> I would not see the 'dissident' IRA attacks as symptom of any economic
> troubles, as Philip does. More to the point is the utter dead end of the
> so-called Peace Process, which only serves to institutionalise sectarian
> divisions in the six counties of northern Ireland.
>
> Under the rigid peace process framework, neither community has an interest
> in doing anything but digging in, and both are put in a position where they
> are rewarded for keeping their respective communities mobilised around a
> competition for the spoils of government. What have Adams and McGuiness
> truly won for the nationalist community in northern Ireland? Jobs for Sinn
> Fein leaders, but no programme for the future, just more tactical
> manouevring and galvanising the foot-soldiers to keep on marching and
> canvassing for local elections.
>
> It is not that surprising that the less rewarded parts of that constituency
> want to crank up the volume with some tactical innovation. The tragedy is
> that they have no strategy, other than a reheated Republicanism, a more
> intransigent version of Adams/McGuinness.
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>
Don't get me wrong, I'm well aware of the structural problems. But do you not think that the economic downturn has proved a key signal for various groups to see exactly what they're not going to obtain? I don't know if you're living in Ireland at the moment, but people, whether potential insurgents or not, are becoming very disillusioned with the current state of affairs and unfortunately no real way out seems available. An angry young man facing unemployment in an already unstable environment isn't analysing those things which you put forward... they've come from a background where blowing shit up is the path to some sort of "leprechaun utopia" and that stays, that is passed down from generation to generation. These people form their own histories, their own myths; and they can often equate things which a rational mind would easily dismiss...
Sartre once said that terrorism "is a terrible weapon but the oppressed poor have no others". I'd take this to mean intellectual as much as physical weaponry. That said, when it comes to IRA splinter groups I'd have less sympathy than either you or Sartre.