A couple of weeks ago I highlighted the tendency on the left towards double standards over political violence, citing Northern Ireland as an example. So all violence is bad but protestant violence against catholics is regarded as sectarian and driven by bigotry; catholic violence against protestants is political and driven by oppression.
It is disappointing to see Tony Blair fall into this trap. One of the positive things Blair has done is move the Labour party away from its previous rather obvious pro-Green and anti-Orange bias on Northern Ireland questions. He should know better.
2 comments:
Blair was saying that the "Protestant bigot" was not a true protestant.
Surely this position, if anything, is a defence of protestantism, just as saying that "Islamist extremists are not true Muslims" is a defence of Islam and Muslims.
Frankly, both sides in Northern Ireland are hypersensitive about language, all the time, on principle. It is part of the bread and butter of their politics. So there is a knee-jerk reaction to the use of the term "protestant extremist" even in the process of disavowing the concept.
Quite how anybody can simultaneously believe both that there is such a thing as a true protestant and that there is such a thing a true muslim, is a question for another time.
Blair is defending protestantism but there is an implied slur on Ulster protestants. I think it is a good rule of thumb on Northern Ireland not to be or appear selective in criticising either side. This is why both sides are hypersensitive about language.
In refering exclusively to the bigotry of one side Blair departs from even-handedness and reinforces the growing sense of victimhood among Unionists.
Blair would have been better to refer to bigotry on both sides of the divide or not to refer to it at all.
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