[Denerick]

I'm not interested in discussing the most recent riots up north, the usual tit for tat (It was the catholics/it was the prods) BS that gets peddled out ad naseum and results in numerous headaches. Rather, I'm interested in how seriously we should take these occasional outbreaks of thuggery. I'm familiar with the Ulster mind, there is a certain level of unhinged ferociousness there lying beneath the surface that manifests itself ocassionally. (Anyone who has been on a night out in Belfast or Derry can testify to this - much rougher than any Dublin or Cork equivilent)

The riots themselves usually involve tiny numbers of people - a few hundred hoodies, perhaps, with a few dozen adults playing at either Republicanism or loyalism for the day. For these few adherents to neanderthal activity, fabricated outrage is their natural state. The Orangemen pretend to be enraged that some people are preventing them have their camp little march up some Catholic area and the Republicans pretend to be enraged that some people are having a camp little march through their little area. Rationally speaking, there is no cause for discontent. Rationally speaking, its more logical to assume that this fabricated rage invented by zealots on both sides is merely a pretense for the true cause of the riots, the chance to throw petrolbombs and act the mick, which is undeniably a huge part of masculinity in some parts of the North.

When you really get down to it, these riots are all about sweaty unemployed idiots fighting each other. Its oddly homo-erotic. I swear, watching some of the footage the other evening reminded me of some really gay film I saw not too long ago where the protagonists were very aggressive with one another but eventually admitted their homosexuality (One of them committed suicide, if I remember right)

My thesis: All of Northern Ireland's political problems stem from the confused bi-curious urges of inner city, working class youths.

[cardwizzard]

Surely you mean the N.I mindset.

[GAAman]

Originally Posted by Denerick

My thesis: All of Northern Ireland's political problems stem from the confused bi-curious urges of inner city, working class youths.

Wow............ just wow

[Denerick]

I thought it was quite clever myself. I've always thought that the more macho, violent and brutal somebody is the more likely it is that they possess repressed homosexual urges that they dare not express. Add to the fact that any organised activity involving regularised dress, fraternistic songs, and an undertone of masculine aggression is really really gay and you have yourself a bit of 'queer theory' all of your own. I should really publish this stuff, there are people sitting right now in cushy university departments who've written much more bizarre theories.

[RDM_83 again]

Originally Posted by Denerick

I'm familiar with the Ulster mind, there is a certain level of unhinged ferociousness there lying beneath the surface that manifests itself ocassionally. (Anyone who has been on a night out in Belfast or Derry can testify to this - much rougher than any Dublin or Cork equivilent)

Wow!*

Could somebody please move this to politics cafe or lock this.

* what about northside Dublin, Athlone, Limerick, Longford town etc in terms of rough nights out

[Exile 1798]

I thanked this because it's very funny not because I agree with every premise. Though like everything funny there's an element of truth in it.

You might be interested in this Denerick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HaJaM4fHOU

The intention of the video is quite homophobic, but there's no denying the genuine homo eroticism of many of the prison pictures.

[Duffy the Vampire Slayer]

[DublinWriter]

Originally Posted by Denerick

My thesis: All of Northern Ireland's political problems stem from the confused bi-curious urges of inner city, working class youths.

Really?...and there was me thinking that it had a little to do with 12th Century Norman expansionism, the 16th Century European Reformation, the Plantation of Ulster, Henry VIII, Carson's Blood Covenant, the attendant urbanisation that was a by-product of the 19th Century Industrial Revolution and the 1921 Anglo-Irish treaty.

[Denerick]

Originally Posted by DublinWriter

Really?...and there was me thinking that it had a little to do with 12th Century Norman expansionism, the 16th Century European Reformation, the Plantation of Ulster, Henry VIII, Carson's Blood Covenant, the attendant urbanisation that was a by-product of the 19th Century Industrial Revolution and the 1921 Anglo-Irish treaty.

Red herrings. They're all red herrings. The true cause of Ireland's malaise was Dermot Mc Murrough's romantic infatuation with Strongbow.

[nesf]

Denerick, if you want to peddle your own special theories, start a blog.