> It was designed solely for the purpose of safeguarding
> British rule in part of Ireland having failed to secure
> the entire island under British rule.
A little Irish history is in order here...
> The border, following no natural boundary cuts through
> communities, farms and has even divided families.
It fell as close to the religious divide between Protestant and Catholic
as was possible. Ireland is a theocracy, where the laws reflect the rules
of the Roman Catholic Church. Ireland was split since the Protestants of
Ulster (who have such 'English' invader names as Carroll and O'Brien) did
not wish to live in a theocracy.
> The posts have been sited beside houses and schools to protect
> them against attacks from the IRA.
> This basically amounts to a "human shield" policy which has been in use
> long before the term became popular during the Gulf War.
And also to protect the inhabitants from the IRA, who have been known to
blow up schools, churches, pubs, stores and other hotbeds of the British
military. Let us never forget that in Ulster, the political wing of the IRA
is legal, in Eire it is not. The Southern Irish have completely outlawed the
IRA as they do not wish to have several million Protestants added to their
population anymore than the Northern Irish wish to live under canon law.
One thing that would do more for peace in Ireland than any other single action
would be for people who do not live in Ulster or Eire to stop supplying and
supporting the terrorists on both sides.