The Guardian’s Simon Hoggart has some interesting thoughts on the ongoing controversy over flags.
The tremendous fall in violence over the past decade or so has perhaps made us forget that for some people in Northern Ireland the Troubles are not a frightening inconvenience but part of the fabric of their lives and their community. As the rioting continued and the TV images went round the world, members of the Northern Ireland government were trying to drum up investment from China. But how could jobs and prosperity possibly be as important as their eternal, defining hatreds? I have often thought that the politicians’ mantra – “the people of Northern Ireland yearn for peace” – is nonsense. Many of them only yearn for victory.
That works both ways, btw…
Discover more from Slugger O'Toole
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
