Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Nick Eckert
peace and getting rid of some of the bitterness in the North of
Ireland/Northern Ireland would be for a very limited version of the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission that looked into some of South Africa's dark
past. As I understand it, the commission had the power to compel people on
both sides of the conflict to come and testify about some of the crimes that
they committed in the name of their political agendas (in return for
immunity). I understand that victims also got a chance to testify and at
least eyeball some of their tormentors.
What I wonder is if the Canadian judge Peter Cory recommends that several
public inquiries into collusion take place whether it might not be a bad
idea to set up some sort of commission that looks into those cases as well
as some of the others that give various participants a good deal of
heartache. It would certainly seem like a more efficient use of resources
than to set up an individual "Blood Sunday-like" inquiry for each one.
Maybe the best way of doing it would be for each party to the Good Friday
Agreement to nominate one or more cases for such an inquiry.
I wonder what other people on this newsgroup think?
michael adams
"Nick Eckert" <gibb...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:Z6Cdna84UJ9...@comcast.com...
Do you have a Chapter on "Whataboutery" in your Book?
No? Oh dear me, and you claimed you knew all about the NI
problem!
To some it may not appear that the people of NI agree on
much but one thing most of them do agree on is that it would
be a whole lot better actually if everybody forgot all about the
"whataboutery" issues altogether and just got on with things.
Whereas such is your manifest ignorance, that all you're suggesting
here is an institutionalised form of "whataboutery", which will go
on for years cost a fortune and not get anyone anywhere.
What is whataboutery?. If you'd even read any newspapers you'd have
already discovered that whenever any incident "A" happens in NI.
apparently perpetrated by the Big Enders, the BE, they'll immediately
be denounced by the Little Enders, the LE as thugs and savages. Etc etc etc.
Immediately the BE will turn around and say "Ah yes, but what
about "B" which happened last week when you LE's did this". A week will
then go by while the BE's and the LE's and their respective supporters
argue over which incident "A" or "B" was the worst, which was the
greatest crime against humanity ete etc. At the end of this whichever side
has apparently come out worse will then turn around say "ah yes but what a
bout "C" which happened last year?" And so it goes on and an.
This is a little game which is played out on this Ng a lot and also in
real life. And most of those involved know its a game. Depending on
which "side" you're on, and how good a memory you have, or how adept you
are with Google you can bring up "Whataboutery" issues stretching all the
way back to Henry II in the 12th century if you wish. Although one side
often
attempts to "cheat" by drawing arbitrary cut off points where it suits them.
Usually just after a particularly heinous "atrocity" committed by their own
side.
My own specialsed subject as it happens, are the details of the trips made
by Sir Edward Carson for private audiences with the German Kaiser Willhelm
II just prior to the outbreak of WWI. Made solely for the purpose of
procuring
weapons for the UVF. Quasi treasonable activities which directly led to the
wholesale slaughter of the Ulster Divisons at Theipval on the Somme.
Although
of course being the NI Expert, you'll already know all about that.
What you singularly fail to understand is that this is all a Big Game.
And nothing more. When either side in losing ground on the larger political
front they will bring up whataboutery issues as a way of redressing
the balance. At the end of the day if both the BE's and the LE's thought the
overall political framework was equable all the "deep seated" whataboutery
issues and grievances would be forgotten overnight.
Your total misunderstanding of the whole situation is such, isn't it
that you think that there is some "correct answer" to any of these
whataboutery issues? "Stakenikfe" "Collusion" etc. That there's some "Silver
Bullet" whataboutery issue that's of such real significance that the party
shown to be in wrong, be they LE's or BE's will immediately throw up their
hands and say "You're right you know ,we've been wrong all along, ever since
1184 or whenever".
What you singularly fail to understand in all this is that "whataboutery"
issues, just as with Paramiliarism and political violence generally
are simply a symptom of political imbalance at an institutional level.
As it happens, in NI it can be in the interests of the various parties
to pretend at times, that this isn't the case for political reasons. But
once the political balance is established at the tip, such that the majority
of the population are happy with the instsiutions at least, all such
whataboutery issues will vanish overnight. Not the other way round.
But of course being the pompous self-opinionated American* Idiot that you
are, you won't realise any of that, will you? Simply because you live in
the richest country in the World, stolen off the native population, and
worked by slave labour, a considerable proportion of whose descendants you
now keep locked up in Prison - those you don't execute that is - you think
you've got the right to tell other people what to do, and how to behave.
And that they're somehow all obliged to listen with open - mouthed gratitude
to your pathetic half witted ramblings and attemps at analysis.
Well you don't and we don't! You're simply a pompous opinionated buffoon.
So why don't you just try and sort out the problems in your own country
first Bozo! All of which are kept conveniently swept under the carpet by a
compliant, ratings and advertising driven, media. Before trying to tell
the people of NI how to sort out theirs!
michael adams
* regular posters to the Ng excepted as usual of course. along with s\h
book dealers nation readers michael moore fans etc etc
Ergoge the Niffirg
<mjad...@onetel.net.uk> wrote:
>
>"Nick Eckert" <gibb...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
>news:Z6Cdna84UJ9...@comcast.com...
>> As time goes on, I find myself wondering whether one way of sealing the
>> peace and getting rid of some of the bitterness in the North of
>> Ireland/Northern Ireland would be for a very limited version of the Truth
>> and Reconciliation Commission that looked into some of South Africa's dark
>> past. As I understand it, the commission had the power to compel people
>on
>> both sides of the conflict to come and testify about some of the crimes
>that
>> they committed in the name of their political agendas (in return for
>> immunity). I understand that victims also got a chance to testify and at
>> least eyeball some of their tormentors.
>>
>> What I wonder is if the Canadian judge Peter Cory recommends that several
>> public inquiries into collusion take place whether it might not be a bad
>> idea to set up some sort of commission that looks into those cases as well
>> as some of the others that give various participants a good deal of
>> heartache. It would certainly seem like a more efficient use of resources
>> than to set up an individual "Blood Sunday-like" inquiry for each one.
>> Maybe the best way of doing it would be for each party to the Good Friday
>> Agreement to nominate one or more cases for such an inquiry.
>>
>> I wonder what other people on this newsgroup think?
>>
>
Or to put it another way,
>> I wonder what other people on this newsgroup think?
You are an idiot.
(Apologies for not snipping)
--
George
Alas poor sig, I knew it well.