Support NeoGAF

[Masquerader]

So. Here's a quick disclaimer that I couldn't fit in the title: This isn't a positive article.

Now that that's out of the way, allow me to be the first to say that yes, there has been improvement in this country over the past few years. I admit, I'm too young to know for sure, but it's definitely improved. We no longer have bombs going off everywhere, the army are no longer shooting random people, and everyone's less dead as a result.

That said, this doesn't stop it from being what is, in my opinion, the disgusting tumour of the UK. Indeed, all of Western Europe.

Here are some lovely articles as the many examples that I make my case with:

]Voted against gay marriage in 2014

Particularly appalling was the behaviour of our Unionists. The Ulster Unionist Party permitted their members to a 'conscience vote' which served merely to decentralise accountability away from the party leadership. Unsurprisingly, of course, the Democratic Unionist Party were against the motion from the beginning. In one of their most repugnant moves yet, they tabled a petition of concern to ensure that they could veto the Assembly's decision. Petitions of concern were instituted by the Good Friday Agreement to ensure that communities could be protected through voting based on weighted majorities. The DUP subverted this consociationalist mechanism to their own prejudiced ends, serving to nullify the debate before it began. But then, I don't suppose we could've expected much more from the party whose members have sought to prevent gay men giving blood, suggested gay people be 'cured', conflated homosexuality and paedophilia, and who wished to 'Save Ulster from Sodomy' in 1976 by campaigning against the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

NI's leader says homosexuals are 'abominations'

The First Minister told the BBC Northern Ireland Hearts and Minds programme: “It wasn’t Iris Robinson who determined that homosexuality was an abomination, it was the Almighty.

“This is the Scriptures and it is a strange world indeed where somebody on the one hand talks about equality, but won’t allow Christians to have the equality, the right to speak, the right to express their views.”

We've got lots of racism, too.

According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), in the 12 months to June 2014 racist incidents rose by 36%, from 830 to 1,132. In the same period, racist crimes increased by 51%, from 525 to 796.

Most of the increase is concentrated within Belfast, where on average a racially motivated offence takes place at least once a day.

Here's some more accounts.

Her husband said the racist bullying of one son got so bad he had to take him out of a local Catholic secondary school. "I couldn't believe this was happening in a Catholic area where I wanted the family to settle. It was near to work, close to the city centre, not far from the university district and some good schools. But after all we have been put through we are seriously considering moving out to another part of Belfast," he said.

His wife said the children of the family behind most of the intimidation called her sons and daughter "monkeys" and told them to go back to Israel. "They bullied a single Polish mother and her children out of the same area and I know for a fact they are putting pressure on an African lady who lives in the same street. Yet the police up until very recently were not prepared to take action against these people," she said.

Rima stressed she had "many, many good friends" among the locally born population in the Lower Ormeau but believed neighbours were terrified of their tormentors. She added: "In a strange way I could cope with this better if it was happening in a loyalist, Protestant area. At least they are upfront and open about the way some of them in that community treat foreigners. In this area, among people of the same faith, it is more a case of being smiled at to your face and then stabbed in the back."

Sounds like a few isolated incidents? Not when the leader of the country is racist as well (the apology's a load of shit, for the record).

And now, a right to discriminate law is being proposed (thanks to 'Cakegate', no less).

So, why is this country the way it is? Well, mainly religion. Catholicism and Protestantism have hated each other for the past hundred years, and now they've been told to be nice to each other by the UK. So, why are they allowed to disobey basic human rights? It's starting to piss me off, because I can't seriously fathom why the issues have not been solved, nor why outside influence has been little to nonexistent. Is it right to allow this country to continue to dicriminate against anyone who isn't straight and white? Because sitting here in it as a second-class citizen forced to largely hide his sexuality, I'm starting to get the impression that it is.

Here's another thing: Peter Robinson is 63. 63. If David Cameron was 63, he'd have to be the best world leader ever to have existed to stay in. Yet amidst Robinson's age, homophobia, racism, squandering of money, ineptitude, hatred of other religions, and general all-round awfulness, how the HELL hasn't he been sacked? It's just baffling. In any other western country, he would be.

Anyone else in the UK tired of NI's general bullshit?

 

[Cocaloch]

So, why is this country the way it is? Well, mainly religion. Catholicism and Protestantism have hated each other for the past hundred years, and now they've been told to be nice to each other by the UK.

I think this is a pretty simplistic answer. The religious aspect is just derivative of the core ethnic/nationalistic/cultural issue.

On topic, yes the country has a huge number of problems, but I honestly have no idea what could be done to fix it.

 

[Masquerader]

I think this is a pretty simplistic answer. The religious aspect is just derivative of the core ethnic/nationalistic/cultural issue.

On topic, yes the country has a huge number of problems, but I honestly have no idea what could be done to fix it.

Yeah, I always guessed it's just an excuse by now. Really, it's questionable how many of the religious people here actually believe in their religion.

As for fixing it, I'd seriously never usually say this, but the death of Peter Robinson would be a step in the right direction.

 

[kmag]

Honestly, I have no idea why the rest of the UK puts up with it, it really is one of the last vestiges of British colonialism, just hand it back to Ireland if they'd take it and let them sort it out. We can always put the worst of the knuckle draggers on Rockall or St Kilda if it's a sticking point.


My favourite tit for tatism in NI is Ulster Scots, and the funding the unionists got for it just because the Republicans were getting funding for the Irish language.

I mean look it,http://www.psni.police.uk/ulster_scots.pdf fucking look at it it's a fucking nonsense. It's essentially someone writing down English words in an attempt to replicate the accent

 

[Dazzler]

I'm from the Republic of Ireland and I hope we never get a united Ireland purely because of how many morons we'd be inheriting from the UK

 

[Roders5]

Half the politicians are idiots who hide silly views behind religion and the other half is full of ex terrorists/murderers who don't want the country they govern to actually exist. Not a great combination.

 

[BertramCooper]

At least you've got a pretty sweet flag.

 

[monreader]

just hand it back to Ireland if they'd take it and let them sort it out.

There is not a hope of it working out with the financial state of Ireland, and why should the Irish sort it out. It is a part of the UK, and the reason Northern Ireland is in this state is due to the English colonialism back in the day, so if anyone should sort it out, it should be the English Government...

 

[thequickandthedead]

Slightly OT but is there a good documentary that chronicles Ireland's history?

 

[monreader]

Slightly OT but is there a good documentary that chronicles Ireland's history?

Its long but worth a look. Great documentary!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN0ndWAgA6o

 

[kmag]

There is not a hope of it working out with the financial state of Ireland, and why should the Irish sort it out. It is a part of the UK, and the reason Northern Ireland is in this state is due to the English colonialism back in the day, so if anyone should sort it out, it should be the English Government...

That why I say if they'd take it. I wouldn't. Worse case both Ireland and the rest of the UK wipes their hands and they're left to sort it out without the shields of their respective 'nationalism' to cover their hatred.

Sucks for the normal folk there, but they keep voting the same bigotted fuckers in so my sympathy is pretty low.

And your right it is all the British fault (well in this case technically it's just the English as they invaded before the act of Union but I suppose it was the cackhanded partition which is the root of the modern issues and that's the UK's fault) but there's no way Britain can resolve it as any continuation of the current settlement is just feeding the stupidity at this point.

 

[monreader]

Sucks for the normal folk there, but they keep voting the same bigotted fuckers in so my sympathy is pretty low.

True that. Something serious has to be done with Northern Ireland now, because the future is looking bleak for it.

 

[Thing on a Spring]

It's a thoroughly embarrassing place to call home.

 

[Salvadora]

How can people in here seriously suggest giving NI to the R.O.I when it's part of the U.K and a signifcant portion of the population considers themselves British.

 

[operon]

We need the bugs bunny gif changed to northern Ireland and I say that as an inhabitant.

 

[DrFurbs]

The leaders of N.I dont really represent the views on the ground tbh. Many people here accept gay marriages on so on.

N.I is okay if you leave or ignore the politics. I live in N.I BTW and have always hatred it but trust me there are worse places to live. Were doing OK.. Progress is slow and sometimes one step forward 2 back.. But overall were better than what we were.

The problems the OP describes is present in most places or have different problems. It's all relative.

 

[Thing on a Spring]

How can people in here seriously suggest giving NI to the R.O.I when it's part of the U.K and a signifcant portion of the population considers themselves British.

I honestly have no idea if you're being serious but in the event that you are being serious, then further to my previous post, I'll refer to you as exhibit A.

 

[operon]

How can people in here seriously suggest giving NI to the R.O.I when it's part of the U.K and a signifcant portion of the population considers themselves British.

Because the Scottish referendum opened the can of worms that is more money spent in other regions than England and mp's from their having a say over English issues

 

[Deleted member 231381]

That why I say if they'd take it. I wouldn't. Worse case both Ireland and the rest of the UK wipes their hands and they're left to sort it out without the shields of their respective 'nationalism' to cover their hatred.

Sucks for the normal folk there, but they keep voting the same bigotted fuckers in so my sympathy is pretty low.

And your right it is all the British fault (well in this case technically it's just the English as they invaded before the act of Union but I suppose it was the cackhanded partition which is the root of the modern issues and that's the UK's fault) but there's no way Britain can resolve it as any continuation of the current settlement is just feeding the stupidity at this point.

Och, no ye don't laddie. The reason it's Ulster Scots is 'cause it were James VI of Scotland's plan, an' he were sure to make it a British venture. The majority of the Ulster Plantation was Scottish, partially because the awarding of land was a foible by James to reassure the Scottish people he hadn't abandoned them for London (lel, Westminster at it again), and partially because Scottish people had already been settling Ulster anyway since the late 13th century as the Irish invited gallóglaigh over as mercenaries in clan wars. This is at least as much Scotland's problem as it is England's.

Us Welshmen are innocent though.

 

[Salvadora]

I honestly have no idea if you're being serious but in the event that you are being serious, then further to my previous post, I'll refer to you as exhibit A.

?

There are multiple posts from people in this thread calling for the rest of the UK to wash their hands of NI and hand it over to Ireland. That literally makes zero sense given the modern political climate.

I'm really not sure how you've interpreted my post else how.

 

[Dazzler]

If Westminster offered NI to Dublin tomorrow they'd turn it down on account of not being able to afford it

Re-unification is not happening in our lifetime friends

 

[Masquerader]

The leaders of N.I dont really represent the views on the ground tbh. Many people here accept gay marriages on so on.

N.I is okay if you leave or ignore the politics. I live in N.I BTW and have always hatred it but trust me there are worse places to live. Were doing OK.. Progress is slow and sometimes one step forward 2 back.. But overall were better than what we were.

The problems the OP describes is present in most places or have different problems. It's all relative.

Ehh. I can't get married to who I want to get married to. I could ignore politics, but the politics wouldn't ignore me. Until you can't get married, you probably wouldn't know that feeling when some religious idiots in power dictate whether or not you can marry. I know you meant no offense, but it's kinda ignorant to assume that it all affects everyone equally. Also, it's kinda difficult to believe that many people accept gay marriage. I'd seriously say that about 9/10 people I've met have a problem with my sexuality. But eh, I have a problem with their fat beer guts, so it all works out.

And yeah, there are worse places to live. I said things are better, didn't I? It's just that these problems aren't as present as they are in the rest of the UK, which was why I made the thread in the first place.

 

[Gallbaro]

The Israel of the West.

 

[Delusibeta]

Politics in Northern Ireland is still Protestants vs Catholics, and short of other parties coming in (and considering the only UK parties that are bothering to stand in any NI seat are the Tories, UKIP and the Greens, loooooooooool), that's not going to change. Unsurprisingly, they also tend to go by the book (and by "book", I mean "Bible"), so nuffin for the gays and no abortions (unless deemed required to preserve the mother's health. No, rape and incest doesn't qualify).

Will this ever change? Probably not, since voting for someone else would mean The Other Side would get in. (insert that bit of Hitchhiker about voting for lizards here)

As for reunification, aside from the high probability that the RoI government would turn it down, there's also the high probability of such a move reigniting the Troubles.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

Northern Ireland, and Northern Irish people are awful. Least the ones I know, my own relatives mind. I come up from the Republic to do my shopping there, in and out quick as possible.

 

[Senator Soufflé]

Too many people living in the past, scum breeds scum, nothing changes.

I enjoy how shit it is here.

 

[Meadows]

yeah, it's a shithole

 

[terrisus]

The Good Friday Agreement and all of that doesn't even seem that long ago.

But then, the handover of Hong Kong doesn't seem that long ago either...
I guess I'm just getting old >.>

 

[John Kowalski]

Did you know? From Austria's perspective it's actually South Ireland.

 

[Walshicus]

How can people in here seriously suggest giving NI to the R.O.I when it's part of the U.K and a signifcant portion of the population considers themselves British.

Because as an Englishman I don't really care enough about Northern Ireland to keep it in the same state.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

When I lived in england, before moving to the republic, I rarely if ever heard about NI. Now I hear about it and see how shit it is quite a lot.