A United Ireland. Opening up the discussion.

[Saffrongael]

FFG don't speak for the people of Ireland despite their delusions of grandeur. They represent about 40% of the vote and they only hold onto much of that by scaremongering about SF. Old habits die hard and unfortunately people would happily watch their party flush the country down the toilet and vote for them again because SF are worse or something. But that spiel has a sell by date. They'll need to change their tune eventually or become irrelevant.

Do you not know how elections work ?

[Rossfan]

Hasn't a clue I suspect.
He should be asking why his Party dropped from 24.5% to 19% instead of berating people for exercising their franchise.
Were folks like him expecting SF to sweep into power or what?

[Look-Up!]

FFG don't speak for the people of Ireland despite their delusions of grandeur. They represent about 40% of the vote and they only hold onto much of that by scaremongering about SF. Old habits die hard and unfortunately people would happily watch their party flush the country down the toilet and vote for them again because SF are worse or something. But that spiel has a sell by date. They'll need to change their tune eventually or become irrelevant.

Do you not know how elections work ?

Understand perfectly. But we're talking about the comments of MM on the North and his general distain for the people up there. It didn't effect his vote too much because he only represents 20% of the vote. That is not a reflection of the general views of the people of Ireland on the North or an indication of how a vote on a UI might go, the actual topic of this thread. Try keep up.

[Look-Up!]

Hasn't a clue I suspect.
He should be asking why his Party dropped from 24.5% to 19% instead of berating people for exercising their franchise.
Were folks like him expecting SF to sweep into power or what?

Oh good God the irony.

[Snapchap]

I run down the Shinners but I'm not trying to unite with them.

Care to enlighten us as to who you voted for yourself, Rossfan?

[Armagh18]

I run down the Shinners but I'm not trying to unite with them.

Care to enlighten us as to who you voted for yourself, Rossfan?

Starts with blue and ends with shirt I would guess

[illdecide]

I may be reading the situation wrong but it's my understanding that the only thing we have in common with the south is GAA games and even at that I believe they'd be happy enough if we disappeared. They don't want a united Ireland and are happy with the current situation, if anything they can't stand the north hence MM's comments.
Should the north be a separate country of its own away from the south and the Brits and have their own identity, I know it couldn't sustain itself and would never agree on anything but what other things are on the table to us? London would get rid of us in the morning and the south wouldn't piss on us...We're pretty much f**ked and stuck in this current situation for another few generations yet

[Rossfan]

I run down the Shinners but I'm not trying to unite with them.

Care to enlighten us as to who you voted for yourself, Rossfan?

Secret ballot!!!!!
but I gave poor oul Eugene Murphy my no.1.
Left Kerrane, Dolan,Daly, Fitzmaurice, the 2 neonazis and 1 other blank.

[gallsman]

I run down the Shinners but I'm not trying to unite with them.

Care to enlighten us as to who you voted for yourself, Rossfan?

Starts with blue and ends with shirt I would guess

Given he's spent most of the election thread opposing twats attempting to legitimise the far right, I'd be pretty surprised if that was the case.

This is part of the problem. People throw around insults like "blueshirt" without having the slightest notion about what it actually means. The significance of it gets consigned to history and it gets adopted as a meaningless slogan by ignorant morons.

[clarshack]

I may be reading the situation wrong but it's my understanding that the only thing we have in common with the south is GAA games and even at that I believe they'd be happy enough if we disappeared. They don't want a united Ireland and are happy with the current situation, if anything they can't stand the north hence MM's comments.
Should the north be a separate country of its own away from the south and the Brits and have their own identity, I know it couldn't sustain itself and would never agree on anything but what other things are on the table to us? London would get rid of us in the morning and the south wouldn't piss on us...We're pretty much f**ked and stuck in this current situation for another few generations yet

You pretty much nailed it there.

[Tubberman]

I may be reading the situation wrong but it's my understanding that the only thing we have in common with the south is GAA games and even at that I believe they'd be happy enough if we disappeared. They don't want a united Ireland and are happy with the current situation, if anything they can't stand the north hence MM's comments.
Should the north be a separate country of its own away from the south and the Brits and have their own identity, I know it couldn't sustain itself and would never agree on anything but what other things are on the table to us? London would get rid of us in the morning and the south wouldn't piss on us...We're pretty much f**ked and stuck in this current situation for another few generations yet

You pretty much nailed it there.

I don't think that's the case.
In fact, polls have always shown a majority in the 26 in favour of unity.
Obviously, you don't get the same overall results in the north, but even among the 'nationalist' community, there seems to be a large element who aren't in favour of unity.
So you'd wonder what the hell DO they want?
People in the south get labelled as traitors, west brits, blueshirts, free staters etc.
If you're wondering why there's not a greater clamour for a border poll, maybe start by looking at yourselves.

[armaghniac]

Post GFA there can be UI, but the spirit of that agreement is that this will come when when people in NI want it. People in the 6 counties have to put their hand up and say that they want in. But we don't get that, what we get is so called nationalists and republicans saying that they have nothing in common with the rest of country and that the 26county voters are stupid uncaring people. It seems widely believed in the 6 counties that Dublin should spend more money there, but propose any revenue raising measure and there isn't much interest in self help. SF are more interested that they be in power than any UI where they are not in power. Now the main issue with a UI is economics, but SF have no interest in economics or at least the earning side of it, they have some interest in the spending side. Without some mature leadership in the 6 counties things will indeed remain as they are.

[Look-Up!]

I may be reading the situation wrong but it's my understanding that the only thing we have in common with the south is GAA games and even at that I believe they'd be happy enough if we disappeared. They don't want a united Ireland and are happy with the current situation, if anything they can't stand the north hence MM's comments.
Should the north be a separate country of its own away from the south and the Brits and have their own identity, I know it couldn't sustain itself and would never agree on anything but what other things are on the table to us? London would get rid of us in the morning and the south wouldn't piss on us...We're pretty much f**ked and stuck in this current situation for another few generations yet

You pretty much nailed it there.

MM only represents 20% of the electorate. Ye have no idea how a vote on a UI would go or how many feel about MM comments. And people like rossfan talking about what motivates people in the 26 is only expressing his opinion. Same as MM, he does not speak for the people of the 26. He does not speak for me.
I'm normally not pushed on voting, I can take it or leave it. Sick of the sound of the lot of them. SF talk shite but they're in opposition so that's essentially their remit. But absolutely sick to the teeth of constantly hearing FFG talking about SF. SF are not the government. FFG are and should be talking policy and future plans, not acting like the opposition to SF. But MM's latest comments on the North were a new low. I'm sure in his own mind it was some genius dig at SF but for a former leader of this country and likely future leader, they really were shameful comments.

So I made a point of voting this time round. All went to independents and SF got just the one too as it happened. But my vote was essentially ABFF. And in future if I'm in Australia for a GE, and the only way home is to walk barefoot, I'll be first in the booth to vote for anyone bar the party associated with that sc**bag. That's what his comments meant to me. 

[Tony Baloney]

Post GFA there can be UI, but the spirit of that agreement is that this will come when when people in NI want it. People in the 6 counties have to put their hand up and say that they want in. But we don't get that, what we get is so called nationalists and republicans saying that they have nothing in common with the rest of country and that the 26county voters are stupid uncaring people. It seems widely believed in the 6 counties that Dublin should spend more money there, but propose any revenue raising measure and there isn't much interest in self help. SF are more interested that they be in power than any UI where they are not in power. Now the main issue with a UI is economics, but SF have no interest in economics or at least the earning side of it, they have some interest in the spending side. Without some mature leadership in the 6 counties things will indeed remain as they are.

Good post.

[weareros]

I may be reading the situation wrong but it's my understanding that the only thing we have in common with the south is GAA games and even at that I believe they'd be happy enough if we disappeared. They don't want a united Ireland and are happy with the current situation, if anything they can't stand the north hence MM's comments.
Should the north be a separate country of its own away from the south and the Brits and have their own identity, I know it couldn't sustain itself and would never agree on anything but what other things are on the table to us? London would get rid of us in the morning and the south wouldn't piss on us...We're pretty much f**ked and stuck in this current situation for another few generations yet

You pretty much nailed it there.

I don't think that's the case.
In fact, polls have always shown a majority in the 26 in favour of unity.
Obviously, you don't get the same overall results in the north, but even among the 'nationalist' community, there seems to be a large element who aren't in favour of unity.
So you'd wonder what the hell DO they want?
People in the south get labelled as traitors, west brits, blueshirts, free staters etc.
If you're wondering why there's not a greater clamour for a border poll, maybe start by looking at yourselves.

Big part of the problem. In most recent census only 29% were Irish only and only goes up to 33% for Irish and Northern Irish. Now Brian Feeney makes the point that many of the 19% who say they are "Northern Irish only" are Irish who think they have to check that. But they have the option of Irish and Northern Irish only, so why not check that? Most opinion polls only show Irish unity in low 30s apart from LucidTalk which is at 39%. It's amazing given the respective states of the economies that more are not putting their hand up. The covid payments from Irish government far exceeded what Uk offered, flood payments far exceeded what UK offered, winter fuel allowances far exceed what UK offered, energy help far exceeded what UK offered. Education and employment opportunities far exceed the wee statelet. Quality of health service far exceeds NHS. Roads are better, less pollution. People live longer. So why the hesitation from the Catholic gene pool for unity and to even declare themselves Irish? Is it the lack of potato bread in the Irish breakfast? Of course part of the reason - and this won't go down well here - is that Sinn Fein constantly talk down the success of the 26 county state. To many the narrative is of a failed state. Yet one gets the sense the minute they govern for a few years in Dublin, it will suddenly be utopia, the best little country on earth.