Lockerbie Bomber Freed From Prison on Compassionate Grounds

[Gunny]

Wow, just wow. Ghook is a phony.

Or GHook wanted to be an asshole to a guy that is supporting and defending the Scot's move in letting a mass murder out of prison! Just wanted to give him a little taste of what it might be like for a mass murder of English citizens to get hero's recognition!

So ghook wanted to practice terrorist tactics himself. And you call the left cowardly.

Asshole.

A bullet to the temple is not terrorism. It's execution. Fuck the slimy piece of trash. Some people no longer deserve to live. it's a waste of our limited, natural resources.

 

[Ravi]

Or GHook wanted to be an asshole to a guy that is supporting and defending the Scot's move in letting a mass murder out of prison! Just wanted to give him a little taste of what it might be like for a mass murder of English citizens to get hero's recognition!

So ghook wanted to practice terrorist tactics himself. And you call the left cowardly.

Asshole.

A bullet to the temple is not terrorism. It's execution. Fuck the slimy piece of trash. Some people no longer deserve to live. it's a waste of our limited, natural resources.

No offense, but you're a freaking moron! I was talking about ghook, not the asshole that got released.

 

[Contumacious]

So why does a man who killed so many deserve compassion? Scotland had made a serious error in judgement.

Pure hypocritical bullshit.

Slick Willy incinerated ALIVE 90 Davidians , Waco Texas Circa 1993 - status at large, was never prosecuted , never served time

Slick Willy invaded the Home of Little Elian Gonzalez then shipped him to a slave state - was never tried or punished;

GWB , invaded Iraq and Afghanistan under false pretenses , slaughtered thousands of individuals, status at large was never tried

And so it goes.

 

[GHook93]

Wow, just wow. Ghook is a phony.

Or GHook wanted to be an asshole to a guy that is supporting and defending the Scot's move in letting a mass murder out of prison! Just wanted to give him a little taste of what it might be like for a mass murder of English citizens to get hero's recognition!

So ghook wanted to practice terrorist tactics himself. And you call the left cowardly.

Asshole.

Didn't want to practice terrorism, but nice stretch Ravi. I wanted to bring a real life scenario and state how would you feel if American citizens were cheering for the IRA and yes calling the freedom fighters (2 things I wouldn't do, unless I was trying to make a point). Boot flipped a casket, just like Americans flipped a casket when the Lockerbie Bomber was released!

 

[Ringel05]

Multiple European countries are vying for a lucrative oil contract with Libya. England was told by Libya that their bid wouldn't even be considered until the bomber was released. England pressured Scotland to accede to the release essentially giving in to Libya's extortion. The sad thing is despite this England is not considered the front runner for the contract.

You have a link to that!

How great is it going to be over the next 10 years when cars move away from gas aka oil! Then these tyranical oil giant countries will be hit will a economic nuclear bomb and they will fold like a stack of cards. That means you Libya, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Russia!

I'll have to look. Got the info from my wife, she told me it was on one of the news channels but didn't say which. She works days I work eves, Ill ask her which media source she got it from (leave her a note), so I may not be able to get back to you until tomorrow.

Actually had the opportunity to talk with my wife today for a couple of minutes. The story was covered by all the major news outlets although the UK is denying the release was part of a "trade agreement". Who knows what the truth is, so what I posted may be incorrect, my apologies.
Google: Libya, oil, UK, bomber.

 

[GHook93]

I did look over your posts in this thread and I reread them. I took your defensive position against "Concept" and took it as your defense of the Lockerbie Bomber. Then saw you were from England and went on the attack. I did also come in at the middle of the thread and jumped to conclusions. I do intend see you weren't doing that at all and that you advocated nothing of the sort.

It also appears your an English conservative , thought you were a dying breed. So Amen to that! Amen to your brave buddies fighting over in Afghanistan! I have a few over in Iraq!

The scumbag was released by a Scottish Justice system filled with bleeding heart liberalists, governed by a leftist nationalist bunch of political nerds who look more to the EU than the UK. They were wrong and they have been roundly condemned by the leader of the Conservative party and the people of both Scotland and England.

If the know-alls on here want to throw shit at the UK in general as a result of this, then they can expect a response from me, since their spurios rhetoric illustrates their ignorance and bigotry. It's because of bigots like these that the young men of your country and mine find themselves fighting wars.

bigots are the reason we fight wars?

Bigots start wars.

The release was not on compassionate grounds at all.

Money . . . it's always about money, it seems. The Scots will save several hundreds of thousands of dollars letting a man dying of prostate cancer to die in Libya. That's all it is, and it is morally indefensible.

Provide a link otherwise your statement is your own stupid opinion. Come back when you can back your shit with facts.

His lawyers dropped the appeal because they felt he would stand more chance of being freed on compassionate grounds, but feel free to invent any conspiracy theory you may have. It'll go well with the rest of the crap being dumped in this thread.

By the Same "compassion" that he showed when he planted that bomb that sent those people to their deaths?

Is that the compassion that you speak?

The rat fucker should have died in captivity...lit is a sight better than the sentence he pronounced on those on that flight.

Oh for fuck sake. I state what the lawyers did and you come back at me with the snide remarks indicating that I support the issue. Have you read ANYTHING i've posted here.
Obviously NOT. Else you would have known what my stance is on the issue.

When the shit hits the fan eh? Well guess what? When the shit hits the fan the Brits know how to pull the fucking plug on the fan. Instead of screaming like a bunch of fucking girls when something goes wrong on their home turf, they respond constructively. They don't lurch between pissing their pants and going berserker, they just get the job done. Your deep fear of Islam and Muslims isn't felt in Britain because, while they can be cranky bastards at times, they don't have a deep seated, reactionary, xenophobic condition. So, no need to project your deepest racial fears on the Brits, they don't give a fuck what you think.

Predictable like the sunrising. Another lib pulling the race card. That seriously is all you fools have.

You guys are something else altogether.

It's nearly impossible to even discuss anything with people like you. Take your America-hating shit elsewhere.

Thank you for proving just how DUMB you really are, turd. Neither Diuretic nor I are America haters. The many posts we have made here will pay testament to that. You on the other hand have demonstrated precisely what sort of animal you are. The only hate I see in this thread is coming from YOU pal and one or two others.

You really are an immature and mentally weak individual. Perhaps one day you'll grow up. But I couldn't give a fuck.

Predictable like the sunrising. Another lib pulling the race card. That seriously is all you fools have.

You guys are something else altogether.

It's nearly impossible to even discuss anything with people like you. Take your America-hating shit elsewhere.

Not surprised at the simple-minded response.

Race card

Hey, Diuretic, Didn't take long for him to expose just how little he has to offer then. Clearly he has risen to his own level of incompetence.

When the shit hits the fan eh? Well guess what? When the shit hits the fan the Brits know how to pull the fucking plug on the fan. Instead of screaming like a bunch of fucking girls when something goes wrong on their home turf, they respond constructively. They don't lurch between pissing their pants and going berserker, they just get the job done. Your deep fear of Islam and Muslims isn't felt in Britain because, while they can be cranky bastards at times, they don't have a deep seated, reactionary, xenophobic condition. So, no need to project your deepest racial fears on the Brits, they don't give a fuck what you think.

Predictable like the sunrising. Another lib pulling the race card. That seriously is all you fools have.

You guys are something else altogether.

It's nearly impossible to even discuss anything with people like you. Take your America-hating shit elsewhere.

Yeh. It's impossible to discuss anything with us because you don't have a single factual argument to make. But you really bring life to the old adage, 'Empty vessels make the most noise'!

Lol! Playing both ends to the middle! Crafty bastard!!

How do I get one. Must look into that.

Actually I've got three citizenships

Three! What's the third then? Blimey mate, the best of three worlds! You ain't a spy, are you?

For the moment. But, they're dead men walking. They'll be turfed out next May and replaced by the Conservatives. The Labour Party is a dead duck.

Might be true I don't know, but the strokes cowards that made this poor poor poor decision were cowardly liberals!

Hey idiots cowardly Englishman, moves like this don't quell Islamofacist, who are your enemy. It emboldens them. They see you as they should - WEAK and COWARDLY!

You calling me a coward you fucking ****! Stand yourself on the front line in Afghanistan before you call me that, you piece of shit !!!!

Furthermore, the decision was made by a devolved SCOTTISH justice system. Nothing to do with us English. Perhaps you should take some time to learn the fucking difference.

Funny isn't it. Not so long ago your countrymen were providing shelter, support and finance for terrorists. It was you Yanks who kept the IRA going, enabling them to murder innocent British civilians. Seems your standards are more than double pal!

 

[Gunny]

So ghook wanted to practice terrorist tactics himself. And you call the left cowardly.

Asshole.

A bullet to the temple is not terrorism. It's execution. Fuck the slimy piece of trash. Some people no longer deserve to live. it's a waste of our limited, natural resources.

No offense, but you're a freaking moron! I was talking about ghook, not the asshole that got released.

And? You have a point?

 

[tigerbob]

What's the matter Hook. Haven't got the balls to post this in open forum? And you call me a coward.



Why am I not surpised! You rail against terrorism on one hand, yet you support a terrorist organisation.

I guess we can see where the hypocrisy is coming from now. Thank you for confirming it!

Say it ain't so Ghook. Tell me you didn't seriously type "Long live the Irish Freedom Fighters". If you did, then you can have nothing to say against the cheering crowds in Libya.

You either support the deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians, including women and children, or you don't. It's as simple as that.

It ain't so! I don't support and have never supported the IRA TERRORISTS (and that is not an easy thing to do in Irish Chicago)! But I can't believe an Englishman was supporting this release or at least rationalizing it and I wanted to get his goat!

Thanks for the explanation and your PM which I appreciate. However, if your comment above is referring to Bootneck, I suspect you have misread his posts. It would be a cold day in hell before he would condone the release of a convicted terrorist on compassionate grounds (Boot - please jump in if I'm putting words in your mouth, mate).

I remember being in Chicago in 1995 for St Patrick's Day with about a dozen friends. We watched a huge parade go by for what seemed like forever, the Guinness was flowing and I was having a really good day. Then a Sinn Fein float went past, and I was simply stunned at the tumultuous applause and the amount of money being thrown into collection buckets. A friend noticed my face and the fact that I had turned my back on the parade and asked why, so I told him that it was a rather creepy feeling to see money being collected that you know will go to buy guns, ammo and semtex for people who have nearly killed you, twice.

I also remember being at a bar called the Old Shillelagh in downtown Detroit on St Pattys Day a couple of years later. A folk singer was singing some Irish songs. He asked how many people in the bar were of Irish stock, and about 20% of the hands went up. He then asked whether there was anyone else there who was not American. Along with about 10 or so other people I (perhaps unwisely) raised my hand. When he found out I was from England he was very unpleasant, called me a ****, and played a song called "Fuck the British Army", as a result of which the entire bar stood and cheered.

I can accept that someone from Ireland might not like someone from England. After all, half the world hates England - a legacy of our colonial past that one just has to live with. But I did wonder why in a bar that was 80% American almost everyone would get up and cheer a provo song. Was it (a) just that being Irish for a day felt cool? Was it (b) the same kind of mob mentality one sometimes sees at big rock concerts when the guy on stage makes a political statement and the whole audience roars approval (whether they actually agree with him or not)? Or (c) did they really support the aims of the IRA, and the means by which they were attempting to achieve it?

I suspect the vast majority there probably wouldn't know a Provo from a prom dress, so a combination of (a) and (b) seems most likely. But I still wonder, if there is this level of latent support (or lack of condemnation) at grass roots level, what does that imply about the level of support higher up, among the people who actually shape policy? Or do people just not care as much if their country is not directly impacted by a particular terrorist group? After all, how many people on this board have views about the aims of Eta? How many would roar their approval at a song that criticized the Spanish army?

I can scarcely believe how much I have typed just because you mentioned Chicago!

 

[GHook93]

However, if your comment above is referring to Bootneck, I suspect you have misread his posts. It would be a cold day in hell before he would condone the release of a convicted terrorist on compassionate grounds (Boot - please jump in if I'm putting words in your mouth, mate).!

Actually I addressed that in a previous post in the thread and on his visitor board. I jumped to a wrong conclusion about him and in effect defamed him!

I remember being in Chicago in 1995 for St Patrick's Day with about a dozen friends. We watched a huge parade go by for what seemed like forever, the Guinness was flowing and I was having a really good day. Then a Sinn Fein float went past, and I was simply stunned at the tumultuous applause and the amount of money being thrown into collection buckets. A friend noticed my face and the fact that I had turned my back on the parade and asked why, so I told him that it was a rather creepy feeling to see money being collected that you know will go to buy guns, ammo and semtex for people who have nearly killed you, twice.

I also remember being at a bar called the Old Shillelagh in downtown Detroit on St Pattys Day a couple of years later. A folk singer was singing some Irish songs. He asked how many people in the bar were of Irish stock, and about 20% of the hands went up. He then asked whether there was anyone else there who was not American. Along with about 10 or so other people I (perhaps unwisely) raised my hand. When he found out I was from England he was very unpleasant, called me a ****, and played a song called "Fuck the British Army", as a result of which the entire bar stood and cheered.

I can accept that someone from Ireland might not like someone from England. After all, half the world hates England - a legacy of our colonial past that one just has to live with. But I did wonder why in a bar that was 80% American almost everyone would get up and cheer a provo song. Was it (a) just that being Irish for a day felt cool? Was it (b) the same kind of mob mentality one sometimes sees at big rock concerts when the guy on stage makes a political statement and the whole audience roars approval (whether they actually agree with him or not)? Or (c) did they really support the aims of the IRA, and the means by which they were attempting to achieve it?

I suspect the vast majority there probably wouldn't know a Provo from a prom dress, so a combination of (a) and (b) seems most likely. But I still wonder, if there is this level of latent support (or lack of condemnation) at grass roots level, what does that imply about the level of support higher up, among the people who actually shape policy? Or do people just not care as much if their country is not directly impacted by a particular terrorist group? After all, how many people on this board have views about the aims of Eta? How many would roar their approval at a song that criticized the Spanish army?

I can scarcely believe how much I have typed just because you mentioned Chicago!

Not an isolated an incident. I grew up with a ton of Irishmen. Americans but still Irish. They all hate the English, even though many of them have have never even been to the Old Country! But yea your a brave man for letting people know your English on St. Patties Day. Even though probably 80% of the people getting waisted on St Patties day are not Irish, your still a brave man!

One thing to point out that the Irish American hatred of the English bodes stronger with the blue collar Irishmen. The White collar Irishmen seem to not give a fuck!

 

[Diuretic]

Okay, I can't resist a boycott. As part of my boycott duties I hereby announce that I am boycotting haggis.

Did you ever

Enter The Haggis?

(psst, it's not what you think)

Musical haggis?

 

[tigerbob]

However, if your comment above is referring to Bootneck, I suspect you have misread his posts. It would be a cold day in hell before he would condone the release of a convicted terrorist on compassionate grounds (Boot - please jump in if I'm putting words in your mouth, mate).!

Actually I addressed that in a previous post in the thread and on his visitor board. I jumped to a wrong conclusion about him and in effect defamed him!

I remember being in Chicago in 1995 for St Patrick's Day with about a dozen friends. We watched a huge parade go by for what seemed like forever, the Guinness was flowing and I was having a really good day. Then a Sinn Fein float went past, and I was simply stunned at the tumultuous applause and the amount of money being thrown into collection buckets. A friend noticed my face and the fact that I had turned my back on the parade and asked why, so I told him that it was a rather creepy feeling to see money being collected that you know will go to buy guns, ammo and semtex for people who have nearly killed you, twice.

I also remember being at a bar called the Old Shillelagh in downtown Detroit on St Pattys Day a couple of years later. A folk singer was singing some Irish songs. He asked how many people in the bar were of Irish stock, and about 20% of the hands went up. He then asked whether there was anyone else there who was not American. Along with about 10 or so other people I (perhaps unwisely) raised my hand. When he found out I was from England he was very unpleasant, called me a ****, and played a song called "Fuck the British Army", as a result of which the entire bar stood and cheered.

I can accept that someone from Ireland might not like someone from England. After all, half the world hates England - a legacy of our colonial past that one just has to live with. But I did wonder why in a bar that was 80% American almost everyone would get up and cheer a provo song. Was it (a) just that being Irish for a day felt cool? Was it (b) the same kind of mob mentality one sometimes sees at big rock concerts when the guy on stage makes a political statement and the whole audience roars approval (whether they actually agree with him or not)? Or (c) did they really support the aims of the IRA, and the means by which they were attempting to achieve it?

I suspect the vast majority there probably wouldn't know a Provo from a prom dress, so a combination of (a) and (b) seems most likely. But I still wonder, if there is this level of latent support (or lack of condemnation) at grass roots level, what does that imply about the level of support higher up, among the people who actually shape policy? Or do people just not care as much if their country is not directly impacted by a particular terrorist group? After all, how many people on this board have views about the aims of Eta? How many would roar their approval at a song that criticized the Spanish army?

I can scarcely believe how much I have typed just because you mentioned Chicago!

Not to isolated an incident. I grew up with a ton of Irishmen. Americans but still Irish. They all hate the English, even though many of them have have never even been to the Old Country! But yea your a brave man for letting people know your English on St. Patties Day. Even though probably 80% of the people getting waisted on St Patties day are not Irish, your still a brave man!

Something like letting everyone know you're from The South on MLK Day?

 

[Diuretic]

Okay, I can't resist a boycott. As part of my boycott duties I hereby announce that I am boycotting haggis.

I'm sure that will be soooooooooooooo freaking hard..
christ you just gave me another good reason,, shitty food.

I'm sure I saw a docu the other day that was saying the oldest recorded recipe for haggis was from England....

It was supposed to be be locked in a lead-lined box and buried 30 feet below the surface in London clay, never to be seen again south of Gretna.

 

[Diuretic]

Ah. Our terrorist sympathyser is back. Listen twat features, show everybody here where in this thread I have expressed sympathy for the Scots action. Come on. Give us the link. What you will find is quite the opposite. You really aren't very bright, are you.

Surprised you showed your face so soon, after the admission you made!

Boot! what was the outcome of the special meeting in the Scottish Parliament this morning?? do you know??

Afraid not. I've been jumping from planes all day!

Did you find one that worked?

 

[tigerbob]

Boot! what was the outcome of the special meeting in the Scottish Parliament this morning?? do you know??

Afraid not. I've been jumping from planes all day!

Did you find one that worked?

yuk yuk yuk

 

[Diuretic]

However, if your comment above is referring to Bootneck, I suspect you have misread his posts. It would be a cold day in hell before he would condone the release of a convicted terrorist on compassionate grounds (Boot - please jump in if I'm putting words in your mouth, mate).!

Actually I addressed that in a previous post in the thread and on his visitor board. I jumped to a wrong conclusion about him and in effect defamed him!

I remember being in Chicago in 1995 for St Patrick's Day with about a dozen friends. We watched a huge parade go by for what seemed like forever, the Guinness was flowing and I was having a really good day. Then a Sinn Fein float went past, and I was simply stunned at the tumultuous applause and the amount of money being thrown into collection buckets. A friend noticed my face and the fact that I had turned my back on the parade and asked why, so I told him that it was a rather creepy feeling to see money being collected that you know will go to buy guns, ammo and semtex for people who have nearly killed you, twice.

I also remember being at a bar called the Old Shillelagh in downtown Detroit on St Pattys Day a couple of years later. A folk singer was singing some Irish songs. He asked how many people in the bar were of Irish stock, and about 20% of the hands went up. He then asked whether there was anyone else there who was not American. Along with about 10 or so other people I (perhaps unwisely) raised my hand. When he found out I was from England he was very unpleasant, called me a ****, and played a song called "Fuck the British Army", as a result of which the entire bar stood and cheered.

I can accept that someone from Ireland might not like someone from England. After all, half the world hates England - a legacy of our colonial past that one just has to live with. But I did wonder why in a bar that was 80% American almost everyone would get up and cheer a provo song. Was it (a) just that being Irish for a day felt cool? Was it (b) the same kind of mob mentality one sometimes sees at big rock concerts when the guy on stage makes a political statement and the whole audience roars approval (whether they actually agree with him or not)? Or (c) did they really support the aims of the IRA, and the means by which they were attempting to achieve it?

I suspect the vast majority there probably wouldn't know a Provo from a prom dress, so a combination of (a) and (b) seems most likely. But I still wonder, if there is this level of latent support (or lack of condemnation) at grass roots level, what does that imply about the level of support higher up, among the people who actually shape policy? Or do people just not care as much if their country is not directly impacted by a particular terrorist group? After all, how many people on this board have views about the aims of Eta? How many would roar their approval at a song that criticized the Spanish army?

I can scarcely believe how much I have typed just because you mentioned Chicago!

Not to isolated an incident. I grew up with a ton of Irishmen. Americans but still Irish. They all hate the English, even though many of them have have never even been to the Old Country! But yea your a brave man for letting people know your English on St. Patties Day. Even though probably 80% of the people getting waisted on St Patties day are not Irish, your still a brave man!

That's the sort of stupidity that abounded during those times, the emotional support for terrorism. I wonder what the fuck people were thinking to be so fucking ignorant of reality. My third citizenship is Irish, as in Eire. I lived there as a child. My grandfather was roughed up by the Black and Tans at least once. But never, never was there a word in my family on the Irish side in support of the IRA or its offshoots, never a word against the English, the Protestant people in the village my family is from went to their own chapel on Sunday and met at the same pub as everyone else after chapel. Plastic paddies are a curse.

 

[WillowTree]

Say it ain't so Ghook. Tell me you didn't seriously type "Long live the Irish Freedom Fighters". If you did, then you can have nothing to say against the cheering crowds in Libya.

You either support the deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians, including women and children, or you don't. It's as simple as that.

It ain't so! I don't support and have never supported the IRA TERRORISTS (and that is not an easy thing to do in Irish Chicago)! But I can't believe an Englishman was supporting this release or at least rationalizing it and I wanted to get his goat!

Thanks for the explanation and your PM which I appreciate. However, if your comment above is referring to Bootneck, I suspect you have misread his posts. It would be a cold day in hell before he would condone the release of a convicted terrorist on compassionate grounds (Boot - please jump in if I'm putting words in your mouth, mate).

I remember being in Chicago in 1995 for St Patrick's Day with about a dozen friends. We watched a huge parade go by for what seemed like forever, the Guinness was flowing and I was having a really good day. Then a Sinn Fein float went past, and I was simply stunned at the tumultuous applause and the amount of money being thrown into collection buckets. A friend noticed my face and the fact that I had turned my back on the parade and asked why, so I told him that it was a rather creepy feeling to see money being collected that you know will go to buy guns, ammo and semtex for people who have nearly killed you, twice.

I also remember being at a bar called the Old Shillelagh in downtown Detroit on St Pattys Day a couple of years later. A folk singer was singing some Irish songs. He asked how many people in the bar were of Irish stock, and about 20% of the hands went up. He then asked whether there was anyone else there who was not American. Along with about 10 or so other people I (perhaps unwisely) raised my hand. When he found out I was from England he was very unpleasant, called me a ****, and played a song called "Fuck the British Army", as a result of which the entire bar stood and cheered.

I can accept that someone from Ireland might not like someone from England. After all, half the world hates England - a legacy of our colonial past that one just has to live with. But I did wonder why in a bar that was 80% American almost everyone would get up and cheer a provo song. Was it (a) just that being Irish for a day felt cool? Was it (b) the same kind of mob mentality one sometimes sees at big rock concerts when the guy on stage makes a political statement and the whole audience roars approval (whether they actually agree with him or not)? Or (c) did they really support the aims of the IRA, and the means by which they were attempting to achieve it?

I suspect the vast majority there probably wouldn't know a Provo from a prom dress, so a combination of (a) and (b) seems most likely. But I still wonder, if there is this level of latent support (or lack of condemnation) at grass roots level, what does that imply about the level of support higher up, among the people who actually shape policy? Or do people just not care as much if their country is not directly impacted by a particular terrorist group? After all, how many people on this board have views about the aims of Eta? How many would roar their approval at a song that criticized the Spanish army?

I can scarcely believe how much I have typed just because you mentioned Chicago!

That kind of behavior sucks.mI don't care where it happens or who did it. I just don't where people come from. and this is coming from a girl who is scot, irish and german. yucK. there is an awful lot I don't understand.

 

[tigerbob]

It ain't so! I don't support and have never supported the IRA TERRORISTS (and that is not an easy thing to do in Irish Chicago)! But I can't believe an Englishman was supporting this release or at least rationalizing it and I wanted to get his goat!

Thanks for the explanation and your PM which I appreciate. However, if your comment above is referring to Bootneck, I suspect you have misread his posts. It would be a cold day in hell before he would condone the release of a convicted terrorist on compassionate grounds (Boot - please jump in if I'm putting words in your mouth, mate).

I remember being in Chicago in 1995 for St Patrick's Day with about a dozen friends. We watched a huge parade go by for what seemed like forever, the Guinness was flowing and I was having a really good day. Then a Sinn Fein float went past, and I was simply stunned at the tumultuous applause and the amount of money being thrown into collection buckets. A friend noticed my face and the fact that I had turned my back on the parade and asked why, so I told him that it was a rather creepy feeling to see money being collected that you know will go to buy guns, ammo and semtex for people who have nearly killed you, twice.

I also remember being at a bar called the Old Shillelagh in downtown Detroit on St Pattys Day a couple of years later. A folk singer was singing some Irish songs. He asked how many people in the bar were of Irish stock, and about 20% of the hands went up. He then asked whether there was anyone else there who was not American. Along with about 10 or so other people I (perhaps unwisely) raised my hand. When he found out I was from England he was very unpleasant, called me a ****, and played a song called "Fuck the British Army", as a result of which the entire bar stood and cheered.

I can accept that someone from Ireland might not like someone from England. After all, half the world hates England - a legacy of our colonial past that one just has to live with. But I did wonder why in a bar that was 80% American almost everyone would get up and cheer a provo song. Was it (a) just that being Irish for a day felt cool? Was it (b) the same kind of mob mentality one sometimes sees at big rock concerts when the guy on stage makes a political statement and the whole audience roars approval (whether they actually agree with him or not)? Or (c) did they really support the aims of the IRA, and the means by which they were attempting to achieve it?

I suspect the vast majority there probably wouldn't know a Provo from a prom dress, so a combination of (a) and (b) seems most likely. But I still wonder, if there is this level of latent support (or lack of condemnation) at grass roots level, what does that imply about the level of support higher up, among the people who actually shape policy? Or do people just not care as much if their country is not directly impacted by a particular terrorist group? After all, how many people on this board have views about the aims of Eta? How many would roar their approval at a song that criticized the Spanish army?

I can scarcely believe how much I have typed just because you mentioned Chicago!

That kind of behavior sucks.mI don't care where it happens or who did it. I just don't where people come from. and this is coming from a girl who is scot, irish and german. yucK. there is an awful lot I don't understand.

Politics can bring out the best and the worst in people.

 

[Bootneck]

I did look over your posts in this thread and I reread them. I took your defensive position against "Concept" and took it as your defense of the Lockerbie Bomber. Then saw you were from England and went on the attack. I did also come in at the middle of the thread and jumped to conclusions. I do intend see you weren't doing that at all and that you advocated nothing of the sort.

Thank you. I accept your apology. I guess we can now draw a line under the issue.

It also appears your an English conservative , thought you were a dying breed. So Amen to that! Amen to your brave buddies fighting over in Afghanistan! I have a few over in Iraq!

The dying breed is alive and well and will be back in power next May.

 

[WillowTree]

Here's the speech in parliament. doesn't sound as if he had any doubts about the guys guilt and still he set him loose.. I still say it was a bad decidsion.

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Minister stands by bomber release

 

[tigerbob]

Here's the speech in parliament. doesn't sound as if he had any doubts about the guys guilt and still he set him loose.. I still say it was a bad decidsion.

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Minister stands by bomber release

What bugs me is that his speech could almost be paraphrased as "Yes he's a murdering bastard, but we Scots are the most compassionate people in the world. You may not be able to understand, but we compassionate Scots would not be able to live with ourselves if we hadn't set him free, such is the level of our compassion. Less compassionate people may not follow this thinking this, but we Scots are so very, very compassionate, oh yes we are".

It's like the "Holy Hand Grenade" speech from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.