<HTML>Garrett,
I am amazed at how many people so fascinated with the past have suddenly become so anti-historical. It is as though history has nothing to do with where we are now. History is often used as jusitification. Indeed, if the perpetrators of this recent tragedy are to be dealt with it will be because the history of the 11th of September will call for justice. How far do we go back? Well you don't really need to go farther back than WW2. Events from then provide enough for material for the hatred that is going around the world today.
[There is actually very little hatred between protestants and catholics - the catholic and protestant middle and upper classes share a great deal of common ground in terms of opinions and attitudes towards the political state of N.Ireland. Indeed, it was them that carried the Peace Process. The real divide actually exists in the working classes. They hate each other. They come from deprived areas of high unemployment like the Falls or the Shankill. They compete for rubbish low paid jobs. They define themselves not by the acquisition of goods like the materialist middle and upper classes but by flags and sentiments.
The 'Celtic Tiger' is nothing of the sort. It is a veneer that has been subsidised by the EU - take away the subsidies and the economy runs down. Interestingly enough, Ireland recently brought a veto against expansion of the EU - the reason being that expansion would take the focus away from the poorer countries already in the EU such as itself, and towards Poland, the Czech Republic. There is nothing like enlightened self interest.]</HTML>
