That whole Haass thing. The LetsGetAlongerists have been confounded…again.
They have had a bad couple of years.
In 2011, Alliance party gained more power than their mandate deserved? Yet have not actually done anything “progressive” (as the LetsGetAlongerists claim to be). Indeed they have facilitated the DUP-Sinn Fein carve-up.
The Alliance Party is actually a disappointment to the broader LetsGetAlongerist tribe.
UUP continues to be in melt down and NI21, Conservatives are all crowding the liberal unionist “middle ground”.
Haass produced nothing and at least for now the aspirations of academics to get their arses on a Flegs Commission or Truth Commission have been de-railed.
Yet …Flegs, Parades and even the Past….dont seem that important.
So what’s next for LetsGetAlongerists? Well they are talking about a Civic Forum…again.
I like Democracy. Even the flawed version in Norn Iron. I like Manifesto and Mandate.
My gut feeling is that an appointed Civic Forum undermines an elected Assembly.
The advocates of Civic Forum say that an alternate forum provides blue sky thinking, strategic thinking that those dependent on an electoral cycle.
Seductive….but effectively the academics who advocate this are talking about people like themselves….academics, lobbyists, clergy, women, trade unionists…..but only of course the RIGHT KIND ….LetsGetAlongerists.
Is that the next step.
Will LetsGetAlongerists move further away from Democracy…by calling for the suspension of Stormont and call for a Conmission from the Golden Halo of Do-Goodery.
There are I suspect a few of Norn Irons highly political centre ground people who would love to emulate Mr Quisling.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
eurofree3.wordpress.com would agree with the suspension of Stormont – waste of time and money – as long as we moved to interim UK/ROI joint sovreignty/governance, with interim to last as long as needed. I have been advocating this for quite some time and was heartened to see The Detail has also picked up the idea.
“Joint-sovereignty is an obvious extension of the parity of esteem message of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement, and chimes with the future direction of demographics.And it is a whole lot simpler than options that have previously been considered.”http://www.thedetail.tv/columns/steven-mccaffery/northern-ireland-politics-is-changing-but-mums-the-word
I could live with Joint Sovreignty.
As could I if it were truly “joint”. Would some sort of local;assembly be required or would the “super councils” suffice in terms of representation?
As always, the devil is I the detail.
But I see over on Slugger O’Toole that Brian Dimbleby-Walker is saying that after Haass, we are left with the numbers.
Demographics.
I have always said that LetsGetAlongerism is being used to frustrate the Demographics. Unionists seeing how the future looks and building a case for a “new” inclusive union.
Often these people are fairly recent converts.
They went along with Carson, Brokeborough and the rest….now they are engaging in a fairly cynical operation….rather like old Apartheid South Africa thinking they could do a deal with Zulu Leaders and set up tribal homelands.
The very welcome thing is that the LetsGetAlongerists are being undermined by unionist extremists who have not read the new hymn sheet and are singing the very old “hymns” passing St Patrick’s and St Matthews.
Joint Authority?
Rumours of Red-Partition….a Gaza Strip in Antrim and North Down.
LetsGetAlongerism just cant break out of its own ghetto ….physical and philosophical.
And did you notice that John McCallister is now saying that the Peace Process has now “expired”.
Looks like he is saying we are now in “pre conflict”
Whatever….it increasingly looks that the Good Friday agreement and its processes have run noIt of steam.
Could the Unionists.
No. No key players.
I’m only half-joking of course. The leading lights in LetsGetAlongerism wont be doing anything radical.
But if the British Government abolishes Stormont and sets up a Commission to govern Norn Iron….the networkers who said the right things to the NIO will be rewarded.
Lundy. Petain. Quisling…..if I put my mind to it I could name ten people who would happily do it…..for the Common Good of course….and a salary.
“But I see over on Slugger O’Toole that Brian Dimbleby-Walker is saying that after Haass, we are left with the numbers.
Demographics.”
Funny but I’ve been saying just that for quite some time now.
It is the changing demographics that are driving political developments now. We are rapidly approaching a tipping point where political unionism will be in a minority (ie: actual votes).
It has already happened in Belfast and we can see the utter confusion in the reaction of Unionist parties. The collapse of the Haass initiative is particularly bad news for unionism as they have actually weakened their negotiating position for future talks.
That is the real subtext.
Exactly.
Interesting how Dimbleby fears the “numbers”….in the 21st century.
The plan is a) get nationalists voting for unionist parties- don’t start me on that one , or plan b) get them voting for anyone else! preferably Alliance or NI21- anyone except a nationalist party in fact!
Yes…to stop nationalists being nationalists.
And they call themselves MODERATE!!!!