A United Ireland. Opening up the discussion.

Started by winghalfback, May 27, 2015, 03:16:23 PM

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michaelg

Quote from: red hander on December 19, 2018, 07:09:01 PM
Quote from: michaelg on December 19, 2018, 06:01:08 PM
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/dr-graham-gudgin-a-united-ireland-is-far-from-inevitable-and-here-is-why-37639295.html

Gudgin is hardly an independent, non-partisan voice. He's like the wee Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke (ooh err, missus). Basically ignores the impact of Brexit and the DUP's arousal of the nationalist electorate
I would agree with you, even though we will need to wait see the impact of Brexit as it plays out.  He does still raise a few interesting points.

red hander

#2401
Quote from: michaelg on December 19, 2018, 08:39:56 PM
Quote from: red hander on December 19, 2018, 07:09:01 PM
Quote from: michaelg on December 19, 2018, 06:01:08 PM
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/dr-graham-gudgin-a-united-ireland-is-far-from-inevitable-and-here-is-why-37639295.html

Gudgin is hardly an independent, non-partisan voice. He's like the wee Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke (ooh err, missus). Basically ignores the impact of Brexit and the DUP's arousal of the nationalist electorate
I would agree with you, even though we will need to wait see the impact of Brexit as it plays out.  He does still raise a few interesting points.

What's the oul adage? There are lies, damned lies, and then there are statistics  ;)

lenny

Quote from: red hander on December 19, 2018, 07:09:01 PM
Quote from: michaelg on December 19, 2018, 06:01:08 PM
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/dr-graham-gudgin-a-united-ireland-is-far-from-inevitable-and-here-is-why-37639295.html

Gudgin is hardly an independent, non-partisan voice. He's like the wee Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke (ooh err, missus). Basically ignores the impact of Brexit and the DUP's arousal of the nationalist electorate

You talking about emma little pengelly again?

Dougal Maguire

Has anyone ever wondered why Unionist politicians are so opposed to a border poll?  It's because the books have ben cooked. The official number crunching for the last 4 Census in NI was carried out by the same team of experts, all of whom had a unionist bias.  One of them was Jim Allaister's  sister. The headline results of the census before last, which was the one that was expected to show a significant closure in the Nationalist/Unionist gap but in the end this didn't materialise, were leaked to the Sunday Indo before they became public. This quelled any fear that the Nationalists were soon to become the majority. Having said that, the only thing that was likely to create the environment for a UI was some sort of seismic issue. Brexit is that issue.
Careful now

armaghniac

#2404
Quote from: Dougal Maguire on December 19, 2018, 11:10:24 PM
Has anyone ever wondered why Unionist politicians are so opposed to a border poll?  It's because the books have ben cooked. The official number crunching for the last 4 Census in NI was carried out by the same team of experts, all of whom had a unionist bias.  One of them was Jim Allaister's  sister. The headline results of the census before last, which was the one that was expected to show a significant closure in the Nationalist/Unionist gap but in the end this didn't materialise, were leaked to the Sunday Indo before they became public. This quelled any fear that the Nationalists were soon to become the majority. Having said that, the only thing that was likely to create the environment for a UI was some sort of seismic issue. Brexit is that issue.

I very much doubt that the census has been cooked in any major way, although the presentation of the data may well have been selective. However, alarm bells did not ring among unionists because nationalist apathy meant falling turnouts and some drift to Alliance, so the number of nationalist seats did not rise quickly. Brexit has gone some  way to addressing this issue. 
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

naka

#2405
Quote from: michaelg on December 19, 2018, 06:01:08 PM
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/dr-graham-gudgin-a-united-ireland-is-far-from-inevitable-and-here-is-why-37639295.html
Tbf michaelg the fact that this is being written when unionism should be gearing up for their big 100th anniversary bash is seismic.
A nationalist majority is imminent, you only have to be involved in business   over the last 30 years to see the demographic changes.
A United ireland may not arrive in my lifetime but a poll will occur in the next 20/30 years and then the race is run.
Nationalism has to thank the DUP for its help and assistance in pushing the idea of unification forward by at least a generation.

Franko

#2406
Quote from: michaelg on December 19, 2018, 06:01:08 PM
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/dr-graham-gudgin-a-united-ireland-is-far-from-inevitable-and-here-is-why-37639295.html

He does make some interesting points.

There is a bitterness to his writing here though, that belies a lack of objectivity and which is only just barely veiled.

"While the south relies on its rip-off tax-haven status"


There are also lines such as that below, which is just a complete lie.

"the UK provides public spending in a way that is fully sustainable."   ;D ;D



4/10.


haranguerer

Hes a sc**bag. Can't hide his bigotry. Trying to pass off any article saying UI is coming as being the premise of 'southern writers', and that article is full of thinly veiled racism. He pontificates about McWilliams loosely assuming catholicism = nationalism, but his article is based on protestantism = unionism.

And as for this...

Nor does the north's dependence on public spending indicate a weak private sector, as McWilliams simplistically suggests. Rather, it reflects the way the UK works.

The high birth-rates of the past created an excess of labour in Northern Ireland, which a sedately growing UK economic union was not designed to accommodate. Instead, public services (and hence jobs) were provided for a growing population.


I'm no economist, but I don't think you have to be to identify that this is utter bullshit. A high birth rate (given the article is drawing comparisons with the south, is he saying the birth rate in the north was higher than that of the south?) = more consumers; a boon to a healthy private sector. To listen to him you'd think the UK was socialist.

armaghniac

Quote from: haranguerer on December 20, 2018, 08:43:57 AM
Hes a sc**bag. Can't hide his bigotry. Trying to pass off any article saying UI is coming as being the premise of 'southern writers', and that article is full of thinly veiled racism. He pontificates about McWilliams loosely assuming catholicism = nationalism, but his article is based on protestantism = unionism.

You get a lot of this, not every Catholic is nationalist and every person that isn't going to a Catholic church is definitely a unionist.
The reality is that there are hard core Unionists, a large wedge of people who aren't much committed to the union but who couldn't be bothered with constitutional change, and nationalists some of whom are atheists.
Wha Brexit does is make the continuation of NI problematic, which makes the middle bloc consider their options.

A follow up from a slightly biased source here
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/eilis-ohanlon-brexit-is-blamed-for-raising-the-unionist-bogey-of-irish-unity-but-what-if-leaving-the-eu-is-not-that-bad-or-whisper-it-what-if-its-actually-a-success-37642661.html
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

Rossfan

"We" need a majority of Scots to shed their inferiority complex and become an Independent State.
This will greatly assist the All Ireland process which had already been greatly assisted by DUPUDA's trying to reestablish 1 Party rule in 2016 and their pro Brexit madness.
Davy's given us a dream to cling to
We're going to bring home the SAM

grounded

Quote from: Franko on December 20, 2018, 08:09:38 AM
Quote from: michaelg on December 19, 2018, 06:01:08 PM
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/dr-graham-gudgin-a-united-ireland-is-far-from-inevitable-and-here-is-why-37639295.html

He does make some interesting points.

There is a bitterness to his writing here though, that belies a lack of objectivity and which is only just barely veiled.

"While the south relies on its rip-off tax-haven status"


There are also lines such as that below, which is just a complete lie.

"the UK provides public spending in a way that is fully sustainable."   ;D ;D



4/10.


It's comfort reading for Unionism. In the 80's, 90's and even 00's unionist politicians rubbished the idea there would ever be a nationalist majority( this lunatic is still pushing that line).
    Slowly as the penny dropped the line was subtly changed to not all Catholics will vote for a UI even if they are in the majority.  ' they're too fond of getting better benefits, housing, free health service etc than they would get in the South'. As the economy in the Republic surpassed that of the North new caveats are now being thrown in to the mix i.e. There needs to be significantly more than a 50% majority in favour of a UI before a border poll can be called.
    Next no doubt will be ' there needs to be a majority in favour in both communities ' before a border poll can be passed.
    I would take with a large pinch of salt what any Unionist politician or commentator such as this guy thinks they know what the nationalist population will do or vote for. If they had such a good handle on nationalist thinking id suggest a lot more Catholics would be voting for them!

BennyCake

Dido summed up unionist politicians thinking on Norn Iron:

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender


Sportacus

Brexit has been a game changer no doubt and border poll isn't silly talk anymore.  Economic case can be made for a UI supported by Brussels rather than London.  And politically anyone who believed Westminster gave a toot about the North has had their eyes opened.
But funny enough, if there's a hard Brexit, the South will really suffer greatly, and that would weaken the appeal for voting for change for some northerners.  Surely the DUP aren't that clever.

BennyCake

Quote from: Sportacus on February 07, 2019, 05:56:22 PM
Brexit has been a game changer no doubt and border poll isn't silly talk anymore.  Economic case can be made for a UI supported by Brussels rather than London.  And politically anyone who believed Westminster gave a toot about the North has had their eyes opened.
But funny enough, if there's a hard Brexit, the South will really suffer greatly, and that would weaken the appeal for voting for change for some northerners.  Surely the DUP aren't that clever.

I don't think anyone ever thought that.