187 replies to this topic

[Phil]

More than half their victims were civilians.

I wonder which religion they belonged to.

That happens in every war.

[Marauder]

I don't think he is saying that - I don't think anyone is under any illusions about what the Loyalist groups got up to (with a little help from their friends?).

The argument is that although the Republican Movement, in the form of PIRA and Sinn Fein, was ostensibly a secular movement, it did sometimes act in a sectarian way.

Having stopped all three (Adam, McGuinness & Paisley) at a VCP during the 70's only one was abusive towards the soldiers and he was the Loyalist one, I was also there during the period when the PIRA attacked the OIRA and got a bloody nose.

As bad as the PIRA where they always gave a bomb warning where the Loyalists never.

[Northern Sol]

The fact that Adams and McGuinness were polite isn't the point.

The loyalists didn't use bombs much (at least not since the 70s), they shot people. The IRA used bombs and shot people.

But it's not a contest. The IRA don't get to be nice guys even if the loyalists were worse.

[Northern Sol]

That happens in every war.

Not usually deliberately. That generally comes under the heading of "war crimes".

[longboard]

More than half their victims were civilians.

I wonder which religion they belonged to.

That will be the Christian religion in most cases.

[Methven Hornet]

More than half their victims were civilians.

I wonder which religion they belonged to.

IIRC, the biggest killer of Catholics during "The Troubles" was PIRA.

[Methven Hornet]

Having stopped all three (Adam, McGuinness & Paisley) at a VCP during the 70's only one was abusive towards the soldiers and he was the Loyalist one, I was also there during the period when the PIRA attacked the OIRA and got a bloody nose.

As bad as the PIRA where they always gave a bomb warning where the Loyalists never.

They didn't always give adequate warnings.

[Northern Sol]

IIRC, the biggest killer of Catholics during "The Troubles" was PIRA.

True. Still the loyalists were worse though because Paiseley was rude. Not that Paiseley was a loyalist, he was a hardline unionist that on occasion flirted with loyalism.

But in most cases the IRA targetted Protestants and unsurprisingly most of their civilian victims were Protestants.

[gingerjon]

They didn't always give adequate warnings.

Indeed not.

But they were polite so, y'know, you can forgive them the murder of several thousand people.

[Phil]

. Not that Paiseley was a loyalist, he was a hardline unionist that on occasion flirted with loyalism.

the difference being? In the context of Northern Ireland Loyalist and Unionist are the same thing. Your ignorance of the historical, political and religious background to the troubles is quite astounding.

[Northern Sol]

the difference being? In the context of Northern Ireland Loyalist and Unionist are the same thing. Your ignorance of the historical, political and religious background to the troubles is quite astounding.

No, they aren't that's like saying that nationalist and republican are the same.

Until you know the basic difference between the two groups then perhaps using the word "ignorance" is ill-advised.

[l'angelo mysterioso]

Not usually deliberately. That generally comes under the heading of "war crimes".

would the RAF bomber offensive come under that?
the german flying bomb offensive unguided missiles sent into the heart of cities
the air offensive in Iraq after the first world war, devised by Churchill and Arthur Harris
Hiroshima
Nagasaki
The Tokyo Fire Raids
the strafing of refugees to create chaos amongst retreating armies by both sides in world war 2 and Korea



war isn't a game the idea of having rules is nonsensical

the idea is to win using whatwever means are considered necessary.

what is a civilian? Civilians are part of a country's was effort.

Edited by l'angelo mysterioso, 20 November 2012 - 09:50 AM.

[WearyRhino]

No, they aren't that's like saying that nationalist and republican are the same.

No its not like that at all. The terms 'Loyalist' and 'Unionist' are much more indistinct. To be a loyalist without being a unionist would be nonsensical. It is true that loyalism is a term used by paramilitaries from the protestant tradition but that is largely because of the psychology of swearing oaths and pledges of loyalty present in most military organisations.

[Northern Sol]

Loyalists might be unionists by implication but unionists aren't loyalists.

Again republicans might be nationalists but nationalists aren't republicans.

[Northern Sol]

would the RAF bomber offensive come under that?
the german flying bomb offensive unguided missiles sent into the heart of cities
the air offensive in Iraq after the first world war, devised by Churchill and Arthur Harris
Hiroshima
Nagasaki
The Tokyo Fire Raids
the strafing of refugees to create chaos amongst retreating armies by both sides in world war 2 and Korea



war isn't a game the idea of having rules is nonsensical

the idea is to win using whatwever means are considered necessary.

what is a civilian? Civilians are part of a country's was effort.

Many of those things, including the RAF, would come under war crimes thse days and should have at the time.

However, blowing children (and fortunately the IRA bomb plot against a cub scout parade in Enniskillen was a failure) was okay because those kids might have grown up to be unionists then then this is monsterous.

It would be like me justifying killing random Asians on the grounds that they might support Al Qaeda.

[l'angelo mysterioso]

Many of those things, including the RAF, would come under war crimes thse days and should have at the time.

However, blowing children (and fortunately the IRA bomb plot against a cub scout parade in Enniskillen was a failure) was okay because those kids might have grown up to be unionists then then this is monsterous.

It would be like me justifying killing random Asians on the grounds that they might support Al Qaeda.

I don't think anyone in their right mind would say that was justifiable, and bloody sunday either come to that.


I find the concept of 'war crimes' odd.

for example the RAF bombed germany cities and their population in the belief that it would help win the war: whether that strategy was the correct one-and there's plenty of evidence and argument to show that it wouldn't is besid the point.

My thoughts relate to the reasoninbg behind an act: for instance thr rape of Nanking. There was no military objective there-the victory had been won, the same with the mass rape of german civilians by thr soviet army, the bengal famine.

Edited by l'angelo mysterioso, 20 November 2012 - 01:24 PM.

[Phil]

No, they aren't that's like saying that nationalist and republican are the same.

Until you know the basic difference between the two groups then perhaps using the word "ignorance" is ill-advised.

absolute tripe

[Methven Hornet]

No its not like that at all. The terms 'Loyalist' and 'Unionist' are much more indistinct. To be a loyalist without being a unionist would be nonsensical. It is true that loyalism is a term used by paramilitaries from the protestant tradition but that is largely because of the psychology of swearing oaths and pledges of loyalty present in most military organisations.

It is difficult to define the two, or where the boundary lies, but Loyalism was more about loyalty to the Crown, whereas Unionism stressed the importance of the constitutional link with Great Britain. At certain times some loyalists proposed an independent Ulster, still with the Queen as head of state, but outside of the Union. Similarly, I do know someone from Ulster who would class himself as a unionist but his view is that Great Britain and Northern Ireland should be a republic.

[Northern Sol]

An independent Ulster is what is known as the "Ulster third way". It's associated with unionists and the occasional nationalist as well. When I say "unionists" I mean that they were unionists up to the point when they started coming out with the 3rd way stuff and would probably still consider themselves British.

Loyalists might be loyal to the crown as you say but not to the state since they take up arms outside its authority. Unionists aren't always nice people but they prefer state power to violent militias; partly because they often come from the historically dominant Church of Ireland.

Edited by Northern Sol, 20 November 2012 - 05:00 PM.

[Northern Sol]

absolute tripe

Well that was convincing.