[Marxism] Phil Ferguson: a disciple of Radek

["DoC" <donaloc@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I disagree with pan-nationalism in Ireland because, in terms of Irish
politics, I am a Connollyist, not a Trotskyist.  I disagree with
pan-nationalism because I adhere also to the basic long-time orthodoxy
of republicanism, which has consistently opposed pan-nationalism.

Ever notice how every body claims to be a Connollyist - without
providing the least bit of evidence that their bizarre opinions somehow
coincide with what the man stood for. Connolly never wrote anything
against uniting with others so long as it was on the basis of the twin
objectives of national liberation and socialism - a victory for one
would aid the victory of the other.

For me, unlike you, pan-Nationalism doesn't mean some accommodation to
the interests of our national bourgeoisie - in terms of their
neo-colonial agenda. Instead, it is about building together, drawing
together as much weight behind the demand for Irish unity as is
possible. For me, that can only be effective when we have our own
political line - we are not being led. For me, that can only be
effective when we see ourselves growing at the expense of those who we
work with. For me, that's about reaching into parties like Fianna Fail
and using whatever National consciousness they have to push their own
leaderships or else create schisms.

The most crazy thing of all is that you're discussion is happening in
some time-warp. It's as if you are entirely blind to the realities of
what actually came out of our pan-Nationalism. Instead of SF being
sucked into the system - we had a few hiccups, but we were not
fundamentally compromised - we have instead continued and grown over the
last 10 years. Our left-wing politics are much better developed now -
just waken up and visit the policy section of our website.

We are now the largest pro-Agreement party in the 6Cs and our enemies
are quaking in Dublin - to the extent that the media there are
paraplexic with fear that SF might somehow do to FF what we did to the
SDLP (a fear which is not about to happen within the next 5 years
anyhow). Right now, there's no more chance of FF joining SF in a
pan-Nationalist alliance than there is of Paisley's DUP of doing the
same. Why is that? Because they recognise that we can't be bought off,
that we are serious about change going far beyond Irish unity alone and
that we're really threatening their support-base. That's not to say SF
won't attempt to push the issue of pan-Nationalism at every possible
front - just to embarrass their so-called commitment to Irish unity.

Pan-Nationalism is another way of describing the recognition that
militant Republicans or even Republican Socialists just can't lead this
revolution alone - particularly at this stage. We need to capture the
hearts and minds of the population - and if that takes working with
bourgeois nationalists or even proto-fascist imperialists like Paisley's
DUP then sobeit. The same logic is what is guiding the revolutionary and
nationalist left in Spain and its occupied territories. Engage your
political enemies in a strategically beneficial manner.

If you weren't such a sectarian, you'd see the logic of this position.
The majority of people in Ireland probably categorise themselves as
middle-class - like most countries in the West (rightly or wrongly). We
have to find a way of getting these people to 'buy into' the programme
of increasing equality and more democratic control of everything in this
country. The first issue on the agenda - which Connolly explicitly
understood - is getting the Brits out. Hence, he was killed fighting the
bastards.

Of course, it is nowhere near sufficient - as the 'raising the green
flag' quote of his indicates. WE must tie together the national and the
social. This is abcs of revolutionary strategy - something that people
like you couldn't understand back in the time of Castro and his
'petit-bourgeois revolution'. Get real, strategic compromise, tactical
alliance and the like are key facets of any successful revolution.
Connolly, despite your gutteral utterances, recognised this when he went
out to fight alongside sections of the then IRB - which wasn't really a
pure 'red' outfit now was it. Your position is more similar to Radek's
interpretation of the Easter Rebellion than Connolly's (or Lenin's). How
dare you claim their mantle.

La lutta continua! Tá ár lá ag teacht!

Is mise
Domhnall

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