On Obama in Dublin and London and special relationships

What do you suppose “equality” means in relations between States?  Last week much was made of the newfound equality between the UK and Ireland. But this week, if anybody claimed equality between the UK and US, they’d be laughed out of court. Is this a case of double standards?  Part of the answer lies in our old friend “parity of esteem.”  Nobody in their right mind can believe there can be any innate superiority of an Irish over a British …

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A perfect defence against anti-queen whingers?

A fresh attempt to write satire by Newton Emerson in today’s Irish Times with what he has grandly styled an armoury of facts: a perfect defence against anti-queen whingers. In total he provides twelve rebuttals including several to arguments I’ve never ever heard made anywhere (including many of the not-so-royalist hostelries in Belfast and environs). So far, most people I’ve met (in the south) don’t seem to care either way, if they even hold an opinion on the subject. I suspect there may be less of an issue with protests …

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