Keith, the lies are accepted by those who accept them.

I knew a bloke who served in the BAOR in the mid 60's - lives just down the street, I played in the same band one time. he reckoned in those relatively peaceful days - the NI postng was thought to be amongst the cuhiest in the British army - amongst friendly people, and no real distance from home.

So nobody except foreigners (for that's what they are, whatever their ancestry) and people with an axe to grind are saying the British army initiated the troubles. I think every policeman in England had his head in his hands when they found out the army was going to do policing duties. Ho hum! That's really not what soldiers are trained to do. But if they acted like scum, they managed for a whole lot of years before the troubles without doing so.

The people you argue with constantly are going to think what they think. feel what they feel, say what are going to say. Its as well they do it here - lets hope it makes them feel better. Give them room.

as for Ard, he's going to go on about 'the spite and hate still being peddled by our fair-minded British friends' . He will do that til the day he dies. Poor sod - he's stuck with it.

Try and work out a better ending for yourself.