[user104658]

Originally Posted by Livia

I don't have to produce evidence that Corbyn supported the IRA. It's a fact. And some people, myself included, will make sure anyone who didn't know, will know in future.

This doesn't really make sense Livia... the only way to prove that something is a fact is to provide evidence? And the only way to make sure that people who don't know that it is a fact will know in future... is to convince them that it is a fact WITH that evidence?

I mean, I'm not a lawyer nor have I ever studied law beyond Judge Judy... but I'm pretty sure that, in let's say a murder trial, you couldn't go in and say "Bob Smith committed murder! Evidence? I don't need to provide evidence your honour; it is a fact! Case closed."

I mean... it's also OK to even say "I know for a fact that Corbyn supported the IRA and nothing will change my opinion, I don't care if you believe it so I'm not going to provide any evidence." ... but in the second part of your post you're saying that you want to "make sure those that don't already know it, will know it" ... and for that, there needs to be at least one of two things:

1) Irrefutable evidence, or

2) A level of personal trust that means the person you are telling will believe you without evidence.


The latter... is really only something that can (or should) exist in the realms of family or very close friends... so I don't think it's applicable to TiBB. So you can state firmly that YOU know what you know about Corbyn (or anyone else), but you can't expect those things to be accepted "as fact" without providing any evidence. It just doesn't work, surely.

I mean... I personally believe that he did "support" the IRA in some ways. I don't believe that he necessarily believes in their ideologies but I do think he's a self-promoter with an agenda and supported them for other reasons / agendae. I think he does the same with feminism / trans rights today. So I find him utterly disingenuous but I think the idea that he actively condones or encourages murder or violence is a massive stretch and it would take significant irrefutable evidence for me to believe otherwise. A YouTube video of an angry Irish presenter shouting "DO YOU SPECIFICALLY CONDEMN THE IRA???" is not evidence. Jet telling us that members of his family knew things that he can't repeat, is also not evidence. So... him having some sort of genuine support for IRA violence is not a fact; it's a rumour that may or may not be true, that some people believe and some don't. Until it is proven, with evidence, it can never be "a fact".