"... quit it! Just quit it already! That's irritating as hell."
I'm going to finish up the bit on the IRA, but I stumbled on something that highlighted something near and dear to my heart; my vast disdain for the European Union.
*****
There have been a wide range of criticisms levelled at the EU over the years, ranging from being blatantly undemocratic to encouraging an insulated markets that do things like guarrantee purchase of French wine - even if no one wants the wine. Hence the development of lakes of wine in warehouses, massive overloads of all manner of similar thing, which from time to time we dump on developing economies as foriegn aid.
After all; isn't it our perogative to find new and exciting ways to destroy third world economies? Why concern ourselves with whether or not the local farmer can raise and sell wheat when we're giving wheat away at an aid station in the next village. We're being helpful and progressive!
I digress.
This is a disgrace. The European Union has consistently worked to circumvent popular opinion as expressed democratically in its member states. The EU Constitution, for instance, was solidly rejected by French voters and even more dramatically defeated by Dutch voters. Did the EU decide, "Oh, well, we can't do that then" ? Of course not! Why let their own democratic dispositions complicate matters!?
To get around the requirement of referenda, they re-worked most of the EU Constitution's elements into a 'Reform Treaty' - the Lisbon Treaty.
This time they made damn sure that their were no refferenda; calls for referendums in several member states were ignored. EXCEPT - God love the Irish!
The Republic of Ireland, as a result of a court ruling in 1987, requires that actions significantly affecting their constitution be subject to the will of the people in a direct referendum. By a margin of seven percent, the the only country that permitted a referendum rejected the Lisbon Treaty.
Now, you'd think to yourself, "Oh. That's done then."
Not so much. Other governments have just put it on 'hold', planning on it coming into effect in he future. Plans for a re-vote are being formulated in the Republic of Ireland. Apparently the issues first brought forward in the EU Constitution will be re-submitted by the EU leadership until such time as everyone decides correctly.
Keep in mind that, among other things, the Lisbon Treaty claims to enhance the democratic efficiency of the European Union. How noble.
All of this brings us to the story linked above. The EU is essentially harassing the Republic of Ireland's government for Irish obstinancy. How DARE they allow the paltry will of their citizens to impede the great European Dream!?
*****
For the love of God will you just give over already!?
At this point, I don't even grasp what it is that the Real IRA and Continuity IRA are getting at. It's been demonstrated that the issue will not be won by force of arms; each version of the IRA still in operation really ought to consider for a moment the possibility; they have lost. Murdering civilian guards and maintenance personnel is really not likely to lead to any kind of advancement or positive advancement. It's just not likely to happen.
If nothing else, they should be contented with the compromise government power-sharing arrangement at Stormont. Since spite seems like such an important aspect of their ideal-set, they really ought just take a bit of comfort from the fact that while they aren't going to get what they want, the loyalists and unionists really aren't getting what they want either.
*****
For those unfamiliar with the situation, the Irish Republican Army has sectioned several times. Those who opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty broke off from the Irish Republican Army that fought against the British for the 1919 Republic in 1922 when the 1919 Dáil ratified the treaty; for convenience, we'll call them the Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army, though both they and pro-treaty forces still referred to themselves as the IRA for a time, then the Pro-Treaty IRA formed the basis for the Irish Free State's national army.
They anti-treaty lot then styled themselves the 'Official' IRA.
The Provisional Irish Republican Army broke off from the Official Irish Republican Army in 1969, because the Official IRA was bent towards using political pressure to accomplish it's goals, was in favour of taking up seats in the legislature of the Republic of Ireland (which theretofore some of its members had won but abstained from taking up, since they considered the Republic illegitimate), and had a pretty Marxist outlook.
The Continuity IRA split from the PIRA in 1986, because the PIRA decided to reconsider political involvement and lift the ban on its members participating in the political Pary Sinn Féin and taking seats in the legislature of the Republic of Ireland.
The Real IRA split from the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1997 when the PIRA opted to support the peace process.
It's interesting to note that each of these organizations considers themselves the 'legitimate' army of the Irish Republic, and either do or have (it's hard to keep this bit straight) claim/claimed that their respective Army Council is the legitimate governing body of a 32 County Republic that is the continuation of the 1919 Republic declared in the Easter rising of 1916 and established by the creation of the Dáil Éireann in 1919, which ceased to exist after the Anglo-Irish Treaty, ratified in 1922. This treaty established the Irish Free State in the southern 26 Counties, and partitioned the six Counties of Northern Ireland in accordence with a plebiscite of the population in the six Counties. The Treaty was rejected by many Republicans in the South, leading to a civil war that pro-Treaty forces won. Others continued to deny the legitimacy of the Treaty, the Free States, the partition, and the whole lot; thus, the IRA's contentions that they are the only legitimate government by descent from the 1919 Republic, and that they are the legimitate army and their Army Council(s) are the legitimate government.
*****
Quote of the day, from Prof. Berry in Torts class; "Well, yeah, but we don't want people to be evil."
*****
Eh. Speaking engagements are starting to pile up. I'm going to be spending a lot of time in my car travelling the length of Mississippi this year.
*****
There have been a wide range of criticisms levelled at the EU over the years, ranging from being blatantly undemocratic to encouraging an insulated markets that do things like guarrantee purchase of French wine - even if no one wants the wine. Hence the development of lakes of wine in warehouses, massive overloads of all manner of similar thing, which from time to time we dump on developing economies as foriegn aid.
After all; isn't it our perogative to find new and exciting ways to destroy third world economies? Why concern ourselves with whether or not the local farmer can raise and sell wheat when we're giving wheat away at an aid station in the next village. We're being helpful and progressive!
I digress.
This is a disgrace. The European Union has consistently worked to circumvent popular opinion as expressed democratically in its member states. The EU Constitution, for instance, was solidly rejected by French voters and even more dramatically defeated by Dutch voters. Did the EU decide, "Oh, well, we can't do that then" ? Of course not! Why let their own democratic dispositions complicate matters!?
To get around the requirement of referenda, they re-worked most of the EU Constitution's elements into a 'Reform Treaty' - the Lisbon Treaty.
This time they made damn sure that their were no refferenda; calls for referendums in several member states were ignored. EXCEPT - God love the Irish!
The Republic of Ireland, as a result of a court ruling in 1987, requires that actions significantly affecting their constitution be subject to the will of the people in a direct referendum. By a margin of seven percent, the the only country that permitted a referendum rejected the Lisbon Treaty.
Now, you'd think to yourself, "Oh. That's done then."
Not so much. Other governments have just put it on 'hold', planning on it coming into effect in he future. Plans for a re-vote are being formulated in the Republic of Ireland. Apparently the issues first brought forward in the EU Constitution will be re-submitted by the EU leadership until such time as everyone decides correctly.
Keep in mind that, among other things, the Lisbon Treaty claims to enhance the democratic efficiency of the European Union. How noble.
All of this brings us to the story linked above. The EU is essentially harassing the Republic of Ireland's government for Irish obstinancy. How DARE they allow the paltry will of their citizens to impede the great European Dream!?
*****
For the love of God will you just give over already!?
At this point, I don't even grasp what it is that the Real IRA and Continuity IRA are getting at. It's been demonstrated that the issue will not be won by force of arms; each version of the IRA still in operation really ought to consider for a moment the possibility; they have lost. Murdering civilian guards and maintenance personnel is really not likely to lead to any kind of advancement or positive advancement. It's just not likely to happen.
If nothing else, they should be contented with the compromise government power-sharing arrangement at Stormont. Since spite seems like such an important aspect of their ideal-set, they really ought just take a bit of comfort from the fact that while they aren't going to get what they want, the loyalists and unionists really aren't getting what they want either.
*****
For those unfamiliar with the situation, the Irish Republican Army has sectioned several times. Those who opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty broke off from the Irish Republican Army that fought against the British for the 1919 Republic in 1922 when the 1919 Dáil ratified the treaty; for convenience, we'll call them the Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army, though both they and pro-treaty forces still referred to themselves as the IRA for a time, then the Pro-Treaty IRA formed the basis for the Irish Free State's national army.
They anti-treaty lot then styled themselves the 'Official' IRA.
The Provisional Irish Republican Army broke off from the Official Irish Republican Army in 1969, because the Official IRA was bent towards using political pressure to accomplish it's goals, was in favour of taking up seats in the legislature of the Republic of Ireland (which theretofore some of its members had won but abstained from taking up, since they considered the Republic illegitimate), and had a pretty Marxist outlook.
The Continuity IRA split from the PIRA in 1986, because the PIRA decided to reconsider political involvement and lift the ban on its members participating in the political Pary Sinn Féin and taking seats in the legislature of the Republic of Ireland.
The Real IRA split from the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1997 when the PIRA opted to support the peace process.
It's interesting to note that each of these organizations considers themselves the 'legitimate' army of the Irish Republic, and either do or have (it's hard to keep this bit straight) claim/claimed that their respective Army Council is the legitimate governing body of a 32 County Republic that is the continuation of the 1919 Republic declared in the Easter rising of 1916 and established by the creation of the Dáil Éireann in 1919, which ceased to exist after the Anglo-Irish Treaty, ratified in 1922. This treaty established the Irish Free State in the southern 26 Counties, and partitioned the six Counties of Northern Ireland in accordence with a plebiscite of the population in the six Counties. The Treaty was rejected by many Republicans in the South, leading to a civil war that pro-Treaty forces won. Others continued to deny the legitimacy of the Treaty, the Free States, the partition, and the whole lot; thus, the IRA's contentions that they are the only legitimate government by descent from the 1919 Republic, and that they are the legimitate army and their Army Council(s) are the legitimate government.
*****
Quote of the day, from Prof. Berry in Torts class; "Well, yeah, but we don't want people to be evil."
*****
Eh. Speaking engagements are starting to pile up. I'm going to be spending a lot of time in my car travelling the length of Mississippi this year.