European Elections

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Except our lads were there at the specific request of the democratically elected government of Northern Ireland to assist with the deteriorating security situation. The Catholic/Republican community also welcomed their arrival. The government in Ulster weren't best pleased when they eventually left either.

"The Catholic/Republican community also welcomed their arrival". Do you actually live on Planet Earth sinkov or are you beamed into the Ribble Vvalley every now and then from some inane planet?

[sinkov]

If all politicians are corrupt, who exactly do you want to run the country, Sinkov?

The democratically elected government.

[sinkov]

"The Catholic/Republican community also welcomed their arrival". Do you actually live on Planet Earth sinkov or are you beamed into the Ribble Vvalley every now and then from some inane planet?

There are some alarming gaps in your knowledge BT, not unusual for a lefty who believes everything he reads in the Guardian. Actually I'd always believed that what I posted was common knowledge but clearly not, so let me help you out. This is from a website called alpha history, there are numerous other sources you could check before making an even bigger fool of yourself.

Operation Banner: the British Army in Northern Ireland

"Operation Banner was the deployment of British soldiers in Northern Ireland. This action was considered as early as 1966 when violence erupted between the newly formed Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and armed Republicans. There was also talk of introducing the military in late 1968, as the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and ‘B-Specials’ struggled to contain civil rights protests and the sectarian violence that followed. The British government and British army commanders were, by all accounts, reluctant to put troops on the ground in Northern Ireland. Two Northern Ireland prime ministers, Terence O’Neill and James Chichester-Clark, also resisted the urge to request military assistance; to do so would be a sign their governments had lost control of the situation. But when rioting, violence and gun fighting erupted in the Bogside area of Derry in August 1969, then spread to other locations in Northern Ireland, it stretched the RUC dangerously thin. Left with no alternative, Chichester-Clark petitioned London to send in troops. This request was made on August 14th and noted in British cabinet records:
“The Cabinet Security Committee authorised a formal request for the use of troops in aid of the civil power in Londonderry at 4.45pm, in view of the latest police reports indicating their inability to cope with a rapidly deteriorating situation.”
The arrival of British troops was welcomed by many Catholics, at least initially. Residents in Derry, Belfast and other troubled areas believed that British soldiers would act with greater caution and neutrality than RUC officers or the thuggish ‘B Specials’. Some Catholics even cheered and applauded British soldiers, or offered them cups of tea. Other developments also inspired hope. On August 28th 1969 a British lieutenant general, Ian Freeland, took charge of security matters, removing these powers from Stormont and the RUC. British Home Secretary James Callaghan twice visited Belfast to meet with government representatives. On his first visit in late August Callaghan issued a communique, promising to oversee sweeping reforms and protections for civil rights. In September the British Army began erecting the first ‘peace line’, a high wall separating Catholic and Protestant areas in Belfast. The Cameron Report on disorders in Northern Ireland in late 1968 and early 1969 was also published in September. This report vindicated the Catholic community’s complaints about discrimination and police heavy-handedness, finding examples of “unnecessary and ill-controlled force in the dispersal of the demonstrators”. There was also a separate inquiry, overseen by Baron Hunt, into the structure and organisation of Northern Ireland’s civilian police service."

[Supersub6]

That is very true sinkov, however, things did change quite rapidly because the Provisional IRA decided that it was necessary to escalate their campaign as a show of strength. This being the case, the other organisations such as the UVF also increased their activities and the situation deteriorated once again.

Unfortunately, the problem will never go away because there are those around who just wish to fight for the cause ---the only difference now is that it is not as widely reported as it used to be ---at the moment. Anyone with contacts over there knows that there is a lot more happening than is reported in the media --sadly!

[sinkov]

Sinkov,

I don't claim to know what 17.4 million people were thinking when they voted 'Leave'. Not least because I'm 3,000+ miles away and haven't been in Britain since summer 2017! What I do claim, however, as a Lib Dem, is that they made the wrong decision at the polls. I respect their right to be wrong, but I do feel that Brexit will continue to soften, not because of some 'remain' conspiracy to betray the 'democratic will' of the 'vote, once, once only, and never get to change your mind brigade', but because leaving the EU is economically crazy. Sometimes when people are told that something is foolish, 'project fear', they do go ahead and do it -- often as a two finger-gesture. As they have a right to be wrong, they have to accept responsibility for their political actions -- not something I've noticed Farage or B.J. the clown are renown for. I'm 'safe' in Trump's dream-land. There's more scope for stupid over here: it's a bigger country, with a constitutional (god knows it, but Trump doesn't), and more diversity of all kinds. Good luck to all resident Brits.

You may well think that the wrong decision has been made Savannah, I disagree, I think we made the right decision, but actually neither of us really know do we, history will be the judge of that. But right or wrong decision matters not at all, the government sent out a brochure which stated "This is your decision. The government will implement what you decide". We decided to leave the EU, it is now obligatory for the government to implement the decision as promised, and take us out of the EU, everything else is just fluff.

You don't think there is a Remain conspiracy to betray the democratic will of the people ? I would refer you to a headline in the Guardian from the 6th of June 2016,

"Pro EU MPs could stage guerilla campaign to reverse Brexit decision".

The plotting had begun, and was being reported in the lefty media, even before the referendum had been held.

[sinkov]

That is very true sinkov, however, things did change quite rapidly because the Provisional IRA decided that it was necessary to escalate their campaign as a show of strength. This being the case, the other organisations such as the UVF also increased their activities and the situation deteriorated once again.

Unfortunately, the problem will never go away because there are those around who just wish to fight for the cause ---the only difference now is that it is not as widely reported as it used to be ---at the moment. Anyone with contacts over there knows that there is a lot more happening than is reported in the media --sadly!

My dad was stationed in Belfast at the back end of WW2 Sub, his ship had been sunk in the Med and he was sent there on guard duty in the docks. He was billeted with a Protestant family and we went to stay with them for a week most summers in the 50s and early 60s. I used to 'play out' with the local lads in the Strandtown/Sydenham area and they were a rum bunch, my mum and dad had no idea what we got up to, breaking into cars, and starting fires were just part of a normal afternoon. I was kacking my pants, but I had to go along with it and keep my mouth shut. What did stick in my mind most though were the wall murals on every available space, huge signs 'NO POPE HERE' was the most prevalent one', it ran very deep, no doubt it still does.

[Supersub6]

Yes, sinkov, it certainly does and on both sides, although most people just want to get on with their lives and live in peace and it is certainly much better to go there now than it was even 20 years ago.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

"was welcomed by many Catholics, at least initially". The usual right wing colonial nonsenses. How many Catholics? How long was "initially", a day or a week? Have they beamed you back home yet sinkov?

[sinkov]

Read about it from those that were actually there BT, instead of falling for lefty FAKE NEWS attempts to rewrite history. Don't be so gullible, what I would suggest is reading about the B Specials, you have heard of them haven't you, then you might understand why Catholics were initially so pleased to see our lads replacing them on the streets. Of course the welcome was short lived, the IRA saw to that.
I'm curious though BT, are you ignoring the facts on the ground, and just propounding your usual lefty drivel purporting to be fact, as lefties do, or did you really not know that our troops were initially welcomed in Catholic/Republican areas ?

[Supersub6]

"........Of course the welcome was short lived, the IRA saw to that........"

sinkov ---Nail hit firmly on the head although there were also plenty on the other side of the divide who were more than happy to carry on hosstilities.
As you said, sections of the community were desperate to be free from the carnage caused by the B Specials. It really was a very short-lived respite.