Posturing and hypocrisy
The Unionists were patently hypocritical in attempting to indict
Sinn Féin over alleged links to the IRA, while at the same time
forming an alliance with parties openly linked to the UVF and
UDA. The depth of that hypocrisy was underscored when the Sinn
Féin participants greeted a delegation at Stormont of people
whose relatives have been assassinated by these two
organisations.
Sinn Féin has had twenty of its members murdered by loyalist
death squads with collusion from the Crown Forces but Sinn Féin
has rightly said that the most important thing is to move into
real talks which can bring lasting peace.
It is regrettable that David Trimble chose to engage in theatrics
as an alternative to providing political leadership for the
unionist community.
But what is of more concern is the unionist attitude to idea of
negotiations themselves.
David Trimble has indicated that he will adopt an á la carte
approach to the talks, indicating that his party will boycott
meetings involving Sinn Féin. He says that he can ``pick and
choose'' who he talks to. This does not sound like a man who is
ready to seriously grapple with the issues which stand in the way
of lasting peace.
Nothing but the same old story
Fortunately or unfortunately television soap operas are the most
popular aspects of mass culture. When the most popular of those
soap operas portrays Irish people in the way that Eastenders did
this week, it rightly creates outrage. It also shows that the
racist image of Ireland popularised by Punch magazine in the last
century is still alive and well in Britain. This is important
because Britain still occupies part of Ireland. There is not a
benign relationship between Ireland and Britain. Racism
perpetuates British occupation.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/harp.gif)