Thanks for all this smmary. I've always had a soft spot for the Irish people and hope that Ireland once will be reunited.
Is it true that Maggie once suggested that all Catholics from Ulster be exiled to the South? One of my uni professors once told me !
Anyway another great song as a tribute to Bobby Sands is by the band Soldat Louis from Brittany:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr3JDEM-Y8Q
Chorus:
The songs from the streets of Belfast
have the same flavour of Ireland
They cry like the sky of Belfast
liked cried the eyes of Bobby Sands
liked cried my eyes for Bobby Sands
...
All songs from Northern Ireland
Recall an iron lady
who swore herself to see 'em dead
a Catholic passport "Good for Hell
I can't disagree with all this.
My only problem concerns what was going on before the "liberal revolution" (because for me it was a revolution). You seem to argue that conservatism is of necessity elitist and negative (or amoral?).
But in many countries the Welfare State was created by Conservatives (like in France with General de Gaulle or in Germany with Bismarck). In France, the liberal revolution was led by the left-wing government of President Mitterrand.
I agree on the destructive power of globalization but the solution against it is a strong state and maybe some sort of protectionism, which is usually associated with conservatism, some sort economic patriotism. Before the Maastricht Treaty (whose art. 63 states there can be no restriction on capital movement between a member state and a non-Euro country.), which was signed up by Maggie's successor John Major, a company could never move capitals outside the limits, without permission from the government.
Besides here on the continent there are many farmers and small craftsmen who would vote right-wing, despite the fact that they're in deep purple. Is that suicide?
I don't know much about him but he supports Assad. Enough reasons for me to like him.
But I don't believe in democracy. So that's not how you'll convince me she was good.
France 1983, left-wing President François Mitterrand (with communists in the government !!!) started the liberal revolution known as
La Rigueur, with the end of wage indexation and the abolition of the Glass-Steagall Act equivalent among other despicable things. Then even the right-wingers were demonstrating in the streets !!