Tone police? You are the one who slagged off the article? I responded. To be clear: I am a politician who believes in both irish unity and genuine encounter between historic identities in Ireland. I'm not in denial about the colonial context, but nor do you get to tell me what self-respect is... - ThreadSky

otoolematthew.bsky.social • 88 days ago

Tone police? You are the one who slagged off the article? I responded. To be clear: I am a politician who believes in both irish unity and genuine encounter between historic identities in Ireland. I'm not in denial about the colonial context, but nor do you get to tell me what self-respect is...

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otoolematthew.bsky.social•88 days ago

Re what is a unionist. I think best to define it as someone who actively wants the current union as a political preference. The person who wrote this article is self-evidently from a unionist background, but clearly does not state a unionist preference for the future, indeed they hint elsewhere...

otoolematthew.bsky.social•88 days ago

As with many northern Protestants, familial and cultural reference points will include things that are either a reflection of, or created by, structures that discriminated against others. Orangeism, large parts of Ulster industry and of course the military...

otoolematthew.bsky.social•88 days ago

Acknowledging that these are also sources of meaning, sometimes pride, for people - even people who are otherwise aware of and sensitive to injustice - is not for me an act of self-hating abasement but a choice. Nor does it stop me being clear-eyed about the structural meanings of them...

otoolematthew.bsky.social•88 days ago

I was not tone-policing you but rather responding to your fairly robust critique on a public platform. I am confident in my politics and approach to constitutional change, and unmoved by being called a 'pick me' or stoop or whatever. But also happy to be challenged too. Have a good one.

mexicancat2024.bsky.social•88 days ago

You must admit that very little “mixing” happens in the north and unionists don’t want to be talked into a united ireland. Nationalists want to get involved with the Dáil, unionists don’t. Stormont is frankly embarrassing, infantile. Billions spent every year and zero progress, like the Westlink.

lauramca.bsky.social•87 days ago

It is not as simple as ‘very little mixing’, there is certainly mixing but that depends on geography, class and all sorts of variables that are always easier for the middle classes. In terms of NI and its functioning, it is essentially a failed state and imho part of it is down to politicians.

lauramca.bsky.social•88 days ago

You’re a politician, i’m an academic. My job in this context mine is to critically engage with issues of identity and memory. We don’t follow each other so you chose to make comment on my perfectly legitimate perspective, next time scroll on by rather than writing an essay.

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