Brian Feeney: Partition is the problem and unity is the only solution |
Alex Kane set the cat among the unionist pigeons a couple of weeks ago with his piece on March 18.
As a reminder to people, he wrote that “the past is always in front of us” – you can’t just paint over it and forget it. True.
However, when people talk about the past, it’s assumed they’re referring to the Troubles.
It appears Alex was referring to the great injustice done to this place in the past, which he correctly identified as partition.
Brian Feeney: Partition is the problem and unity is the only solution
Alex Kane: History means there will always be a ‘UK dimension’ in Ireland
He correctly pointed out that partition is “the primary cause of the conflict” and while that remains unresolved, there will be no solution.
Unfortunately, Alex didn’t follow the logic of his own argument, namely that undoing partition, reuniting the country, is the solution.
Trying to skirt round a failure to follow through to the logical conclusion means having to come up with the assertion that reunification is not inevitable.
Yet any other outcome escapes Alex, not only because he can’t think of a plausible one, but for the simple reason that there isn’t one.
You may have read a lengthy interview at the weekend........