Those Irish...

Loved O'Brien's article. I think, especially in this day and age, it is crucial that we all understand the difference between nationalism and democracy as well as the correlation between the two terms. In his article "Nationalists and Democrats," Conor Cruise O'Brien seeks to establish the difference between "the conglomerate of emotions" and "the system of government." Although most of the article did not directly relate to the dealings of the Winter Hill Gang, I was especially interested by O'Brien's discussion of the IRA and the background of the United Kingdom-Ireland rift.After doing some research on O'Brien's background, I was not very surprised to learn that he was a supporter of the IRA. This is especially shown through his concluding line: "I see little democratic hope at all, in this century." By saying this, O'Brien was basically telling his readers of the inevitable rise of nationalism and fall of the democratic state. He actually hoped that the North would remain separate from the Republic of Ireland. Obviously, this was a very radical viewpoint for an Irish man to take because most Irish are against the IRA and against British control over Northern Ireland. While his position against a united Ireland enervated many Irish, his staunch defense of nationalism left me thinking about the rise of the nation state and the future of democracy.