The IRA gets most of its funding from Americans, and it exemplifies the American paradox regarding terrorism. While Americans are quick to demonize the entire Middle East or Arab world or Muslim world for the actions of a few terrorists against Americans and Israelis, we have never clumped together all Irish people for the actions of the Real IRA against ethnic Britons (which includes Irish Protestants), and in fact we've become the IRA's largest source of funding. It's ethnic favouritism, and a very bizarre one when we take into consideration that the United States is -essentially- an Anglo culture and rooted in the British Empire, but somehow the Irish cause has captured selective American sympathy to the point where every year in March Americans across the country claim to be "Irish" and make fools of themselves getting piss drunk, in honor of their "Irish culture" (simply because they had a great-great-grandmother from Ireland) but horribly offensive to real Irish people in Ireland. Or perhaps we think that we're rectifying our own bias and prejudice against Irish immigrants in the 19th century? Funny how things change to reflect the geopolitics of the day. Not to downplay the unjustified violence from the other side (the Irish Protestants and UK military in the 1970s), but it's funny how several Americans have sabotaged the Northern Ireland peace process by taking sides and contributing to the troubles, all the while considering ourselves as holier than people in the Middle East / Arab world / Muslim world.
Then again, when are we Americans consistent with our "values"? We loathe terrorism, but support it in certain scenarios. We preach democracy, but have supported so many dictators. We call for human rights, but sign free trade agreements without taking into consideration the [lack of] human rights and labour laws in the country we're dealing with (as long as they can supply cheap labour and cheap products...)
