"Is London Burning?"
Even before Boris Johnson ousted Teresa May, I said in Dublin he was the greatest challenge to the Northern Irish Peace process, if ever elected Premier, because of his background. I spoke at a private gathering - not from any personal viewpoint, but simply providing an analysis of a likely situation based on the widely-available public profile of a future British Prime Minister. I have to say of the gathering it appeared nobody had taken any time to read much (and there was a lot!) about Boris Johnson - beyond his media-fabricated "circus-clown" act, which I thought was sad. It was a freezing cold (sub-zero) night and all were more concerned to get back indoors and talk about things other than a remote future British PM nobody really cared too much for - nor about - probably because he would, for many, represent "more of the same:""meet the new Boss, same as the old Boss."
To others it seemed inconceivable Britain would leave the EU and there would be a last-minute deal to "save face." (I was also of that opinion.)
Few Republicans Want A Civil War
After "The Good Friday Agreement" I met with a Senior Northern Ireland Republican figure I knew, near Marble Arch when he was in London.
"The Decommissioning Process"
We "decommissioned" several bottles of red wine and had a chat about the future. (I was very pleased I could now go into any Pub in Dublin once again - restricted as I was from certain ones in sensitive areas during "The Troubles" anytime I returned to visit Norah and May.)
The future appeared bright but I cautioned there was a significant Loyalist fringe which would "freeze out" all Republicans from "getting the message across" to a wider English audience through mainstream media, that, indeed, a new era was opening up in Ireland.
They Live, We Drink*
So while we were celebrating "Peace" at The New Cavendish Club, others, a fanatical faction in mainstream life and politics, unbeknown to us, were licking their wounds and plotting the return of Catholic enslavement in Northern Ireland;plotting for the right conditions favoring a return to the status quo.
So all the right conditions were in place with the election of Donald Trump - or so it appeared. But he outsmarted them. He never did like the British - but he knew how to masterfully "play" them, like a well-tuned piano. (I presume it was something going back a very long way in his personal or business life which had nurtured this resentment and disdain, but I don't know this as fact, just guessing.)
The NSA, "Spearfishing", and The Steele Document: A Fearful British Government Moves To Placate Trump and Putin
I worked as best a researcher could to ensure as much U.S. Government data I came across about the extent of Russian involvement in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election was made available on the Internet and elsewhere to the wider world and was in the public domain before Trump fired all those rank and file officers who provided (anonymous) data for general circulation.
You will find it all here at "Blogger." Just key in what you are looking for.
"Fear Is The Key"
Indeed, as might one day be revealed, it was from a "faction" of the NSA (UK division) that the order came to the Secret Police to sieze and attempt discover from metadata exactly from where where I was obtaining classified data to release onto a U.S.(California) based server for this Blog site at "Blogger" and who my contacts were.
Prince of Darkness ("Better Rule in Hell......")
The State of California itself is one of the many "unsung heroes" of the Trump tyranny years.
While the British willingly "folded" overnight to Trump bullying (even withdrawing an Ambassador from Washington - such is the extent of the British Government's "backbone" if sufficiently bullied and beaten to a pulp - which Trump threatened - if they objected) California held it's position of defiance right up until the end of the Trump regime's administration.
"The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea"
Having said all the above about Trump (and my own grievances) he did have his moments of genius:
Realising the UK and EU would "cut America out" of lucrative trade and other deals in a post-conflict Afghanistan, as any astute Mafia Godfather knows, move to "close down" your most dangerous enemies - before they move on you:- Trump - and his successor Joe Biden - have ensured that the last people an Islamic Emirate government of the Taliban will come to for major trade and strategic partnership deals will be those entities who wanted to prolong the conflict and suffering of the Afghan people or who covertly worked with the incumbent Afghan Government, with Pakistan and India, to attempt to keep a Taliban Islamic Emirate coming into existence. So America's pre-eminence in post-war Afghanistan, along with China and Russia, are all secured - thanks to Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Back To The Future
Back to Northern Ireland. Every British PM detest's U.S. President's with Irish Catholic ancestry. For so long as Joe Biden can continue to "play" his English counterpart - perhaps even delivering on that long-awaited U.S.- U.K. Trade Treaty (which Trump resolutely refused to sign off) then, for the moment anyway, the prospect of another Civil War in Northern Ireland has receeded - but it's no thanks to P.M. Johnson and those he has chosen to take Counsel on Ireland from.
As in Colombia, the fragile peace process in Northern Ireland came a long way, only to be hijacked by politicians with motives other than peace.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Is_Paris_Burning%3F_(film)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rKPdoE9lWaI
