finneys13

The Irish tried political pressure for over 36 years, it didn't get them far at all, arms worked in 6 years and the results where greater than anything that political pressure could have done.

Same with popular votes, outside of the very North-East and Trinity, every single Irish MP was pro-Home Rule, they didn't get it until 1914, and then it was postponed because a minority didn't want it. In 1918, every Irish MP outside of the NE and Trinity was Sinn Féin.

Sir Bert Preast

I don't know much about it tbh. Was Sinn Fein then marxist?

Sir Bert Preast

We'll never know, will we? In any case, it's almost a century after that. Civilization is supposed to progress, not regress. We've had enough examples that war doesn't exactly yield the results the hawks claim they aim for.

Time to try something else. Diplomacy sounds like something worth trying out, yeah </BLOCKQUOTE>

So let's get diplomatic with the Taleban? We didn't try diplomacy with Saddam?

finneys13

No, Sinn Féin wasn't Marxist at all, quite conservative really apart from wanting a Republic, but the majority where happy with dominion status, something Westminister would never have given by pure political means, even if the vast majority of the island wanted it.

Retro

I can't disagree with any of that tbf. I very rarely talk in absolutes myself.

Rdysn5

Iraq is the most recent example of diplomacy not working. That was 89 years after WWI.

Sir Bert Preast

What was the 3rd home rule bill about then?

TheCranker

Although now the same thing is happening with regards to the IRA. We come up with a black and white definition for something which is complicated and then believe we've simplified it.

Kizzak

We'll never know, will we? In any case, it's almost a century after that. Civilization is supposed to progress, not regress. We've had enough examples that war doesn't exactly yield the results the hawks claim they aim for.

Time to try something else. Diplomacy sounds like something worth trying out, yeah </BLOCKQUOTE>

So let's get diplomatic with the Taleban? We didn't try diplomacy with Saddam? </BLOCKQUOTE>

iirc Saddam was allowing the investigators in and even offered to leave the country before the deadline

DJ

Not saying it's the only thing we should try.

Corrupting themselves and their minnows also something that's never been tried. I am convinced that for a price, you could oust most corrupt governments.

For the amount that the US has spent on weapons since 2001, they could have bought all of Africa and have had spare change left for assorted South American torture states.