Northern Ireland, Let them bloody well have it!

I grew up through the 1970s and the 80s when as far as I know, the IRA was at its most violent, most destructive and became enough of an entity for the government (eventually under Blair at the turn of the millennium) to do what they should've done from the very beginning and commence dialogue with the disgruntled freedom fighters in the spirit of democracy. Everyone got Nobel Peace Prizes and all the old murderers (on both sides of the fight) sat happily in the Houses of Commons and Lords together at last and in peace.

Isn't it really interesting to see what an MP's salary, expense allowances and lifestyle will do to a man's courage and conviction?

Blair killed the problem of the IRA because he took in the hungry wolves who were Sinn Fein and fed them so much political lamb that they didn't know what to do with themselves. He gave them something to lose and that's when they finally betrayed their people. The thing is that their people didn't realise this straight away because they were allowed to feed too. House prices went up. The economy looked good and for once, they didn't have to fear being blown into a hundred pieces on their way to the bank.

Then (who could've predicted it?) the banks blew up, the jobs in construction and real estate began to vanish. The acorns and shoots of growth in the local economy began to whither and die and so did the illusion. Small numbers of people started to see that all that was achieved by the hollow peace process was that their ageing trusted leaders were given great jobs with great benefits and great pensions. What did they do next? Not much! Has anyone seen Gerry or Martin on the news fighting for stimulus packages fro NI? I know I haven't...and I look at the news for a living. They might be doing stuff on local TV but there is no sight of them in London. I can't even remember the last time I saw Gerry on the TV in any capacity.

The murders have started again. How can this be? We have given them what they wanted, Haven't we? No!

What I think they want is independence, presuming it's not just blood and mayhem. They should be entitled to it too. I don't understand why as a country are we still trying to hold on to a geographical race of people who don't want our rule? We've already lost the empire and it would really make economic and common sense for the nation if we were to give the N.Irish what they wanted; freedom!...same goes for the Scottish and the Welsh to be perfectly honest. Sure there would probably be trouble, but it wouldn't be our trouble to sort out and quite frankly it never really was.

The reemergence of murder in NI is just about the last thing anyone needs at the moment so why don't we do the honourable thing for once in our political history and let them go forth without us if that's what they're fighting for. The last thing I want to see happen is for the fight to come back to London again...I've got too much to loose now and I'll be damned if my children will grow up in the shadow of the IRA as well as teenage pregnancy, stabbings, drugs, global warming and bankers.