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[MorleyDev]

It's also an enshrined right in the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement that the citizens of Northern Island can be both Irish and British, and as I understand it the lack of a border between the two has been the symbolic embodiment of that right. So for a good subset of the Northern Irish, to at all reinstate that border is a symbolic removal or dirtying of what to them is a hard-won right.

So you've got both practical concerns, and the more ideological ones about Irish/Britishness that Good Friday agreement has managed to keep at least somewhat swept under the rug. Which is where some of the concerns about a reemergence of the Troubles come from even if it's a softer-but-visible border. Northern Island has been more peaceful since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, but we can't ignore that it's not exactly been completely peaceful.

Got to be careful not to pour fuel on a fire and turn people from legitimate political republicanism and to terrorism. If the UK government allow the legitimate achievements from negotiation and diplomacy so far to be so easily perceived as being undermined, and worse being undermined not by the will of the Northern Irish but by Westminister overriding the will of the Northern Irish, it risks pushing the people already on the edges closer to attempting those 'alternative approaches'. Quickest way to create extremists is to fail to address the concerns of moderates.

(Of course, if you add extra border checks leaving Northern Ireland and into Britain then you have the second verse same as the first, but with Unionists).

[smjjames]

It's "the Northern Irish," not the "North Irish." But I doubt anyone really cares, so meh.

Anyway, around 30000 people cross the border for their work daily. Trepidation concerning a 'hard' border is understandable from the likes of them.

I initially had it as 'North Irelanders' before submitting the post but changed it to Ireland and didn't think about putting the 'the' in. Don't know why I started writing it initially that way and ended up not completely fixing it in backtracking.

[Kagus]

Norn Iron

[Enemy post]

No idea if this long is unusual or not, but she is still on in caretaker mode and the proccess has various legal and logistical constraints that keeps it from going any faster than it is.

She’s waiting for her successor to be chosen, the timetable for which has been set for months.

But it is rather typical of the Tories of the last few years to fritter away the time they have to engage with Europe on playing politics. She’s abandoning ship when Strong and Stable^tm leadership is needed most.

Boris has shown his biggest talent in the campaign so far is hiding, and he can’t do that as PM with 3 months to get something done before the shit hits the fan, and he’s probably going to win, so we at least get to watch that shitshow.

Thanks for the replies.

[hector13]

Still, the UK has been preparing for a no-deal for so long that I read something about warehouses getting full. So, when it does come, it'll likely end up being more of a controlled glide 'crash through' rather than the free-fall chaos scenario people fear.

The Tesco CEO (largest supermarket chain in the UK, IIRC 'cause I'm too lazy to check) pointed out that warehouse space is going to be more limited at the deadline in October because of all the seasonal stuff they're going to have for Hallowe'en and Christmas.

It'll be something to watch, for suresies.

[Kagus]

No idea if this long is unusual or not, but she is still on in caretaker mode and the proccess has various legal and logistical constraints that keeps it from going any faster than it is.

She’s waiting for her successor to be chosen, the timetable for which has been set for months.

But it is rather typical of the Tories of the last few years to fritter away the time they have to engage with Europe on playing politics. She’s abandoning ship when Strong and Stable^tm leadership is needed most.

Boris has shown his biggest talent in the campaign so far is hiding, and he can’t do that as PM with 3 months to get something done before the shit hits the fan, and he’s probably going to win, so we at least get to watch that shitshow.

Thanks for the replies.

Cool post, thanks for sharing!

[scriver]

It's "the Northern Irish," not the "North Irish." But I doubt anyone really cares, so meh.

If we're going to be technical I'm going to have to insist it be Northern Irelandish

[TD1]

That's not technical at all, but you do you bud 

[TD1]

That feeling when devolved powers are so crippled by local politics that Westminster has voted in favour of deeply divisive issues which every Northern Irish politician voted against. Not only is this a pointed fingers-up to devolution, it incentivises Sinn Fein's continued refusal to play political ball in Northern Ireland.

Well done, Westminster. Once again your chronic inability to understand Northern Ireland has been displayed. Bravo.

[smjjames]

That feeling when devolved powers are so crippled by local politics that Westminster has voted in favour of deeply divisive issues which every Northern Irish politician voted against. Not only is this a pointed fingers-up to devolution, it incentivises Sinn Fein's continued refusal to play political ball in Northern Ireland.

Well done, Westminster. Once again your chronic inability to understand Northern Ireland has been displayed. Bravo.

Sounds like a pretty good reason to seccede or join into RoI.

[TD1]

Option one: Secede - NI is non-viable as an independent economic unit.
Option two: Join RoI - two votes are needed, one in NI and the other in RoI. An unpopular venture here, and RoI knows that NI is non-viable as an economic unit.

Option three: Stay in the Union and cause a stink - requires no vote, doesn't disrupt our already shaky economy, lets us roll our eyes at mainland wilful stupidity.

[smjjames]

Non-viable as an economic unit because the UK keeps it that way or because of the combination of resources? Just wondering.

Or maybe nonviable in the sense of most US states being non-viable as an economic unit because of both the combination of resources and because it's so connected into the economic network of the rest of the country.

[Great Order]

I'm only posting this here because I don't want to start fouling up the sad thread with British-EU politics.

I've realised (or more accurately, it's properly sunk in) just how authoritarian not-insignificant parts of the UK populace are. I've seen people saying that the "remainer traitors" should all be kicked out of public office (Farage said this, hence how I've been hearing a lot of other people go on about this) for daring to continue to hold their own views and not start slobbering over the cocks of the leaders of the no-deal movement. It's literally akin to how in the 1930s people in Germany weren't allowed to hold office for "betraying" the country, or the McCarthyite lunacy in the US. What's even more astonishing is how utterly in denial they are about the fact that behaviour like this is extraordinarily undemocratic, and they in fact think that it's promoting democracy.

And a large number of people are supporting this out of nothing more than sheer spite. What the actual fuck is wrong with us?

[Il Palazzo]

And a large number of people are supporting this out of nothing more than sheer spite. What the actual fuck is wrong with us?

There's a certain kind of people, who hold the view that democracy means tyranny of the majority over the minority. They're enamoured of authoritarianism and not interested in compromise or coexistence.

[TD1]

They they they

Be not a lofty peak in the midst of a plain. It is illusory.