A matter of identity
Well now. Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Permatan Hain, has announced that the IRA the given up criminality. Incredibly, though, his statement goes on to say, "There probably is still some localised individual criminality by former and maybe existing Provisional IRA members for their own private gain". (Oh, that's all right then).
Quick question, Pete: if members of the IRA murder someone, did the IRA murder them or was it just a couple of smackworthy scamps? Whether it was "sanctioned from the centre" or not doesn't matter a jot. Any fool will tell you it was the IRA.
So when members of that same IRA use their terrorist expertise and resources to flout the law of the land (both North and South) for personal, selfish gain at other people's cost, that too is the IRA. Lordy, how intelligent do you have to be to see that?
If you spent less time exposing your brain to sunbed rays, Pete, you'd register that these men are hardened criminals, anti-democratic, anti-constitution and anti-everything that doesn't fill their homes with ill-gotten gains. And, yes, the same goes for their many counterparts in other organisations.
You see, that's the problem: the organisations are still at work. Yes, I'm glad they're not murdering any more, but they now have to stop stealing too.
posted by B.U. @ 11:25 a.m.
7 comments
7 Comments:
I agree wholeheartedly. Remember "they haven't gone away you know".
I disagree John. Yes, these people have been tied up in criminality for years as part of the IRA, but my guess is they have few marketable skills and offputting convictions on their CVs.
It is inevitable that former terrorists will continue along the familiar path, Republican or Loyalist.
What matters is that they are susceptible to the rule of law and can be caught and held accountable for their crimes. Of course, that means certain parties will have to start supporting the police service...!
Mr Levee, please explain why you stated that;
"It is inevitable that former terrorists will continue along the familiar path, Republican or Loyalist."
And maybe you could describe what that path is and how they came to be on it.
I am a member of MENSA, if I rob a bank is MENSA to blame?
I am a member of the Law Society of England and Wales, if I extort money from builders is the Law Society to blame?
I am a member of the GAA, if I smack some bloke with a baseball bat is the GAA to blame?
Not up to your usual standard John
If you win a brainy person's competition and MENSA showed you how to do it, MENSA's to blame, especially if you used the contacts within MENSA to build up your circle of fear.
And if you smack a bloke with a hurling bat after the GAA said they were decommissioned, yes, the GAA would have a case to answer.
The IRA can't claim not to be an active criminal organisation until its members stop committing crimes. (And lest you think I'm being partisan, Chris, the same goes for the UVF, UFF, UDA, INLA and the rest of them).
As a member of the Law Society of England & Wales I hope you feel a responsibility to promote strict adherence to the laws of the UK, and Éire too of course.
whatever your opinions on his policies BU it is not very big to use terms like Permatan etc. like on Slugger play the ball not the man
Anonymous, you have a point of course. I just can't stand insincerity, and the NuLabour plastic image brigade eat me up something rotten.
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