Do you support the IRA?

Both Scotland, and Ireland, have a long, interconnected history. Much of which involves sectarian strife. To summarise 1. The original inhabitants of Scotland originated in Ireland. http://archive.archaeology.org/0107/abstracts/scotland.html 2. King James I sent Scottish Protestants to Ireland, in order to keep the Catholic majority in line. http://philnorf.tripod.com/scottish.htm But both Scottish, and Irish people are Celts. Therefore they share a common ethnic origin. And so it's not altogether like European colonisation of Africa, for example. The problem with Northern Ireland has more to do with religious privelege, than with imperial occupation. Plus, besides, if the Scot-Irish, of whom in the interest of full disclosure I'm partially descended from, were to be made to leave Ireland, should not the Anglo-Saxons be made to leave Britain for Germany? Conquest is a part of history, and the notion of "blood and soil" is not beneficial.

The Scottish people did not originate only from Gaels. There also exist within Scotland descendants of Angles, Picts, Britons and Vikings. Yes, the Gaelic stock are predominant in the highlands but not all of Scotland is fully Celtic. It is important not to conflate the Scottish highlands with being the only true Scotland as there existed all of these other ethnicities when Scotland was formed into a state. Is someone from Dumbartonshire or Stirlingshire less Scottish than someone from Perthshire? Also when you say the "original" Scottish people, does this mean that the people from non-Celtic stock who have been in Scotland just as long are not original Scottish either?

Also I never said that the Ulster Scots should be forced to leave Ireland, only that I do not see why Ulster should remain a part of the UK. The Ulster Scots could stay there and not be forced to go to Scotland.

I support the IRA groups that are Socialist in orientation, so I voted yes. I support the unification of Ireland and the dismantlement of the colonialist construction that is "Northern Ireland".
I vehemently disagree with the extremist Catholic fractions that dare use the letters IRA in their name though.

Wakizashi the Bolshevik wrote:

I support the IRA groups that are Socialist in orientation, so I voted yes. I support the unification of Ireland and the dismantlement of the colonialist construction that is "Northern Ireland".
I vehemently disagree with the extremist Catholic fractions that dare use the letters IRA in their name though.

The main thing all IRA groups share are their strong heritage with Irish Catholic heritage. I don't think I've found an IRA group that doesn't have some sense of Irish Catholicism in them.

It's unreal to see communists be so ignorant towards the IRA and support British imperialism.

One good thing to say re the IRA is it kept he UK reminded they were not untouchable which is a good thing. Especially so considering how we have seen the UK to react to 9/11 and 7/7 in a large backlash and erosion of Rights under Law as a result of Complacency since the end of IRA action.

Che1916 wrote:

It's unreal to see communists be so ignorant towards the IRA and support British imperialism.

Well, maybe you could contribute something to people's understanding?

No 14 wrote:

Well, maybe you could contribute something to people's understanding?

Well I mean what would you actually want to know?

If one's own position is entrenched it's not going to matter how much new information is brought.

And of course the issue with NI politics is it's bound up in loyalties that go back almost five decades at shortest and unto 1690 or 1798 at longest. It's a big and complicated affair for which the Provisional IRA gets flak and credit for the wrong things and is fundamentally poorly understood as an entity, just as are the other paramilitaries. I could do an entire tl;dr post but, again, it would probably be about as useful as any on ther contentious heel-digging issue on this board and result in trolling and lack of actual conversion.

Moreover as sucky as it may be to admit the likelihood of any United Ireland, bourgeois or proletarian, will probably result in large numbers of Protestants leaving to mainland Britain and either assimilating thee or remaining reactionarily insular.

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If one's own position is entrenched it's not going to matter how much new information is brought.

The Germans were entrenched in Berlin and yet we kicked their ass. It doesn't matter how deep they entrenched themselves, we mustn't stop attacking.

OP-Bagration wrote:

The Germans were entrenched in Berlin and yet we kicked their ass. It doesn't matter how deep they entrenched themselves, we mustn't stop attacking.

Personal opinions=/=a physical, attackable position

If they were, everyone would believe in global warning

Admin! Come give global warning to comrade Somewhat.

Personal opinions are attackable positions. It doesn't mean than you can win, but at list you must try.

I do. I'm English but I must support anti-imperialist struggle.

"If you don't support the struggle of the colonial people; what kind of revolution are you waging" - Ho Chi Minh