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This was written by Dr Jennifer Cassidy, who describes herself on Twitter as: Irish. Politics Lecturer @UniofOxford. Former Diplomat. PhD Digital Diplomacy (Oxon). Books Gender and Diplomacy, @UN Consultant, TED Speaker.
We did not starve the Irish and they would have conquered us had they had the means.
I borrowed this argument from the Irish American theologian and heresiarch, John
Dominic Crossan. I think it is a killer argument but as a descendant of someone whose forbears came over to London from Co Cork circa 1860 I am shy of making it.
In the beginning the Irish lived in Scotland and the Scots lived in Ireland but after a while they swapped round because they found that confusing.
I shall only add that the decision to resettle millions of Arab and other young men from the Third World in Europe may create as many or more problems than the settlements of Protestants in Northern Ireland by King James I.
You invaded us.
You conquered us.
You divided us.
You robbed usof our language,
our heritage, our land.
You starved us.
You starved us.
You starved us.
You shot us.
You imprisoned us.
You killed us.
We made peace.
We trusted you.
We trusted you.
#HardBorder 🇮🇪
Dominic Crossan. I think it is a killer argument but as a descendant of someone whose forbears came over to London from Co Cork circa 1860 I am shy of making it.
Dr. Crossan (he was once Father Crossan) said
"I still hold two truths with equal and fundamental certainty. One: the British did terrible things to the Irish. Two: the Irish, had they the power, would have done equally terrible things to the British. And so also for any other paired adversaries I can imagine. The difficulty is to hold on to both truths with equal intensity, not let either one negate the other, and know when to emphasize one without forgetting the other. Our humanity is probably lost and gained in the necessary tension between them both. I hope, by the way, that I do not sound anti-British. It is impossible not to admire a people who gave up India and held on to Northern Ireland. That shows a truly Celtic sense of humor.”
Irish history is full of self-pity but it is a very great shame that someone of Dr Cassidy's opinions is helping form the future British elite who will rule our country in the 2040s.
I thought Sellars and Yeatman in their once very funny parody of 19th century schoolbooks 1066 and All that wrote these lines but they did not and therefore I must have done.
I shall only add that the decision to resettle millions of Arab and other young men from the Third World in Europe may create as many or more problems than the settlements of Protestants in Northern Ireland by King James I.
As you know, I have been ceaselessly advising that the EU has concessions up sleeve...but why would it have made them when the essence of its policy was give as little as possible, shackle UK to EU forever and continue to withhold any relaxation as long as it was (so obvious) out-negotiating the puerile Brits teams, packed with opportunist politicians playing the field and utterly useless incompetent advisors and civil servants led by top dogs who never had a decent classical education to draw from.
ReplyDeleteCharles FitzGerald
That's a useful fallback. "The Irish would have done it to us." You also use the same logic for African slaves and whites. What makes this true?
ReplyDeleteThere are differing opinions as to the history between Ireland and Britain, but those ruled by the British Empire often do not share the happy memories of its fans and are not swayed by breezy denials that it ever did anything wrong. That is one of the reasons that Brexit may not go as smoothly as some of its proponents hope. Britain is not universally loved -- after losing its holdings it did not figure out a way to make itself indispensable to any partner, or did not care to.