DO you feel something beneath your feet? You should do. It is the entire edifice of civilisation on this island trembling. Small signs everywhere - the boycott of Protestant traders through out Northern Ireland, chic, right on But baiting on RTE, the UVF in Portadown gearing up and ready to go, a total inability in the Republic to understand the dynamics of Northern Protestant society just as that society goes through its annual convulsions.
In our political attitudes we'd have criminalised Northern unionists merely for being what they are but if we don't like them, what do we do about that dislike? Hug them closely to our breast? Is that what you do with something you dislike? Probably not. Expel them, more likely.
Virtually nobody in the Republic during the recent crisis over the Drumcree march made the smallest attempt to journey into the Protestant, loyalist heart and those of us who do attempt to comprehend what is for outsiders is anyway largely incomprehensible are soon accused of betrayal.
Declaration of Harmony
Sorry. But is there something wrong with being Orange? The flag of this republic is a statement of the Irishness of orangeism, it is supposedly a declaration of harmony between the two traditions. To wish to understand one of those two traditions, to which the constitution lays claim, is surely not inconsistent with one's nationalism. Or is it?
It depends on the nature of our nationalism. We are not very good at understanding other people's insecurities; and we are intolerant of intolerance, except when that intolerance is ours, and then we are enormously tolerant of that.
Is it not quite dazzling that Michael Bell, TD for Louth, remains a member of the Labour Party, and thereby enjoys the Government whip, though he twice called for Northern loyalists to get out of Ireland and return to Britain? How precisely would his Protestant equivalent be regarded by Dublin, especially the chic, right on, wrap the green flag round while I light this joint super cool Temple Bar republicanism where the tribal heart beats loud as ever?
In fact, we know the answer to that, as we know how he right on would react to the visit of a British politician who had urged for the repatriation of blacks from Britain. No, the intolerances we tolerate are the Virtuous Hallmarks of Our Tribe, and telling the Orange whores to get the hell out of here is well within the acceptable language of the green tribe.
Different Rules
But if there were a politician in Britain who called on nationalists to "get back" to the Republic, and his party was in a coalition government in London, and he had been undisciplined and had kept the party whip, how would Dublin react? What would Dublin or the nationalists of the North think of the intentions of the British government?
But of course, we are different. Different rules apply. Our identity is benign, virtuous, right on their identity is fascist, Orange, intolerant, infused with bigotry and imperialism. Good. Now who precisely is going to go into an Orange hall and tell the brethren there what you think? And are you going to sit down with those nice gentlemen from the Portadown UVF, who already have the scalp of one poor innocent Catholic under their belt, and tell them listen, I don't want any trouble here, but I'm afraid you're all going to have to leave Ulster, for ever. And close the door behind you. Byeee.
Do you know what? This will not happen. The nationalist people of Ireland have not the military or the economic might to compel a solution along the lines which nice, unpunished moderates" like Michael Bell want, never mind the ambitions of "extremists". It might be hard for nationalist Ireland to understand this, but it is the truth: the unionists feel that they have had enough.
The day by day government of Northern Ireland is now performed with the aid of what they feel is a foreign, power, and Protestant businesses throughout the west of the province are being boycotted. This is what Sinn Fein's Charlie McHugh had to say of the boycott: "It is a peaceful protest. Maybe now they realise how they depend on Catholic trade a lot more than they think. It might show them how sick we are of them marching up and down and into nationalist areas."
Listen to that voice. It is worth hearing. It is an authentic "We'll show em" voice. I can sit down and hear a "We'll show em" voice from the UVF in Portadown, or from the IRA unit preparing its next city wrecking bomb in Britain.
Lethal Synchronisity
The present week is fraught with the most lethal synchronisity, the republican anniversary of August 9th is followed by the loyalist one of August 10th, and somewhere between the two will be the RUC, prepared for vilification and abuse, and probably condemnation from Dublin whatever it does.
The RUC is not perfect, and last month fell far short of perfection in its zealous response to nationalist rioters compared to rioting loyalists. An easy time for leaping on the high horse.
Listen. Deal with reality. The RUC is a largely Protestant police force whose members live in Protestant areas. That is the reality. Last year at
Drumcree, Protestant paramilitaries filmed the lines of police holding the orange marchers back. That video was copied, and all over Northern Ireland, sympathetic militants spent their winter evenings studying the video to identify the RUC men preventing orangemen marching in Drumcree. Do you know something? RUC officers are now terrified of Protestant paramilitaries who know their every move.
Like it or not, the RUC holds the line in Northern Ireland. It can certainly be improved. What in life cannot? But the biggest threat to the RUC comes not from republicans, but from loyalists who know police officers' homes. It cannot impose laws or solutions the majority explicitly rejects. When it tries, it will be rejected and be powerless, and we then look at common ruin on this island. Deal with reality, not tribal pipe dreams.