Comments by "Taint ABird" (@taintabird23) on "AP Archive" channel.

It is a fact that IRA did not recognise the southern Irish state (until 1986). They were responsible for bank robberies, kidnappings, the deaths of numerous Irish policemen, one soldier and at least one politician. Armed robbery was unheard of in the republic until the IRA started it in 1970.
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Ridiculous statement. The only casualties the Irish Army has experienced in defence of the state has been at the hands of the IRA.
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There is overwhelming evidence that the English people who voted for Brexit do not, on the whole, care about the United Kingdom and in particular do not care about that part of it called Northern Ireland. Asked in the recent Future of England survey whether “the unravelling of the peace process in Northern Ireland” was a “price worth paying” for Brexit that allows them to “take back control”, fully 83% of leave voters and 73% of Conservative voters in England agreed that it was. Three-quarters of English leave voters said they did not want their taxes to be used to subsidise public services in Northern Ireland. A recent major Channel 4 survey, asked how they would feel if “Brexit leads to Northern Ireland leaving the UK and joining the Republic of Ireland”, 61% of leave voters said they would be “not very concerned” or “not at all concerned”.These are two seismic shifts. Neither of them is caused by anyone in Ireland. They are products of the rise of English nationalism and of the great Brexit upheaval that has left Britain so deeply uncertain about its identity and its place in the world.
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'The future EU Army will be glad to conscript the youth of Scotland.' Why can't the Scots vote to opt out of the EU army like other nations have done? The UK has plenty of opt-outs already and they have always held - why can't Scotland do the same? 'Nicola has not outlined what she expects to get from the EU if Scotland were to join. How is Scotland, with no Barnet money, no EU acceptance for a while going to manage it''s finances ?' The SNP provided a vision of independence in a 900 page document prior to the IndyRef, so your claim is untrue about the SNP vision for Scotland in the EU and free of Westminster. 'She has not done a good job so far has she with what she has.' Scottish voters seem fine with her. How do you think the Tories have done over the last decade?
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And you should know.
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The irrationalism is on the other side of the Irish Sea these days.
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@ExXhorter With who?
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Wow bigcno, where did you learn your history? Ibrox? In a few years time you benefit from a good education following unification. The English are going to throw you under the bus. You know that. Right?
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One of the mercenaries was named Nammock and his nationality was given as Irish. I was wondering if he was ex-British Army or Irish Army, and what became of him.
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And Portugal, Spain, France, Malta, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Estona, and Ireland. The SNP are seeking to swap a small and rapidly declining union based on inequality, for a progressive and much larger one where they have an equal voice.
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@britopia1341 I know! An incredible concept, isn't it!
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@britopia1341 Of course its true in the EU. How many countries in the UK have a veto?
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That's a lie. There is nothing in the Lisbon treaty about conscription.
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Commit murder?
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@paulcoates208 No, but see the post above yours.
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A grown up country would have had a strategic plan for an exit of the EU.
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I think the English need to understand, that you can diversify your market if you join the EU - look at Ireland. Just because the UK made a pigs-ear of membership it does not follow that Scotland will.
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How is it a good again? Remind me?
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Being able to change your mind is central to a democratic society.
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The Scots see membership of the European Union as being central to their best interests and ultimately settled for remain part of the 'precious union' in order to ensure membership of the larger union. Now they are out of the EU, having voted to remain. It naturally raises the question of Scotland's future, especially if you identify as Scottish or Scottish first and British second. The Scots have to leave the EU because they are outnumbered by the English, a democratic deficit like that should be intolerable in this day and age.
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@ivanashley7875 I'm not Scottish and my opinions are my own - but I think they are well founded. Once the UK leaves the EU and Brexiters begin to roll away the workers rights, sell off the NHS to American interests etc we can properly compare the EU v Brexit UK. Will it be worth it for the promised 'cheap shoes'? I never said being British is a badge of dishonor, but it is a fact that the British Demos is in decline across the UK. We know from comparing the last census with leave areas, that leave voters tend to identify as English first or English only. We know from the General Election last month that it was a victory for all of the UKs nationalisms: the SNP increased their seats by 13, English Brexiters swept Labour away, Northern Ireland elected a majority of Irish nationalists for the first time, the Welsh nationalists held on to the extra seat they won in 2017. British identity has never been more weak. Without the English, you can take responsibility for your own mistakes and credit for your own achievements. In any case, it is likely the English will eventually leave the UK themselves, especially when Brexit fails to deliver for the ordinary people of England. They will decide that Scotland, Wales and NI don't appreciate the money they give them... As for the English not buying Scottish products, I find this kind of spite hard to understand. You would expect Brexiters to be more understanding of a country that was seeking independence. However, it is also short-sighted. If we take it that Ireland is the UKs 5th biggest export market a century after independence, it is reasonable to assume that Scotland is the 4th or 3rd most import destination for English goods once it leaves.
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@ivanashley7875 That's fine. Sorry for confusing you and making you think you pushed some buttons. Oh, and I don't identify as a remainer as I'm not British. Happy New Year!
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@ivanashley7875 Its okay, I can afford my own.
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That is what they will eventually do.
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They won't be outside the EU for long though.
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'EU qualification is at least four economic cycles at 1% growth. Scotland has never reached that level of growth even with English subsidies. The first half of 2018 was a record with Scottish growth being 0.8%.' No problem. All you do is tighten your belt and adjust your economy to accommodate the lack of subsidies. It will be painful of course, but as we can see from Brexit, Nationalism can allow you to absorb that ind of pain. Scottish independence is also based on an actual plan that people can read - unlike Brexit. 'The Republic Of Ireland only just managed it and they have a GDP of 333 billion as opposed to Scotlands 216 billion' When? What? Ireland has been in the EU since it came into being. 'It will be at least a decade before Scotlands economy adapts to zero subsidies from England and then at least another 20 years before growth begins to normalise never mind EU qualification' Is this based on evidence or a feeling? 'The Scotts are living in cloud cuckoo land as usual.' As opposed to the English and their Brexit ambitions? I thought nationalism was more than just an economic thing, as Brexiters tell us now that the 'cake and eat it' deal is proven to be pie-in-sky. Why are the English so terrified of the Scots leaving them?
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'Ireland joined the EEC at the same time as the UK 1973, they only just qualified with a much bigger economy than Scotland. You should research a little more.' So why did you say the EU? In any case, so what? If eastern europe could qualify 15 years after communism, Scotland should be able to achieve it in 10. And of course, Ireland achieved it. The Irish economy grew steadily from 1961 onwards. Why don't you save me time and show me the research on Ireland that you used? "Brexit ambitions"????? Are you suggesting that the will of the majority to leave the EU is not going to be carried out by the powers that be?' What on earth are you talking about? Back in 2016, the Brexiters spoke of 'sunny uplands', lucrative trade deals and an EU that needed the UK more than the UK needed the EU. It was going to set the agenda regarding the negotiations, not pay a divorce fee and it would signing a deal with the EU would be 'the easiest in history'. Later that changed to it 'might take 50 years to see the benefits of leaving' to 'Leaving without a deal is not the end of the world'. This is now the extent of Brexiter ambitions. 'LOL! I admire your optimism but if countries could raise their economic growth so easily then everyone would be doing it wouldnt they.' Countries do it all the time when they hit recession. What will carry people through it is an agreed coherent goal - in Scotland's case, entry to the EU and access to the the trading bloc. Never under estimate the power of Nationalism, you can see its power in relation to Brexit. The difference between the Scots and the English is that the Scots have a coherent plan, the English don't even have consensus on what Leave means. 'Your contradictory stance of wanting independence from the UK but then not independence from the EU is comical and frankly contemptible.' It is only contemptible because it is a rejection of England. I'm Irish, my country already has independence from the UK. Irish cultural identity and national confidence is stronger since it joined the EU. Irish identity is very fluid but is inclusive, and unlike its English counterpart is non-binary. The Scots are very similar. With that sense of national identity, joining the EU is easy. One is comfortable adding a common European identity alongside a national identity. It is clear from research that many English Brexiters aren't even comfortable with a British identity anymore and those who identify with being British first were more likely to vote to remain. Its the same with the Welsh - Welsh speakers voted overwhelmingly to remain. For the Scots too, joining the EU acts as a counterbalance to English dominance, another aspect the Scots understand from the Irish experience. The Scots leaving will cause problems for England because they will have nowhere to put their nuclear subs. The problem with English nationalism at present is that it is utterly incoherent as your post demonstrates.
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Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta and I think Slovakia all have populations smaller or similar to Scotland. The former communist countries had to make enormous reforms in order to qualify for membership - and did it in 15 years. Scotland will have to make very few reforms to qualify for membership. Still no link to you Ireland research, eh? Very telling.
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'As for Ireland, even after 40 years inside the bloc their GDP growth is still only just hitting 1%!!!!' That's only for the LAST QUARTER of 2018 you moron . IRELAND has that FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY IN THE EU 2018 with a growth rate of over 4% in 2018. Irish economic growth in 2017 was over 7% and 3.9% with the corporation tax stripped out. Irish GDP is expected to grow 3.8% in 2019. Ireland never experienced growth rates like this when part of the UK. Scotland will NEVER achieve its full potential while still an appendage of England. But sovereignty is only an English dominated UK outside the EU, but not for Scotland. Ridiculous hypocrisy. EU membership is the reason Irish GDP per capita is higher than that of the UK. With economic analysts such as yourself, no wonder your country believed Brexit was economically a good idea. How do you intend to clamp down on 'Anglophobia'? Censorship, I suppose! LMAO!
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That was a 100 years ago.
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