The Irish Republican Army has
been a force throughout the world for quite some time. They conjure up
a different connotation depending upon the type of person that is inquiring
about the group. Many would consider the IRA a violent terrorist group
that is nothing more than an extremist group of thugs. There are some
in this world who would claim that they are simply patriots who fight
for something that they believe in. All active movements or groups in
this world have ideologies to them. An ideology is a system of beliefs,
held by the collective, aiming to change culture on the basis of beliefs.
It seeks to explain and evaluate and also to orient people. The definition
of an ideology can be considered a positive, negative, or a neutral thing.
Ideology in the positive sense of the word would take the stance that
it helps people identify with each other. From that theory, the best situation
for everyone can be attained. A negative connotation would claim that
the ideology hides the truth and creates a power struggle. The IRA has
had many beliefs since their inception onto the face of the world. Two
of the ideologies that have affected this controversial group are nationalism
and fascism.
The
IRA has a major goal of one nation on the island of Ireland. Currently,
it is split and it appears that in no time soon will the world see a united
island. The members of the IRA are typically working class Catholic people
who feel that violence and serious action would be the best way to achieve
their goal. They come from many Irish towns, and much funding for the
IRA comes from Irish Americans in the United States. The enemies of this
movement are traditionally the English and the Loyalist Protestants. Both
of these groups seek to keep Ireland separated. They want the northern
part of the island under the direct power of Britain, and the south as
an Irish free state.