Fine words about Belfast don’t reflect reality…

I HAVE a feeling that Obama’s Berlin feel-good speech will play better in Europe than back home; he seemed a tad apologetic for America. A key theme was that tearing down the walls of division would help defeat terrorism - and so it was perhaps inevitable that he name-checked Northern Ireland. The Democratic candidate said: Not only have walls come down in Berlin, but they have come down in Belfast, where Protestant and Catholic found a way to live together; in the Balkans, where our Atlantic alliance ended wars and brought savage war criminals to justice; and in South Africa, where the struggle of a courageous people defeated apartheid. Fine words, but the irony is that more walls have gone up in Belfast since the Agreement was struck. Nice sentiments, Barack, but factually... [read full story]