[the sniper]

Originally Posted by NY Yankee

The media gave the impression that Northern Ireland was this oppressed region that wanted to secede. Based on what you're telling me, it's only a vocal minority who feel that way. It's like the UK version of Occupy Wall Street.

Ahh, so that explains why some yanks helped fund the IRA to bomb us for decades then...

[Nym]

And there was me being polite and not mentioning the US Bankrolling that massive bomb that exploded on Market Street...

[Schnellzug]

Originally Posted by Nym

Indeed, any threat nowadays comes from the likes of people from sandy places, or the students themselves...

Most of them seem to be invented by the CIA, or Mi6, or the Saudi Secret Services, or some bunch of spooks or other...

[Nym]

Hmmm, them drinks bombers then were made up...?

The only reason you know about them is because the Americans rattled their sabre in Pakistan to force the hands of the UK LEAs to move on them while gathering evidence.

[ralphchadkirk]

Originally Posted by Schnellzug

Most of them seem to be invented by the CIA, or Mi6, or the Saudi Secret Services, or some bunch of spooks or other...

How's your tin foil hat fitting?

[WestCoast]

Originally Posted by Nym

Indeed, any threat nowadays comes from the likes of people from sandy places

The US seems to perpetuate this myth about Islamic terrorists always being foreigners, but three of the four London Bombers were born in Britain (Leeds and Bradford I think) and all of the alleged liquid bombers were British as well. Richard Reid, the failed shoe bomber, was a white Muslim convert from Britain and even though staff at Paris CDG Airport were suspicious, they let him go and luckily the explosives failed to detonate.

[Temple Meads]

Originally Posted by Ivo

One thing that concerns me is that I had a dream a few years ago that involved a bomb scare at my high school (a dream I thoroughly enjoyed ). Ever since then, I have known a really easy way to cause an explosion at the exact moment you wish for - without the person even needing to be present. And if you can get a device large enough [said device is a box], it could be quite severe.

I'm not sharing details of it in public - you never know who might be reading this. I will share the story by PM with anyone I feel I can trust (). I will say that it is rather unorthodox, and potentially quite amusing.

Certainly something I'd be interested to hear more about, providing you can trust me of course

[jonmorris0844]

Originally Posted by Ivo

Some parts of NI (most obviously certain typically rundown areas of Belfast) are pro-Republic.

And now is a great time to want to be part of Ireland and not the UK.. the economy there is great, isn't it?!

We're all in Europe and the EU and people can freely move around. I've been to Ireland and it's not a great deal different to the UK, so I'm not sure why people are bothered either way now.

[WestCoast]

The Irish Republic looks similar on the surface, but among many things, the education system, transport policy, social welfare provision and heathcare arrangements (e.g. GP charges) all differ quite significantly from the UK. Unless it's about economic woes, you never really hear about what's going on.

Originally Posted by jonmorris0844

And now is a great time to want to be part of Ireland and not the UK.. the economy there is great, isn't it?!.

It goes far, far beyond the economy at the present moment though. It's about power and autonomy. Additionally, the economy is not especially strong at the moment in the provinces of the UK either with unemployment increasing more sharply outside of the South East and declining social mobility.

It made me laugh on the Apprentice tonight when one of the candidates said that Tring was "half way across the country", even if it was sarcasm, it does say a lot about the mindset of some in London.

[MattRobinson]

Originally Posted by Temple Meads

Certainly something I'd be interested to hear more about, providing you can trust me of course

+1. With the above caveat.

[NSEFAN]

Originally Posted by WestCoast

It made me laugh on the Apprentice tonight when one of the candidates said that Tring was "half way across the country", even if it was sarcasm, it does say a lot about the mindset of some in London.

My gran tells me the same about when she worked as a teacher in Guisborough in the 1960s. The schools would refuse to employ "that southern rubbish".

Bear in mind that their definition of southern was south of Doncaster.

[LE Greys]

Originally Posted by NY Yankee

The media gave the impression that Northern Ireland was this oppressed region that wanted to secede. Based on what you're telling me, it's only a vocal minority who feel that way. It's like the UK version of Occupy Wall Street.

Don't get me going, I'm an Anglo-Irish Catholic, and that's confusing enough. Still, look up Boundary Commission Ireland for the cock-up that caused so many problems. Also, just to throw another one in, Northern Ireland and Ulster are different things.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Originally Posted by NSEFAN

My gran tells me the same about when she worked as a teacher in Guisborough in the 1960s. The schools would refuse to employ "that southern rubbish".

Bear in mind that their definition of southern was south of Doncaster.

I've heard Scottish Government policies described in a similar way - from somewhere where Edinburgh is 'southern'.

[yorksrob]

Originally Posted by NY Yankee

The media gave the impression that Northern Ireland was this oppressed region that wanted to secede. Based on what you're telling me, it's only a vocal minority who feel that way. It's like the UK version of Occupy Wall Street.

Generally around a third to two fifths of the population of Northern Ireland would probably identify more strongly with the Republic than the UK and vote for a range of nationalist parties. They represent the minority, but a significant one.

As I understand it, over the past few decades, religion and demographics have combined to cause the Nationalist part of the population to grow at a slightly faster rate than the Unionist part, although the political divide, of course, doesn't exactly mirror the religious one.

[Schnellzug]

Originally Posted by ralphchadkirk

How's your tin foil hat fitting?

Well, don't you think? It seems that every single Terror plot we hear about that has been Foiled by the vigilance of Those who are There to Protect us turns out to have been invented by an agent provocateur employed by Those who are There to Protect us. [i was going to make an acronym of that, but I thought it might be best not to.] No wonder it seems to be so hard to defeat the Terrorist menace, they seem to be manufacturing it themselves most of the time.

[WestCoast]

Originally Posted by Schnellzug

Well, don't you think? It seems that every single Terror plot we hear about that has been Foiled by the vigilance of Those who are There to Protect us turns out to have been invented by an agent provocateur employed by Those who are There to Protect us. [i was going to make an acronym of that, but I thought it might be best not to.] No wonder it seems to be so hard to defeat the Terrorist menace, they seem to be manufacturing it themselves most of the time.

There is legitmate argument to say that some Western Governments are exaggerating the risk and perhaps using certain aspects of that "perceived risk" to implement policies, but extremists do exist and they are prepared to commit mass murder. Look at the 2009 plot on the plane over Detroit, which was "foiled" by failing equipment and the courage of passengers and crew.