"They believed that Britain was in Ireland defending their own interests, therefore the Irish had the right to use violence to put them out. My argument was that that type of thinking was out of date"

John Hume's quote recommends that the Irish people believed that Britain was in Ireland for their own interests, and hence had the right to utilize violence to remove them. However, Hume argued that this kind of thinking was outdated and no longer relevant. This might be analyzed as Hume promoting for a more peaceful technique to resolving the dispute between Britain and Ireland. He may have been suggesting that the Irish ought to use diplomatic ways to work out with Britain, rather than resorting to violence. This could be viewed as a call for a more progressive approach to resolving the conflict, one that is based on discussion and understanding rather than aggressiveness and violence. Eventually, Hume's quote is a pointer that violence is not always the answer, which serene services ought to be sought whenever possible.