Should RP "westernize" "terrorism" by bring up the IRA Irish Republican Army

[Dave Wood]

They committed huge numbers of terrorist acts in Britain to protest (among other things) British troops in Ireland. Last time I checked, the Irish werent brown and called "jihadists".

British troops left and guess what, the terrorist acts stopped. Hmmm sound like something a presidential candidate is saying right now about what causes terrorism??

[freedominnumbers]

I frequently use the situation in Northern Ireland to explain why democracy can't be forced on the middle east.

[Joe3113]

The flaw in trying to spread democracy by force is that people will have residual hatred. Think about it, if you are an Iraqi man and American bombs killed your wife and daughter you would hate ALL Americans for the rest of your life. It's for this reason I don't blame some World War II veterans for hating all Japanese people. It's hard for them because whenever they see someone Japanese, they think of the pain.

[Edward]

They committed huge numbers of terrorist acts in Britain to protest (among other things) British troops in Ireland. Last time I checked, the Irish werent brown and called "jihadists".

British troops left and guess what, the terrorist acts stopped. Hmmm sound like something a presidential candidate is saying right now about what causes terrorism??I understand where you are going with this, but I think the facts are a little different than you have presented. I don't believe British troops were ever in Ireland during The Troubles. British troops were and still are in NORTHERN Ireland as it is part of the UK. (You are correct that many troops have been withdrawn, though.)

[Goldwater Conservative]

The flaw in trying to spread democracy by force is that people will have residual hatred. Think about it, if you are an Iraqi man and American bombs killed your wife and daughter you would hate ALL Americans for the rest of your life.

And then he can vote for radical fundamentalists who will avenge him and others like him. Democracy is called tyranny of the majority for a reason.

[freedominnumbers]

http://www.historyonthenet.com/Chronology/timelinenorthernireland.htm

The English/Irish history is not so terribly different from the "barbaric" history of the middle east.

There are two lessons to be learned.

1. No Entangling Alliances - That's where it all started in Ireland
2. When the british are coming you better get your gun.