"If They Want It They Can Have It": Ulster's Tragedy.

[BELFAST]

It’s the INLA, surprised they didn’t shoot one of their own in the attempt...Maybe they should have got that Ra lad that hit one of the Brave class with the Boys rifle in Waterford...

The INLA and their splinter groups made the Provos look good compared to them. Not an easy task.

 

[sparky42]

The INLA and their splinter groups made the Provos look good compared to them. Not an easy task.

Pretty much yeah. Though I could only imagine the shitshow in OTL if Big Ian had been killed...

 

[David Flin]

How hard were they allowed to chuck the rocks?

I ask because that seems to be sort of "character building" exercise some really Gung-Ho senior brass would think of.

As hard as they liked, but they were far enough away that it was a painful annoyance rather than an actual danger.

 

[BELFAST]

As hard as they liked, but they were far enough away that it was a painful annoyance rather than an actual danger.

These guys know how to throw stones.

 

[FriendlyGhost]

Below is slightly adapted from a post I made many years ago in a discussion about terrorism - much of it is pertinent here:

While there are still people railing against 'the system' which stops them having the things they believe they're entitled to (whether that's correct or not), there will be support for radical organisations. Sometimes those stay peaceful, sometimes they don't. I remember the height of the problems in NI, when two mothers of dead sons (from both sides of the divide) were interviewed and both said they'd rather lose more sons than 'give in' to the 'enemy'. In contrast, by the 2000s, there were people from the same communities who wanted to be able to go shopping / go to work / go to school without continually being worried about whether a bomb would go off.​

ITTL, we're still in the stage in bold, unfortunately.

 

[BELFAST]

Maybe this time the hunt report will happen.

CAIN: HMSO: Hunt Report, 1969

 

[ShortsBelfast]

Pretty much yeah. Though I could only imagine the shitshow in OTL if Big Ian had been killed...

The IRA, as I recall, thought that Paisley acted as a recruiting sergeant for their cause and prevented any kind of sensible conciliatory unionism that might have quietened things down a bit.

 

[BELFAST]

The IRA, as I recall, thought that Paisley acted as a recruiting sergeant for their cause and prevented any kind of sensible conciliatory unionism that might have quietened things down a bit.

They said that about Mrs Thatcher too but still tried to kill her.

 

[Arthur Marston]

@nezza : You should make threadmarks for the story updates. It's really tiresome having to wade through pages of discussion to get to the next chapter.

 

[ShortsBelfast]

They said that Mrs Thatcher but still tried to kill her.

True, but Thatcher was (a) actually in a position to crack down on them; and (b) trying to seek a level of diplomatic accommodation with the Republic that would make life more difficult for them and quieten things down a bit.

 

[nezza]

@nezza : You should make threadmarks for the story updates. It's really tiresome having to wade through pages of discussion to get to the next chapter.

I have been busy with other matters and have only had brief periods to update so some of the niceties have been bypassed. Has anyone else found the discussions tiresome?

 

[nezza]

Can I just say that I'm honoured and shocked to have been nominated for a Turtledove award for this TL. I totally forgot about it to be honest until I got the message. I would have finished it but to be honest of writers block and more important issues stopped me from doing so.

Thanks for the feedback and once again thanks for the nomination