Is the economic situation there as bad as it's painted in the int'l press? Or is it even worse?
I'm not sure to what extent that it's painted int'l, but it is pretty bad. The whole building trade is at a standstill, and a lot of tradesmen have had to immigrate to find work. This is actually occurring with a lot of countries that dove into adopting the Euro, and have had to receive huge bailouts that will take a long time to pay off, no thanks to utterly ridiculous GREED on behalf of politicians, specifically Fianna Fáil.
Frankly, it seems very weird to me for loyalist groups to use the Stars and Bars; how on earth did that come about?
It has something to do with the close relationship with the U.S&UK, especially being close allies in coalition involvement on the War on Terror. All of these paramilitary groups, or more so the wannabes in their communities are wankers, every single one of them. They take any kind of current event and make it political, and something they can sympathise with "Their Struggle." They'll even do it with the American civil war!
Well, in fairness a lot of people think that; you don't have to be a terrorist to think the US is conspiring with the British and Israelis. I can certainly see how it could look that way to outsiders, and it's not as if we're not doing our best to prove them right.
Of course people are entitled to their own opinions, but I'm talking about a widespread hate towards the U.S military. I seriously have to conceal the fact that I'm a vet because people that I've formally gotten on with prior disassociated, and looked at me in a cold way upon hearing, as if we're not individuals, but the Black-n-Tans themselves. It's actually a huge well known part of Republican propaganda to have this hate towards the U.S Military, and to sympathise with the Free Palestine movement.
Which is why they're on US terrorist watch lists, isn't it?
At one stage, but that all changed with the Good Friday agreement. Gerry still gets turned down for visits to the White House, but....
Of course this is after we hear him on the radio condemning America, but he has no problem going to New York on St. Paddy's to raise money for Sinn Féin&NorthernIrish Aid (i.e. the money for arms&bombs, like the one that started this thread)
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