Comments on The Pensive Quill: Responding To Seán Mór

Is there a difference between (1)the position of S...

2010-02-19T01:39:03.482Z

Is there a difference between (1)the position of Sinn Fein (the participation in a partitionist administration, councils, etc. north or south coupled with their main principle of ending partition) given that the violence has ended by the group they were affiliated to and (2)the position of actually denouncing all violence, past as well as present in the style of the SDLP?

Is Sinn Fein's participation realpolitik to pursue their goals peacefully now considering abstentionism would lessen their influence? Is it purely non-republican?

If armed actions are over does that mean abstentionist politics and non support for the police would be better; waiting for a united Ireland to happen before there is a supported police service and before politicians take power north or south and thereby have influence? Are we going to have a situation where armed Republicans police the community? Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? The Ombudsman?

Surely nobody should fetter their ideologies to the detriment of the core principle of that ideology?

Perhaps if violence is unacceptable and non-participation is unacceptable Sinn Fein's policies are more efficacious in delivering Republicanism's main goal? Delivering it without Republican and other deaths, prison terms etc.

Fionnuala a cara you are the last person that wou...

2010-02-15T20:10:53.462Z

Fionnuala a cara you are the last person that would need my assistance a million dollar babe like yourself is more than capable of landing a knockout punch on any shinner who would be foolish enough to enter into a verbal sparring match, apart from ,beauty brains, and a nifty right on your side anyone daft enough to claim to be a republican and a shinner at the same time is living in cloud cuckoo land, The latest debacle over section 44 is a real embarassment to them, as far as threats perceived or imaginary ,exactly the same tactics used by the sticks to aquire and retain personal protection weapons, yip hon the shinners have cloned into the wp 2010,what do you call a sinn fein mla behind a steering wheel, an air bag

Marty, dear friend, everything I said was in jest....

2010-02-15T18:50:34.239Z

Marty, dear friend, everything I said was in jest. I knew you were missing in action because you did not defend me against the shinners who are now on the offensive again. Is it a figment of my imagination or is there a distinct correlation between shinners in trouble and perceived threats? It's just seems everytime they get themselves in a stickie situation (no pun intended) the PSNI arrive at their homes (all three of them usually )with a threat from some organisation or other. Has anyone else noticed this?

Irish republicanism is almost unique as a politica...

2010-02-15T18:39:33.210Z

Irish republicanism is almost unique as a political philosophy in that it cannot have a reformist wing, it is revolutionary or it is not at all.

By saying this I am not suggesting for Irish republicans armed struggle must always take precedence, that would be absurd and self defeating. All it simply means is for an Irish Republican recognising the writ of the UK State within Ireland is an impossibility.

Not least because at the heart of Irish republicanism is the core belief the 'English' State's presence in Ireland has for centuries been illegal, a curse from which much suffering and injustice has flowed; and by recognising Britain's legal right to be in Ireland, is to give it succour; and encouragement to remain.

Nationalism is something different and is a political philosophy which is far more pliable, but that is for another debate.

now thats a fine howdie ya do! I nip out for a few...

2010-02-15T11:36:46.936Z

now thats a fine howdie ya do! I nip out for a few jars and lo and behold a dose of Shakespear breaks out,in the form of Anthony and Cleopatra(Fionnuala),well folks you know how that ended ,Cleo was bit in the asp, and Anthony sloped of to his favourite restaurant i.e. the kiddies section of Mac Donalds where he immediatly threw a tizzie when the toy he was given with his meal was a wee plastic figure of G.Adams(with moveable arms) hmmmp throws another politican on the fire kicks the cat and slams the door

Antony, "In other words republicanism emb...

2010-02-14T18:55:17.500Z
Antony,

"In other words republicanism embraces people not just some people on the basis of their national identity. It champions citizenship rather than common background."

Thanks for this. It is an important definition that I was looking for (and failed to find) when thinking about my long comment on Mark's Dis/topia [sic]ness post this morning.

I was trying for my own comfort to define Republican Socialism in a way that separated it from National Socialism.

Rory

Seán Mór, enjoy. On the way out ourselves to one o...

2010-02-14T18:49:30.320Z
Seán Mór, enjoy. On the way out ourselves to one of our favourite restaurants. We live real lives while Marty will be stuck to the computer all night!!! Ony winding Marty - no rose petals for us!

thanks for that, Mackers. I'm heading out for ...

2010-02-14T18:24:11.249Z
thanks for that, Mackers. I'm heading out for Valentines shortly and I'll return to this later as it's a discussion I'd like to have. I have to say that your distinction between the focus on citizenship within republicanism and the focus on commonality in nationalism, is a very useful one for me.

My republicanism was really a fusion of a number of different strands, including nationalism, socialism, secularism, and separatism.... these things might not all necessarily blend in with the concept of republicanism all the time....