End of Terror in Ireland?
I'd like to see someone do a real review of the "troubles" in Northern Ireland, and see whether they fit a lot of Bush's statements about "terra."
Total casualties, over several decades, on both sides: perhaps 3,500. Innocent civilians killed? Yes, although the IRA always said they really tried to avoid this. (At least until some of their thugs killed a Catholic guy in a bar simply for "dissing" them somehow).
Was the issue religion, a fanatical strain of religion (not what Bush and Blair would call "true" religion), occupation by military forces, or what? I guess largely occupation, but with lots of doses of religion, fanatical and otherwise.
Was there a real cultural split between the two sides, reinforced by differences in wealth, technology, "success" in the world? Historically, yes. The Protestants of Northern Ireland were modern and rich; the Catholics at least of the South were old-fashioned and poor. (Ireland is now a very rich modern country). Lots of Northerners, Brits and Protestants could be found to describe Irish Catholics in much the way Bushies describe Islamofascists.
Did a more or less political/military movement cross over into mere crime and lawlessness, both organized and not? Yes.
Was there a foreign power that was a source of funding and weapons for terror, and even worse, kept reinforcing the messages that the occupying forces were evil, murder was justified, etc.? Yes: the United States of America. Were parochial schools in the U.S., to some extent, madrassas for terra?
Hasn't William F. Buckley engaged in his share of anti-British propaganda? Mel Gibson? Without even getting into the Irish Catholics of the U.S. in general. Wasn't this support for terra?
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