Strategy for unity barely visible under wreckage

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Emerson has delivered an excellent analysis here; although I was under the impression that 'TUAS' stood for 'tactical use of Armani suits'.

Mr Emerson is hardly the biggest fan of Irish republicanism of any variety. His excellent analysis is not that excellent in my opinion. It would be worthy of a Sun journalist. In my opinion Mr Emerson is just the another friend of the union trying to sow discord among republicans.

I love the smell of lazy, shinner petulance in the morning.
Rather than whine about the evils of Mr Emerson, given his Unionist upbringing, how about actually dealing with the content of his analysis?

Strange that you view it as an analysis rather than view it as one of his tired 'comic' pieces. How can you tell the difference?

He's not trying to be funny Pat. He's decribing a sick joke.

This Shinner has never been lazy or petulant when it comes to politics however what I am is a regular reader of Mr Emerson's column. I made no mention of Mr Emerson's religion or upbringing. I know for sure he is no friend of Irish unity or Irish republicanism. I agree that parts of his analysis has some validity but it is the sneering and jeering parts of it that I am not into.

I am a member of Sinn Féin, someone who is not totally happy with the direction the republican movement is moving in. However much happier that we are not seeing massacres every weekend as was the case in pre-GFA six counties. I have many misgivings about the honesty of the leadership of the movement and whether they do indeed have a stategy for unity. I am beginning to doubt it to be honest.I personally am not that bothered by what form of unity we have and I don't even mind a federal solution...as long as the Irish people choose it. So your critique of me is unjust Mr Crowley.

I started to read his analysis and got as far a the fourth paragraph and gave up.

Emerson should have noticed that it has been mentioned quite a bit recently, in that respect he is just plain wrong

There is no evidence that they are attracting anyone, no more so than when the bombed Omagh.

A unionist take on a UI and you describe it as analysis, god help you.

One, it is clear, Mr Crowley and Newton Emerson both fail to understand the PIRA campaign and fail also to understand the dissident activities.

Two, it shows a certain lack of political sophistication to focus on SF pronouncements regarding 'strategy' or otherwise.

A very low to mild to strong level of 'dissident' Republican activity has always been present in NI since well before the foundation of the NI political entity, and certainly since 1922. This is not because of the ideology of Nationalism, but because of the inherent power (im)balance between two communities which, unlike say, the ROI, is not just about a majority and an obvious minority. The fact that one of these, relatively balanced, communities has always attempted to lord it over the other has caused this perpetuel problem.

The problem has, more or less, been resolved in the form of the Assembly and GFA. Political accountability and justice can be accessed by both communities. Most people in NI realise this but because there is now a cultural legacy of political violence, not around in other states, there is a residual need for political justice and fairness to be seen to be carried out in a manner much more overt, and dilligently, than, say in the ROI. If it isn't, perceived or real political injustices will be in danger of being addressed by violent political agitation.

NI is only in the process of becoming a functioning democracy.

The 'strategy' of such Republicans, such as it is, has never changed, all that changed with the PIRA campaign was that a confluence of factors, namely, attempts to begin political reform of the unjust state being violently opposed by a unionist community - which controlled the physical forces of the state, a newly educated Catholic population who were unwilling to let this go, and a cackhanded, biased, anti-Catholic British Army strategy fanned the flames of physical force Nationalism into a 30 year war.

To get ones knickers in a knot because of SF waffle about 'strategy' regarding a United Ireland is to buy into their own self-perception and self-description as national war heros.

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I have opinions of my own - strong opinions - but I don't always agree with them. - George Bush

That's an honest and decent response. I would urge you to continuously question the direction and motivation of the PRM. If you are honest and decent and continue to question you won't be with them much longer.

No you picked wee bits out to poke at Pat. How about explaining to us the shinner strategy for unification. That'll be funnier than anything Emerson could ever write.