Comment: Alan Ruddock: Sinn Fein and the IRA are two heads of the same monster
"The Provisional IRA and some of O Snodaigh’s colleagues in the upper echelons of Sinn Fein have engaged in many, many abductions and murders over the years. That, of course, is all deemed ancient history in this brave new world of political forgiveness, but O Snodaigh’s close associates have more recent form. Niall Binead, one of his electoral workers, was arrested and convicted in late 2004 of his involvement in, among other things, an IRA spy ring that gathered intelligence on cabinet ministers and TDs. Political subversion, pure and simple."
"We have allowed ourselves to swallow the propaganda that Provisional republicanism is made up of two branches, Sinn Fein and the IRA, even though we know they are umbilically connected, sharing much the same leadership, the same goals and the same determination to subvert this state."
"Sinn Fein/IRA represents a criminal conspiracy against this state. It is immersed in crime, is engaged in intelligence gathering, may or may not have retained an armed capability, and remains wedded to its own interpretations of what constitutes a criminal act."
You wrote: "Here is a link you cannot dispute;
Comment: Alan Ruddock: Sinn Fein and the IRA are two heads of the same monster"
Uh, who would ever dispute a link? You mean that there is an opinion piece I would not dispute. There's just one problem, the opinion piece really says nothing of what you claimed. You said the IRA was going to destroy Irish democracy. It isn't. Let's look at your "evidence"
"The Provisional IRA and some of O Snodaigh’s colleagues in the upper echelons of Sinn Fein have engaged in many, many abductions and murders over the years. That, of course, is all deemed ancient history..."
In political terms it is ancient history. Things have been quiet for more than a decade.
"...in this brave new world of political forgiveness, but O Snodaigh’s close associates have more recent form. Niall Binead, one of his electoral workers, was arrested and convicted in late 2004 of his involvement in, among other things, an IRA spy ring that gathered intelligence on cabinet ministers and TDs. Political subversion, pure and simple."
1) He was convicted in 2004. That means the threat is over for certainly the "ring" if it ever existed was broken up.
2) Spying on government ministers IS NOT the same thing as OVERTHROWING a government or an entire political system. If that were the case then you would have to accuse every major government of trying to overthrow Irish democracy because all major governments spy on Ireland as they spy on every other European nation.
3) Niall Binead was convicted and jailed in 2004. So in just the last two years we have seen a major disarmament of the IRA in the north (and south of course) and the break up of their “spy ring”. Sounds like the IRA is at an all time low really. No, or few, guns, and now no spies against the government (or at least far fewer effective ones). That would mean they are even less of a “threat” then you have been claiming! Your opinion piece actually helps prove my case.
"We have allowed ourselves to swallow the propaganda that Provisional republicanism is made up of two branches, Sinn Fein and the IRA, even though we know they are umbilically connected, sharing much the same leadership, the same goals and the same determination to subvert this state."
Except that they are clearly not subverting the state, and can’t succeed in doing so. Few or no guns, few or no spies. No subversion is going to take place.
This is in a commentary article and is little more than hyperbole. If there was a real threat then Irish troops would be on alert, the EU would be in a panic, etc. No such thing has happened because there is no such threat.
"Sinn Fein/IRA represents a criminal conspiracy against this state. It is immersed in crime, is engaged in intelligence gathering, may or may not have retained an armed capability, and remains wedded to its own interpretations of what constitutes a criminal act."
And still can’t do much of anything that is all that threatening to an entire nation.
Thanks for proving my point for me!
Have a good and holy Lent.