I don't think you fully understand how Eire and Northern Ireland are two totally separate countries, with different cultures. I've had friends who grew up in the south, and what they learn in school is their own history and struggle for independence. Young people there hardly even think about Northern Ireland. Very little is taught about the Troubles in their schools, and there really isn't much focus on it in their society, except that in the border areas and in some parts of the west, there is a significant IRA presence. But that is not reflected in the way history is taught; it is more that there are certain bars that they hang out in, and it is very subtle because they are mostly involved in smuggling. So it would actually be quite unusual for someone from the south to be keenly interested in what happens in Northern Ireland, which is usually a mess and quite a disappointing situation over time if you follow it closely.
Bono risked his record sales by taking a conscious position AGAINST the war in Northern Ireland (so you can stop accusing him of being a coward or whatever that was supposed to imply). Before he sings Sunday Bloody Sunday he shouts out "This is not a rebel song" to make that very clear. U2 politically is anti-war and devoutly Christian. I love Sinead O'Connor but she is a total mess emotionally, and has often taken positions simply to rebel against authority, since she was so mentally damaged by abuse from her mother, and went pretty much totally insane. The example of ripping up the Pope's photo on Saturday Night Live and rejecting her religious background, but then becoming a member of a far right Catholic cult would be a prime example. Definitely in her favor, she is a vegan, and of course I have a fondness in my heart for her just for that.
I am sure that U2 has considered all the implications of Northern Ireland, and is indeed preaching peace there by taking the stance that the violence is horrible. And I am certain that world peace is a much more important thing to consider than the fate of a few million people involved in an ugly tribal conflict that has gone on for centuries, and whose leaders have rejected power sharing by continuing to run a huge, extremely violent criminal enterprise. |
