Okay so, I have a theory. Hear me out. The Provisional IRA in

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Okay so, I have a theory. Hear me out.

The Provisional IRA in Ireland waged an armed campaign from 1969-1998. It was a response to violence by elements of the (mostly Protestant) British Army and RUC which were hostile to Catholic communities and had colluded with the (mostly Protestant) loyalist paramilitaries to do so.

However, their armed campaign was not in self-defence against these attacks, but in pursuance of a political objective, namely a united Ireland. This was because the fear and suffering of Catholic communities at the time was hijacked by political opportunists of the republican movement, who, since the Easter Rising, had always represented a small minority in society.

Violence in pursuit of a political objective is terrorism. On this basis, I argue the PIRA's armed campaign was not justified. But what would have been justified? The answer is self-defence militias.

Think about it. If, on Bloody Sunday, civil rights marchers were accompanied by armed militia members, Parachute Regiment soldiers would not have fired upon them. They would have feared retaliation. This could have outright prevented or mitigated countless tragedies, and led the Troubles into a stalemate rather than guerilla war. Sunningdale might have actually worked.

Thoughts?