RamNut Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 F*cking Thatcherite poppycock. If anything i'm left wing, but i was disgusted by his performance. You didn't see it. I did. Whatever the political arguments etc, kneecappings, intimidation, organised crime, killing innocents and by standers is wrong. Nothing thatcherite about that. And to go on television - in Ireland - effectively encouraging people that a terrorist response is justified is inexcusable. To their credit, the irish host and audience did not respond by loving up to him in the way he obviously expected. It was more a case of 'what a prat'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GboroRam Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Ramnut i think you'll find that most of the British left supported the IRA to one degree or another. It's unlikely he was doing it to garner favour. You could argue, and the Tories did, that supporting Mandela was supporting terrorism. They also did some pretty unpleasant things in the name of their cause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttoxram75 Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 That was in the Commons when he wanted to see how much it cost (in life, equipment etc) to send the task force to the Falklands, which he believed to be an unnecessary war, she said he wouldn't have the freedom of speech he had w/o those putting their lives on the line, rather embarrassingly for her not realising he had put his life on the line. She did get very upset sending handwritten letters to the parents of those that died however, so she had done her bit too!???? Benn had some odd opinions on a few things but he spoke his mind and was a man of conviction and not swayed by what might be popular, but what he believed to be important for the country as a whole and not necessarily to get him some votes. I think that sums him up dabber. He didn't wait to see what the papers said before he voiced his opinion. Too many politicians wait to see which way the wind is blowing before delivering the spin doctors/party line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Ramnut i think you'll find that most of the British left supported the IRA to one degree or another. It's unlikely he was doing it to garner favour. You could argue, and the Tories did, that supporting Mandela was supporting terrorism. They also did some pretty unpleasant things in the name of their cause.Ramnut i think you'll find that most of the British left supported the IRA to one degree or another. It's unlikely he was doing it to garner favour. You could argue, and the Tories did, that supporting Mandela was supporting terrorism. They also did some pretty unpleasant things in the name of their cause. There is a big difference between having sympathy for the political aim of a united Ireland, and saying that the IRA actions are justified. the Irish understood the difference. Its a pity others don't get it especially since terrorism is the politics of the jack boot - about as far right as you can get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GboroRam Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 There is a big difference between having sympathy for the political aim of a united Ireland, and saying that the IRA actions are justified. the Irish understood the difference. Its a pity others don't get it especially since terrorism is the politics of the jack boot - about as far right as you can get. I think most of the British left supported the IRA' s actions as well as their political aims. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 I think most of the British left supported the IRA' s actions as well as their political aims. Anyone who supports kneecapping, intimidation, organised crime, murdering milkmen, bombing pubs, killing 3 year olds etc should be lined up against a wall and shot. For purely intelligent political reasons of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GboroRam Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Anyone who supports kneecapping, intimidation, organised crime, murdering milkmen, bombing pubs, killing 3 year olds etc should be lined up against a wall and shot. For purely intelligent political reasons of course. Not agreeing or disagreeing with you, just pointing out the political reality. So its not really Benn that you are arguing with but the position of the left in general during the 70s and 80s. And you've also got to bracket some other organisations together in this approach. I reckon you've also shot Mandela and Malcolm X in your policy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Not agreeing or disagreeing with you, just pointing out the political reality. So its not really Benn that you are arguing with but the position of the left in general during the 70s and 80s. And you've also got to bracket some other organisations together in this approach. I reckon you've also shot Mandela and Malcolm X in your policy. My issue was with tony benn. For going on national television in ireland encouraging them that the actions of the IRA were justified. How fkn stupid is that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GboroRam Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 He held a view common in that time to people in that political vein. Is he more stupid than the rest of the left? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 I have no idea who else would confuse jack booted terrorism with a left wing inclination to support minority causes. I didn't see anyone else go on television in ireland endorsing the IRA. he was very pleased with himself and obviously thought that they would love him for it. They didn't. He just looked stupid. I lived in ireland. Whatever their political views the vast vast majority were very warm and friendly and were appalled by the violence. They were not impressed by him, and nor was I. They were more impressed by Peter O'Toole who went on a drinking binge in Clifden, Connemara and got them all singing rebel songs; then when it was his turn to sing, he stood on a table and sang 'God Save the Queen'. They liked that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GboroRam Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 It sounds like you have more respect for the people who agreed with Benn but didn't vocalise it. Some might say they are big hypocrites and deserve less respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Why is going on Irish television and encouraging support for the IRA worthy of anything but contempt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 If other politicians shared those views then they are equally stupid. Nothing else is relevant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GboroRam Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Why is going on Irish television and encouraging support for the IRA worthy of anything but contempt? You'd have to ask the supporters of the IRA that - and there were a lot of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Probably not as many as you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GboroRam Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Probably not as many as you think. Well half of the USA takes us up to 300m people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Excepting of course those supposed intellectuals debating the issues over a cup of tea in their Holland Park mansions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Well half of the USA takes us up to 300m people. Yeah.....right. Well with such over-whelming support its a wonder we didn't all applaud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GboroRam Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Yeah.....right. Well with such over-whelming support its a wonder we didn't all applaud. I think in this country we tried to mask how much global support the IRA had, convincing ourselves that the issue was solely about the actions of "terrorists". And you can discount the views of terrorists on principle so you must be right and everyone else is wrong. Well I thought the issue wasn't that straight forward. It was never a numbers game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 I think in this country we tried to mask how much global support the IRA had, convincing ourselves that the issue was solely about the actions of "terrorists". And you can discount the views of terrorists on principle so you must be right and everyone else is wrong. Well I thought the issue wasn't that straight forward. It was never a numbers game. See aboveThere is a big difference between having sympathy for the political aim of a united Ireland, and saying that the IRA actions are justified. the Irish understood the difference. Its a pity others don't get it especially since terrorism is the politics of the jack boot - about as far right as you can get. The IRA inflicted violence and control over their own community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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