The ties that bind and divide - Tribalism remains a toxic force

In our Hadron Collider and text-anyone-anywhere-anytime world, it may seem slightly embarrassing to acknowledge what a powerful force old-fashioned tribalism remains. Yet, that force of nature, or at least human nature, is active all around us and sometimes in ways that may not be as admirable as we might wish.

Yesterday, the Twelfth, the Orange Order, one of the great tribes of this island, celebrated their culture, their social and political identity. It was not always possible for those not involved in those celebrations to be enthusiastic about them. For decades, they were triumphant, ‘Croppies Lie Down’, chest-beating expressions of hatred, bigotry, and a political autocracy that made no room for tolerance or the hopes of minorities.