AUT: The IRA and Peace

["George Pennefather" <poseidon@xxxxxxxx>]

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Hi Folks,
Below is a piece by Karl Carlile a friend of mine. It is an interesting =
piece and worth a read

George Pennefather

----------------------

KARL CARLILE:
THE IRA AND THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT



The recent farce at Stormont which resulted in the establishment of a =
six county government that lasted a mere ten minutes raises questions as =
to the real political nature of Sinn Fein/IRA.

Sinn Fein/IRA by actively supporting the Good Friday Agreement has =
openly accepted partition. Its entrance into the erstwhile six county =
executive means that Sinn Fein/IRA has agreed to administer a =
reconstituted partition and use state power against any threat to the =
existence of partition.

Sinn Fein has effectively abandoned its official republican programme =
and its armed struggle. It has agreed to actively participate in =
administering the  oppression of the "nationalist" section of the =
working class in particular and the working class of the six counties in =
general. Up to now, this present period of apparent overt betrayal of =
republican doctrine, Sinn Fein/IRA's promotion of imperialist oppression =
assumed a more disguised form. Due to the exhaustion and demoralisation =
of the "Catholic" masses partly as a consequence of both Sinn Fein/IRA's =
conservative leadership and organisational forms it can now abandon its =
formal adherence to republican principles while increasing its electoral =
support. This exhaustion is a consequence of the continuous organised =
violence directed against the Catholic masses by the British state over =
the last thirty years together with the reactionary leadership provided =
by the SDLP and Sinn Fein/IRA.

Sinn Fein/IRA is facilitating the advancement of the class interests of =
the bourgeoisie through its programme to reconstitute the six county =
state in accordance with the new objective conditions that obtain both =
nationally, regionally and globally.

Consequently there is no question of the present settlement meaning, as =
has been claimed by Bernadette McAliskey and others, a defeat for the =
"nationalist community". Instead  an adjustment is being made to the =
character of the six county statelet in correspondence with the changing =
politico-economic context within which it is organised. In short an =
adjustment is being made to the form of class rule in the six counties, =
the Irish Republic and Gt. Britain.=20

Concerning the "Catholic" section of the working class the new =
adjustment will simply mean a change in the form of its national =
oppression. There is no question of this constituting defeat. Indeed the =
popular upsurge of the Catholic masses in the North against national =
oppression experienced defeat a considerable time ago. This defeat =
manifested itself in the form of the growing hegemony of the =
conservative forces, in the form of the SDLP (including its precursors) =
and Sinn Fein/IRA, over the "Catholic" masses in the face of the savage =
imperialist response to that insurrection. The latter response =
manifested itself as the increased mass terror of the British state in =
the form of internment, the active oppression of the British Army and =
its paramilitary loyalist gangs against the "Catholic" masses.

The political role of Sinn Fein/IRA as a key player has been changing. =
Sinn Fein/IRA's bombing and shooting is the form through which the =
popular insurrection of the "Catholic" masses was subverted in the =
interests of imperialism. Civilian bombings and attacks on state and =
loyalist military forces by elitist "republican" organisations were the =
subversive form eventually assumed by the spontaneous potentially =
revolutionary revolt of the Catholic masses. In this way a positive =
popular challenge to the system was subverted in this reactionary form =
--in the form of Sinn Fein/IRA, the SDLP and other minor elements. The =
place for a revolutionary communist movement was filled  by the =
reactionary politics of Sinn Fein/IRA. When this form of petty bourgeois =
politics had served its purpose by nihilistically assisting in the =
destruction of popular revolt in the North the traditional role of  Sinn =
Fein/IRA was no longer called for. Sinn Fein/IRA was now required by =
capitalism to play the new role of leading sections of the "Catholic" =
masses into constitutional politics by actively promoting continued =
partition around the bourgeois peace process. Its purpose was to lead =
the "Catholic" masses into acceptance of partition under the guise of an =
apparently new and promising settlement, the Good Friday Agreement, that =
was presented by Sin Fein/IRA as the embryonic form of a thirty two =
county Irish republic. The latter illusion was, in some degree, the =
product of an elaborate ideology constructed by the bourgeoisie and =
sections of the petty bourgeoisie (Sinn Fein/IRA, sections of the mass =
media etc.).

To suggest that the GFA constitutes a defeat for Sinn Fein/IRA is to =
entirely misrepresent the real character of the current situation. What =
is mistakenly defined as a betrayal of republican principles is simply a =
continuation of Sinn Fein/IRA's pro-imperialist politics in another =
form. At present  Sinn Fein/IRA is simply seeking the best terms  from =
the ruling class in exchange for their acceptance and active support for =
a new variety of national oppression of the "Catholic" masses and the =
Irish working class as a whole-a form that shall enhance bourgeois =
political stability and thereby the conditions for the exploitation of =
the labour power of the working class. Unionism, on the other hand, is =
seeking to minimise the concessions offered to Sinn Fein/IRA. They are =
seeking to force Sinn Fein/IRA to change tack for as small a price as =
possible. Complementing this the Blair government, as has been implied =
above, is seeking a new form for the continued national oppression of =
the six county masses that corresponds with changing overall objective =
conditions. However  both seek this adjustment in such a way as to =
concede as little as possible to Sinn Fein/IRA. London is using Ulster =
Unionism as the means by which it can minimise any concessions granted =
to Sinn Fein/IRA. To argue that the nationalist community will have been =
defeated by the implementation of the GFA is mere ideology designed to =
conceal the real nature of political development in Ireland and Britain =
while sowing despair and passivity within the ranks of the working =
class. The situation is that the "nationalist" working class will =
continue to be essentially exploited and oppressed. The difference is =
that  the conditions of national oppression will have undergone =
adjustment. This adjustment is intended by imperialism to enhance the =
conditions for the further exploitation of labour power.

The more Sinn Fein/IRA surrender the old traditional obsolescent form of =
its  politics and the less it gets in return is not necessarily a defeat =
for it. It simply means that it has been forced to change the form of =
its politics on conditions less satisfactory than it had perhaps hoped. =
The point is that Sinn Fein/IRA is settling and going to settle. The =
question is the price at which it will settle. It is this process that =
is currently taking place. The substance of the politics of Sinn =
Fein/IRA has not been changing -just the form. Sinn Fein/IRA is a petty =
bourgeois  organisation that ultimately serves the interests of =
imperialism in particular and capitalism in general. However given its =
petty bourgeois character Sinn Fein/IRA's politics tend to have a zigzag =
 character --a function of the changing balance of class forces at any =
given time.=20

The upshot is that Sinn Fein/IRA was never essentially a revolutionary =
political force representing the class interests of the Irish working =
class north and south of the Irish border. Thereby it was incapable of =
leading a struggle of national determination of the Irish people because =
of its political character. Its present machinations around the GFA =
provide clear and unadulterated evidence of this. The real reactionary =
nature of Sinn Fein/IRA is being increasingly exposed as events unfold.=20

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<div class=3DSection1>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Hi
Folks,<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Below
is a piece by Karl Carlile a friend of mine. It is an interesting piece =
and
worth a read<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'><o:p></o:p></=
span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>George
Pennefather<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'><o:p></o:p></=
span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>----------------------<o:p></o:p></sp=
an></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><b><font =
size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE;font-weight:bold'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font></b><b><span
lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE;font-weight:bold'><o:p></o:p></span></b>=
</p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><b><font =
size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE;font-weight:bold'><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>KARL =
CARLILE:<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>THE IRA AND THE GOOD =
FRIDAY
AGREEMENT<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-right:14.2pt;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>The recent farce at =
Stormont
which resulted in the establishment of a six county government that =
lasted a
mere ten minutes raises questions as to the real political nature of =
Sinn
Fein/IRA.<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-right:14.2pt;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Sinn Fein/IRA by =
actively
supporting the Good Friday Agreement has openly accepted partition. Its
entrance into the erstwhile six county executive means that Sinn =
Fein/IRA has
agreed to administer a reconstituted partition and use state power =
against any
threat to the existence of =
partition.<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Sinn Fein has =
effectively
abandoned its official republican programme and its armed struggle. It =
has
agreed to actively participate in administering the<span =
style=3D"mso-spacerun:
yes">=A0 </span>oppression of the =93nationalist=94 section of the =
working class in
particular and the working class of the six counties in general. Up to =
now,
this present period of apparent overt betrayal of republican doctrine, =
Sinn
Fein/IRA=92s promotion of imperialist oppression assumed a more =
disguised form.
Due to the exhaustion and demoralisation of the =93Catholic=94 masses =
partly as a
consequence of both Sinn Fein/IRA=92s conservative leadership and =
organisational
forms it can now abandon its formal adherence to republican principles =
while
increasing its electoral support. This exhaustion is a consequence of =
the
continuous organised violence directed against the Catholic masses by =
the
British state over the last thirty years together with the reactionary
leadership provided by the SDLP and Sinn =
Fein/IRA.<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Sinn Fein/IRA is =
facilitating
the advancement of the class interests of the bourgeoisie through its =
programme
to reconstitute the six county state in accordance with the new =
objective
conditions that obtain both nationally, regionally and =
globally.<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Consequently there is =
no
question of the present settlement meaning, as has been claimed by =
Bernadette
McAliskey and others, a defeat for the =93nationalist community=94. =
Instead<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">=A0 </span>an adjustment is being made to =
the character
of the six county statelet in correspondence with the changing
politico-economic context within which it is organised. In short an =
adjustment
is being made to the form of class rule in the six counties, the Irish =
Republic
and Gt. Britain. <o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Concerning the =
=93Catholic=94
section of the working class the new adjustment will simply mean a =
change in
the form of its national oppression. There is no question of this =
constituting
defeat. Indeed the popular upsurge of the Catholic masses in the North =
against
national oppression experienced defeat a considerable time ago. This =
defeat
manifested itself in the form of the growing hegemony of the =
conservative
forces, in the form of the SDLP (including its precursors) and Sinn =
Fein/IRA,
over the =93Catholic=94 masses in the face of the savage imperialist =
response to
that insurrection. The latter response manifested itself as the =
increased mass
terror of the British state in the form of internment, the active =
oppression of
the British Army and its paramilitary loyalist gangs against the =
=93Catholic=94
masses.<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoCommentText =
style=3D'margin-right:14.2pt;text-align:justify'><font
size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoCommentText =
style=3D'margin-right:14.2pt;text-align:justify'><font
size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt'>The political role of Sinn Fein/IRA as a key player has been =
changing.
Sinn Fein/IRA=92s bombing and shooting is the form through which the =
popular
insurrection of the =93Catholic=94 masses was subverted in the interests =
of
imperialism. Civilian bombings and attacks on state and loyalist =
military
forces by elitist =93republican=94 organisations were the subversive =
form
eventually assumed by the spontaneous potentially revolutionary revolt =
of the
Catholic masses. In this way a positive popular challenge to the system =
was
subverted in this reactionary form --in the form of Sinn Fein/IRA, the =
SDLP and
other minor elements. The place for a revolutionary communist movement =
was
filled<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">=A0 </span>by the reactionary =
politics of
Sinn Fein/IRA. When this form of petty bourgeois politics had served its =
purpose
by nihilistically assisting in the destruction of popular revolt in the =
North
the traditional role of<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">=A0 </span>Sinn =
Fein/IRA
was no longer called for. Sinn Fein/IRA was now required by capitalism =
to play
the new role of leading sections of the =93Catholic=94 masses into =
constitutional
politics by actively promoting continued partition around <i><span
style=3D'font-style:italic'>the bourgeois peace process</span></i>. Its =
purpose
was to lead the =93Catholic=94 masses into acceptance of partition under =
the guise
of an apparently new and promising settlement, the Good Friday =
Agreement, that
was presented by Sin Fein/IRA as the embryonic form of a thirty two =
county
Irish republic. The latter illusion was, in some degree, the product of =
an
elaborate ideology constructed by the bourgeoisie and sections of the =
petty
bourgeoisie (Sinn Fein/IRA, sections of the mass media =
etc.).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>To suggest that the GFA
constitutes a defeat for Sinn Fein/IRA is to entirely misrepresent the =
real
character of the current situation. What is mistakenly defined as a =
betrayal of
republican principles is simply a continuation of Sinn Fein/IRA=92s
pro-imperialist politics in another form. At present<span =
style=3D"mso-spacerun:
yes">=A0 </span>Sinn Fein/IRA is simply seeking the best terms<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">=A0 </span>from the ruling class in exchange =
for their
acceptance and active support for a new variety of national oppression =
of the
=93Catholic=94 masses and the Irish working class as a whole=96a form =
that shall
enhance bourgeois political stability and thereby the conditions for the
exploitation of the labour power of the working class. Unionism, on the =
other
hand, is seeking to minimise the concessions offered to Sinn Fein/IRA. =
They are
seeking to force Sinn Fein/IRA to change tack for as small a price as =
possible.
Complementing this the Blair government, as has been implied above, is =
seeking
a new form for the continued national oppression of the six county =
masses that
corresponds with changing overall objective conditions. However<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">=A0 </span>both seek this adjustment in such =
a way as
to concede as little as possible to Sinn Fein/IRA. London is using =
Ulster
Unionism as the means by which it can minimise any concessions granted =
to Sinn
Fein/IRA. To argue that the nationalist community will have been =
defeated by
the implementation of the GFA is mere ideology designed to conceal the =
real
nature of political development in Ireland and Britain while sowing =
despair and
passivity within the ranks of the working class. The situation is that =
the
=93nationalist=94 working class will continue to be essentially =
exploited and
oppressed. The difference is that<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">=A0 =
</span>the
conditions of national oppression will have undergone adjustment. This =
adjustment
is intended by imperialism to enhance the conditions for the further
exploitation of labour power.<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>The more Sinn Fein/IRA =
surrender
the old traditional obsolescent form of its<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">=A0
</span>politics and the less it gets in return is not necessarily a =
defeat for
it. It simply means that it has been forced to change the form of its =
politics
on conditions less satisfactory than it had perhaps hoped. The point is =
that
Sinn Fein/IRA is settling and going to settle. The question is the price =
at
which it will settle. It is this process that is currently taking place. =
The
substance of the politics of Sinn Fein/IRA has not been changing =96just =
the
form. Sinn Fein/IRA is a petty bourgeois<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">=A0
</span>organisation that ultimately serves the interests of imperialism =
in
particular and capitalism in general. However given its petty bourgeois
character Sinn Fein/IRA=92s politics tend to have a zigzag<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">=A0 </span>character --a function of the =
changing
balance of class forces at any given time. =
<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><span
lang=3DEN-IE style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-IE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:14.2pt;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-IE =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:
EN-IE'><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>The upshot is that Sinn =
Fein/IRA
was never essentially a revolutionary political force representing the =
class
interests of the Irish working class north and south of the Irish =
border.
Thereby it was incapable of leading a struggle of national determination =
of the
Irish people because of its political character. Its present =
machinations
around the GFA provide clear and unadulterated evidence of this. The =
real
reactionary nature of Sinn Fein/IRA is being increasingly exposed as =
events
unfold. </span></span></font></p>

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