Hello Lee,

On Friday June 29 2018 01:32, you wrote to me:

 LL>>> By 2020, the population of Northern Ireland will be
 LL>>> predominately Catholic.  What do you think this means for
 LL>>> Protestants who live there?

 MvdV>> Nothing much.

 LL> It is a simple numbers game.  Do the math yourself.

It is never a simple numbers game. The numbers may have the final say, but only
in a "winner takes all environment" do they have the only say.

 LL> In the last election (Northern Ireland 2017 ), Sinn Fein was 1,100
 LL> votes short of being the number one party.  In the next election,
 LL> which is to be held in 2022, Sinn Fein will be the clear number one.

Maybe. Does not mean they have an absolute majority and can rule by decree. It
does not work that way in Europe. No  single party ever gets an absolute
majority. Only coalitions can have a majorityand a coalitions means compromise.

 LL> Catholics are the majority population under age 35.  By 2020,
 LL> Catholics will be the majority population all age groups total.
 LL> Sinn Fein has only one thing on its agenda - reunification.

As I said, In Europe no party ever gets an absolute majority. Not even the
Catholics.

 LL> What that means is that Northern Ireland will simply cease to exist,
 LL> resulting in the reunification of Ireland by default.  Which probably
 LL> explains why Gerry Adams and most Unionists already have given up.

Nonsense. The unionists have not given up just because Gerry Adams goes to
enjoy his pension.

 MvdV>> Catholics and protestants have peacefully lived together for
 MvdV>> over half a century in many parts of the world.

 LL> You are talking about Ireland, the land that gave us Michael Collins.
 LL> Irish lads (and lasses) remember him, quite fondly, as if he was still
 LL> with them today.

I met Jerry Collins.

 LL> As I said earlier, it is a simple numbers game.

As I said: it is never a simple numbers game.


Cheers, Michiel

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