If this were to happen, then I could see no reason why the “Peace Train” (or whatever Blair’s latest description is)couldn’t back on tracks again and we could see a devolved government back in NI within 12 months.

Unfortunately, I think Sinn Fein’s vote will hold or even increase at the May5th election and they will then justifiably say that, despite the events of the last 5 months,they have still a mandate from nationalists. In this case, the pressure on the hardmen will lessen and there will be no way practically that a devolved government could still work. I think it would be back to direct rule from Westminster for the foreseeable future with an increasing Irish government involvement in areas of mutual interest.
But I could be completely wrong-I usually am!

All Irish nationalist parties on the island of Ireland follow the 100% democratic path with the exception of one. I admire greatly the likes of the SDLP(an Irish nationalist party, based in the North) who under great intimidation continue to preach the non-violent path and also the mainstream parties in the South who, if you read recent pronouncements have taken a very hardline against Adams and co.

My own(probably you would say “tribal”) view of Unionism is that it has many aspects which I find unsavoury-I dislike the sectarianism which continues to exist within certain quarters, I dislike the knee-jerk negative reaction many have towards any expression of Irishness and last but not least, I despise the loyalist paramilitaries.

But whilst I will continue to criticise Unionism, I also agree with the vast majority of democratic Irish parties North and South of the border that Sinn Fein must cut all links with criminality and their armed wing must be closed down for good before they should be let back into the political mainstream again.

I suppose you have your own preset ideas about this question and whatever I write will not affect your opinion, but at least I’ve given you another point of view that’s rarely heard. So in that context, what you think of my credibility is neither here nor there.

I’m sorry, but you’re not credible on this issue because you’re tribal to the core. Using words like “our”, “other side”, etc. just leads me to believe that you will demonize one side and hedge and defend the other.

You can’t be tribal and a defender of universal verities at the same time. So appealing to universal codes of conduct while remaining irreversibly tribal means that you won’t convince me, since I have no belief that you actually would uphold universal values if your own tribe was the one that was being judged.

My main problem with Adams,and Sinn fein is that they have wasted that opportunity by proving to be incapable of embracing democracy and throwing away the guns. Political parties who maintain an armed wing(which is still actively engaged in non-poloitical crime) and who try to protect the murderers of an innocent man in a pub brawl do not deserve to be in government.

“Its hard to embrace a political route when your political candidates are being murdered”

The Unionist parties(Robert Bradford being the prime example) and the SDLP also had political canditates murdered by terrorists.
They still followed the political route.
Democrats don’t need private armies.

As for the Nationalists,someone summed it up quite well, when they said that “there is a whole generation unborn” who will grow up with a hatred of Paisley and the Loyalists (British, Special Branch, etc.) for the crimes they committed for 35 years against “our” community.

Not very helpful, in the final analysis.

One very brief reason that the IRA could not earlier take the soley political route was the tendency of loyalists to murder Sinn Fein candidates. Its hard to embrace a political route when your political candidates are being murdered.

As for the Unionists,someone summed it up quite well, when they said that “there is a whole generation unborn” who will grow up with a hatred of Adams and the Provos for the crimes they committed for 35 years against our community.