Dead Men Gave Birth

Tonight the Pensive Quill features guest writer Sean Doyle, Regional Socialist Republican Unity Committee.

When all the choreography and timely press releases with due emphasis on participants had been adhered to and the illusion of British power sharing under devolution had been confirmed by the junior partner as is always usual in these flawed circumstances. 

Convincing your support base and yourself that you have not been upstaged when your pride is at stake it is unbelievable what energy you waste convincing your members that you are right knowing in your heart that it is not what you envisaged. At least for those Socialist Republicans within the ranks their dream has unfolded as a nightmare. In principle and in deed the recognition of our colonial masters right of sovereignty over the 6 counties and the 26 county referendums nullifying Articles 2 and 3 of our constitution. Copper fastened partition that only the unionist consent can change. We Socialist Republicans have no rights or say as Roger Casement speaking from the dock in his defence to a charge of treason in London in 1916 “Where all your rights only become an accumulated wrong”. To challenge the political right wing process developed by the British government and 26 county nationalists mindful of the U.S. support.   

The Sinn Fein nationalist core seized the opportunity to create a new wealthy Catholic middle class. Just as happened in the 26 counties in 1922 class interests were greater than national differences. Dissent or criticism of this political process is to stand accused of undermining the peace process. This argument is proffered to deflect us from the shocking ramifications and recognition pertained in The Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement obliges the MLA’s to support the institutions of the state designed and controlled by Westminster legislation, the judicial process and policing. No power to raise taxes to develop a more just and equitable society. But instructed to enforce austerity measures to protect the markets. Ministers to administer the wishes of Westminster that’s our reward for our omission of our constitutional right to the 6 counties!

I am not prepared to accept this political process when there was a major opportunity presented without conflicting with the peace process. To engage in revolutionary political activities that had been left neglected due to the demands of maintaining a military campaign that has been the explanation preferred to me for decades. James Connolly said: “We believe in constitutional actions in normal times but we believe in revolutionary actions in exceptional times”. Had the leadership being intent and prepared the members through educational class politics in advance of parking the military campaign and initiated Socialist Revolutionary leadership in the communities and on the streets instead their weakness was their obsession to control and the personal opportunities for an elite coupled with a deluded notion of a United Ireland by 2016. History is written by the victors so perhaps this opportunity will not be included. Maybe the authors of “lost revolution” will pen part two.

As for the Orange State and all it entailed gerrymandering, lack of housing, unemployment, second class citizens and the sad catalogue of sectarian bigotry designed fostered and supported by successive British governments had been exposed to the world due to the sacrifices of the lives of our so young freedom fighters and by television crews beaming in to homes all over the world the Orange State was over. The Good Friday Agreement was the new order which Tommy Mc Kearney describes as “exchanging an Orange State for a Sectarian State” in his book The Provisional IRA from Insurrection to Parliament.:

Decisions must have a minimum of 40% support of representatives who have registered as Unionists or 60% Nationalists or vice versa. Representatives of parties who decline to register as either may vote but their votes do not count when it comes to deciding if cross community consent has been obtained. A system that was devised in order to overcome the old and divisive Orange State has done so at the cost of embedding communal sectarianism.

No room there for other groupings just more polarisation. Socialist Republicans must unite on issues, equality, the rights of man and liberty the 3 basic beliefs and build relations with each other in their communities. My definition of a revolution is an activist for change not reforms with or without a gun, a political soldier. James Connolly put it very simply but it obviously fell on deaf ears “We mean to be free and in every enemy of tyranny we recognise a brother, wherever be his birthplace, in every enemy of freedom we also recognise our enemy though he were as Irish as our hills”.

I recall the heated debates going back to the mid to late 1960’s throughout the movement at all levels. In Wicklow we were fortunate to have an educational officer of the persuasion that the education of your members was the vital stimulation. To open minds and build confidence through debate and homing skills to articulate and sustain each member through the challenges that will confront us on our journey. To the late May Hayes I will remain eternally grateful. In our history which has been well documented involvement in class politics was perceived by some within the Republican movement as reformist and reviled. Seamus Costello and some comrades after Operation Harvest fought and debated and were relentless in their belief that the national question and the class struggle were ONE. You cannot liberate a country you must liberate the people. Without people you have no liberation. I recall his words about Operation Harvest. He said “It failed not because of lack of popular support but because of lack of popular involvement. Slaps on the back and platitudes don’t win wars”. And of course there were also other factors.

But the undeniable fact that confronts us today if we don’t build a broad front of Socialist Republicans and initiate a class struggle the right wing nationalists will prey on us and our grandchildren for decades to come. The power is in our OWN hands. Our young dead martyrs through their ultimate sacrifices earned the respect and recognition of their communities who were suffering marginalisation bedevilled by sectarianism and bigotry seized the opportunity to vote for our hunger strikers that convinced Sinn Fein of electoral potential. And it would appear electoral success consumed the party, the short term quick fix to power predominated over sworn principles. James Connolly wrote:

The failure of our so called leaders to grasp the grave significance of the two fold character of the Irish question is the real explanation of that paralysis which at constantly recurring periods falls like a blight upon Irish politics. The party that would aspire to lead the Irish people from bondage to freedom must then recognise both aspects of the long continued struggle of the Irish nation.

In conclusion our young dead martyrs smashed the Orange State and “gave birth” to the largest Nationalist party in the 6 counties. Knowing some of them personally I know the latter is not what they envisaged.

Posted in: Guest Writer