How many Protestants will read the SDLP's blueprint for a united Ireland?
The Border is a matter on which few people here have open minds.
The SDLP document had a triple launch - in Belfast Castle, Dublin, and
Newry. Maybe Ballybean or Ballymena might have been an idea if the party
was serious about convincing Prods.
The arguments for Irish unity, without a radical over-haul of the political,
social and economic system in the Republic, are massively weak.
No matter how its supporters argue that it makes economic sense, many
ordinary people look south of the Border and see a hugely expensive place to
live.
Having worked in Dublin for a year, I never ceased to be amazed at how much
things cost. A coffee and sandwich, a pint, fresh fruit, a taxi, a CD, a
bunch of flowers, a newspaper - everything is dearer than on this side of
the Border.
Outside Dublin, it's not so bad but it's still substantially more expensive
than Northern Ireland. Many big stores increase their prices by up to 33% in the Republic.
Why else are people from as far away as Cork shopping in Newry?
The NHS is hugely under-funded and is far from perfect, but it's still
vastly superior to what's on offer without payment south of the Border.
Even when you must pay for treatment up here, it's still cheaper. I know
dozens of people who come north for dental treatment. Diesel is about the
only product which costs less in the Republic.
Catholics might say they are prepared to pay the price for Irish unity but
talk is cheap.
It's like the middle-aged man complaining that he's unhappy with his life
and wants something different. Then, someone offers him the opportunity to
pack in his job and go back-packing around the world. Chances are, he'll
stay put.
Property prices in the North have risen since the peace process but most
people can still afford to live in Belfast. That's increasingly not the case
in Dublin even for professionals.
Unless they already had a foot on the property ladder, most 20- and
30-somethings have been priced out of the market in recent years. The only
way to secure mortgages is by joining with others.
So you'll find three young professionals who are friends, or a brother,
sister and cousin, clubbing together to buy a house.
The only other option is living miles outside the city - like in Navan or
Drogheda - and spending hours every day commuting to work.
Of course, there is more to life than money. There is a great buzz in
Dublin, a wonderfully vibrant social scene, that Belfast just doesn't have.
But in terms of human rights and civil liberties, the Republic actually lags
behind Northern Ireland. There is arguably more corruption in the Garda
than in the PSNI, one of the most accountable police forces in the world.
The no-jury Special Criminal Court outdoes our Diplock courts any day of the
week. The Dail has little to recommend it. I found the only truly
independent and challenging voice to be that of Socialist TD Joe Higgins.
If nationalists are at times guilty of intellectual dishonesty about Irish
unity, then many unionists are too. Even if we would all be better off
financially in a unitary state, how many Protestants would want it?
Criticisms of the theocratic nature of the South over the years ring hollow
when one watches the enthusiasm with which many unionists embrace President
Bush.
Objections to religious influence in state affairs seem to exist only when
it's Catholic influence. It's more straight-talking, and less spin, needed
from both sides on the issue of Irish unity.
