Sir, - Yet again Paul Bew writes an article, "Shrewd Trimble Has Dodged A Stitchup", (June 6th), which inadvertently shows the intellectual bankruptcy of unionism. His article on the travails of Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble is the equivalent of intellectualising on the process of paint drying. Incredibly, Prof Bew argues that Trimble has acted ever so reasonably and out of principle. But despite all his fine words and apparent analysis, Bew's article is bereft of objective history. He decries Sinn Fein having a "private army" and how Trimble has been betrayed by the British and Dublin governments.
He does not seem capable of understanding or admitting that the state of "Northern Ireland" is an illegitimate state, born out of violence by the British and their unionist henchmen upon the Irish people. The as-yet unreformed RUC is still the private army of a unionist state, which in the unguarded words of David Trimble during this latest election campaign, did not give "Catholics a stake in it since its inception".
The distorted nature of the Northern state is inadvertently revealed by Bew when he writes: "There is a venerable tradition in the Northern Ireland Office [ie. government machinery] which always regarded DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson as "the man who could deliver".
It is astounding how Bew can so easily discuss such serious structural bias in the state without even realising it; and how he can overlook such glaring historical violence perpetrated by unionism.
Contrary to his assertion, Trimble is neither shrewd nor has he dodged a stitch-up. He is a self-interested little politician who has stitched up himself and the rest of society out of blind petulance. His resignation threat next month is wholly consistent with the venerable tradition of unionists threatening insurrection whenever political developments don't suit them.
Unfortunately, the resolution of conflict is made extremely difficult, maybe impossible, when large sections of society, like Bew, are so blissfully ignorant of transgressions.
If Prof Bew's article is a reflection of the kind of lectures he gives at Queen's Unversity, then God help his students. - Yours, etc.,
Finian Cunningham, Dunboyne, Co Meath.