance - Unimaginative and dull sums up the site and the party. Blue, yellow and white, it’s more of an early 90's site than 21st century....boring!
1 Green Party (NI) - Is the most visually attractive site with the use of flash as the header, changing colourful photographic backgrounds, with the party’s slogans and views highlighted - although "Change we can believe in" is an annoyingly unimaginative Obama-ism. Also their leader Steven Agnew looks like an out of shape Ronan Keating.
2 Sinn Fein - Comes in second for visual with their cloudy pastel blue header background set off by their new logo, a damn site better than the ghastly old logo. Information is easy to locate and they have the modern sign ups, YouTube, face book & Bebo etc.
3 TUV - Jim Allisters party site is very much red, white & blue, but the royal blue and white mix well together. The header features the party logo to the left on white with a sky blue cloud and faded union flag to the right. Twitter is the only sign up available. On bad thing is Jim Allisters mug plastered over the page three times, makes it look like a one man outfit.
4 Ulster Unionist - Fourth behind Sinn Fein the UUP header is a dark sky blue, with the party logo on the left and small version of the Euro election poster on the right; Jim Nicholson has a fixed Botox smile. It also has sign ups to twitter and face book. UUP get extra points for humour with a "dup pants on fire" link site.
5 SDLP - With a good use of their colours and logo is visually appealing without being OTT. Mark Durkan however looks like Harry Enfield's "Tory Boy" character. Info on policies is quick to locate, but they have no sign ups available.
6 DUP - Update: Damn DUP, they've gone all Diane Dodds crazy and set up a Euro elections site, ruining my rating. They've lost my vote anyway!
One of the plainest sites, but with good simple graphics & logo placement. The main header picture features all the DUP gang in what looks like a wedding photo. They have a YouTube sign up.
7 Alliance - Unimaginative and dull sums up the site and the party. Blue, yellow and white, it’s more of an early 90's site than 21st century....boring!
Sunday, 10 May 2009
The Problem with Republicanism
The idiotic remarks of our First Minister Peter Robinson that “Nobody is boasting about Irish unification by 2016 anymore.” spurred me to examine the central problem of Irish Republicanism and its destabilising effect on Northern Ireland. More important than Mr Robinson’s deranged statement are the remarks our deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness made on April 10:
"I am working towards the possibility that Ireland could be unified by 2014. Important steps can be made in the life of this Assembly, but even more importantly, in the life of the next Assembly."
This underscores the central tenet of the republican movement, the establishment of a '32 County [socialist] Irish Republic'. Whatever else is held aloft by republicans as "principles", the achievement of a United Ireland overrides them all, especially for the provisional’s and Catholic Nationalist republicans. Stability in Northern Ireland and the peace process is simply a strategy shift for the Provos, a game to be played in order to attain their coveted united Irish republic.
Provisional strategy is to maintain loyalty and order within the republican community by a campaign of distraction politics; a sustained attack on Unionist culture and emblems, unequal demands for the promotion of nationalist Irish culture and identity. Irish republicans have never desired mere reform or justice in Northern Ireland.
When the false promises by republican leaders like Martin McGuinness raise the hopes for a united Ireland, the rank-and-file republicans on the street will perhaps tow the party line, but when the time comes and no united Ireland has been established that same rank-and-file will most likely abandon the new strategy for that similar to the dissidents and the men of physical violence so admired by republicans.
"I am working towards the possibility that Ireland could be unified by 2014. Important steps can be made in the life of this Assembly, but even more importantly, in the life of the next Assembly."
This underscores the central tenet of the republican movement, the establishment of a '32 County [socialist] Irish Republic'. Whatever else is held aloft by republicans as "principles", the achievement of a United Ireland overrides them all, especially for the provisional’s and Catholic Nationalist republicans. Stability in Northern Ireland and the peace process is simply a strategy shift for the Provos, a game to be played in order to attain their coveted united Irish republic.
Provisional strategy is to maintain loyalty and order within the republican community by a campaign of distraction politics; a sustained attack on Unionist culture and emblems, unequal demands for the promotion of nationalist Irish culture and identity. Irish republicans have never desired mere reform or justice in Northern Ireland.
When the false promises by republican leaders like Martin McGuinness raise the hopes for a united Ireland, the rank-and-file republicans on the street will perhaps tow the party line, but when the time comes and no united Ireland has been established that same rank-and-file will most likely abandon the new strategy for that similar to the dissidents and the men of physical violence so admired by republicans.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Gerry & Gay
"I have formed an opinion — and it’s probably a Protestant thing — that the notion of having some sort of middleman isn’t altogether necessary," he said, referring to confessions.
"I think the Methodists are the best, but I love the democratic nature of the Presbyterian Church"
"I think the Methodists are the best, but I love the democratic nature of the Presbyterian Church"
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gerry-adams-springs-surprise-with-a-protestant-view-of-religion-1674860.html
These supposed "revelations" by Gerry Adams, made on RTE's Meaning of Life show, demonstrate just what a pandering propagandist he really is, never missing an opportunity to increase his lefty PC street cred. And this gave the que to his supporters and counterparts to say "sure wasn't Wolfe Tone a Prod" or "Henry Joy McCracken was a presbyterian", blah blah blah!
Gerrys religious views aside; the simple truth remains however that todays Irish republican movement is a Catholic Irish nationalist one, filled with anti-Brit bigots, head counting united Irelanders (waiting to "outbreed the prods)" with rarely any Ulster Protestant supporters. But then the main targets for the PIRA during the troubles came from the Ulster Protestant community, whether they were RUC/UDR, unionist politicians or civilians.
"I want to be Irish as I am, but feel that Catholics do not allow me to. They expect me to move a bit of the way to towards being 'Catholic', or at least something different from what we [Protestants] are... the obstacle [is] what I would call the Catholic community, which identifies its total ethos as the criterion of Irishness.
"Then I have to say that I see the Republican Movement of today as a Catholic movement, with negligible Protestant input and consisting of people, practising Catholics or not, who are governed by the total ethos of a community which considers us [Protestants] less than fully Irish... since the 1860s, it has concentrated on the needs of the Catholic community and ignored the Northern Protestants."
Letter written in Iris 1988 by a Protestant Irish republican.
Monday, 27 April 2009
The Disappeared: PIRAs Inhumanity
A new site is to be examined in the hunt for one of the Disappeared of
Northern Ireland's Troubles.
The site is in County Louth in the Republic of Ireland, where the
remains of the Crossmaglen man Gerry Evans are said to be buried.
It has been claimed he was shot 30 years ago by the IRA as a suspected
informer.
It comes as the assembly passed a new bill to help the relatives
of the Disappeared and other missing persons.
Q: What separates the dissidents from the Provisionals? A: Time!
The PIRAs depravity is once again highlighted by their on going mental torture of those related to the so-called "disappeared" ie those murdered in cold blood, buried in bogs and fields all over Ireland. The victims of these continuing crimes against humanity, the relatives, are often traumatised and too tired to call the PIRA on their heartless campaign of cowardly human rights abuses.
But then the republican movement doesn't believe that any of its actions were wrong.
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Whos the real traitor? Republicanism examined
The Real IRA threatened the life of our Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, supposedly because of remarks made following the brutal murders of British Soldiers, remarks that involved him calling the dissident killers "traitors to Ireland". However if we examine Irish republican ideology and tradition aswell as their espoused objectives, who is the real traitor to republicanisms Ireland?
Republican tradition is the major factor in their ideology, physical force politics, aswell as clear unwavering objectives, has been/is the hallmark of traditional Irish republicanism. The objectives of Sinn Fein/IRA were the defeat of the British Army militarily, end of partition and the establishment of a 32 County Socialist Republic.
Well none of these obectives came to fruition, not militarily at least; Northern Ireland & the ROI still exist, therefore so does partition. NI is still part of the United Kingdom, Sinn Fein now takes part in the politics of two partionist states. The RUC was disbanded, but replaced by the still partionist PSNI, only with larger Catholic recruitment. The British Army was never forced out by armed struggle but via political wrangling and the Good Friday Agreement. And Martin McGuinness is deputy first minister thanks in large part to Ian Paisley and the DUP.
So through the green tinted glasses of traditional Irish Republicanism, which is the view of the Real IRA, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA is the traitor.
For me as a unionist however there is no virtue, cause, justification or right to traditional Irish Republicanisms actions or claims. Their objectives and use of terrorist "armed struggle" seeks to usurp the democratic will of the majority of Northern Irelands citizens. As an ideology or objective expressed solely through the ballot box, republicanism has a place in a democratic society. As a violent armed campaign of murder and threats, it has no place whatsoever.
Republican tradition is the major factor in their ideology, physical force politics, aswell as clear unwavering objectives, has been/is the hallmark of traditional Irish republicanism. The objectives of Sinn Fein/IRA were the defeat of the British Army militarily, end of partition and the establishment of a 32 County Socialist Republic.
Well none of these obectives came to fruition, not militarily at least; Northern Ireland & the ROI still exist, therefore so does partition. NI is still part of the United Kingdom, Sinn Fein now takes part in the politics of two partionist states. The RUC was disbanded, but replaced by the still partionist PSNI, only with larger Catholic recruitment. The British Army was never forced out by armed struggle but via political wrangling and the Good Friday Agreement. And Martin McGuinness is deputy first minister thanks in large part to Ian Paisley and the DUP.
So through the green tinted glasses of traditional Irish Republicanism, which is the view of the Real IRA, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA is the traitor.
For me as a unionist however there is no virtue, cause, justification or right to traditional Irish Republicanisms actions or claims. Their objectives and use of terrorist "armed struggle" seeks to usurp the democratic will of the majority of Northern Irelands citizens. As an ideology or objective expressed solely through the ballot box, republicanism has a place in a democratic society. As a violent armed campaign of murder and threats, it has no place whatsoever.
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