You know what? I'm not a solider freak.

And you know what? I actually need balls to say it.

Let's start off with the pre-cautionary disclaimer. I'm not calling all troops out on what I'm saying nor do I disrespect people who serve in their army and take on the monumental job of life and death. I've friends in the British Army, Irish Army and even the American Army. I've discussed with these people at length the different missions they have been sent on and whether or not they agree with the actions that their country is taking.

Right - on to the stuff that'll inevitably offend people. Let's take a look at what is up with the reality of 'the troops.' The reason I just refuse to buy into the 'All troops are hero's and let's give them all a fantastic welcome home' is for simple reason really - I wholly disagree with the war they are involved in; in fact I go as far to say it's a war crime that they are participating in. I don't believe they are protecting my freedom. They are not fighting for me or in my name.

The actions of soliders has not limited or freedom either but the 'war against terrorism' has. The actions of soldiers have no put me in any direct danger either - in fact they have protected me before in the midst of the dirty war in Northern Ireland against real terrorists who wanted to force Ireland to unite by military actions and not peaceful means. But that was required, that was nessicary. It was unfortunate it came to that but it did and I hope it never does again.

However - these soldiers are in the Middle East and I don't believe that is something the UK should be doing. Does this mean that I should consider these soliders war criminals? No.

And here comes the reason I am not a solider freak. Soldiers are tools of propaganda. If we inspect the details behind how troops are used in popular culture then it is quite obvious that the use of troops creates a sympathetic and emotional view of war and the heroism behind it. I don't doubt the bravery of the soliders but I should we, as a nation, be basing our military opinions on sympathy and emotion? I'd argue that one should objectively look at the realities of the operations in the Arab world. We aren't fighting terrorism but upholding an American war that is in co-operate interests for very very rich men. I'm not going to bore you with the details as you can research that yourself but regardless of your view on the Middle Eastern intervention the important point is it is the sympathetic emotional approach that is usually taken and not the objective one.

If we, as a nation, are to ever understand the true realities of war and what our opinons on it are we have to stop hailing troops as heros. I don't apologise for this opinion, but soliders aren't what they are made out to be. Hero's save lives and soldiers cause more death than life - even if their actions are not well informed, not ordered with honesty or are in the best meaning possible.

Soldiers are brave - not heroes. Sorry Britain.

Game of Bigots: Why I fell away from something I never really liked.

This here is a picture of Gerry Kelly MLA (Sinn Féin) holding onto the security grill of a police 'meatwagon' as it drives down a road in North Belfast. If you haven't watched the video from the loyalist Tour of the North parade that involves Kelly holding on for dear life to the wagon then please please please click this link and watch the video. It doesn't bare much relation to my article apart from the fact band parades and Kelly's latest antics are topically top of the agenda.

Moving on...IT'S MARCHING SEASON! 

Oh yes, it's that time of year that a Loyalist looks forward to more than Christmas, New Year, their birthday combined. The great glory and tradition of the loyal orders and bands alike who march down roads in triumphant glory, celebration and awe of their British & Protestant culture. At least that's how it's dressed up anyway and I suspect things aren't going to change anytime soon.

I'm not going to start complaining about the Protestant attachment to the bands. Nor am I going to complain about the blatant arrogance from many bands and orders. What I'm going to complain about is how the bands are used and abused as a political stick to be beat with - and how it's all their own damn fault.

I quite liked attending the bands. There's something about it that I enjoyed despite my non-Loyalist and non-Protestant beliefs. I'm a Unionist, yes, but not the type who wants to go beating a drum about it. I still enjoyed it but and there is some fantastic bands out there who get less credit than they deserve for the absolutely fantastic shows they put on.

I also don't deny the bands of their commitment and loyalty to what they do. Loyalists may be dressed up as simpletons who couldn't tie a knot in their laces and in some cases this is true. However to learn and instrument, work as a united team with those different instruments and put your own brand on it takes a hell of an amount of commitment. Then to walk sometimes for miles on end doing this is in itself a mighty task to ask someone to do.

However the bands have no one to blame but themselves in this whole game that is played out every single year during the marching season. I'll make a blind prediction of what happens:

Indeed there will be many band parades this year - a lot. And, in my opinion, they have every right to march if they want. However this year I'm not sure if I'll bother attending. The Orange Order, the bands and all others concerned, had two choices. The first was to break away from the vile bigotry that is within the underbelly of the Loyalist marching scene or the second was to carry on as normal. Due to the vile beliefs that are connected to many followers of the bands they decided it was easier to take the second option.

This will give way therefore to people who get offended. These people also have the right to protest even if they are protesting something that isn't going to go away and really...shouldn't be offending them. However you can understand, sort of. These bands play some hateful stuff. Songs linked to aggressive anti-Catholic beliefs and in celebration of paramilitary groups of times gone by aren't going to go down well. You can't just expect people to listen to that and not get in some way pissed off by the situation despite the obnoxious beliefs of many who think people should just ignore it yet get horribly offended when a fenian dare walk down a 'Protestant' street with a GAA shirt.

This is down to these controversial parades and this year I think the focus will really be on the Short Strand in East Belfast. There's been a lot of talk about what is going on here and how parades will be directed through the area and what the response will be on both sides of the wall. I think that the Loyalists and Republicans will pull rude signs at one another as they go past, then have a riot, then blame each other. Sound familiar?

Then the political parties will get involved. Non-mainstream political parties like the PUP and TUV will jump on the Loyalism bandwagon while the DUP will play catchup and the UUP sit back and try to work out how they can be on Loyalisms side while not sounding like the DUP. Sinn Féin will get horribly offended by everything and the SDLP will abstain from the debate. The Alliance will side with whoever wins the coin toss.

Then September will come, the kids will go back to school and everyone will stop talking about it again till next year.

This is why I can't be bothered with it this year. It's a political tool and becoming more vile by the year. It doesn't make me proud to be British when the main aim of so many - despite them never admitting to it - is to wind up the other side. It also doesn't appeal to me to have stones thrown at me from Republicans because they think I'm a Loyalist. Overall it's a sorry affair.

Let's add that at the 12th last year I realised what a hellish affair it can be. Hundreds of undereducated morons who are boozed to the teeth with cheap drink at a street 'party' in Sandy Row - yes it's not fantastic I have to say. Singing the same vile songs as they did last year and going on about how proud they are to be British and how much they love Our Lizzie the Second. I'm sure she's quite proud of you too.

Let's add on top of this that this year will have the added spice of the flag protests. But we'll wait and see what Loyalism has to do about that one - maybe it is worth going, just to see how it all ends up falling to pieces.

I'm not a Socialist...I just don't really like Capitalism

With the G8 and all that jazz being in my homeland this year (Northern Ireland), I feel it appropriate to discuss the woes and wonders of Capitalism and all it doesn't have to offer. I'm no Socialist or Communist - I just don't like Capitalism. I also really don't like any of the people involved in the G8 - particularly our own Prime Minister, known invertebrate pest, 'Dave' Cameron and widely regarded 'liberal,' Barack Obama.

The reason Capitalism and G8 have a link is because, without doubt, G8 is one of those centre pieces for the leaders of Capitalism - or at least the political leaders of Capitalism. They go hand in hand with one another.

In the streets of Belfast, London and Fermanagh we see thousands of red flag wavers taking to the streets (alongside some Union Flag protesters in Belfast, but they are so irrelevant it's hilarious) in protest of the G8 summit leaders. This makes me sad that it is dominated by Socialists and Communists. While I admire their commitment to anti-capitalism it makes me depressed that they turn to the left leaning politics in their anti-capitalistic stance - as if Socialism or Communism will make everything better again. It won't.

But that's a debate for another day, comrades. The reasons I am anti-capitalist is because I am anti-money; or at least, I'm anti-money in the ways it seen by the population at large throughout the world. I can't understand the concept of money and how it works these days. Once upon a time it was the weight of precious metals that determined how much your coins were worth - now it's some sort of thing called the 'world economy' that pretty much depends on what the US$ is worth - and I'm screwed if I know how that actually works.

The reasons I say I don't know how it works is because I am honest. You can watch all these 'financial analysts' on BBC, ITN, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and so on, say how the dollar is not worth such and such because of such and such and such and such must happen for such and such to happen to the dollar and how this, for some reason, has to affect me and it might or might not actually be my fault that the dollar isn't worth so much against the Euro but is against the Japanese Yen.

No, I've no idea how it works...and neither do they. I don't actually think anyone does - unless there is some economic god who does understand it and knows how it all works. If that is the case then that person is the one controlling it - this means Alex Jones and David Icke were right all along which would be a serious matter for concern because Jones and Icke CANNOT be right. For any Infowars subscribers out there, I'm not going to debate you on why these two men and their friends are idiots - they just are, ok? OK...

Now...money is the single most important thing in the world - or at least that's what we're told. We go to Primary School and learn the alphabet, numbers and science where we find out if we're in any way smart. Then we go to lower school and get told how every grade matters for our 'careers,' then we go to middle school and do our GCSEs which decide our careers, then we go to college or 6th form and we focus on our careers. Then we might go to university as well and further focus on them. All for those sweet sweet pay cheques at the end of the month. As Neil Diamond says, money talks...

...but it don't sing and dance. Why should, what really makes the world metaphorically go round the sun, be so fucking complicated to a simpleton like me? Money matters more to me and the rest of my low born comrades than most - because we constantly have to worry about it. We constantly have to worry about it because the media keeps telling us to and that's only because the government keeps telling them they're worried to. Why is it that if I have £100 in my bank account it may not be worth a pile of steaming dog shit in a year's time? And what the hell do those feckin' Americans have to do with it all the time? Inflation? Who give's a shit, I want my hundred quid and I want a new set of headphones worth a hundred quid!

American capitalists and even British capitalists should not have anything to do with my money. I earned my money (or actually, I probably took it off the government because I'm a full-time student), and I really don't see any reason why a currency that is used thousands of miles away should have anything to do with me. This is why America is the most powerful nation on earth - that's a bad thing.

I don't have the answers to how the monetary system should work in the world but anyone who thinks this is the end game for the world in terms of how we measure wealth and buy things and shit like that who hasn't made a substantial gain out of it must be a bit insane or very easily influenced by propaganda systems. This is why, for now, I describe myself as a fiscal anarchist. I know that isn't a real thing because I made it up. I simply have no care for money - all I know is that I need it if I want to survive because, as of now, I'm not going out to live in the forest for the rest of my days and there is certainly nothing I can do about it on my own - the value of money is determined by the value that people attribute to it.

At least I won't have to pay tax if I live in the forest...

Israel and Palestine: Let me explain myself

I come from an Ulster Unionist viewpoint. Most of my Northern Irish friends are Unionist, of Protestant upbringing and therefore, almost by default, supporters of Israel. I trust that many young Unionists are blind supporters of Israel through the strong propaganda model that Loyalism and Unionism has enforced on this matter - as if it really does matter to the Union or not. I consider Israel an enemy of peace, an enemy of the West and an enemy of the Middle East. Many Unionists and Loyalists are abhorred by my views and even go as far to question my loyalty to UK - once again, as if it matters. In fact I was told on Twitter I cannot be a Unionist and not support Israel. So to ensure that I don't have to ever debate this crap on Twitter again I can instead send a this link across explaining myself and why I despise everything Israel stands for and a few other arguments placed before me. Let us begin:

1. Israel and Northern Ireland:

Actually I'm going to start off with why I hate the fact Israel is linked to my political beliefs at every turn. I know that it seems to be some right of passage to Loyalism that you MUST be a supporter of Israel and that our situations are comparable. Let me make it absolutely clear that you cannot draw parallels between the constitutional issue of the six counties of Ireland and the Israel/Palestine conflict. The constitutional issue of Ireland is a situation whereby the majority believes that Northern Ireland should remain a part of the United Kingdom. This is opposed by militant groups that go under names like the IRA who, yes, have received support from and supported Palestinian political movements like Hamas. This does not mean that Republican = Palestine and therefore Unionist = Israel.

Many will argue that Israel is our brethren in the Middle East as they fight for 'their' land just like we fight for ours. While fighting is a good comparison between the two it's pretty much the only similarity. Israel is a nation that intends to continue its occupation in the Middle East in an ethnic region that is not its own to keep for itself, with the minority ruling the majority. Northern Ireland is a country that is governed by an elected government which is voted on by ALL. Palestine is a nation of people who are being occupied by a regime who will not let them leave. All Irish people have the right to travel where they please within Ireland without let or hindrance regardless of what citizenship they hold. Israel is a nation with an army much like Palestine is a nation with an army. Northern Ireland doesn't even have a police force. Northern Ireland is a constituent country whereas Israel is a sovereign nation. Try comparing any of that.

2. Supporting Palestine does not equal supporting Hamas. End of.

Hamas is filled to the brim with evil people. Extreme Islamists who are interested in their own good and not the good of the Palestinian people. They rape, torture and murder those who stand in their path and will oppress anyone who dares to challenge their authority. Just watch any documentary on how justice works in Palestine and you'll see that any civilized human being could not support these morons when they find out the truth. Unfortunately Palestinians don't get to find out the truth and instead are told that their Hamas rulers are heroes and liberators of the Palestinian people.

I do not support Hamas. Clear? OK.

3. No god can promise land.

Many will argue that the Jews are the chosen people of that land and therefore there can be no argument that Israel has a right to exist. Apart from the fact that this is absolute fucking rubbish and that no god should have a say on Middle Eastern politics (or any politics), shall we also look at how this land has not just been promised to the Jews? Go read a book.

4. Israel is the 51st State.

Of where? The United States of America of course. Look at the foreign 'aid' that is sent year after year to Israel. Look at how many of those US tax dollars are being sent to aid those poor little Israelis. Did I say poor? I mean obscenely rich and powerful of course. I thought foreign aid was for the poor countries?

Israel is nothing more than a vastly oversized US base in the Middle East that the American government can use to its advantage. If you support Israel then you must support the abhorrent actions of the US in the Middle East - because one cannot exist without the other. I will never support the West's actions in the Middle East by butchering and murdering thousands of innocents year after year and therefore cannot support a false state that is backed by a rogue state. The very fact the US acts in such a way is an insult to the Jewish people - if they hadn't been insulted enough already.

5. Israel is NOT our ally

And I really don't understand how it is. When was the last time Israel came our aid in a time of crisis? That's all I have to say on the matter really.

6. Israel is founded an apartheid. 

I understand that apartheid is either something Loyalists either love or simply don't know the meaning of. If you don't know the meaning of it then take my advice from Point 3 and go read a book. If however you do enjoy the idea of one religion or race in the minority ruling the majority then you're a fucking idiot. A nation founded on those principles shall not rest easy with me.

7. But Israel has Muslims in it who live fine lives.

True. Very true. Shows that their effective methods of letting Muslims live a good life are working with you. If you think that's a good point to raise in your support of Israel then you're an idiot. Granting rights to all people regardless of their creed is not something that you should be commended for - it is something that is EXPECTED of you.

This list will inevitably grow bigger as more idiotic arguments come my way. Shalom.

It's been a while...think we need a talk about whistleblowing

This is Edward Snowden. If you are blind to American current affairs then you probably don't have a clue who this man is or just how important he is. If it is the case that you don't know who he is or just want a quick and diluted refreshment on his role then here we go;

Snowden is what is called a whistleblower. A whistleblower is, by definition, an informant who exposes wrongdoing within an organization in the hope of stopping it. However he is no ordinary whistleblower for no ordinary organsation. He has exposed top secret details about US surveillance techniques that are used by the NSA. It was leaked by Mr. Snowden that the US Government has been seizing mass amounts of web and phone data to spy on US citizens. 

This has lead to a complete shit storm in the US. Civil libertarians and the like have come out in anger and disgust on the details that Snowden has exposed. They cry foul play by the US government and that it has gone against all that the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution stands for. Amendment VI states, in short, that it is the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects. Those who stand firmly against the actions of the government have cited Amendment VI to expose that the authorities have stood against something the United States was founded on - the very principles of a nation.

Snowden is now in Hong Kong fighting against extradition to his homeland to be tried and inevitably imprisoned for his 'crimes' against the state. The reason Hong Kong plays such a significant role outside of Snowden's location is because of the 60,000+ incidents of hacking by the NSA there are many that have happened right there on those very shores. He intends to let the courts and people of Hong Kong decide his fate and will ask the authorities that this is how the case is treated in terms of his potential extradition to the States.

It is worth noting at this point the US has not issued an extradition request but we can all assume that nature will take her course. The sky is blue and water is clear. The US government will reign in its enemies from all four corners and the circle is complete - Snowden is an enemy if I hadn't made that clear.

What Snowden actually is, is a brave man. An extraordinary man. A fantastic man. He has, without doubt, ended any opportunity of freely returning to his homeland for the rest of his days alongside freely entering any close ally nation of the USA. However it must be remembered that not everyone is an ally of the USA - in fact Snowden allegedly been offered asylum in Russia.

It's not often I stand behind those pesky Russians, but I am glad that they are not willing to be bullied by the hegemonic power. Their civil liberties track record is less than desirable but what I am concerned about here is the safety of Mr. Snowden. He has stood up against all that his brain MUST have told him to keep to himself but instead followed his heart to do what is right. It is wholly WRONG what the NSA is doing to it's own citizens - Fourth Amendment or not. It is not the right of a government to go snooping through the data of it's people without at least giving them prior knowledge to such acts - a warrant is still a thing.

I understand that this must come across as some mad NSA/US Government conspiracy to some people but there is a great gulf of difference between a conspiracy and the truth. The US Government doesn't even have the pride to deny their crude actions but instead stands firm against it's own constitution - something the President is supposed to protect. 

Let us not hear the end of this. I hope the American people make their voices heard about this and continue to hold their government accountable for their crimes. If any US citizen was to go snooping through the private records and data of another citizen then they would be arrested, tried and punished for their actions. And rightly so.

Let us also not forget that this could cause an absolute diplomatic disaster. We are on a collision course for some good old fashioned East v. West politics here. USA vs. China/Russia. Just like the good times, eh? Let the games begin.

Terrorist Attack? What terrorist attack?

I haven't seen any 'terrorist' attack recently. When I was sitting in the library today in university preparing for an exam I have no idea about it turns out the media has a very good idea of how to whip British people up in a frenzy of fear by using the word, 'terrorist.'

What happened today in Woolwich, as terrible as it was, is being falsely labeled a 'terrorist attack' in the wake of political statements made by what is, by all accounts, your typical nut job. Sure he was Muslim and sure he murdered a British soldier but to refer to that as a terrorist attack? Insane.

The words, 'terrorism,' 'terrorist,' and 'terror' are all being vastly overused by the media in the wake of this wicked attack which is causing such a large element of fear amongst the people. I know the typical British sensationalist will come up with the usual 'political Islamists,' or 'well I'm scared so therefore it is terrorism.' I'm open minded and all that but you're simply wrong. This is not an act of terrorism but an act of insanity. Those responsible are quite clearly wrong on the head, are a danger to the public and should be put away.

If we're going to collectively call this a terrorist attack then are we going to start calling the atrocities that members of our government and members of our army, have unleashed on thousands in the Middle East, terrorism? Time and time again I hear that these attacks are reasons for us, as a nation, to continue our mission in the Middle East as they continue to 'attack oor freedom.' Maybe these idiots should realise that it is their country and their government who is the aggressor in all of this and if we left the Middle Eastern people alone then attacks like this on The West would not continue. This is quite clearly an act of revenge - much like all Islamist terrorism is. Wrong it may be, but it isn't without some form of reason.

Instead people will get up in a huge fuss about a 'terrorist' attack and not realise that this man who was seen in the camera phone footage on ITV (see below), while an idiot, had one valid point. People have to witness attacks every single day and many of them are unleashed by Western forces on innocent people. Drone strikes, raids and even random attacks are a popular choice of Western forces and if that stopped then just maybe, we could live in a slightly more peaceful world.

I know this will not please the fanatics who support our country going to war with anyone who looks at us funny but take a moment to consider why there are attacks from these extremist Muslim types. And no, they don't hate us because we're free - they hate us because we took their freedoms away and turned to the same idiotic extreme views that you have. If we attack their country then don't be surprised that  they'll attack us, I'd suggest you'd want to do the same if Middle Easterns occupied entire cities and regions of the UK, or is it different because we're vastly superior? Can't have your cake and eat it, folks.

Grow up Britain and look at the truth.

This whole Windsor Park thing confuses the hell out of me

This is the proposed new look of Windsor Park if the funding allocated to the project gets the go ahead.

However, there is a sting in the tale - in quite a typical fashion of how things work in the Irish League. Crusaders of North Belfast, are proposing and taking legal action to block this funding as it will give Linfield, the owners of the stadium, an unfair advantage over the rest of the league.

I've two points to make about this; one is about simple business agreements and one is about the total hypocrisy of the situation;

Firstly there is a business agreement between Linfield & the IFA that for senior international games the Northern Ireland team will use Linfield's Windsor Park as their home ground in exchange for a financial benefit towards Linfield - this is usually referred to as simply, 'the contract.'

Under the terms of the contract it used to be that Linfield would receive a cut of the income on any senior international game played at Windsor Park involving Northern Ireland - the contact had an absurd length of, I think, 90 odd years - I'm not going to bother to check as this contract doesn't actually exist anymore. Now Linfield receives a lump sum regardless of income on matchdays.

As a Glentoran supporter I was never particularly happy with this arrangement but it is a legitimate business agreement and it was open to all clubs during the drafting stage - Linfield won the contract as they had the most suitable stadium and since then they've had a massive financial benefit from it. I say well done them and to hell with the IFA for giving out such a stupid agreement.

Now, I'm not exactly a supporter of state funding but that isn't what I'm here to talk about. I'm here to discuss what has been put in front of us. The IFA has secured funding for the stadium to bring it into the 21st century in terms of being a British & Irish football stadium - whether you agree or disagree with how this has gone about - it what is meant to be happening.

Linfield will still receive a lump sum and Linfield will still bring the low attendances the rest of the league does - albeit they're still the best supported club in Northern Ireland. If anything I can see it being of disadvantage to Linfield on the most part as their empty stadium with no atmosphere becomes even more empty with even more no atmosphere - this will not play well into the hands of those who wish to recreate the days of packed Linfield games with a buzzing crowd behind the team.

Regardless, I really can't see any benefit to Linfield in all of this.

The second argument is the more important one and that is the sheer hypocrisy of Crusaders in all of this. I'm a Glentoran fan as I already mentioned so it takes a huge amount of pride to back the Blues up on this one - however I'm not too fond of our North Belfast neighbors either so it's not so bad.

Crusaders have had 3/4 of their stadium pretty much rebuilt from state funding. The new cage end which is now an all seater and the behind the net terracing which is now two new stands. This has had a serious bearing on the attractiveness of the modern fan to Seaview. They can now sit in what is, by all accounts, not dangerous anymore. While this hasn't exactly sent Crusaders flying in terms of their attendance figures which reach just about 15 instead of 10 now - it still gives them what many could consider a major advantage over other clubs, especially those in the Greater Belfast area.

Of course Crusaders fans in their infinite wisdom have decided to completely dodge this point and instead continue to yap and gurn about how the world is against them - seems they can't do 2nd place syndrome the same way the Glens handled it when we were a decent side.

Time will tell how this all plays out. The Crues want some kind of compromise for other Irish League sides as if they are fighting 'our' corner. I really couldn't give a damn myself if Windsor is being upgraded. I see no benefit to Linfield and no disadvantage to Glentoran or any other side - what I do see is if there is ever another Glentoran vs. Cliftonville Irish Cup Final then we might not have this stupid ticket fiasco again - which would be nice.