LAD has Civil Writes Too!

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Anyone who follows LAD, for fair means or foul, will already know we’ve been up and down like a fiddler’s elbow over the last week.

This is the result of a new tactic being used by the likes of the Pradisan Coalition, who encourage followers to partake in what is effectively spamming Facebook’s report function, triggering the automatic removal of the LAD page for “violating community standards”.  Without human involvement, there is no option for arbitration, thus no opportunity for LAD to explain that those who are accusing us of violating the community standards are those doing the violating in the first place, given it is mostly their comments that we are copying and posting on LAD.
 
Is your page next?
 
At present, LAD is the focus of attention but the implications of this on-going action are more worrying.  Many other groups, including political parties, run Facebook pages and if all it takes to get a page removed is to spam Facebook’s report facility, perhaps other groups and Facebook themselves, should be paying some attention to the issue.  The reliance on automatic moderation gives external groups the opportunity to effectively censor content.  In the case of LAD, this is ironic given the self-proclaimed ‘civil rights’ nature of the loyalist groups involved.

LAD has received many comments on the subject, the majority being wholly supportive, while the negative comments come from those who believe we are unfairly singling out the loyalist community for ridicule, making many misguided claims as to who or what LAD is.

To clarify, LAD was born of frustration over the absurd and illegal actions of a minority who managed to ruin many a Christmas (for traders especially) due to disagreeing with a democratic decision taken to fly the Union Flag on designated days, as is the practice in most of the UK.  Despite claims that LAD is a republican page, or as one idiot claimed, a secret MI5 operation, this is definitely not the case.  The contributors to LAD cross the division of both religion and politics.
 
Republican fleggers.
Spot the difference? No, neither do we
As for singling out loyalists, while this may appear to be the case, the reason is simple.  From the outset, these people have been acting illegally and irrationally, with political unionism watching from the side lines and quite often joining in.  Unionist politicians have forgotten they represent more than just the minority who are prepared to bring ruin to Northern Ireland/The North/The North of Ireland (delete as applicable).  
If nationalists or republicans were behaving in a similar way to loyalists, LAD would have no reservations in highlighting this and will do so when/if it happens.
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Northern Ireland's Shame - Not In Our Name

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Remember loyalists smashed up the city centre? Here's a critical reflection on that event. Northern Ireland is a diverse, tolerant and cosmopolitan country. The modern generation - ambitious, well-educated, internationalist and outward looking - have made it this way. But we in Northern Ireland are not truly free. Like James Joyce said 100 years ago, history is the nightmare from which we are trying to awake.

No matter what bone fide efforts are done to better Northern Ireland, the stability and fortune of the province is forever tied to and dependent on the mood of delinquent extremists. Chinless throwbacks always ready to restart the religious wars of the 17th Century that ravaged Europe but still linger here; always ready to plunge us back into chaos; always ready to shame our name.

A jackboot lunatic class who keep the young and ambitious hostage and prisoner to a totalitarian anarchism, fuelled by no more than base ignorance and mindless idealism.

Yes, young people in Northern Ireland aren't truly free. Religiosity and violence has retarded our education system, segregated communities and minds into green and orange, and viciously retarded the economy.

To paraphrase Epictetus the Greek philosopher, only the educated and those with a good job are truly free. Many of the most capable and the most intelligent cannot get a job in Northern Ireland. I despair for them and shed even more despair for the less-capable, less well educated. For they are not truly free. Just as the young, educated middle classes in the Maghreb states, Eastern Europe and Asia are subjugated by autocratic dictators, so it is that the young, educated, middle-class in Northern Ireland are subjugated by "barbaric sectarian leaders" and the feral communities that they play-out to.

2013-08-11-BrianJohnSpencerIanPaisleyNorthernIreland.jpg

But there's an important difference here: The educated middle classes around the world are standing up and saying no. Just read Andrew Sullivan here and Francis Fukuyama here. It's happening: a global middle class uprising. It's real. Except in Northern Ireland it's not. We, the middle class in Northern Ireland, are a stoic, accepting, over-tolerant, fatalistic lot, devoid of critical faculties.

Ready to put-up and shut-up as opposed to stand-up and put-out. But this silence and inactivity can't go on: Delinquent loyalists and republicans cannot be left to shame and defame Northern Ireland. Their shame is Absolutely NOT to be done in my name.

I want to make a few points on how the moderate, ambitious, cosmopolitan classes can push back against the reactionary throwback politicians and street thugs that continually soil the good name of Northern Ireland.

My first point. People in Northern Ireland are well known and reputed for their enduring cynicism and skepticism. A particular condition to the people of Northern Ireland. We pride ourselves on our modesty, our civil tongue and reticence. But Northern Ireland young people need to rid themselves of this tired, old cloak of endless cynicism and skepticism.

This congenital tendency for cynicism is deeply tied down by the traditional Northern Ireland culture that has said "step in line, know your place". But nowadays we live in a changed world: One where opportunities and resources abound. And so we must change our minds to the new world; we must believe we can do anything, anytime and at any age. Mark Zuckerberg didn't need a degree, internship, masters, PhD or apprenticeship to create a multi-million if not billion dollar company in his bedroom.

We can't rely our educators and universities to properly prepare use for the job market for as the Harvard Business Review said, 'Our Future Workforce Is Stuck in a Pattern of Mediocrity.' Young people need to start thinking for themselves, use their initiative and realise they can achieve anything. As Thomas L. Friedman said in the New York Times: 'Need a Job? Invent It'.

We must combat and resist the status quo and the associated tragedy of cynicism; for the cynicism buttresses and reinforces the prison walls that the delinquent classes have erected for functional society in Northern Ireland. As Selwyn Duke said in the American Thinker: "What the cynic mistakes for the walls of his fortress are really the boundaries of his prison."

My second point. We need to look again at what's happening across the Muslim world and the changes bedding down in that land. In the Muslim world the traditional split has been between Sunnis and Shi'ites, a deadly warfare going back 13 centuries.

But alongside this traditional split has emerged the modern societal split: One between theocracy and modernism. Explaining what has and is happening, James Lewis said in the American Thinker:
"Modernism comes up for every Muslim who can turn on the television or surf the web. It is spreading because science and technology are spreading, and secretly, it is undermining the Dark Ages of the Muslim priesthood. People named Mohammed are being indoctrinated in ancient madrassahs against the modern world, but they are also beginning to do first-rate science, and those two belief systems are not compatible. The modern world is now invading even the most medieval minds."

The quote above applies perfectly to the backward looking people and communities of Northern Ireland. Young people all across Northern Ireland are being indoctrinated with haunting bigotry against the modern world. Watch the video below, of young children all in the single-digit age bracket spouting naked bigotry and sectarian cliches which can only have been heard from parents and older family members.


In the face of this we need to spread enlightenment ideals and help to invade and broaden their minds and horizons. We can see how well the broadening of minds has serviced the Muslim world already. It can be done here too.

My third point. We need to study and emulate the anti-communists who liberated Czechslovakia under the banner of the Charter 77 movement. A movement spearheaded by Václav Havel who tore down the lunacy and absurdity of the communist dictatorship without lifting an arm; but through dissent expressed through satire, poetry, irony and humor.

This peaceful dissident campaign can be typified by the W. H. Auden poem, 'The Ogre' which captures both the horror as well as the inherent weakness of that system:

'The ogre does what ogres can, 
Deeds quite impossible for any man,  
But one prize is beyond his reach:  
The ogre can never master speech.

About a subjugated plain, 
Among the suffering and the slain, 
The ogre stalks with hands on hips, 
While drivel gushes from his lips.'


We need the same publicly minded and spirited citizens that coalesced under the Charter 77 movement. The same brave and responsible citizens of Czechoslovakia that showed the naked and corrupt power structure.

We too in Northern Ireland need freedom from the ever present tyranny of loyalist and republican ogres who impose a way of life that is totally unacceptable to functional 21st Century life.

To conclude. What we saw of Northern Ireland on televisions across the world was the doings of the backward forces of pre-history. These people do not represent majority Northern Ireland. These people represent the worst in society. Yet they do it time after time after time after time. The same stupid, narrow, shortsighted minority fighting their stupid but vicious, venal and venomous turf war.

It will never end if we let them behave like this. So we must stand-up, put-out and battle for tolerance, just as other subjugated, non-free young people are doing the world over.


[This was written by Brian John Spencer and originally published on The Huffington Post UK]
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The Arts are Only for Posh Taigs

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LAD are well-used to reading ridiculous stuff on Facebook sites, and in letters loyalists and UKIP councillors send to our MI5 office in Holywood.  Strangely enough, the republicans haven't realised we're there.  They tend to cover a wide range of  subjects, including hate, paranoia, sectarianism and flegs.  Recent comments from popular local childrens entertainer, William Humphrey Dumbty, MLA, have us stumped though.  You can see the article in question here.

William Humphrey Dumbty is angry


Mr Dumbty, who has his finger in the pulse of loyalist anger, has been reading up on Tha Arts and although he can't remember the last film or play he saw (probably the Nativity play he was in at primary school) he is quite the expert on Tha Arts because he visited a theatre with the Starmount Culture, Toys and Games Committee to make sure that that Carrul McCoolin wumman isn't spending money on Taigy things.  He might have one of them 'Loyalist Filter' gadget things too but that's just specliation.


Humphrey Dumbty reckons that local theatres don't do enough for the wurkin class loyal Pradisan because they keep putting on lots of high brow stuff with no marching and that.  It must stop!  Theatres has a obligashin to teach wurking class loyal Pradisans about the "concept of Tha Arts".  Theatres is failing the people of Ballygomartin, Ballymurphy and Ballymacarrett.


LAD thinks William Humphrey Dumbty should go to a play and tell us what it is like and if there are pictures and bands and a march and that, then it might be good for LAD.   We don't see why posh Taigs and some Pradisan Lundys who have turned they're backs on the wurking class Pradisans, to go and live on the Malone Road, should get all the money for things they like.  Wurkin class loyal Pradisans don't get any money for The Arts. So it's not fair so it is.


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Cycles of violence

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Well first aff - before I get til the point I want to make about these Italian nancy boys coming over hear I want to make a wee point about the on line sensor ship that’s going on here in Ulster.  I seen youse boys at LADs been getting a fair bit off stick of Facebook this last couple of days and youse know better than anyone I’ve been there, wore the T shirt and went down to dirty Dublin and sure what did youse boys give me but dog abuse.  Serves them rite I says, thatll harden them after all the propaganda youse have put out against the protestant loyalist people.

But after having til sit throu Emerdale and Coronation Street with the wife I have decided to give youse one last chance to put yer house in order and stop talking about that atension seeking wee skipe Jamie Bryson or else I will put out a fatwah agin ye and this time, you are off air for good. Youse are lucky I have a sense off humous or their wuld be no second chances. I’ve spoke til my coleages in the Protestant coalission and they have said no more touting unless someone pays them. According to my soul brother Sammy its getting boring sitting up in that caravan with oul Geordie Chittick going on an on about King billy and the charge of the light brigade so it is, a bit like Big Brother with lots of spitting and bad smells. Get back LAD quick he says – givem one last chance to stand by Ulster and the PUL people or weel march down to Dublin and demand our rites off Facebook again so we will QS.

Apart from LAD getting threw off of Facbook there’s one other major thing annoying me and the wife apart from the usual stuff about that horse dealing maffiosis Slab Murphy. Did youse here about this Italian cycle race, the latest sell out the DUP are trying to sell us? Their coming right here til the heart off Ulster right past my own front door in Markethill, emisseries off the Roman Antichrist himself says wee pastor Barrie. Not only that, there going on to Forkhill and up Slab Murphy’s drive to pass on intelligense and fill up with diesel and then all the way to Dublin in time for mass with seven bishops and yer man Gay Burns at the pro-provo cathedral.

Them boys must be on strong drugs for the furthest I’ve been on a bike is Tandragee and that was with the wife on the back just after we started courting. We were going to a rally agin the anglo irish agreemint. Well its seven mile from my front door to Tayto Castle and by the time we got there it was dark and Paisley was away back to his manchion. So I bought the girl a big bag of pickled onion and the rest is history. Nowadays I wear durex, tho its true the flavers aren’t as nice.

Anyways, what I’m asking youse is this – what is it these foreinners want with us anyways. Why are they coming over here chasing pink jumpers on multy million pound bikes. What does the people of Markethill want with two hundred sweaty papists invading our piecefull wee town. And when are they handing out these giros. Or is only Slab and his thugs who’s making anything out of it?  

The worst thing about these Italian tramps apart from them shaving there legs like ladyboys, is they’re riding down to bandit country knee deep in the blood off UDR men moordered by roman catholic terrorist scum that hid like a pack of cards in ditches in the dead off nite. How wuld the Italians like it it if I went over til Las Vegas on a pogo stick and started dancing on Julius Seezers  grave? Or if I pissed in the Levi  fountain. So my message to the sissy boys of this giro Italian thing is this  – either you boys stop at the UDR memorial in Glenanne to obsurve a minute silence and write a big check payable to FAIR or I will dress up as Abu Hamza and chase youse all the way to the border and even beyond on my racer.

See youse in Dundalk amigos.

Fuck the Pope

Wm Frazer 

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A letter to Facebook

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Today we sent a copy to Facebook's press office and their PR company regarding the unwarranted removal of the L.A.D. Facebook page after mass reporting by so-called Loyalist Facebook users.

The email addresses we sent it to are:

Facebook: press@fb.com
Their PR firm is Blue Rubicon and the contact there is ronan.joyce@bluerubicon.com.

Why don't you do the same?
Simply cut and paste the text and send to the addresses above.

Thank you for your support.

Dear Facebook

I am writing to you regarding the group Loyalists Against Democracy who until recently had a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/loyalistsagainstdemokracy until it was 'unpublished' by Facebook. Subsequently two replacement L.A.D. pages have also been 'unpublished' by Facebook.

Some background:
L.A.D. is a cross-community, non-political group set up to combat the growing tide of sectarianism in Northern Ireland through the use of satire. L.A.D. use a combination of: original material (songs, artwork and videos) and screenshots to hammer home the point that sectarianism is wrong. The screenshots are taken from various public Facebook pages and show other Facebook users making vile hate filled statements that promote sectarianism and in many cases incite violence. Those responsible for these posts have been responsible for an ongoing and often violent campaign of civil disobedience 'protesting' at the democratic decision to fly the union flag on designated days only, as is the case in the rest of the United Kingdom. They have also been openly hostile and violent in their opposition to the decisions of a legally constituted body known as the Parades Commission who legislate on contentious parades in Northern Ireland.

L.A.D. is put together by a small team drawn from across the political and religious spectrum in Northern Ireland and enjoys huge support from both communities. When www.facebook.com/loyalistsagainstdemokracy was closed the page had nearly 9000 followers. The blogpage http://loyalistsagainstdemocracy.blogspot.co.uk has received over a quarter of a million hits since launching in June. The L.A.D. Twitter feed @LADFLEG has 4,606 likers (amongst them many local politicians including the Deputy First Minister and the Leaders of NI21 and the Green Party).

L.A.D. has been removed by Facebook purely as a result of an orchestrated campaign by certain right-wing ultra sectarian so-called loyalist groups in Northern Ireland. Their method is simple.They spread a message via their personal and group pages to report posts on L.A.D. as 'harassment' when this is clearly and demonstrably not the case.In certain cases they complain about various hate filled sectarian posts which they themselves have written. as we understand it when Facebook receives the requisite number of reports the pages are automatically 'unpublished'. Those responsible are effectively spamming Facebook's reporting system - which we understand is contrary to facebook's community standards.

Attached are many example of the campaign at work and also some examples of the hate filled sectarian bile that is allowed on the facebook system while a satirical page aimed at promoting peace and reconciliation is punished.

Recently L.A.D. teamed up with the Northern Ireland Children to Lapland Trust, a local cross-community charity raising funds for terminally ill, long term ill and deserving children  http://www.niclt.org/ . They have recorded a song and are in the process of shooting a video intended for the Christmas market.  L.A.D had hoped to use Facebook to market the song with all funds raised going to the charity. Sadly this marketing option is now closed to L.A.D.

I would like to know what Facebook intends to do about this and would respectfully request that www.facebook.com/loyalistsagainstdemokracy is reinstated immediately.

The offending screenshots detailing mass reporting can be found here:

http://imgur.com/a/1CISZ

Please reply as a matter of urgency,

kind regards,

xxx









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Enough is Enough

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In response to the rolling unrest in Northern Ireland I made a simple case: That modern Northern Ireland remonstrate and stand against the loyalists and other extremists who have been “chipping away” at our good name. PUP councillor John Kyle responded directly here, elsewhere Winston Ervine criticised me for my “invective” and others have chided me for my “rank snobbishness and arrogance.”
In a reply to this I have the following to say.

I can see how my last article could be read as conceited, supercilious, even arrogant. None were my intention. I can also see the hypocrisy in a well-fed moderate having a go at the unionist working classes. So I welcome the points.
But this is what I didn’t get.

Firstly, I’m astounded that those who have been associated with people who make violence, vandalism and intimidation the rules of the game start crying when I respond with heavy words.
Secondly, my opponents spoke of the hypocrisy of a middle-class person criticizing the working-class who contribute so many men and women to the armed forces. I’m reminded of Rudyard Kipling’s poem, Tommy: ‘Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep.’

I get it. But I respect the men and women who defend us while we sleep. But I wasn’t referring to working-class Protestants at large, for whom I have the greatest of sympathy. When I spoke against loyalism, I spoke of the violent, buckfast-in-hand, anarchic brand of loyalism; fully grown men dancing on police land rovers, teenagers attacking the police; the Orange Order striking the police.
This is the important distinction. The loyalists seen by the world aren’t men of the armed forces who defend us; these are men who attack the men and women who defend us day and night. It's a VERY VERY odd form of loyalism that attacks the Queen's forces. So I will not have it said that I took an impassioned swipe at disadvantaged unionists. I took a swipe at loyalists who engaged in a pre-meditated campaign of violence overseen by the Orange Order and various illegal organisations, and defended by unionist politicians.

Thirdly, I was told that “Those of us who are established in our careers and positions of influence owe it to them to create employment opportunities, affirm their worth and provide role models and friendship.”
On creating jobs and role models – the flag and parades unrest and rolling uncertainty does nothing but destroy jobs and investment. And associated with this, as Newton Emerson said, “paramilitarism is the cause of social disadvantage.” These gangsters are the role models and they have a chokehold on the young people. The men in control don’t want outside role models. They covet the status quo. They don’t want their people to change.

As Christopher Hitchens said:

‘The power of this parasitic class was what protracted the fighting in Northern Ireland for years and years after it had become obvious to all that nobody (except the racketeers) could “win”. When it was over, far too many of the racketeers become profiteers of the “peace process” as well.”’
On affirming and working with them - how could anyone help them? I don’t know any well-off unionist, never mind nationalist, who could just walk into one of these areas and try and in any way mingle. It's not rude to say this. It's the reality.

Think of these bonfires, supposed towers of culture. If you’re not in that community and you wanted to take part and enjoy the culture before the 11th night, you’d get chinned. You’d have to speak to one of these self-appointed gatekeepers to get anywhere near the people.
I remember trying to speak with a mural artist. His response? A stone, Aztec face, empty eyes and a grunt that said ‘“f” away off’. These are closed people that resent the middle classes. The only way to unlock them is through the gatekeepers and paramilitaries. And so the circle goes on. (I should make it clear that I’ve also met and know some of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever come across who are from the loyalist community.)

Secondly, many in the loyalist community are already helped to no end. They’re an indulged class who’ve been handed tranche after tranche of money, habitually siphoned off and squandered by “gatekeepers”. It’s the same with the Orange Order. As Brian Feeney said, the Orange Order is showered with public money, yet they incite unrest and cost the public purse thousands.

Their indulgence is typified by the learnt helplessness and sense of victimhood – that it’s everyone else’s fault. Like Alex Kane said to the Orange Order, stop blaming everyone else and take some responsibility. We need to end this tremendous steam-bath of self-pity. It’s not about what Northern Ireland can do for you but what you can do for Northern Ireland.
Thirdly, I was criticized for my invective and heavy use of language. John Hewitt wrote, “Speak peace and toleration/ Moderate your tone of voice, and everywhere avoid what might provoke/ Good will must be deployed in efforts to restore our balanced state.”

This was written fictitiously. A jab at the cult of respectability adopted by the coasting middle-classes who decided it best to just shut-up and put-up with the Troubles. Well no, I won’t moderate my voice and I don’t think anyone else should do so for that matter. Softly, softly doesn’t work. I will speak truth to barbarism. I will not be a silent spectator of unfairness and mindlessness. So my use of words was quite right. You cannot pander or indulge such incivility.
As William Butler Yeats wrote, ‘Irish poets learn your trade, sing whatever is well made, scorn the sort growing up all out of shape from toe to top.’ I feel it only proper to scorn those who have gone unscorned, unchecked and unaccounted for, for far too long. As John Hewitt said, they’ve been ‘long nurtured, never checked, in ways of hate.’

The time has come to say, as Fintan O’Toole said to the people of Ireland: ‘Enough is Enough’, enough of the pandering and indulgence; and enough of the standing idly by, enough of the fatalism, enough of the cynical inaction, enough of the shutting-up and putting-up. As Fintan wrote:
“There is a fatalistic sense that nothing can change. The country needs to encourage participation in, and oversight and knowledge of politics, to make people feel that they have a right to challenge the old party machines and to make a difference. It is their country, after all.”

Yes, Northern Ireland is our country too. We have a culture too. We need to lose the fatalism, contest the lunacy and battle for tolerance. We cannot be held hostage and prisoner to events by a rogue community. Too long we’ve moderated our voice, spoken peace and toleration and everywhere did what would not provoke. Well, enough is enough.
And to those who say I have nothing positive to say or to contribute, here are some points for loyalism, unionism and the leadership to consider.

Firstly, it’s quite clear that the unrest is the expression of insecurity and uncertainty, and a deep fear that their culture is being “chipped away”. These are totally understandable concerns, but rioting is not the answer. How so? It’s suicide on a number of levels:
One, it’s an own goal against moderate unionism. As Alex Kane said:

"A final thought for now: has moderate unionism simply been replaced with opt -out-couldn’t-care-less-about-the-whole-thing-anymore unionism?"



Two, it’s an own goal against catholic unionists, who Gerry Moriarty spoke of in the Irish Times here.

Three, it’s an own goal against mainland Britain who will continue to tire of the living on of the religious wars of the 17th Century. Theresa Villiers rightly said:

“It’s hard to think of anything more unBritish than wrapping yourself in a union flag and attacking the police who are there to uphold the law."
Four, it's an own goal against tourism and the NI economy. As Theresa Villiers said:



“It’s hard to see how Northern Ireland can reach its full economic potential while sectarian division continues to spill out on the streets with disgraceful scenes of rioting and violence.”


Five, the rioting and unrest play into the hands of Sinn Fein. Let it be said very plainly: the rioting, the fear, the insecurity, the paranoia, the unrest and the uncertainty are exactly what Sinn Fein want. The shouting and roaring is exactly what Sinn Fein want loyalism to do. Alex Kane recently quoted a Sinn Fein member who commented on the unrest. He said:




“We can always rely on unionist disarray or paranoia to help us out.”
We should also remember what Mitchell McLaughlin said in 2006 when asked to explain exactly what Sinn Féin had achieved for its supporters:



“The degree of uncertainty and the lack of confidence in the unionist community!”’
Secondly, as Alex Kane suggested, loyalists need to play Sinn Fein at their own game - slow-boil, strategic politics. PUL needs to think long term, educate the people, switch them on electorally, rid the communities of paramilitaries and enlighten loyalism and most importantly, explain to them that the changes aren’t the end of unionism. They ought to employ smarts and take confidence and advantage of the changing demographics and of identities (Life and Times Survey etc.). As Newton Emerson said:



“It falls to unionist leaders to explain that the world has changed but not ended.”
Thirdly, the electoral issue is very important. Alex Kane said that ‘the unionist/loyalist working classes represent a significant demographic—with probably enough votes to add a few seats to the unionist tally on Belfast City Council and maybe even an extra 1 or 2 MLAs.’
To carry on along the track of the status quo would be a suicide and a triumph for idiocy and blinkered radicalism.
Fourthly, let’s look to Rosa Luxemburg, a writer who possessed an internationalism so strong that she despised anything to do with lesser or sectarian “identities.” This internationalism led her to oppose the infantile and explosive nationalist claims of her fellow Poles and Jews. She said:



“I feel at home in the entire world, wherever there are clouds and birds and human tears.”
The Rosa Luxemburg way is the way of modern, normal Northern Ireland. Modern, youthful Northern Ireland can be Irish, Northern Irish and are happy to be with Britain for ever or for now. This mentality and tolerant thinking must be shared. This broadmindedness and internationalism are the way forward.
To conclude: Up until now normal, modern Northern Ireland has had no critical faculty. While the agents of intransigence and vandalism have had no faculty for self-criticism. This must change. The young and ambitious must learn to contest and question the endless rolling violence and mutual hatred. They must stand and express a sane voice of opposition that can be heard above the hubbub of tragedy, futility and riotous passions.
And if that means raising your voice and employing heavy language, let it be. It’s not rude, arrogant or snobbish. Let's end the cult and soft bigotry towards aspiration, moderation and being middle-class. It sickens me that being middle-class is a pjejorative term in Northern Ireland.
The old politicians are locked in the 70s and 80s. Their minds are locked in a world of green and orange. YOU need to change that. YOU young people need to stand up and make YOUR voice heard.

[Written by Brian John Spencer and originally published on Eamonnmallie.com]



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LAD is dead. Long live LAD.

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For the uninitiated our Facebook page has been removed by Facebook for the sixth time.

We and our 8,000 + likers are not amused.

A brief timeline:

December 2012

 - Loyalists Against Democracy 1 (LAD1) - launched in December as response to the fleg protests and 'loyalists' wrecking the place and ruining everyone's Christmas.

June 2013

 - We unpublished LAD 1 to concentrate on Flipside, our other satirical page, and go beyond the fleg with every intention of republishing LAD1 in July. We had an inkling that July would be eventful.

July 2013

 - LAD 1 republished on Facebook and unpublished by Facebook within days. Facebook's reason: 'sexual content' - there has never been any 'sexual content' on LAD unless you count some of the arseholes we take the piss out off. At this point LAD1 had nearly 6,000 'likes'

- LAD 2 immediately launched and gains  3,000 likes in just over a week
- LAD 2 unpublished by Facebook. No reason given, prompting a campaign by the Irish News
- LAD 3 launched and quickly unpublished by Facebook. No reason given. No warnings issued.
- LAD 3 reinstated by Facebook and removed again less than 24 hours later
- LAD 4 launched

October 2013

- LAD 4 unpublished by Facebook on 6th October after a mass reporting campaign by 'loyalists' who disapproved of their sectarian hate filled shite being shown to the wider community.



These idiots use any means necessary to register a complaint such as 'harassment'.

When Facebook's robots receive sufficient reports the page is closed. Cue 'loyalist' gloating.



- LAD 5 launched on 6th October and achieves 2,000 likes in less than 3 hours


- LAD 5 removed by Facebook on 7th October having achieved 3,000 likes in less than 12 hours

- Reluctantly LAD 6 published - it lasts less than 3 hours before being removed.No warnings issued. No content removed.

Loyalists Against Democracy is a non-political, non-sectarian group.

We exist to satirise the extremist dickheads within society who are intent on dragging Northern Ireland back to the bad old days.

We are not fucking republicans despite what is said by some arseholes who don't get the joke. By it's very nature LAD  focuses on loyalist stupidity purely because they have been the ones wrecking the place for the past 10 months. Dissident republicans are equally dumb but not quite as funny.


The six people who put LAD together are from across the political/religious spectrum and we do this for no financial reward. We're just sick of dickheads wrecking the place, embarrassing us and making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

LAD shall continue as a blog, on Twitter  and You Tube.


We are now back on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LADBELFAST

How long we will last is anyone's guess. 










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True Radical or a Misguided Idiot?

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Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the biggest fool of all?
Sadly, we have become all too familiar with the names of William Frazer and Jamie Bryson over recent months.  While Frazer has been floating on the edges of obscure extremism for years, Bryson is a relatively new face who has at times, come close to making the step from ridiculous to vaguely sublime.  As rising stars go, it is likely that Bryson has already reached his zenith and will either continue to be an annoying figurehead for the lawless minority, or slip back into obscurity once 'his people' realise he isn't capable of leading them to the promised land, which would appear to be somewhere in the mid 70s - backs to the future lads!

While I would not offer an excuse for Frazer's often bizarre actions,  there are a number of documented tragic events that explain why he does what he does, and while MLAs are consistently unable to agree on the definition of what a victim is, all evidence clearly puts Mr Frazer in that category, regardless of political nit-picking.

Bryson is a more curious case.  He sometimes displays outward signs of being quite intelligent but more often than not, this is well hidden behind a constant stream of half-baked proclamations and quotes from others which indicate a failure to understand fully, what these quotes actually mean.

Author of the frankly appalling Four Men Had a Dream and The First Shades of God (part one of the planned trilogy 50 Shades of God which was deliberately named after the best-selling 50 Shades of Grey, no doubt in a cynical attempt to ride the wave of publicity) the latter is a book which Bryson claimed "may offend" the church, however on attempting to read the book, I'd suggest it was probably more offensive to grammar pedants than it was to any church.  To be honest, your money is better spent on a few issues of Commando comic.
Commando - Ulster Scots style
He was eight years old when the Good Friday Agreement was signed so probably remembers a little of the Troubles, albeit from the relative safety of Donaghadee.  Even at that point, violence was already far less than that witnessed during the 80s.  The question is, how has Bryson become so enamoured of loyalism and loyalist paramilitaries?  Bryson's social media output shows an unhealthy obsession with returning to what most of us see as the bad old days.  We often hear of the radicalisation of young Muslims and how this can be addressed, but can this also be said of young Protestants as they become embroiled in loyalism or similarly, young Catholics as they are tempted by dissident republican groups?  It's something neither our politicians, nor anyone else, seem to mention much, if at all.

Willie Frazer recently appeared outside court dressed as a mystical cleric, or pirate, or something, with Jamie Bryson standing alongside him in drag.  There was no real surprise with regards to Frazer, who is no stranger to making claims with only a slight connection to reality, but Bryson only made a fool of himself.

Young Jamie suffers from the same thoroughly misguided perception of what constitutes culture, being British, and human rights as many of his fellow loyalists.  Somehow he has managed to crawl from a sea of mediocrity (I'm being generous there) to become an unofficial spokesman for a tiny, lawless minority.

Anyway, how has Bryson acquired this penchant for loyalism?  Has he had his head filled with the so-called glories of the bad old days or is it a case that he sees the loyalist paramilitary as the local 'big man', an aspirational position?  Undoubtedly there was kudos attached to paramilitary membership whether that be republican or loyalist.  Is it this which Jamie craves?
A fireside fit for loyalism
Going back to his social media output, he bears a passing resemblance to fireside republicans who speak of their exploits during 'the war' which in reality meant something like giving The Brits a single finger salute from behind the net curtains and shouting at the TV.  Although Bryson is prepared to face arrest for his actions, they amount to little more than nuisance value.  Of more concern is is wish for a return to pre-GFA days or so it looks.

It's a pity that this is the focus of Bryson's attention and it's sadly all too easy to imagine him sitting in his living room getting all nostalgic over sepia photos of UVF members.
The original 1820s UVF

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When a Deliquent Minority Chip Away At Our Good Name, Shall We Not Remonstrate?

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From December 2012 until the end of summer 2013 Belfast was before the world. But it wasn’t good. As we’ve come to know, when news of Belfast runs on BBC Radio 4, you know things are bad. When the New York Times talks Belfast, you know things are really bad.

And by ‘bad’ I now mean towering levels of incivility, Buckfast-fuelled thuggery, recreational rioting and spill-open-your-stomach sectarianism. Once again Northern Ireland’s backward class has taken a chokehold grip on the running of the province.

How aptly the words of Alain Finkielkraut capture the state of affairs: “Barbarism is not the inheritance of our pre-history. It is the companion that dogs our every step”.

The majority people want peace, but each step in the process is dogged by the old engine of sectarianism, screaming and revving and kicking back. Like an on-the-loop re-enactment of the Protestant-Catholic religious wars of the 16th, 17th and 18th Century.
But the wretched sectarianism that the world has come to equate with the North of Ireland, is absolutely not Northern Ireland. To that I ask this simple question: When are Northern Ireland’s forces of modernity going to stand up and break the hold held by the fringe forces of reaction?

Northern Ireland is now an exciting cosmopolitan place, populated by an educated and ambitious class. Holding back the modern majority is a unionist and nationalist class, mutually antagonistic and individually polarised, but united as a whole: Both curdled by hate and messianic absolution.
I’ve written before that this is where the battle line will lie in the coming Century: Between the tolerant and plural people of modernity (Protestant and Catholic) and the thug-merchants of reaction and the past (Protestant and Catholic).

In fact, this is a trend we’re seeing around the world. Andrew Sullivan wrote a piece in the Sunday Times of July 14 2013 under the title ‘From Tehran, Turkey and Texas, the battle for tolerance is upon us.’
Andrew Sullivan explained it like this: The old world order has been forever dislocated by the spread of liberal market capitalism and a tech revolution. As a result, an exciting secular class (a global village) is taking root and flowering a new and tolerant world.

Though, as in Northern Ireland, the creation of this new and tolerant world is not coming without a fight. The old is fighting the modern. Andrew Sullivan said: “What we are now seeing are the forces of modernity and the reaction to them dividing societies across the globe… The conflict is close to ubiquitous.”
We’ve seen it in Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia, Iran, across the Maghreb, in Brazil, in Russia and all around the world. Young people are protesting against old order theocracy and authoritarian religiosity. They’re fighting for a new order of women’s rights, free speech, social liberalism and secularism. They want to be part of the new world of the 21st Century.

However in Northern Ireland our modern, outward looking class have rolled over and given the fight to the remarkable feudal, tribal and historical ananchronism that is dissident extremists on both sides, politically and on the streets. We sit back and we take it; we let them foul, shame and defame our good name.

As John Hewitt said fictitiously, ‘speak peace and toleration. Moderate your tone of voice and everywhere avoid what might provoke.’ But Northern Ireland’s modern class must give a voice of protest. As John Hewitt said, ‘this is my country… When it is fouled, shall I not remonstrate? My heritage is not their violence.’
Unfortunately we have a sterile step-in-line, know-your-place culture: a stifling mentality that hinders free agency, self-direction, free expression and individuality – typified so perfectly by the DUP veto of libel reform. The supposed people of modernity (characterised by young people like Hannah Nelson) have been kept down by autocratic politicians that have crafted a limp, servile, uncritical, unthinking mass.

But as Tom Hickey said in the wonderful book ‘Up the Republic’, young people need to develop ‘strong skills of contestation’. Our young people need the sort of agency, free thinking and speaking skills that will allow them to question the calamity of others who extort and exert arbitrary control over them.

Young people ‘must be equipped with the skills to contest the influence of a group of leaders over such matters as the interpretations of cultural traditions.’
When the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan tried to implement laws restricting the sale of alcohol and limiting other rights, the young, secular and westernised population of urban cities protested loudly, forcefully, confidently.

When our politicians and jackboots on the street push back the clock, our middle and moderate classes just carry on with that old-time Irish, Northern Irish fatalism.
Where in Greece the young people protest against youth unemployment, our young people do nothing. Where in Russia Pussy Riot fight for women’s rights, our minorities and underrepresented do nothing. Where in England, secular groups counter-protest against their native outfit of violent thugs [the EDL and BNP], we do nothing about our local outfit of riotous violent thugs.

In Northern Ireland we have a political and street-thug class wedded to the past. Both live in a world where moderation is anathema; they’re a doctrinal people in which doctrine is eternally true and cannot be changed.

The majority of Northern Ireland has got past the messianic absolutism and the barbarism that comes with it – only a select and minority set on the street and in government haven’t.

Where are your priorities ladies and gentlemen? You’re giving away what is most cherished to Northern Ireland – your peace, your tolerance and your modernism - and you’re giving it up without a fight. This is serious. When are we going to stand up, say a clear and confident No! and make our hopelessly tribal politics and our barbaric inheritance history?
[Written by Brian John Spencer and originally published on Eamonnmallie.com]

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Frazer: Abu having a laugh?

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We all looked on horrified as this morning's events unfolded. We knew he was going to do it, he told as much beforehand. Yet still, deep down we didn't believe it. It took that first image on Twitter for us actually to believe that yes, Willie Frazer has indeed turned up to a British court of law dressed as Abu Hamza. The horror quickly turned to laughter as the news spread quickly on social media and the bizarre media circus was shared far and wide. The occasion was so bizarre that Willie achieved what we think he had hoped for. The spectacle has gone national, with Channel 4 news running the story. Yet again Northern Ireland has been thrust onto the national stage and yet again we are left looking like the sadly ridiculous drunk relative at a wedding who makes a total arse of themselves.


Now the dust has settled and the laughter has (partially) abated, the initial horror has returned. Just why would Willie Frazer and his cohorts wish to cause such a scene? Willie explained things in his own unique manner outside the court today. "The law that they are trying to charge me with was brought out to deal with extreme Muslims", Willie claimed. "Who do they charge? The first man charged in the United Kingdom is a protestant from Northern Ireland"[1], he boldly asserted. These are very serious and daring claims to make. They are also untrue, and have been fabricated for no other reason than to enable Willie to create a media circus.

 Let's take a look at Willie's claims in a little more depth:
"The law that they are trying to charge me with was brought out to deal with extreme Muslims"

 The Facts:
The offences to which Willie refers are those covered by the Serious Crime Act 2007. Sections 44-46 of this act deal with encouraging or assisting an offence[2]. These sections have slight differences from one another but together they replaced the more commonly known offence of incitement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland[3]. These sections were not introduced specifically to deal with Muslim extremists. The truth is that these offences were already partially covered in some form by prior incitement law.
"The first man charged in the United Kingdom is a protestant from Northern Ireland"

 The Facts:
Willie Frazer is not the first man to be charged under these offences in the United Kingdom. Sections 44-46 of the Serious Crime Act have been applied in a number of different cases. There are too many to fully research and list here, however we have included a few below to highlight the absurdity of Willie's claims.

 Amed Pelle was jailed for 33 months after pleading guilty to a breach of section 44. Pelle had used Facebook to encourage other to commit offences during riots in Nottingham. [4][5][6]

 Jordan Blackshaw and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan were jailed for offences under sections 44 and 46 of the Serious Crime Act at Chester Crown Court. These offences were linked to encouraging offences during rioting. [7]

 Jake Davis from Shetland, and Ryan Cleary from Essex were both charged with offences under sections 45 and 46 of the Serious Crime Act. Their charges were related to computer hacking. [8][9]

Omar Sadique was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court of assisting in the supply of controlled drugs contrary to section 46 of the Serious Crime Act 2007. [10]

David Wain was jailed for offences under sections 44-46 of the Serious Crime Act in relation to the supply of chemicals and drugs. [11]
In Summary

 The cases listed above show that Willie Frazer was lying about his motivation in dressing as a Muslim cleric today. What was his real motivation? If we were to hazard a guess it would be that Willie wanted to create a media frenzy to attract attention and to keep himself where he feels he belongs, in the spotlight. One thing is certain, his actions were decidedly racist and contrary to his vocal demands for civil and human rights. Surely the time has come for this man to fade into obscurity?
References

 1. http://www.u.tv/News/Frazer-appears-at-court-as-Abu-Hamza/c5e6e96c-9959-4fbf-b43f-8f01f2fab11e 
2. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/27/part/2/crossheading/inchoate-offences
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serious_Crime_Act_2007#Encouraging_or_assisting_crime
4. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2029920/UK-riots-Teenager-urged-Facebook-friends-kill-million-police-jailed.html
5. http://www.nottinghampost.com/Riot-teen-locked/story-13209179-detail/story.html
6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-14508966
7. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14557772
8. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9354188/LulzSecs-Ryan-Cleary-admits-hacking-into-CIA-and-the-Pentagon.html
9. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2164504/LulzSecs-Ryan-Cleary-Jake-Davies-admit-hacking-CIA-UK-s-Serious-Crime-Agency-websites.html
10. http://cases.iclr.co.uk/nxt/gateway.dll/WLR%20Dailies/WLRD%202011/wlrd2013-269?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm&vid=PoC:Sum
11. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11972945

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