Slugger O'Toole

This user has not yet written a description

Latest comments from bigchiefally (see all)

bigchiefally has commented 24 times (0 in the last month).

1. Comment on Time to expose collusion
   on 19 April 2010 at 7:51 pm

   We either have a proper SA style truth and reconcilliation commision, where you come forward, get amnesty, tell all etc and if you dont your crime is investigated as any other murder, or we put it all behind us.

   My preference was for the SA approach, but we have missed the boat on that. It was something all non SF parties should have demanded when the GFA was being done, but they didnt, and there is no way our Deputy First Minister is now going to announce all the people he killed. Even if everyone else could be convinced of the need to air dirty laundry SF have a veto in the assembly and will go nowhere near it.

   At the minute we are doing neither this or the put it all behind us approach. We have a half way house, where a small number of UK gov/army/police attrocities are being investigated, generally without any teeth, and calls are coming in for new investigations into British actions during the troubles on a regular basis.

   I am far from saying the RUC, British Gov, Army etc were blameless, that would be stupid and wrong, but I do find it ridiculous that the people who often do call for the enquiries are in a lot of cases far from blameless themselves.

   As hard as it is on the relatives of those killed by the paramilitaries or state agents, in the abscence of the SA style commission we need to put their deaths behind us, acknowledge that all sides did wrong and look to the future.

   Go to comment

2. Comment on I have no idea what to do with my ballot
   on 15 April 2010 at 2:06 pm

   JR – when you ask “do you not think you are asking much more of nationalists in the event of a UI than you are prepared to give within NI” if by “you” you mean the collective ruling unionists in NI since partition, then yes you are right. If though be “you” you mean me, then I am not sure how you would know. I would be quite happy to have an anthem that wasnt GSTQ for NI sporting teams, and I have no idea why the NI flag took the English cross of St George from the Union flag rather than the Irish cross of St Patrick. Swap the crosses and I think you have a pretty good representation of NI, St Patrick Cross – Irish, Crown – British, Red Hand – Ulster. Though I wouldnt have a problem coming up with something else.

   The bigger point though is that Nationalists are the ones who need to convince Unionists of the usefulness of a UI and the welcome they would receive in it if they want a change in the status quo. Unionists should have been attempting to convince nationalists that the Union is a good thing for years. They havent, which has been stupid and short sighted, but at least they have the excuse that they are constitutionally where they want to be. The onus isnt on them. Morally this might be unfair, but many things in life are I suppose.

   On Irish, I think we will just have to agree to differ on this one!

   Go to comment

3. Comment on I have no idea what to do with my ballot
   on 14 April 2010 at 6:12 pm

   pippakin – have you ever heard a nationalist politician say that in a UI these sorts of things can be changed? I havent. I suppose I havent heard too many unionists politicians selling the union with its NHS and lower personal taxation to nationalists a huge amount either but dumb ideas dont make a smart one.

   On Irish I have no issue at all with anyone learning it, speaking it, whatever in their private and social life. I dont have an issue with government funding for it in cultural and arts projects and festivals as long as there is an effort to include non speakers. I might think there are more useful second languages to go with but I genuinely say good luck in your efforts to learn it, anyone who puts the effort into learning a language deserves considerable respect. My only real issue with it is those who try and push Irish into public use as a national language. By public use I mean translating state documents into it, government offices having speakers, the assembly having full time translators etc. Doing this annoys me, like it does many unionists (which in some eyes may well be the point) as we all know that unlike the republic there arent any non English speaking Irish speakers here. No one will be getting access to services that previously werent. As far as I can see the main reason to push its use in this area is to make NI feel a more gaelic irish entity.

   Now, there is nothing wrong with being gaelic irish, but in NI we arent all of that ilk so spending a lot of money on policies that purely are geared towards pushing us down that road seems daft. When many unionists think of nationalist policies this is something they think of, which puts them off a UI even more. I wonder how many nationalist politicians ever stop and think “Hmmm, we fight and fight for this policy, that isnt really going to help any of our people other than maybe providing a brief warm, tricoloured glow when they, say, go into the local council offices and prior to conducting their business in their native language of english they see they could also talk in irish. In doing this we antagonise and further alienate unionists against our ultimate goal of a united irish state. Maybe this isnt exactly what we should be doing?”. That seems to be the line you were heading down, and if so, I definitely agree.

   The fact the BNP is only lately getting more power, and still comparably little, but both the far right and first past the post have been here a long time make me think first past the post isnt a major reason for their rise. In a global scheme of things the UKs consitituencies are pretty small. In NI with MEPs, MPs and MLAs do you not think we are massively over governed?

   Go to comment

4. Comment on I have no idea what to do with my ballot
   on 14 April 2010 at 4:41 pm

   pippakin – I am not sure it is the reason for the rise in far right parties in the UK. Compared to a lot of other european countries with non first past the post elections the UK has had a vastly smaller far right support.

   Just on the UI issue – would you be happy for a UI to have say, a new anthem, a new flag, no requirement for public workers to have irish language, even maybe to rejoin the Commonwealth (whilst retaining an Irish head of state)?

   Go to comment

5. Comment on I have no idea what to do with my ballot
   on 14 April 2010 at 3:58 pm

   Midulsterunionist – would you feel the same if it was a large sdlp vote rather than one for mcGuiness?

   Go to comment

6. Comment on I have no idea what to do with my ballot
   on 14 April 2010 at 3:41 pm

   pippakin – I think Unionists will always be threatened by a large SF vote because of what they represent to Unionists, but I think most dont fear an SDLP vote.

   You may be that rare thing, a nationalist who is aware that for a United Ireland to happen, Unionists have to be persuaded of its benefits to them. I may disagree with you about the comparable benefits but SF and the SDLP never speak to unionists about this, instead focusing on issues that to be honest make Unionists hate the idea.

   Go to comment

7. Comment on Sinn Fein offer for Nationalist Pact spurned
   on 14 April 2010 at 3:30 pm

   Daisy – I doubt there will be many unionists who are going to punish UU or DUP for trying to get rid of a SF MP.

   A few more might feel disquiet if the same thing happened against a SDLP man but I doubt huge numbers.

   Personally, I admire the SDLP for their decision but overall I really see no problem with any of it, we have a one issue election, so if all anyone cares about is “UK or United Ireland” then it makes sense for both sides to align into 2 blocks.

   Go to comment

8. Comment on I have no idea what to do with my ballot
   on 14 April 2010 at 2:55 pm

   pippakin – my issue is your comment “we are heartened when we see our cause advancing through the numbers”. It isnt an unusual view but this one-issue-ness, even from someone who seems quite moderate in many of their posts, is why we dont have even vaguely normal politics here.

   For many people it all does come down to a headcount, which is why I was very surprised at the “annoyance”, fake or real, displayed by SDLP and SF at the Unity candidate in FST. How many prods every vote for SF? Or catholics for DUP? It is all a sectarian headcount!

   I dont think unionists are ever going to be non-threatened by a large SF vote in NI. Large SDLP or indeed FF/FG votes here might cause some disquiet in unionist minds (though I honestly doubt many would be that worried) but nothing like seeing 60+% of the nationalist population voting SF.

   Go to comment

9. Comment on I have no idea what to do with my ballot
   on 14 April 2010 at 2:15 pm

   pippakin – A vote for SF or the SDLP, in, say, East Belfast brings us closer to a United Ireland? A DUP/UUP vote in West Belfast keeps us in the UK?

   Does this mean every NI election is effectively a referendum on the border and nothing else?

   Is that really it? Depressing.

   Go to comment

10. Comment on Sinn Fein offer for Nationalist Pact spurned
    on 14 April 2010 at 2:00 pm

    Good on the SDLP. First time I have thought that in a long while. They seem to have been attempting to out-SF SF for years, and looking at their election results this strategy is clearly not working.

    I wonder, is there any scope within NI for a liberal party, who are very keen on a united ireland but do not have this as their sole aim and are keen and able to work for their constituents within whatever jurisdiction they reside in?

    Go to comment