North & South.

Sam here....

I know it's not socially acceptable to talk about money. And I accept that. But "the world is fucked" economically, to quote Tommy Tiernan. (link isn't working on blogger. Try www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdsmRGOR1jc)

So, as you may or may not be aware, Ireland is split in two.
There was a big 'thing' about 2 centuries ago, where the English came over to Ireland, made us start speaking English and gave local Irish land to wealthy English landlords, as well as making us respond to the British government in London. We persuaded them to give land back, and they kept 6 of our 32 counties. The 6 counties is referred to Northern Ireland.

Southern Ireland, which uses Euro currency, Kilometres per hour and has a democratic political structure. We have a state education and examination system and an independent health system.

Northern Ireland uses pounds sterling, miles per hour and has a queen as a monarch, as well as government. They have an education system run by the English government and use the NHS, the English health system.

Now, there are young men, who are aged 13-17 in Ireland and indeed Northern Ireland, who are quite bitter about the whole affair. Well, their living in middle class suburban surroundings, presumably with no girlfriend and bitching about 'the 6 counties the British bastards stole' makes them feel quite special.
But. There is a more sinister aspect to it all. Through all this, paramilitary organisations like the Irish Republican Army(IRA) and the Ulster Volunteer Force(UVF) had a bit of a battle. Hundreds died in tit-for-tat fights involving murders, threats, car bombs and all the rest.

In 1998, there was an agreement and both side stopped using weapons. Since then things have been dealt out around a government table, rather than on a grotty council estate divided by intimidation and thugs.

Anyway. Money. As Northern Ireland is ruled still by the British, it means that things are a whole lot cheaper, in big English retailers, because no Irish tax has to be paid, and lower production costs. Our Irish government is pushing tax up. The British Government are bringing tax down considerably. So as the money-conscious, recession-panicked public are faced with ridiculous prices in the cleverly named 'Rip-Off-Republic', they are heading just over the border, doing all their weekly food shopping and driving down.

We have done it again. The Irish public who have been faced with huge government scandals, wasteful spending of tax and voting with their feet, and paying considerably less tax to a different government. The British government.

Apparently by shopping up north, we're unpatriotic.
But as a nation. We're laughing all the way to the bank.