An interesting thread…..or more accurately a potentially interesting thread has been developing over at Slugger’s place where the peerless Mick Fealty initiated a conversation “For Nationalists Only” ……”Whats Great About Living in the United Kingdom”.

A reasonable enough question and certainly asked sincerely. If a border poll is ahead of us then it might well interest a Public Relations company which might want to advocate for one side. Interestingly Quintin Oliver of Stratagem has written on Slugger about a Scottish Referendum. I digress. It is not a trick question.

Nationalists have a bizarre relationship with the “UK”. In olden days it was described by unionists as loyalty to the half-crown rather than the “Crown”. In other words nationalists took the dole money without ever expressing gratitude.

Guilty as charged. I receive a generous pension from Mrs Windsor…….I served her…. at times almost adequately for thirty-two years. I am indebted to her for the National Health Service, Manchester United FC, Celtic FC, Coronation Street, The Guardian Newspaper and Monty Python. But I dont have to like Mrs Windsor. In fact if I die midway thru a month, Id hate it. The thought of her owing me two weeks pension is very annoying.

Somebody once said (cant remember who) that the Irish hate England but love the English. English people profess to love Ireland but cant stand the Irish….except Graham Norton and Terry Wogan.
So as an Irish person . So naturally I try to avoid people that I like. I am much more comfortable with people who I don’t like. And if they don’t like me….well that’s ok also.

In fact I cant even bring myself to use the term “United Kingdom” without quotation marks. Indeed for me the “Kingdom” bit is much more significant than the “United” bit. I just dont do “kingdoms”.
But “liking aspects” of the “UK” implies that I don’t like other aspects.
The most negative aspect of the “United Kingdom” is the weight of their history with Ireland (specifically) and broader imperialism (and racism) and their exploitation of weaker nations. Watching Manchester United at Old Trafford or a Coronation Street box set cannot wipe all that away.

I made a contribution to Slugger-Stratagem thread. But I have asked for it to be deleted as unfortunately the basis of the thread “for nationalists only” has been compromised. That’s a pity. Because in the nature of Slugger whataboutery, tomorrow’s promised thread “for unionists only” will probably be compromised.

Perhaps a third thread for “lets get alongerists” is desirable. But would it work? It is after all the kind of apartheid which Slugger O’Toole and I deplore. But in the past Alliance Party members (a party bankrolled…£98,000 since 2007…. by Rowntree, who are advised by Stratagem which is partner of Slugger-O’Toole) has designated themselves cross-party and unionists for the “common good”.