Is Irish Unification in the near future?

[Vandal Warlord]

Is it?

 

[Quackers]

Too many Protestants they wouldn't allow it.

 

[Lord Baal]

Seems highly unlikely. Most of the North doesn't seem to want it.

 

[Plotinus]

How could it possibly be?

 

[Lord Baal]

How could it possibly be?

According to Star Trek, it gets unified sometime in the 2020s, through terrorism. So hang in there Ireland! Only 12 more years of bombings to go!

 

[privatehudson]

Depending on what is meant by the near future I'd say a definite no.

 

[RedRalph]

Will probably happen in my lifetimne, but its not around the corner, no.

 

[aronnax]

There are Brits living there in vast quantities. Not a chance for the next 50 years.

 

[~Corsair#01~]

I can't see any progress being made any time soon. Since Westminster will only allow it if a clear majority of people here support it, there would have to be a large part of the current Unionist community shifting sides. That simply won't happen.

Also, even a moderate Protestant like myself would be unable to consider it while Sinn Fein dominates the nationalist vote. Doing so would just be caving in to murder and terrorism.

 

[Vandal Warlord]

I can't see any progress being made any time soon. Since Westminster will only allow it if a clear majority of people here support it, there would have to be a large part of the current Unionist community shifting sides. That simply won't happen.

Also, even a moderate Protestant like myself would be unable to consider it while Sinn Fein dominates the nationalist vote. Doing so would just be caving in to murder and terrorism.

*Playing Devil's Advocate*
So you would rather more people die, until the IRA get bored?

 

[RedRalph]

I can't see any progress being made any time soon. Since Westminster will only allow it if a clear majority of people here support it, there would have to be a large part of the current Unionist community shifting sides. That simply won't happen.

Also, even a moderate Protestant like myself would be unable to consider it while Sinn Fein dominates the nationalist vote. Doing so would just be caving in to murder and terrorism.

I think it will eventually happen at a stage when its irrelevant, because we will be so integrated to the EU myself.

 

[Plotinus]

*Playing Devil's Advocate*
So you would rather more people die, until the IRA get bored?

There are plenty of Unionist paramilitaries and terrorists who would see to it that people continued to die after any caving in to the IRA. That is why it's such a problem.

 

[~Corsair#01~]

*Playing Devil's Advocate*
So you would rather more people die, until the IRA get bored?

I would certainly rather have dozens or hundreds of deaths than concede to terrorism. Democratic governments cannot simply be at the mercy of any band of armed brigands that wants to dictate policy.

I think it will eventually happen at a stage when its irrelevant, because we will be so integrated to the EU myself.

It is already basically irrelevant. The only practical changes that unification would bring would be the Euro, a different education system and a reduction in public sector employment. This last item would be pretty big though, as the NI economy is based on the public sector, which depends on subsidies from Britain.

 

[chad187]

Yes Ireland will eventually be unified with the rest of Britain

 

[RedRalph]

It is already basically irrelevant. The only practical changes that unification would bring would be the Euro, a different education system and a reduction in public sector employment. This last item would be pretty big though, as the NI economy is based on the public sector, which depends on subsidies from Britain.

Thgis is mostly true. So, what would change your mind Corsair? What could the Republic do that might change the Unionists' minds and accept unification?

 

[Traitorfish]

I wonder, if anyone has any opinions, what role the diminishing influence of religion in politics may have in potential reunification? As Ulster Brits gradually cease to self-identify as Protestant, do you think that they may come to self-identify as Irish rather than British? It's not incorrect to say that the division in national identity was heavily inspired by the division in religion, at least from the Unionist perspective.

 

[Mad Man]

Unless you count the time they spent under British rule, Ireland has never been a unified country and I don't see that changing any time soon.

 

[Moggy]

I think it will eventually happen at a stage when its irrelevant, because we will be so integrated to the EU myself.

This.

 

[RedRalph]

I wonder, if anyone has any opinions, what role the diminishing influence of religion in politics may have in potential reunification? As Ulster Brits gradually cease to self-identify as Protestant, do you think that they may come to self-identify as Irish rather than British? It's not incorrect to say that the division in national identity was heavily inspired by the division in religion, at least from the Unionist perspective.

Well self-identifying as Catholic here in the Republic has become a hell of a lot less important now than it was even when I was a kid, but I dont think the trend is the same in the north. From what I can see, sadly, the Prods in the north seems to be following the American fundamentalist model, i.e. homophobic, creationist etc, but that is a generalisation.

 

[Vandal Warlord]

Well self-identifying as Catholic here in the Republic has become a hell of a lot less important now than it was even when I was a kid, but I dont think the trend is the same in the north. From what I can see, sadly, the Prods in the north seems to be following the American fundamentalist model, i.e. homophobic, creationist etc, but that is a generalisation.

Not all of us Americans are like that, but, the majority of us are.