RIP Ian Paisley

[Rhyfelwyr]

Ian Paisley, former First Minister of Northern Ireland, has passed away aged 88.

It is a rare thing to see a single individual so totally encapsulate the spirit of a people. From being an imprisoned protestor, to donning the red beret, to founding the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, to entering politics and forming the DUP, to leading the Orangemen at Drumcree, to becoming First Minister at Stormont, to finally ending his years in the House of Lords - he was in every way the quintessential Ulsterman and a committed and proud British citizen.

Though he was seen by many as a firebrand and a demagogue, in his later years he was central in the formation of a power-sharing government at Stormont, making peace with Sinn Fein and putting an end to the cycle of violence that had torn Northern Ireland apart during the troubles.

It seems that so many of the characters that defined the politics of recent decades are passing away. RIP Ian Paisley.

[HoreTore]

-edit-

[Seamus Fermanagh]

That does not exactly conform to the "await the conclusion of the funerary rites" tradition of the Backroom, does it?

[HoreTore]

Did we await the funeral rites on OBL?

[drone]

Did we await the funeral rites on OBL?

Technically, yes.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Did we await the funeral rites on OBL?

Yes, as drone noted. I would freely admit that such rites were.....truncated a bit....over what might have been done with a more public ceremony.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Did we await the funeral rites on OBL?

Are you trying to plunge to new lows?

[HoreTore]

Are you trying to plunge to new lows?

My response was far kinder than Paisleys response to the deaths of others.

You reap what you sow.

[ICantSpellDawg]

I was a supporter of the IRA, but Paisley's later years weren't that bad. One Ireland, or at least throw off the yolk of John Bull.

"Paisley was still a unionist, McGuinness still a republican. It is to his credit and McGuinness’s great patience that they created a space where each could find common cause with the other.

Paisley embraced the new dispensation. At his first meeting with McGuinness he declared: "We don’t need Englishmen to rule us. We can do that ourselves."

Gerry Adams on the Death of Paisley
http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...land-sinn-fein

[Greyblades]

I was a supporter of the IRA, but Paisley's later years weren't that bad. One Ireland, or at least throw off the yolk of John Bull.

I would have been susprised that ICSD is/was a terrorist supporter, if I hadn't known him for more than 5 seconds.

[ICantSpellDawg]

You don't see a problem? If Scots can dissolve union, why can't Irish? The nationalist underpinning of Scots-Irish sentiment may be undercut by new events. If Scotland isn't part of the Union, then what are Scots in Ireland arguing about?

[Montmorency]

It's not a matter of can - it's a matter of wanting to. If Scotland were to leave, why would Northern Ireland suddenly want to leave itself?

[Pannonian]

You don't see a problem? If Scots can dissolve union, why can't Irish? The nationalist underpinning of Scots-Irish sentiment may be undercut by new events. If Scotland isn't part of the Union, then what are Scots in Ireland arguing about?

Self-determination. A significant chunk of NI Catholics prefer the status quo to remain. After the Troubles had ended, the Union has been good for them.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Self-determination. A significant chunk of NI Catholics prefer the status quo to remain. After the Troubles had ended, the Union has been good for them.

A basic factor valid almost anywhere. What most people want, in their day-to-day lives, is a modicum of personal freedom, the chance to earn a reasonable living, and a basic sense of security in their persons and property. When the Troubles ended, most folks could do this -- and many don't care all that much about what bit of bunting is flying atop the metal pole at the local government office.

[ICantSpellDawg]

But isn't it always?

I just love peaceful separation. Some posh wanker builds something super fancy and someone else tells him to sod off and breaks it in half, using it totally differently than expected. Wahooo!

[Pannonian]

But isn't it always?

I just love peaceful separation. Some posh wanker builds something super fancy and someone else tells him to sod off and breaks it in half, using it totally differently than expected. Wahooo!

At least we allow peaceful separation if the people wish it so. The same can't be said of the Union on the other side of the Atlantic.

[ICantSpellDawg]

We will too. We just need to figure out how to do it the right way. As it stands, if there was a major division, those in the South would have all the guns they wanted, but they'd lose the first amendment. In the North, the constitution would cover feelings and have the police knocking your door down over a fork that was too sharp for public safety. I'd like to dismantling the powers of the Union and continue the court process of clipping the Federal governments wings.

We tried separation a long time ago, when government burning its way to the sea and waging war on civilians was permissible. Today, as long as there are healthy precedents, it may be z bit more cordial.