"'This is so horrible; people of good will like my parents set against people who want freedom -' She swallowed." (p. 205)
This dialogue captures the reality of a divided society. After Bloody Sunday, 1972, three days of demonstrations outside the British Embassy in Dublin culminated in the burning down of the Embassy. I was at University in Dublin at the time. Later, back in England, my father asked me if I had been "on the job" when the Embassy was burned down. I had not - but I had been on the demonstration held by students and members of Provisional Sinn Fein on the morning of the first day. As far as I remember, it would have been necessary to walk into the center of Dublin on the third day because public transport was on strike.
We have lived in divided societies. Poul Anderson imagines such divisions in a remote future.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Correct, my view is that as long as human beings are human, we have to expect their societies and nations to be troubled by contentions, strife, divisions, wars, and civil wars, etc. I see no reason to expect that to ever change.
And I thought Eire, as the host nation, was supposed to guard the embassies of nations which had ambassadors in Dublin? Shouldn't the army had been protecting the UK embassy?
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
There was always a Garda (policeman) outside the Embassy. For a demo, there were a few more. That was it.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
For quiet times, that was plenty! But, obviously not at that time! Eire should have done more.
Ad astra! Sean
Embassies are sovereign territory; an attack on them is an attack on the nation whose embassy it is.
And if the host government doesn't take appropriate measures -- like having troops with loaded guns and an armored vehicle or two with orders to shoot to kill to protect the embassy if violence is threatened -- it can rightfully be treated as an act of war.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
That was what I had in mind too! Eire should have blocked off the street in front of the embassy and forbidden any demonstrations there.
From ancient times, the persons of ambassadors and envoys has been considered inviolable, even sacred. So, to do violence to them has rightfully been considered acts of war.
Ad astra! Sean
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