United Ireland

Will it happen soon do you think?

 

From a neutral point of view...no

 

Depnds what you consider soon. It will happen I have no doubt. Sheer population growth on the Irish side in the 6 counties will take care of that.
Certainly things are drifting slowly in this direction. Power sharing is just a stepping stone to use Michael Collins' terminology.

 

no....many people in the north do not want it. if the union broke up, i believe that a lot in northern ireland would rather decide to go their own way. probably for the best.

 

I do nae belvieve it will happen as i do belivev not many people in either side of the country want it to happen

 

I've come to the conclusion a self regulating northern Ireland statelet with the title deeds held jointly by the Republic of Ireland and the UK is the best peaceful permanent solution. BTW, the catholic births theory is no longer valid as the birthrate has dropped drastically in the last few years and differences have levelled out. A near 50-50 division is now likely ti happen in the next 25 years but then stay that way indefinately. A united Ireland would probably just lead to reverese troubles-i.e loyalists behaving like the IRA and attacking the state, bombing Dublin etc. A permanent compomise is the best idea not a sectarian head count followed by winner takes all. I would go for the joint authority and put in statute that a 75% majority in northern Ireland is needed to change it.

 

I think nothing major in the UK will happen until Scotland is independent. Then I think you Wales, NI will start the ball rolling on whatever they're into.

United Ireland will happen I think, but not before Scotland.

 

Here here, there seems to be ahead of steam for independenent nation

Why should we still be under control of an old corrupt empire?

 

Scottish independence is simpler-if the Scottish people want it they will vote for it and get it. NI is different-a real problem similar to the Palestine/ Israel mess and a simple solution wont work. Problem in NI is there are two peoples (or thats how they see themselves) who are getting towards being a 50-50 divide and one lot largely hate the UK rule and the other lot largely hate the idea of Republic of Ireland rule. Its just the way history happended in NI. No point crying about what happended 400 years ago IMO or basing arguements on what happened centuries ago. Realistically one half of the population is going to be * off if the other half get their own way so it has to be a fudge or compromise. Thats what NI is working on now and its sort of working. I would make it a permanent settlement of joint authority but totally run by the local assembly in Belfast.

 

by the way, would a united ireland benefit the north in any way? or do yous just want it for pride's sake or something?

 

It will be a great thing if Scotland gets independence democratically without a single violent act. It would send a great signal about peaceful politcs around the world to those who condone violent struggle. Ghandi was the best model for struggle IMO.

 

i think an independant Ireland will happen, though like someone said before it depends what you mean by ''soon'' ... however the IRA and Sinn Fein have more political hold on the British government than most people know. You'd be surprised. As for an independant Scotland i cant see that happening soon, i dont think the majority actually want it. id say im neutral on that matter, id prefer not to be ruled over by England but when u weight up the pros and cons we actually benefit from being in the UK ... it'll be interesting to see how it goes.

 

Given where Ireland was after Independance indeed even after the economic war DeValera had with the english Ireland's economic turnaround is quite stunning. Currently economically people in the occupied counties would be better off in a United Ireland then continuing as is. Places like Derry which currently have their natural hinterland in Donegal cut off would benefit tremendously.

 

Most people want an independant scotland. Labour let us down with the war, tories are tories and lib dem's are nobodys. I might make my own party. Scottish Independance Party

 

One thing is certain. It wont happen without a referendum in NI and a clear majority in favour. The difference between the catholic and protestant birth rates has apparently really shrunk in the last decade and the previous difference in birth rates will only be enough to get the population balance near 50-50 but not any more than that. So, based on that, I really doubt it will happen this century. I think NI will be ruled by a local assembly for at least this century and that the nearest NI will come to a united Ireland in our lifetimes is joint authority. I think when it sounds like you are going to have a population bitterly divided roughly in half with absolutely opposite views there is no way one half can have it all there own way. Joint authority with local assembly rule sounds the likely comprimise.

 

i honestly think if the uk ever did break up, northern ireland would go their separate way. they have survived since 1921 without the south.
nowadays, the Catholic/Protestant divide is not so evident. not all Catholics want a united ireland and not all protestants want to remain within the uk. most just want peace and would be happy to go whatever way offered them that.

 

"i think that we benefit from being part of UK" argument is so pathetic, so your paycheck will be 5% higher, so what. So your pride has price sarah46? I didn't know that peoples appinion can be bought

 

Wish that was correct. Voting patterns suggest otherwise with the more extreme DUP and Sinn Fhein vote way up and the middle ground of the SDLP and UUP way down. Thats a clear move to the extremes. Its not directly about religion to be honest. Its really a fluke of history that protestans are pro-British and catholics pro-Irish in Ireland. Its about national identity.

Personally I think this sort of patriotic politics is politics in its infancy and real politics is not about flags etc but about improving peoples lives through better welfare, services etc. Samuel Johnson once said that "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel''. I dont want Scottish independence out of patriotism. I want it cause I think Scotland is a naturally far more socialist country than England (undeniable in voting patterns) and we cant have a true socialist country while attached to a much bigger much more right wing country like England.

 

Survived since 1921, right yes sure. Setting up a nice apparteid style state and indulging in the pogroms of the 30's and 60's and all the government collusion with the loyalist murder gangs, gerrymadering of voting districts etc. Never mind the blatant every day discrimination in housing, education etc. Sure the 6 counties survived post 1921 if your fine with racism and state sponsored terrorism used to keep one ethnic group subjugated.

 

Some fair comments there Keltoi. Totally agree that religion today has little to do with the problems it is about national identity.