If anyone is in any doubt about the appalling consequences that can happen when people surrender control of their government, then a quick trip to Dublin should open their eyes to the disaster that is Ireland.
Its worth a brief recap of Irish history to set up this essay and please note I am not advocating a return to the armed struggle.
I was fortunate to have had a real education before the dumbing down of the system by 'progressive' politicians who believe that all pupils should be equally stupid in the interests of equality and fairness. (Except their own spawn of course)
We were taught Irish history in some detail including the Parliamentary battles over the Home Rule Bills, the formation of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (the IRB) and the Irish Republican Army (the IRA) who gave up the democratic route, deciding that armed struggle was the only option left for a free and independent Ireland for the Irish people.
We were enlightened about the Irish patriots who were prepared to sacrifice their lives for an independent Ireland. Men like Michael Collins, who incidentally, was killed by his own side for agreeing to an Irish Free State instead of full independence. We were taught how the leaders of the Easter Rising were executed by firing squad including James Connolly who was so badly injured during the uprising that he had to strapped in a chair in order to facilitate his execution.
The Irish struggle for Home Rule finally achieved success with setting up of the Irish Republic complete with its own Parliament (the Dail). The violence of the armed struggle did not end however, due to the fact that the six counties of the north remained under British rule.
Those born in the 50's and 60's will recall with horror the IRA bombing campaigns in Northern Ireland and mainland Britain. New Irish hero's emerged who were prepared to kill and maim innocent people and put their own lives on the line to achieve Home Rule for the complete island of Ireland. Bobby Sands MP who starved himself to death together with countless other patriots made the ultimate sacrifice for their 'cause'.
The apologists for the IRA at the time were none other than Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness who were frequent guests of the BBC and who's job it appeared to was to justify the carnage in pursuit of Irish Home Rule.
A visit to Dublin today reveals what remains of Irish independence and the Home Rule that was bought at such a high price i.e nothing much. Dublin is a sad and sorry place, a shadow of its former self. Apart from the austerity and EU imposed poverty, whole areas of the city have been colonised by third world immigrants to extents that the city is unrecognisable as the capital city of the Irish Republic. Derelict housing estates litter the city landscape and poverty is apparent around every corner. There was even a demonstration by what appeared to Somali's demanding more welfare entitlements and better housing.
The governance of this independent country has been handed over lock, stock and armalite to the post democratic bureaucrats of the European Union. The Irish have no control whatsoever over their borders or more importantly their economy. EU enforced austerity has impoverished the Irish people for generations to come and there doesn't appear to be anything they can do about it even if they wanted to.
The Irish people gave the dispossessed people of the European Union hope when they rejected the Lisbon Constitution in a referendum that the rest of the populations were denied. This was not acceptable to the authoritarians and tyrants that rule the EU, who responded by ordering a re-run of the vote. They then proceeded to bully, bribe and lie their way to an acceptable result with the inevitable consequences. Democracy is suspended and the Irish people are ruled directly by the authoritarians from Brussels
Apart from the scandal of Guinness costing more per pint in the city where it is brewed than on mainland Britain, the attitude of the Irish people I met causes the most surprise. Their spirits appear to be crushed and they came across as a whining, hand wringing bunch of bleeding heart 'progressives' bleating about unfairness and poverty in African while their own country is mired in EU imposed austerity. I guess this is a result of the constant hand wringing by tax avoiding, mega rich superstars, Saints Bono and Geldof.
The political, economic and social conditions in Ireland today are worse than they ever were under British rule. Identical conditions now exist that resulted in the formation of the IRB and the IRA so where is Gerry Adams and his mate Martin McGuiness and where are the IRA members who fought for the Home Rule cause?
Ireland has been re-colonised and is once again ruled by a foreign power. The Irish people have been subjugated by an enemy that openly campaigns for the end of Ireland as an independent nation state. Surely that cannot be acceptable to Irish patriots of the like of Adams and McGuiness.
The truth is that the Irish political class, North and South including Adams, McGuiness, Biffo Cowan and the rest of the shysters have sold out their people to EU political establishment in exchange for thirty pieces of silver. Naturally they will not be suffering the poverty and indignity that they have visited upon the Irish people and will continue to enjoy their tax payer funded salaries, expenses accounts and gold plated pensions.
The sad part is that the armed struggle in pursuit of Home Rule was a waste of human life that can never, ever be justified. With hindsight the bloodshed, pain and misery was all for nothing except for the fact that its perpetrators, facilitators and supporters now divorce themselves from the cause they supported and live as parasites on the suffering of others.
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On a personal note. I am still going around visiting some old stamping grounds. Its been enlightening with a few eye openers. Blogging will be sporadic for a couple more weeks.