Setanta - you haven't tasted my mash!
"Socialist" was not meant as a term of abuse. I know there are very few who call themselves socialists in the USA...probably due to the legacy of McCarthy and anti-Communist propaganda/censorship/civil rights abuse. In Europe, particularly in France (loop back to subject), socialism has had a fair crack of establishing the relationship between the state and the individual, with some successes in our social security and health systems. I make no value judgement about the relative merits of socialism and market capitalism. The latter currently seems in the ascendence.
OK - all countries have pasts of which they are not proud. The right of all to vote is relatively new and a great step forward. Political systems are imperfect - Reagan and Bush are obvious examples, as you show.
Cav - I ususally agree with you on nearly everything! This time:
I accept historical reasons for resenting the English in Ireland. "Peacekeeping" is something our forces have been doing in Northern Ireland (not to be confused with Eire, the Republic) for about 35 years. In this province of the UK, there is majority support for maintaining links with England...though, as you rightly suggest, this is very much divided along sectarian lines.
We know the difference between "The Irish" and "IRA". Political moves have been very successful in the last 10 years to reduce the divisions, killings (both sides) and general unrest. Centuries of antagonism between Catholics and Protestants is not easily laid to one side.
For the record, I am Church of England/Protestant by upbringing. As I do not believe in a God, nor go to church except as a social necessity, I don't think that this bears any relation to my political views.
The Brits didn't let Canada go until 1982
KP, we can always talk food
You are lucky that it is me, not Mrs. cav, you are debating with regarding the Irish. She would rip you a new a--hole, I am more the diplomat, and agree to disagree.
"C of E sir!"
"Are you referring to the Church of England?"
"Spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch"
Couldn't resist a couple of movie quotes
OK, ok, Pete, i reserve judgment until i've tasted yer mash . . .
But spotted dick ? ! ? ! ?
I doan even wanna know . . .
Spotted dick = see a doctor
or a dalmation, I don't recall...
Well I just wrote about good times in France....but its gone (my hard written piece that is, not France).
Set I appreciate what you wrote back there about contributions to the world from the peoples of these islands. You have been honest about your back ground and how it colours (or shall we say coloured) your opinions. So let me say now that if I had a magic wand and could make a wish for Ireland it would be for the peaceful union of the northern 6 counties with the south. And you know what? It could even happen. There is a new political dispensation throughout the island of Ireland and in Britain that makes it possible. No need for violence, just use the system.
And the real irony is that it doesn't matter any more. We are all part of the European Union whether from Co Antrim, Cork or Cornwall.
I'm not saying British hands in Ulster are pure. Far from it. Some of the things that have gone on and are still going on in our dirty secret war "against terrorism" makes me thoroughly ashamed. For example British soldiers in jeans and leather jackets paid by British taxpayers have machine gunned British citizens at random from the back of a car on the streets of a British city, when it was deemed necessary.
But some others need to hang their heads in shame. For example those in N America who still quietly give a few dollars for the "boys" deliberately ignoring the peaceful road and despite seeing the consequences of urban terrorism on the streets of America.
No argument from me, Boss . . .
Although i consider Burke to have been an hypocritical flannel-mouth (he was a politician, after all), lets now hope that "Good men" are doing something . . .
Evil will always be with us, but we can take posititve steps to assure that it does not prosper.
Setanta wrote:Evil will always be with us, but we can take posititve steps to assure that it does not prosper.
But I thought George II was going to get rid of the evil? He promised he would! He said he would! And his word is his bondage!
Ol' George II is just gittin' warmed up, Boss . . . there's still Syria, Iran, North Korea . . . and, most evil and dangerous of all . . .
FRANCE[/b][/color]
After we invade France, i want the Ardèche, i just love what they can do with potatoes . . . the Irish-American national fruit . . .
This damned thing lost my last post here . . . grumble, grumble, grumble . . .
It was about taters, anyway, an' has reminded me of a story which has absolutely nothin' to do with France, and so, should fit in nicely here:
A while ago (more than 25 years, in fact), i went to the family reunion of some friends in County Sligo. They're farmers, and don't go into town that often, having little need (at least, that was true then). Since there were goin' to be several dozen folks there, and none of us are on the smallish side, me an' a couple of the boys went into town for some taters. We went by the green grocer (no Irish went to supermarkets in those days), and got two stone of taters--cost us 1 punt, that is, 50p per bag. We stopped by the chipper on the way out of town, 'cause it would be a while 'til dinner. I ran in, an' got three bags of chips, one for each of us, at 40p the bag. I got back in the truck an' the following ensued:
Jimmy McNamara: "How much are them chips these days, how much did ya give?"
Me: "Oh, don't worry about, i got this one."
Jimmy: "Oh, i had no intention of payin' ya back, i just wonder what they cost ya."
Me: "Well, i gave 40p the bag, so it was 1 punt 20 fer the the lot."
Hugh (jerkin' his head toward the back of the truck): "Jaysus, that lot back there, two stone, cost 20 shillin's, an' here three paltry bags o' chips cost us, you anyway, more'n that. Small wonder no one with sense wants to live in the big city."
(To put that in perspective, the "paltry" bag of chips was the large one, the small was 25p, and the large one was larger than the large size fries from McDonald's that you get in the U.S.--and made from freshly cut potatoes. The "big city" to which he referred was Sligo, at that time, with a population of about 5- or 6000.)
Yes France...
Actually I blame George III and his Hessian mercenaries. If it wasn't for him, we would never have lost the colonies and have George II waging war all over the place.
I love the way the Irish manage to combine normal retail activity with drinking eg
Murphys Hardware Store and Bar
O'Donoghue Fish and Chips (licensed to sell intoxicating liquor)
Pat's Funeral Parlour (and bar)
I went into one of these places "Fish and Chips please" "Oh and a small whiskey"
"Sorry the bar's closed right now, we open at 5.00 in a few minutes"
-- a pause ---
"Would you like a drink while you're waiting?"
heeheeheeheeheehee . . .
Ah, yer a bad man, so . . .
They really sell small whiskeys in Ireland ...?
Hey, Walter, you're not supposed to have a sense of humor, so just cut it out with the jokes, all right?
I was in a small village near Skibereen looking for a jewellers. The only address I had was Main Street. (In reality there were no other streets).
"Excuse me madam, is this Main Street"
It is it is
Thanks
Yes this is Main Street all right
Thanks very much
Yes its definitely Main Street
(me starting to walk on) Well thanks very much
(lady walks after me) Its Main Street BOTH SIDES
Thanks
Ahem :
On a beautiful deserted island in the middle of nowhere, the following people are stranded:
* 2 Italian men and 1 Italian woman
* 2 French men and 1 French woman
* 2 German men and 1 German woma
* 2 Greek men and 1 Greek woman
* 2 English men and 1 English woman
* 2 Polish men and 1 Polish woman
* 2 Japanese men and 1 Japanese woman
* 2 American men and 1 American woman
* 2 Australian men and 1 Australian woman
* 2 New Zealand men and 1 New Zealand woman
* 2 Irish men and 1 Irish woman
One month later, the following things have occurred:
One Italian man killed the other Italian man for the Italian woman.
The two French men and the French woman are living happily together having loads of sex.
The two German men have a strict weekly schedule as to when they alternate with the German woman.
The two Greek men are sleeping with each other and the Greek woman is cleaning and cooking for them.
The two Englishmen are waiting for someone to introduce them to the English woman.
The Polish men took a long look at the endless ocean and one look at the Polish woman and they started swimming.
The two American men are contemplating the virtues of suicide, while the American woman keeps on bitching about her body being her own, the true nature of feminism, how she can do everything that they can do, about the necessity of fulfillment, the equal division of household chores, how her last boyfriend respected her opinion and treated her much nicer, and how her relationship with her mother is improving.
The two Japanese men have faxed Tokyo and are waiting for instructions.
The two Australian men beat each other senseless for the Australian woman, who is checking out all the other men, after calling them both "bloody wankers".
Both New Zealand men are searching the island for sheep.
The Irish began by dividing the island into North and South and set up a distillery. After the first few liters of coconut whiskey they do not remember if sex is in the picture, but they are satisfied that at least the English are not getting any
Steve must have been in Castletownsend, lol, or perhaps any small village "near" Skibereen. And just for the record, no knocking Pat's Funeral Home dere, laddy, they put the "fun" in funeral, the "wake up already you drunkin bastard" in "wake"...a good man, that Pat....
