What Ever Happened to Northern Ireland?

Remember “the Troubles” — all the firebombings, killings and maimings that were making international headlines for so long? Well, there's a reason Northern Ireland is out of the news. “The Troubles” are (mostly) over.

Their economy is booming (4.5% unemployment rate) and Belfast is a major tourist destination. We all know that Vietnam is now a major commercial center and tourist attraction, but I didn’t know this about Northern Ireland until I read a travel article in the Sunday paper.

If this can happen in Northern Ireland, maybe there's hope for other war-torn countries. Northern Ireland was devastated from the late 1960s through the mid-‘90s by civil warfare. A friend of mine from Ireland told me a long time ago he thought Ireland was “the most fucked up country in the world.” Hopefully some other “trouble” spots will make this same transition.