Neglect has become a defining feature of society in the North of Ireland. It is manifest in the North's economy, its politics, housing, and healthcare. The root cause of all this malfunction in the North is clear: British rule. Britain's argument for retaining its colonial hold over Ireland has always been the idea that the Irish are not fit to govern themselves, and through neglect that guarantees permanent austerity they aim to prove this. However, although the partition of Ireland was designed to guarantee British rule in the North, Republicans are now firmly enfranchised within the Northern state such that this domination has become more difficult and - unable to navigate this fact - their opponents have simply refused to engage in the very institutions designed to administrate the union. But it is only by unifying with the South and destroying the idea of an exclusively Northern society can the people of the North escape this deep-seated decay and create a society that is truly its own.