[Marxism] Calumnies against Sinn Fein

["DoC" <donaloc@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

A chara,

I'm not going to waste time trying to convert the unconvertible but I
will try to answer some of your smears.

I was careful to state that Sinn Fein were committed to a socialist
revolution in Ireland. This is true in terms of their constitution which
states a commitment to a '32 County Democratic Socialist Republic' which
can only be achieved through revolution (of course).

Anyhow, I don't think that I need to present much more evidence. I
believe that the jury is out on whether this 'maximum programme' if you
like survives contact with the realities of state power (or partial
state power). To a great extent, I take strength from the fact that SF
passed through a first early test with a half decent report card despite
the steep learning curve.

It would appear that SF is not sufficiently 'housetrained' to enjoy a
smooth relationship with all these imperialists that you state even in
the context where the IRA have disarmed.

So, why is this?

> This is disputatious in the extreme. How can cozying up to successive
> US
governments be considered a commitment to socialist revolution?

No doubt you have a nice formulaic image of how a colonial revolutionary
movement, in the flesh, should engage in strategic compromise. Well,
those in positions of authority within mass parties don't have that
privilege. Besides, I see Gerry Adams was refused a visa to fund-raise
recently because Sinn Fein failed to endorse policing in the Six
Counties. There is clearly some issues which can't be resolved through
'cozying up'. The reality does not fit to your interpretation. In fact,
I think that your interpretation went mouldy about three years ago. The
realities of struggle in Ireland are very different today. It is
absolutely clear that the Southern establishment view Sinn Fein as a
significant threat to their 'state' and not a week and hardly a day goes
by without some outrageous assault on the party's democratic
credentials. Only a few days back, the Minister for Justice used
parliamentary privilege to name a leading (probably the leading
investigative) journalist in Ireland as having gone to Colombia in the
company of a known 'IRA' man. He claimed and was supported by the Irish
'taoiseach' or prime minister that he was justified in saying this as he
wanted to defend the integrity of the Free State from subversion. He
refused to say exactly how it was in danger of subversion. Moreover,
this is in the context of an IRA disarmament. So the ruling class
clearly see a serious threat coming from Sinn Fein as a political party.

> How can signing up to a GFA designed not as a first step on the road
> to a United Ireland but
rather a cynical measure by the British State to counter and derail what
was a
separatist movement also be considered in the same vein?

The GFA was a compromise - one that gave sufficient leaway to all sides
to contest power. I believe that the GFA gave a strategic basis for SF
to win that contest and in fact begin the work of building a socialist
revolution. That is the task before SF today.

> Gerry Adams, by leading Sinn Fein down the path of accommodation and
legitimization of the Free Market status quo, has in effect disengaged
the struggle
for liberation in the Six Counties from the international struggle
against US
imperialism and its key ally in the North Atlantic - the British State.
This is
irrefutable.

Any liberation struggle of the Irish people against the British state
cannot be disservered from the wider anti-imperialist struggle. That is
why when Gerry Adams goes to anti-imperialist conferences he is mobbed.
That is why the left of British Labour fete Sinn Fein politicians, that
is why SF has support from across the other liberation struggles.

Besides, if SF were in the pockets of the British state as you claim -
just why is it that the British government effectively allowed a 'coup
d'etat' to occur when the Special Branch raided the Six County Assembly
for an alleged IRA spy-ring. An allegation which has just collapsed to
nothing. This allegation and the arrival of hundreds of RUC/PSNI
vehicles to confiscate materials and information directly led to the
collapse of the Six County Executive - which has not been re-established
to date (three years later). Why is it that the British state collapsed
these institutions? Why is it that they remain collapsed at a time when
the IRA have disarmed? Why does the Dublin Govt refuse to countenance SF
in coalition or even relying upon SF minority support?

There is a shared answer to all these questions. It is because SF are
not the shame-faced opportunists that you misrepresent them as. SF are
seriously working and thinking about a revolution in Ireland.

Le meas,

DoC


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