Racist Ulster Loyalists fly KKK flag in east Belfast

[Sweet Pete]

ImageUploadedByPie & Bovril1405475142.690909.jpg

Stick to throwing your own faeces at friends for "banter".

[Lord Bastion]

Stick to throwing your own faeces at friends for "banter".

Pete...... thats sweet

But?

[AberdeenBud]

Prob best you stay away from threads like this tbh 8 mile.

You can come across as a bit of a thicko.

[Audaces Fortuna Juvat]

Nice try champ, but it was you, no-one else, who tried to explain the complete absence of significant independent political action by the so-called 'decent majority' as the consequence of violence and intimidation. Of course, no such bullshit applies in parliamentary elections, so by your excuses this would serve as an excellent indicator of the majority view.

Unfortunately for your otherwise terrific narrative though, parliamentary elections have for decades served as a major source of pseudo-legitimacy for the, erm, violent paramilitaries, whether by directly giving their 'political wing' or rather merely their unaffiliated cheerleaders political leverage and power. Because the so-called decent majority have voted en masse for bigots of every stripe, unfailingly, under no duress.

Which quite categorically points to the fact that the so-called, rarely spotted decent majority either do not constitute the majority, or aren't 'decent' by any comparable standard.

And of course you would have put your head above the parapet and stood up to them, wouldn't you? (Now that I think of it, I wish you had actually.)

The paramilitaries were fairly widespread, more so in some areas than others, and terrifically well organised and, living under war like conditions led many people to vote as a consequence of flawed thinking, myself included, but that does not inherently mean that they are not decent people who would have preferred a viable alternative that they deemed realistic, and the Alliance were never more than the Liberals of Northern Ireland. Other well intentioned smaller parties appeared from time to time, but people sadly did not buy into them enough to vote for them. The overthrowing of the DUP in what was a previously unassailable seat gives hope for the future though, although I doubt you'll see that.

I did not try to equate the, "complete absence of significant independent political action by the so-called 'decent majority' as the consequence of violence and intimidation" alone, although it played a part, but you're very good at selecting certain points and twisting them, as are your fanboy acolytes. I said that "fear" of the "enemy" was equally culpable for the turgid political stalemate we had to endure and, as already pointed out, people often used tactical voting to keep others out, rather than taking a step into the unknown, but that happens in all kinds of politics, albeit for non-sectarian reasons.

The analogy to Glasgow gangsters is valid insofar as they are equally capable of intimidation to run crime empires serving themselves rather than paramilitary ones serving, ehm, themselves. Parts of Glasgow are in thrall to these scumbags and people will not give evidence against them, so just imagine that on a much more widespread scale? That was the point I was trying to make, although I suspect you already knew that and just chose to ignore it.

None of the above means that Northern Ireland was filled with happy-go-lucky altruistic well wishers who were misunderstood by the rest of the world, far from it in fact, but your representations are tantamount to a form of bigotry in themselves, as you seek to paint a whole country with the characteristics of the bigots and completely ignore the fact that thousands moved to avoid the conflict and the bigotry, while thousands more were stuck where they were and had to make the most of the shitty hand that they had been dealt. A bit like living in Greenock I suppose?

[Co.Down Hibee]

Genuine question to the Greenock Grand wizard and his little band of followers, have any of you actually ever been to Northern Ireland ? And also what do you picture life to be like here ?

[Jacksgranda]

Those of us not tootling on our flutes while walking through our neighbours gardens giving offence and putting up 2 fingers to them, are busy polishing our armalites and hoarding milk bottles at the behest of the local freedom fighters, in preparation for a renewed armed struggle, which will soon start as we are all such troglydites and bigots and sectarian violence is ingrained in us.

Meanwhile we live in the lap of luxury due to the tax payer subsidised benefits we receive, which props up the failed statelet. (Obviously nobody in Northern Ireland pays tax.) Cigarettes, alcohol and petrol are tax free, and there's no V.A.T., either.

Soon the football season starts and we will be able to enjoy the pub league again.

Oh, the joys.

[Gordon EF]

Genuine question to the Greenock Grand wizard and his little band of followers, have any of you actually ever been to Northern Ireland ? And also what do you picture life to be like here ?

Probably full of people calling everyone they disagree with things like "Grand Wizard". Am I close?

[Jimmy85]

Probs a bit like Old Firm day tbh.

[Audaces Fortuna Juvat]

Stereotypically stupid posters stereotyping people.

And no, you're not close, nor is it really like OF day.

[Audaces Fortuna Juvat]

Genuine question to the Greenock Grand wizard and his little band of followers, have any of you actually ever been to Northern Ireland ? And also what do you picture life to be like here ?

I think he's already answered that one, ad nauseum.

[AberdeenBud]

I've been to Norn Iron several times and my grandparents were born in Belfast but thankfully they had the good sense to GTF ASAP.

I imagine life now is largely normal apart from having sectarian and religious propaganda shoved down your throat and having to endure bigoted attitudes and people.

Bearing in mind this 'normality' has been largely achieved through massive subsidies from the UK government.

Que 'cool story Bro', but on my last trip over for work, I was swiftly informed that I shouldn't be going for a pint with a certain colleague because he was 'wan o them'.

[Lord Bastion]

I've been to Norn Iron several times and my grandparents were born in Belfast but thankfully they had the good sense to GTF ASAP.

I imagine life now is largely normal apart from having sectarian and religious propaganda shoved down your throat and having to endure bigoted attitudes and people.

Bearing in mind this 'normality' has been largely achieved through massive subsidies from the UK government.

Que 'cool story Bro', but on my last trip over for work, I was swiftly informed that I shouldn't be going for a pint with a certain colleague because he was 'wan o them'.

What rubbish, I find that hard to believe Bud.........

If you ever get up of yer arse and go over to NI you would change that narrow minded view, clueless.

[Audaces Fortuna Juvat]

I'm sure it was said because some people haven't moved on, but most have.

This "normality" was achieved through the GFA, before the massive subsidies came along, although there is no doubt that they help to maintain it.

Still far from normal though, and a long road to travel.

[Jacksgranda]

I'm sure it was said because some people haven't moved on, but most have.

This "normality" was achieved through the GFA, before the massive subsidies came along, although there is no doubt that they help to maintain it.

Still far from normal though, and a long road to travel.

As long as it's not past the Ardoyne shops we'll be o.k....

[Audaces Fortuna Juvat]

As long as it's not past the Ardoyne shops we'll be o.k....

It's okay in the morning, just not in the evenings.

[HTG]

I've been to Norn Iron several times ...

Que 'cool story Bro', but on my last trip over for work, I was swiftly informed that I shouldn't be going for a pint with a certain colleague because he was 'wan o them'.

I've been to NI umpteen times over the last 5 years. I've worked with loads of great people. I never had cause to fret about their faith. We did normal stuff - working, having a drink, getting a bite to eat. I've never been warned about anyone and nothing out of the ordinary has ever happened beyond a firebomb threat to jjb sports in the middle of Belfast. That was dealt with by using black and yellow tape to create a 20 foot safe area back from the front door. Other than that it was all thoroughly normal.

[Audaces Fortuna Juvat]

I've been to NI umpteen times over the last 5 years. I've worked with loads of great people. I never had cause to fret about their faith. We did normal stuff - working, having a drink, getting a bite to eat. I've never been warned about anyone and nothing out of the ordinary has ever happened beyond a firebomb threat to jjb sports in the middle of Belfast. That was dealt with by using black and yellow tape to create a 20 foot safe area back from the front door. Other than that it was all thoroughly normal.

Prepare to be told you were surrounded by intellectually and morally complicit bigots in disguise by VT

[Sweet Pete]

The killing squads of the Khmer Rouge live normal lives in the same towns as the families of their victims...

[LongTimeLurker]

^^^Whisk(e)y Tango Foxtrot?

[Sweet Pete]

^^^Whisk(e)y Tango Foxtrot?

I was simply pointing out that, although someone might "seem nothing other than thoroughly normal", that doesn't mean that that is in fact the case, as Jacksgranda's anecdotal evidence attests.