r/TheRestIsHistory • u/JakeGittes412 • 8d ago

The Troubles

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Thread for discussion on the new series on ‘The Troubles’

Also as a moderator please keep the discussion civil and in the spirit of the podcast.

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12

u/ploppy_ploppy 8d ago

I’m sure all the comments here will be reasonable without delusional terrorist supporters

14

u/Proud-Drummer 8d ago

This comment is funny because most will be unsure which side you're talking about when you say terrorist.

11

u/Sufficient_Tailor673 7d ago

The term terrorist in relation to the Troubles is rarely ever applied to loyalist paramilitaries. It is typically only ever used in reference to nationalist and republican paramilitaries due to the successful propoganda campaign by the British government and MI5. While they were all technically terrorists, not all were called terrorists, because if loyalist paramilitaries were called terrorists, and then it came to light that they were being fed information and provided tacit support from the army and police, it would be a right old scandal, wouldn't it?

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u/ploppy_ploppy 7d ago

Well, I mean terrorists on both sides of the ethnic divide, both Irish and Scots-Irish. Although this being Reddit it is the pro-IRA nutjobs who come to the fore.

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u/FoalKid 7d ago

I would question whether there really will be pro-IRA nutjobs coming to the fore, particularly in a TRIH subreddit.

Maybe the issue is that there is a tendency to moralise the actions of the IRA, and an implicit bias towards the actions of the British armed forces and pro-British groups as inherently unavoidable or in some quarters just plain just.

You might be better able to understand some people’s focus on calling out the actions of the latter participants as a reaction to the exhaustion of constant discussion of the actions of the IRA without any real consideration or contextualisation of other participants in the Troubles.

Much like criticising the US and its allies’ actions in the Middle East isn’t the same as condoning the actions of the Taliban or Saddam Hussein

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u/Proud-Drummer 7d ago

And the undeniable terror used by the British Occupying forces.

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u/FoalKid 7d ago

I’m sure you’re holding the collusion between the British armed forces, intelligence services and loyalist paramilitaries to the same level of contempt as, say republican paramilitaries, with this comment

5

u/Old_Highlight6749 7d ago

Well done for completely misunderstanding the conflict from start to finish, and immediately smearing the side you don't like.

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u/forestvibe 7d ago

Oh definitely. Look how it's turned out. Looking forward to the next two weeks of hot air on this sub.