The IRA

[chris_m]

Just an honest question here not looking for a fight. What is taught in English schools about the troubles?

I left school in 2008, and we had no education about it whatsoever, nothing on the national curriculum whatsoever, we had a teacher teach us a bit about it, as they were Irish, the history of how it began, but that was about it

I was never once taught anything. I left in 2002. I was so pissed of that we were being taught about the franco/prussain fucking war that happened 1000 miles away over a hundred years ago, yet my next door neighbour was in ireland fighting for our safety from people who planted a bomb in my own city whilst i was in school and we got told fuck all about it!

Even at uni, I'm doing Politics and International Relations, and although it's not strictly relevant, we've studied so many varied wars/conflicts etc, and this is one glaring omission

 

[TCIB]

We should think that these soldiers who were about 18 were told to patrol streets with known killers watching them and they could do fuck all to defend themselves unless they basically saw down the barrel of the gun pointed at them.
These lads were young kids who joined the army because of shit prospects in life, they never joined with the intent of murdering innocent civilians.

It was terrible but the stress was immense and hard for the average guy to comprehend. I don't excuse it but some of you are over simplifying matters.

The British Government tried to appease the ira in 1921 by offering self governance under our flag. The ira said get fucked started a civil war and carried on with violence as a tool.

They were in the minority and still to this day try to force their will on the mass general population.

The ira are fucking animals, no amount of reasoning changes it, would you like more documented stories of ira brutality that you could barely beleive ? because there are hundreds.

 

[jamiegrimble]

This did happen.No excuses.<a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281972%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281972%29</a> What should we think of this?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mquLQAiTJU[/youtube]

originally a bob marley song.

And I thought this was the definitive version.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFM7Ty1EEvs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFM7Ty1EEvs</a>

 

[AlexWilliamsGloves]

I love these threads...so I do.

 

[crizack]

This did happen.No excuses.<a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281972%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281972%29</a> What should we think of this?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mquLQAiTJU[/youtube]

originally a bob marley song.

And I thought this was the definitive version.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFM7Ty1EEvs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFM7Ty1EEvs</a>

marley sung it on the rastaman vibration album on 76, 4 years after bloody sunday.

 

[Blue Punter]

I left school in 2008, and we had no education about it whatsoever, nothing on the national curriculum whatsoever, we had a teacher teach us a bit about it, as they were Irish, the history of how it began, but that was about it

I was never once taught anything. I left in 2002. I was so pissed of that we were being taught about the franco/prussain fucking war that happened 1000 miles away over a hundred years ago, yet my next door neighbour was in ireland fighting for our safety from people who planted a bomb in my own city whilst i was in school and we got told fuck all about it!

Even at uni, I'm doing Politics and International Relations, and although it's not strictly relevant, we've studied so many varied wars/conflicts etc, and this is one glaring omission

I did British Gov't & Politics at GCSE & A Level in 1988-89. The syllabus was pretty contemporary. Trade Unions, political bias in the media, CND, Proprtional Representation etc.

From what I can recall, "the troubles" was a topic that was never discussed.

 

[BlueRob01]

In so many cases of both current and historical wars, and subsequent political regimes, the only difference between what is labelled terrorism and that which is accepted as a legitimate govt is the winning.
"it's not who is right that matters, but who is left"
Bombing and acts of violence are shocking - but a declaration of war is just that, and doesn't need the acceptance of the perceived enemy, nor false legitimacy of govt to be any less valid IMHO.

 

[Shadz69]

We should think that these soldiers who were about 18 were told to patrol streets with known killers watching them and they could do fuck all to defend themselves unless they basically saw down the barrel of the gun pointed at them.
These lads were young kids who joined the army because of shit prospects in life, they never joined with the intent of murdering innocent civilians.

It was terrible but the stress was immense and hard for the average guy to comprehend. I don't excuse it but some of you are over simplifying matters.

The British Government tried to appease the ira in 1921 by offering self governance under our flag. The ira said get fucked started a civil war and carried on with violence as a tool.

They were in the minority and still to this day try to force their will on the mass general population.

The ira are fucking animals, no amount of reasoning changes it, would you like more documented stories of ira brutality that you could barely beleive ? because there are hundreds.

This is wrong on so many levels.95% of Irish people are republicans but are not willing to maim and kill for it.No way would the majority of Irish people accept living under a British flag but we are not a violent people by nature as shown by the minority support for terrorists over the years.
For every story of ira brutality I could give one perpetrated by British soliders on civilians,the biggest recruitment tool the provos had was the British army and their behaviour towards the ordinary people of N.I.Speak to ex service men and ask what way they were ordered to behave winning hearts and minds wasnt in the handbook then.
I dont support nor ever will support violence as a way of achieving ones objectives but when you are treated like dirt in your own country by an occupying force it takes a lot of courage to turn the other cheek.
Like all else time will heal the wounds and we will move past the distrust.

 

[pirate]

if you live in a democracy with universal suffrage then terrorists are never freedom fighters.

because they have a non violent and legitimate alternative through elections.

terrorists are only freedom fighters when they have no peaceful and legitimate alternative.

so the IRA ARE FUCKERS nothing more nothing less.

 

[ob]

I grew up in Northern Ireland and aged 11 was caught up in my first explosion near my school, have had friends murdered and maimed, one at Dropping Well bombing, will never forgot my mum crying after the La Mon as it unfolded on TV. We had Omagh, Hyde Park, Kingsmill and not forgeting Enniskillen. Now if they claimed to be an army surely no army would attack a Rememberance parade for fallen soldiers.

As in any conflict they are atrocities on both sides and I am well aware of that some of guys I went to school with also murdered people and planted bombs on the loyalist side and none of it is right

So in my eyes they are not to be respected, honoured, just remembered for the murdering lying drug dealing scumbags that they are

people think there is peace and to a certain degree there is but the ethnic cleansing still goes on