Why did some Americans support and finance the IRA in their terror campaign?

Why did some Americans support and finance the IRA in their terror campaign?


After 9/11 the IRA's funding went drastically down hill because Americans stopped giving them money - apparently because they realised what it felt to be hit by terrorist attacks.





But why before that did they support the IRA when they could see that their money was being spent on terrorist attacks and bombing government buildings?

Why did some Americans support and finance the IRA in their terror campaign?
A lot of it's to do with American history-


The dominant culture in America is the one that started out as a British colony and rebelled. This society was bolstered by thousands of immigrants (many from Ireland).





In American historical, movies and books; the English are at best ineffectual cowards and at worst psychopathic baddies (think of the british actors who've made a very good living playing baddies, think of Braveheart, The Patriot and Titanic- all of which tweak historical fact to play the English as evil and immoral). To the Irish immigrants; the British had been bogymen since Cromwell.*








Something in the American psyche likes to harken back to an idealised version of their old country.





Some of the "American Irish" fondly viewed the IRA as bravely fighting to liberate their home country (much as the USA did in their war of independence).


At this point, Ireland had achieved home rule, apart from the North which had voted to stay in the UK.


It was against this democratic decision that the IRA were fighting








Bombarding police stations with mortars and planting bombs in pubs, memorial services and crowded shopping centres were seen as a means to an end.


Their victims may have been personally innocent, but they were complicit in the suppression of the Irish.





After 9/11, NORAID lost a lot of support. The idea of killing civilians to promote political change suddenly seemed less... fair, somehow.





These brave freedom fighters planting bombs in bandstands and cars were suddenly seen in their real colours.





Nowadays NORAID doesn't promote insurgent attacks in Ireland anymore.


Nor do they raise money for the terrorsists.


Have a peek at their website (below). When you think of their rhetoric twenty years ago and the speaking tours where murderers were presented as heros, it's a bit of a shock.


NORAID has changed from The Irish Northern Aid Committee to No One Ranting About Irish Democracy.





*There was a chunk here about Cromwells' campaigns in Ireland, but it got a bit big.
Reply:That was mainly people from the east coast, with strong ties and family still in Ireland. Most of us really had no clue that it was even happening to tell the truth. They didn't ever make it publicly known that they were sending money and weapons over to Ireland, until it was over and done with.
Reply:Many Irish Catholics in America support a single autonomous Ireland, free from British rule. They believe Ulster should be controlled by the Catholics in the rest of the country. These people see the IRA as freedom fighters, not terrorists and murderers.
Reply:Because British troops wouldn't get out of Ireland!!!!!!!
Reply:there are a lot of irish in our country, some of them in high places.