Is Stormont going to fall?

[haranguerer]

Ridiculous; looks very much like an attempt to show they're still relevant and do have influence. It seems they'd be only too delighted if the Troubles started up again just so they could say 'I told you so'

Their "delight" at the troubles starting up agins is based on what exactly?

Is their any threat of the troubles starting up? Who is itching to get all violent again?

ffs...clearly hyperbole for effect. And the army rape post seems to have also been over your head

And what effect.

My apologies for confusing your posts with tired and useless wankery. The hilarity of rape stories escapes me.

Quite a lot escapes you.

I don't know why I'm bothering, but the point re the rape was to demonstrate how silly it is (imo) to blame the organisation for the un-sanctioned criminal acts of its members

[LCohen]

Ridiculous; looks very much like an attempt to show they're still relevant and do have influence. It seems they'd be only too delighted if the Troubles started up again just so they could say 'I told you so'

Their "delight" at the troubles starting up agins is based on what exactly?

Is their any threat of the troubles starting up? Who is itching to get all violent again?

ffs...clearly hyperbole for effect. And the army rape post seems to have also been over your head

And what effect.

My apologies for confusing your posts with tired and useless wankery. The hilarity of rape stories escapes me.

Quite a lot escapes you.

I don't know why I'm bothering, but the point re the rape was to demonstrate how silly it is (imo) to blame the organisation for the un-sanctioned criminal acts of its members

I'll give you the point re me. Your subtlety did escape me. Happy to admit to that.

On the wider point I think your argument is ill-founded. The army exists for many reasons but rape wasn't one of them. Rape is therefore not a reversion of one member to the previous objectives and methods of the organisation.

[Bazil Douglas]

Amazing how enough though it's the IRA and SF that are covering themselves in shit that a lot of this thread is directed at a unionist politician.

Is the perspective so warped in the north that ye can't see how unsettling it is to see a supposedly gone terrorist organisation settling scores with impunity, and the PSNI almost terrified to admit they're still active because it may effect the political process?

Too much 'defend my side at all costs' going on in IRA/SF circles right now. They can now choose to stick their heads in the ground ala Gerry Adams or actually root out these elements. Doing nothing or actively shielding these criminals isn't a solution.

Sorry Syferus, but this is spoken like a man who just has no clue.

Nah.

It's patently apparent some people here, and indeed it seems a relatively widespread sentiment in the north, are so attached to the old way of doing business they can't foresee a future where criminals are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I suppose the ridiculousness of the Good Friday Agreement freeing a pile of murderers has helped cement that idea into popular consciousness in the north.

Or spoken by a westbrit living in an ivory tower

[haranguerer]

Amazing how enough though it's the IRA and SF that are covering themselves in shit that a lot of this thread is directed at a unionist politician.

Is the perspective so warped in the north that ye can't see how unsettling it is to see a supposedly gone terrorist organisation settling scores with impunity, and the PSNI almost terrified to admit they're still active because it may effect the political process?

Too much 'defend my side at all costs' going on in IRA/SF circles right now. They can now choose to stick their heads in the ground ala Gerry Adams or actually root out these elements. Doing nothing or actively shielding these criminals isn't a solution.

Sorry Syferus, but this is spoken like a man who just has no clue.

Nah.

It's patently apparent some people here, and indeed it seems a relatively widespread sentiment in the north, are so attached to the old way of doing business they can't foresee a future where criminals are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I suppose the ridiculousness of the Good Friday Agreement freeing a pile of murderers has helped cement that idea into popular consciousness in the north.

That fact is something needs to change and I don't think waiting it out for the criminals to die and for people like Adams and McGuiness to be sent out to pasture for the next generation to take over really fixes the root problems. Make no mistake, there's animals on the unionist side too but what republicans can deal with are their own - they are not doing that, they're still actively shielding them and in cases like Adams the reason is a much because they know so much about his denied IRA past as it is to do with protecting power-sharing.

Syferus, given where we are at the minute, and assuming you are having that discussion, that reads as though you are saying SF are protecting kevin mcguigans killers. Where do you get that from?

[trileacman]

I f**king hate Sinn Fein but this whole charade is a mud slinging contest. Blaming SF for the murders of a load of falls road drug barons is like blaming Panathanikos fc for the Greek financial crisis.

[Hardy]

Amazing how enough though it's the IRA and SF that are covering themselves in shit that a lot of this thread is directed at a unionist politician.

Is the perspective so warped in the north that ye can't see how unsettling it is to see a supposedly gone terrorist organisation settling scores with impunity, and the PSNI almost terrified to admit they're still active because it may effect the political process?

Too much 'defend my side at all costs' going on in IRA/SF circles right now. They can now choose to stick their heads in the ground ala Gerry Adams or actually root out these elements. Doing nothing or actively shielding these criminals isn't a solution.

Sorry Syferus, but this is spoken like a man who just has no clue.

Nah.

It's patently apparent some people here, and indeed it seems a relatively widespread sentiment in the north, are so attached to the old way of doing business they can't foresee a future where criminals are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I suppose the ridiculousness of the Good Friday Agreement freeing a pile of murderers has helped cement that idea into popular consciousness in the north.

Or spoken by a westbrit living in an ivory tower

That took all of three pages. Things are looking up, really.

[Farrandeelin]

Is it just a few old stagers that are been 'taken out' or is there a more sinister campaign as implied by the PSNI?

[screenexile]

I don't understand why we would and should not be busting the criminal gangs in South Armagh/Falls Road/Shankill/Sandy Row??

Its criminality at this stage and should be dealt with. Also anyone involved in the murder of Davison or McGuigan should also be brought to justice. None of these acts have anything to do with Republicanism anymore!

[armaghniac]

I don't understand why we would and should not be busting the criminal gangs in South Armagh/Falls Road/Shankill/Sandy Row??

Sometimes a quiet life suits, the PSNI have quite modest resources compared to the old days. But if they "sort out" South Armagh/Falls Road then they would have to do something about Shankill/Sandy Row as well and that wouldn't do, would it? 

[LCohen]

I f**king hate Sinn Fein but this whole charade is a mud slinging contest. Blaming SF for the murders of a load of falls road drug barons is like blaming Panathanikos fc for the Greek financial crisis.

To be fair I don't think anybody is blaming SF for the murder. They are accusing them of being untrustworthy coalition partners.

[LCohen]

Is it just a few old stagers that are been 'taken out' or is there a more sinister campaign as implied by the PSNI?

The taking out of a couple of old stagers is sinister enough. Anybody who says its something we have to put up with needs to spell out why we have to put up with it.

[LCohen]

I don't understand why we would and should not be busting the criminal gangs in South Armagh/Falls Road/Shankill/Sandy Row??

Sometimes a quiet life suits, the PSNI have quite modest resources compared to the old days. But if they "sort out" South Armagh/Falls Road then they would have to do something about Shankill/Sandy Row as well and that wouldn't do, would it?

If resources are the issue let the NCA have a go? I'm sure they would recover enough to fund it.

I dom't think you should leave people with the idea that the S Armagh thing is left alone because there is a bigger reluctance to tackle Shankill/Sandy Row criminality.

[armaghniac]

I don't understand why we would and should not be busting the criminal gangs in South Armagh/Falls Road/Shankill/Sandy Row??

Sometimes a quiet life suits, the PSNI have quite modest resources compared to the old days. But if they "sort out" South Armagh/Falls Road then they would have to do something about Shankill/Sandy Row as well and that wouldn't do, would it?

If resources are the issue let the NCA have a go? I'm sure they would recover enough to fund it.

I dom't think you should leave people with the idea that the S Armagh thing is left alone because there is a bigger reluctance to tackle Shankill/Sandy Row criminality.

I was referring to resources in the context of manpower to roam around South Armagh.
But the reluctance extends beyond that. Dodgy fuel is being sold in Antrim and isn't being dealt with, a Nelsonian eye is being turned.

And if I have left people with the idea that the S Armagh thing is left alone because there is a bigger reluctance to tackle Shankill/Sandy Row criminality, why shouldn't I, when it is true?

[Pub Bore]

Looks like the Executive is a busted flush.  DUP want SF excluded, that will fail, DUP will walk.  Back to Direct Rule until the elections planned for next May I would think.  Good time for the South to invade!

[Rossfan]

Looks like the Executive is a busted flush.  DUP want SF excluded, that will fail, DUP will walk.  Back to Direct Rule until the elections planned for next May I would think. 

And of course they don't have to make difficult Budgetary decisions 
"Twas the Brits that cut yer benefits, Health, Education etc...."