Jamie Bryson adores the Union but advocates everything against which the modern Union stands.
The man from Donaghadee can call for Union Flags on every lampost, call for a return to “biblical based Protestantism” for loyalism, and call on other retrogrades, then without the slightest sense of contradiction or inconsistency, call for liberal and distant London government.
Shameless opportunism if not hypocrisy. Like Jim Allister he can eulogise about the probity of London bicameral oppositional government, then slam the idea of London style LGBT legislation.
He can talk about republican past ad finitum but can forget and champion loyalist horrors, whichever suits. Doublespeak, holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s head simultaneously and accepting both of them.
Bryson wrote that liberal politics “is anathema to the reformed faith of Protestantism”. Under that construction, London is anathema to his Northern Ireland, and by extension, the Union is anathema to his “wee country.”
In his latest piece on eamonnmallie.com he abhors “the slow road to a United Ireland”, yet wants to put his dismembered Ulster into the hands of Whitehall whose active policy has been one of withdrawal.
He criticises mandatory coalition – which is kind of easy – but discounts the incontrovertible reality that this is the least worst option and the output of decades of unionist misgovernment and communal conflict. As David Trimble said:
“Voluntary coalition was a good idea in 1975. It would have worked then if Paisley under pressure from the element which now form the backbone of TUV had not turned turtle.”
The irony is that the voluntary coalition that Bryson pines for was blocked by the same kind of “sell-out” shouting protestant fanatics when it could have worked.
In any case, going back to Direct Rule is not even an argument; London is the architect, steward and guarantor of the peace process, underpinned by Dublin and the international community.
The call for a new deal based on the fact the belief that the Good Friday, Saint Andrews and Hillsborough are all part of an appeasement-surrender process is a gross distortion of reality.
Contrary to Bryson-belief protestants are not being “persecuted“. It’s the inverse, unionism won in 1998 and loyalist culture is flourishing. Republicans suffered an ignominious defeat and underwent a harrowing U-turn on their most cherished principles.
The Union is still strong and could be made stronger, the argument just needs to be made. Relentlessly, unremittingly positive.
Alf McCreary wrote that the great danger to the Union is demented unionists, simultaneously bellicose and lachrymose, self-pitying and narcissistic; and Bryson is carrying on this self-destructive torch with gusto.
In an earlier post Bryson wrote about the towering menace of equality. That piece demonstrated a gaping misunderstanding of recent history and moreover of English and British liberalism and the role that the Anglosphere has had in creating a code of human rights we consider normal instead of being an exceptional privilege denied to most of mankind throughout time. Besides this, that piece was rather repetitive and obscurantist.
Jamie has made quite a mandate-free name for himself as the authentic voice of disgruntled loyalism. A man who will seemingly say anything as long as he is heard. He has a voice and he can use it. He has an argument and he can make it. But for too long the “self-appointed loyalist” type has had a disproportionate hold over the conversation. Their voice and their stories needs a rebuttal and a counter-narrative, at the very least.
What we really need is Bryson-style controversialism from Northern Ireland’s global citizen, less from a Victorian-era loud mouth.
13 Comments
Well said Brian, but Bryson should keep his opinions to himself and his mothers home. Seriously, why do you lot hang on every word he says. The guy is from Donaghadee, but can drive 19 miles start some trouble. Go home to his mother and fathers house, then read about himself on twitter and the news!
Ignore him and he will go away!
He is the new “Paisley” in the making
He is the new “Paisley” in the making
Copycat more like it, you can bet the first brick through the windy of the bryson house. Even if its just an accident due to jamie giving his neighbours address as 43 rosepark instead of 45, you can bet he’d have psnira outside his door like at no10 downing street!
A lazy media that was fed on easy jouranlism provided by hatred and horror saw another easy oppotunity for easy copy and inflated him and the whole flegs nonsense to the point where people lost their businesses. What’s more, young people have have criminal records and another generation is infected, down thje drain.
Jamie and his drones also have links to the EDL and other supremacist groups and has been filmed involved in sectarian violence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GSrWEDRTD8
Brysons too smart to get his name associated with EDL, I know his type and they act all innocent with mommy!
Remember this clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8spZlTfYDw
Lets find out what the Brysons own and get a boycott, this guy supports the organisation who ruint my childhood and my life!
So young Jamie took to twitter to offer his critique of BJS observations and in the process libeled him.
Eamonn, old fruit, unionism won NOTHING in 1998. Unionist numbers continue to fall year-on-year, while the number of nationalists and republicans continues to grow. For those who believe that a rump of “Castle Catholics” will save the union, I can say only this: don’t cry too inconsolably when even WITH such “Castle Catholics” the union is swept away by the loud and proud voice of Irish citizens who will finally achieve our aim to dislodge Britain from our country and to be rid of its malicious interference in our affairs. Unionists can do as they like, cry, scream, throw their toys out of the pram or take up arms again – but nothing they do or say will stop the inevitable reunification of Ireland or stop the train of equality for all that is racing down the tracks toward us. Republicans did no U-turn on the project of liberating the north from British misrule – they simply changed the arena in which the game is played. The game continues apace, Eamonn. You just don’t have the political nous you like to think you do, or you’d be able to see the facts rather than what you might wish had happened. Unionism’s “days in the sun” are over, a long time ago. They will NEVER return and unionists would do well to acquaint themselves with that reality rather than sticking their heads up their backside pretending everything is hunky dory, trying not to see the HUGE elephant bearing down upon them like a ton of bricks from on high.
Antaine, old Cyclops, we need to find a different language in this new Ireland which will make everyone feel comfortable
Does anyone know if the late Billy Giles is related to the PUP’s Izzy Giles, wonder what she thinks of Bryson poisoning her generation!
Any future fleggers or any budding young dissident republican should watch this clip, its off the late Billy Giles and how he wish could had turned back the clock. His last words “PLEASE LET THE NEXT GENERATION LIVE NORMAL LIVES!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D49qyGBjAag
Love the photo. Some of those guys, god bless ’em, are a bit gay-looking, or do I imagine it?
I can’t wait for Bryson’s retort.
I wager it’ll follow the usual formula:
Insult & man playing. Vague assumptions. Character assassination. Snidey tone. Little or no addressing of the points raised.
And, if well and truly flummoxed he’ll throw in a mention of God and some sort of “I am what I am” sentiment screaming with wannabe martyrdom.
Place your bets….
I never read his long rants, if only FOI allowed us to Brysons psni files. We could destroy him in one post.
I wonder will he be answering questions this friday from me…..