"....and one wonders why the Irish don't like the English"Actually,
@mogga, you'd be surprised how little hatred is expressed by we Irish towards English people.
English Imperialism, yes, but not so much the English people themselves, per se.
But, speaking as someone of Irish decent, no self-respecting Irish person would actively countenance the particular notion that
Irish Lives Matteras a cultural ethos.
In fact, quite the opposite: For the simple reason that - to your average Irish man and woman - "Irish Lives Matter" connotes an element of victimhood and risks fostering learned helplessness.
We were actively taught by our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, that we were not to consider ourselves as anything special due to the systematic atrocities committed against our forebears by English Imperialism, and that we should not demand to be treated as special, nor should we expect it.
Instead, that we - as proud Irish men and women - should be disciplined, diligent, and should work hard to prosper and flourish
despite our past of systematic oppression, and to never use it as a reason for any lack of success.
The adults in my life were at great pains to constantly remind me and my siblings, that we should avoid looking backwards and seeing ourselves as victims of the English, but should look forward to improving our lot. We weren't alone; that has been at the core of Irish teaching in the home since the end of The Troubles.
We were taught not to lay blame on others for our under-achievement.
And, as can be seen, not only is Ireland today a highly successful and prosperous country with high living standards, but Irish around the world have achieved great success and acclaim in all walks of life - commerce, industry, arts, technology, medicine, philanthropy, and civic affairs.
Within the space of just five decades Ireland went from an economic and cultural backwater inhabited by "toothless simpletons" (attrib. Alan Partridge [*]), ravaged by two World Wars, and decades of civil unrest and war, to one of the world's most successful peoples today, not just at home but across the world.
And all because of self-discipline and hard work.
No hand-outs.
No special dispensation.
No "Irish Loves Matter" .
No excuses.
Just application and hard work borne out a sense of pride and self-respect.
Ireland went from ranked outside the Top 40 in the world in terms of per capital national incomes, to 9th today:
View attachment 2254572As you can probably tell, I am immensely proud of my people.
I think we a re a shining example of what can be achieved in life... against great odds.
Erin-go bragh.[*] A very funny - and accurate! - 1950s stereotype; we Irish are not too precious to laugh at ourselves.
