is'nt a bizarre situation we're in, in that the people the I.R.A. claim to represent are being infinately more honest and more decent about the current situation than the prime minister of the United Kingdom ?

Ehhhhh he's actually taking the piss there. Most people the IRA "claim" to represent are being sensitive at this difficult time of transition.

Certainly, given that the IRA claim to represent be the legitimate government of Ireland as a whole there's a fair few of "their" people who are more sceptical than our Leader.

JG,

"are being sensitive at this difficult time of transition"

That's straight from the SF Textbook of "High falutin' sounding but ultimately meaningless expressions"!

Are you attempting a satire or are you being serious?!

perhaps 'cautiously optimistic' would be more apt? Baring in mind that the IRA claim to represent the Irish people that is...

Paul,
I'm actually not joking! It is a difficult time for Republicans, like them or loathe them.
Even the anti-republican media have been quite fair in their analysis of the statement. I'd argue that cheap insults aren't the most intelligent thing we can offer right now.
Given the time and space to do so I think we will see the IRA deliver.

The IRA have lied before, after releasing such similiar statements, what happened to the 1994 ceasefire!!!

That soon ended 2 years after with the Canary QWharf bomings...

I still feel the dissidents will never end their war against british rule in Northern Ireland!!

JG: As me father used to say, "Many the true word is spoken in jest". We can be fair and we can be optimistic, but we should also be honest.

At a time when this statement has been described as grand and historic, there's nothing grand about 1,700 deaths, not counting those caused by Loyalists and security forces.

yes they are being sensitive/sensible,"honest and more decent", if you will, that was my point.

Their piss take - (for me) was a far more honest and sensible reaction than that of Blair and co.
The comments below the peice also showed that these 'concerned party's' (i.e Irish people) have far more contempt for Gerry's gang ( an awarness of the pain they caused - and their moral bankruptcy) than the Blair goverment have or ever will.
It struck me odd that an 'objective' participant like Blair cant even question that which those the IRA claim to be the legitimate government of can. surely not so mad as to be worth an eehhhh ......

"difficult time of transition."

If refraining from blowing up pubs and fishmongers etc. is "difficult" for Republicans. I wonder if there is any jibe, joke or insult they are not worthy of being the butt of.
The people who wrote that wee joke did more for a united Ireland in 5 mins than the Republicans could with all the violence in the world.

I"'m actually not joking! It is a difficult time for Republicans, like them or loathe them.
Even the anti-republican media have been quite fair in their analysis of the statement. I'd argue that cheap insults aren't the most intelligent thing we can offer right now"

JG,
I was more making gentle fun of the language used by pro-SF(which iI believe you are) after events like this. The infamous SF Internet Police only exist in the more paranoid Unionist imaginations,but it does seem
sometimes that Gerry has sent you all out a leaflet of the phrases to be used ,
because you all end up saying the same thing, sometimes using exactly the same words!

With regards the "cheap insults", I'll agree they don't get us nowhere, but there is nothing wrong with expressing a bit of healthy scepticism and if it's done in a humourous way, so much the better!

Politics is taken too seriously sometimes.

In my opinion one of the keys to Republican sucsess is to contrive simple memorable slogans for any given specific topic. this way even the most inarticulate members of the movment can be guarented to not stray to far from the party line and prehaps start to make unfortunate comments about "Orange B*****ds" and their proximity to the sea..........
It doesnt need to be enforced by a 'police' when people suck it up of their own accord, and if we can say anything for S.F. (if you look at any pamphlets events etc.) they are very good at entertaining folk and putting on a show.

Levee,
"there's nothing grand about 1,700 deaths"

I couldn't agree more.

Paul,
We the SF Internet Police are also going to make a historic statement soon. We are going to start using our own brains and stop apeing everything Gerry says/does. It will be hugely painful for us.
The problem with Twenty Major's piss take was that there was a lot of hate in there which kind of killed any humour for me.

I'd think it read more like it was fuelled by contempt than hatred.

Contempt that they failed to give any admission that perhaps killing 1,700 people wasn't the best course of action, since they haven't actually achieved much.

Contempt that the bosses are still going to be able to live lives of luxury until their last breaths because of their ill-gotten wealth, extorted from the poorest members of society.

Contempt that Gerry and Martin and co. have made substantive political careers of the back of the suffering inflicted by them and their buddies in the Ra over 30 years.

If we didn't laugh at it I think veins would start popping in people's forehead's its that infuriating..

"The problem with Twenty Major's piss take was that there was a lot of hate in there which kind of killed any humour for me"
The fact that these people dont understand the hatred for the I.R.A. is grounded in their responsibility for atrocity and pointless perverted sadistic muder - (and this in itself makes hating S.F. not only perfectly understandable ,its also very sensible) as opposed to their politics, is proof of what im saying above :
the S.F. movement is adept at indoctronation - and have a seemingly endless supply of people who have nothing better to have a personality about.

Connor,
"The comments below the peice also showed that these 'concerned party's' (i.e Irish people) have far more contempt for Gerry's gang ( an awarness of the pain they caused - and their moral bankruptcy) than the Blair goverment have or ever will."

How do you explain SF's electoral success then?

Beano,
That's your analysis, mine's very different. So much so that I don't think there's much point in dragging this one out.

Although take heart , we who know you (North and South - Protestant and Catholic) are the only people who hate you - come March 2006 your masters will be in the Whitehouse , enjoying Champaign and condeming those horrible Arabs and their use of terrorism .......murder, hypocrisy, : hypocritical standardless mass murders , you know your right , theres no reason to hate them at all, we are all just mad bigots.......

Mr. Geezer (very anglo saxon that....)
Are you certain that the commentators at twenty whatever all voted S.F. ? have you asked them ? the top comment refered only to those individuals.
"we who know you (North and South - Protestant and Catholic) are the only people who hate you "
and before you say it - its my opinion that you either are a S.F. voter or you hate them,"who know you " implies those outside the club.
if im wrong -do you think that support for P.S.F. equals or is tantimount to passive support for the P.I.R.A. ?

and here a wee quote from that very bunch at major to end my commenting frenzy .........
"Cunts are such cunts they want everyone to see that they are cunts."

Is this why the Shindins have so many blog spots come out of the woodwork?
or is it "further proof of their popularity amongst the young and idealistic" ?
And be offended please . my master plan is to see you all whipped into such a frenzy of austerity (does'nt the movements constant insistance on this remind you of the line "he protestth to much"?) that you actually turn into planks of wood and wont be able to hurt anyone....

chill there PC you're gettin a bit excited... planks of wood?? :\

"We the SF Internet Police are also going to make a historic statement soon. We are going to start using our own brains and stop apeing everything Gerry says/does. It will be hugely painful for us"

JG,
Nice one!
I, for one, will try to be sensitive for people like yourself during this painful time of transition! It's never easy for a cyber guerrilla army to lay down their keyboards in the cause of peace. But the Bearded One has told us that on such sacrifices, the Ireland of Equals will be built and all the laughter of our children in the green grassy meadows of the 32 county state will be our ultimate reward.
Do you think there are any vacancies for speech-writers down in Connolly House?

Everybody,
Twenty Major makes outrageous posts that come off the top of his head. Don't read too much political significance into them. I just thought it was a funny contrast to all the bullshit bloggers like myself have been posting since Thursday.
Chill!

Good speech Paul, but you didn't mention the 4 green fields!

"actually turn into planks of wood and wont be able to hurt anyone.... "

Well .... I just find there movements insistence on dignity and austerity, in the face of their own beastial actions and degenerate romantic veiw of cowardly murder to be rather comic (in the greek sense)

overt forced austerity can be discribed as woodness (I think) and hence my jibe arose , true dignity is to sinners what oil is to water.

Paul

"Are you certain that the commentators at twenty whatever all voted S.F. ?"

Ehhhhh NO. Did I ever suggest I knew. I asked how one can explain SF's support if "Irish people" have "contempt" for them.

"Mr. Geezer (very anglo saxon that....)"

Yeah no problem mate, you wouldn't be able to pronounce my real name

"you didn't mention the 4 green fields"
Even amongst the faithful(in Ireland) mention of this is a bit old-fashioned now, I don't think I've ever heard a Sf rep use it at home.

It's reserved for the romanticists across the sea.

hmm I might suprise you mr G. (I can pronounce john stevenson if thats any good......)
my comment refered to the specific Irish people on that site ("thes concerned parties" ) (THESE). Yeah no problem ,I have trouble reading foreign languages to,mate. ('e even toks like an anglo saxon 'e does, guvna)
PAUL CONNOR IS A NAUGHTY BOY AND WILL NOT BE CLOGGING UP SOMEONE ELSE'S SITE BY ENGOURAGING PETTY SQUABBLE ANY FUTHER .
he stands by his comment that he feels more accord ('unity' if you will) with the chaps at twenty than could ever be felt for the scum at sinn fein, and (would hold) its ordinary decent Irish people (who dont condone S.F. and thusly the P.I.R.A ) who have the remedy for unity on this Island between its two ethnic groups. The electorial sucess of S.F. , you might argue has many factors , but for us it is only one thing : a blais acceptence of murder. Condem it , then people might make friends and get along ,take an interest in other peoples sports...attend each others schools ...isnt it fucking obvious you pack of £$%&$££^%$&!!!!!!!!!!
.the end. (from me anyway)

Jesus get over it, my nickname has Geezer in it and I said the word "mate"!! I'm not anti-English or anti anything so if you think I sound "anglo saxon" that doesn't worry me in the slightest. Maybe I've been watching too much Eastenders (note: I don't actually watch Eastenders!)

"you might argue has many factors , but for us it is only one thing : a blais acceptence of murder."

LOL, you really thought about that one didn't you. All the electoral analysts can stow away their pens and retire. We just love murder! Simple

"isnt it fucking obvious you pack of £$%&$££^%$&!!!!!!!!!!"

Thanks for your calm and considered contribution

Paul
The IRA are not going away you know. Not one bullet,not an ounce.