The Missing Ingredient

It is an interesting conjecture, having Northern Ireland in the headlines again with the difficulties faced by the DUP now, due to complications with the first minister. Moreover, what this really ought to highlight is the heavy growth of republicanism in the north. I say this, because Fianna Fall are becoming an electoral proposition in the north, and Sinn Fein equally in the South having some representation in terms of councillors on both sides. Fianna creating a platform by experimenting with scheduled events or conferences throughout Northern Ireland is quietly lending an ear to unification along the lines proposed by Sinn Fein, although not explicitly democratic socialism, although one cannot rule a left-leaning Ireland out given the latent growth of the Labour Party in the South. In short, the crisis of union politics now may signal the beginning of the end on their stranglehold on populism in the north, and believe it or not an era of quiet respectability for republicanism throughout the entire island. For it is refreshing that we can now think along the lines of politics that transcends the borders and welcomes in a new dawn of an 'all-Ireland consensus'. All we may now ponder, given this new fluidity, is how one may pay for joining the north and the south or perhaps on a county by county basis, letting Fermanagh go, for instance by creating a charitable fund to aid the Southern government in this mammoth task. Or perhaps, the cost might be shared between Britain and the Republic given Britain's role at the core of a bitterly fought conflict with large subsidies from a formally organised charitable organisation aimed specifically at this political purpose. If Fianna are serious about expanding into the North, this has the added benefit of increasing the breadth of the Republican base, and second increasing the competition between political parties that do not broadly endorse hardline sectarian - more- an inclusive ethos based on the culture and traditions of their ancient culture and language.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/15/united-ireland-gerry-adams