[Marxism] SF and 'mass' politics

[D OC <donaloc@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

David, 
 
Sorry for having missed your question...
 
>you state the "mass is still with SF". In a cursory reading of the media 
>(including left and republican media) in Ireland, north and south, it seems 
>that the masses are absolutely nowhere. In the north of Ireland they certainly 
>*vote* of SF, but they don't appear, *at all* WITH SF. I would contrast this 
>with S. Africa where the ANC's support, while increasingly gettng smaller, has 
>a genuine *mass* and activist base numbering in the millions. Politics aside, 
>it really seem from afar that SF is nothing more than a republican-leaning 
>electoral machine. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this.
 
It would be remiss to suggest that Ireland - either state - is on the cusp of a 
revolutionary outbreak, of course. However, neither is it true that SF are 
merely an electoral machine. It could not be otherwise, since to conduct 
anything nearing a successful military campaign requires substantial communal 
roots and those do not wither overnight. 
 
As with everything, there is a both growth and loss within Republican ranks. 
The recent election results in the Republic demonstrated that the party 
continues to grow well in border areas and rural Ireland. In urban centres 
where the contradiction between the political realities of the current strategy 
and the traditional leftist approach to campaigning is greatest - the party 
suffered a setback. The electoral result was also reflective of the strength of 
the party on-the-ground within local communities. Where activists were most 
effective in acting as local community leaders whether elected or unelected, 
the party grew, where it was ineffective in this or where activists approached 
concrete struggle from a purely ideological perspective, the party suffered 
significantly.
 
What is clear is that despite the absence of what might be understood by a mass 
political process by the left, there is a mass political process of change in 
play. It is undeniable to anyone living in the north. The fact that this has 
not impacted throughout wider Irish society, particularly that dominated by the 
comprador elements in the Dublin media, allowed for the ruling class to 
maintain their domination of political authority in the last election. 
 
The fact of Paisley and McGuinness sharing power is creating a large scale 
political stirring at the base of northern Irish society (I speak not of 
Northern Irish society but northern Irish due to geographical interweaving of 
the people of the northern half of the island as a whole). Not one focussed on 
the essence of the mode of production but one which is essential to the 
rebuilding of an Irish nation. In a sense, this phase of the strategy has 
opened the floodgates to this process which is so necessary for us to proceed 
to a fuller decolonisation - in the context of the partial British military 
withdrawal.
 
None of this should be interpreted as representing a retreat by Republicans 
from social activity but rather an understanding of the need to conduct that 
struggle alongside holding state power contemporaneously. It is unclear yet how 
the party will deal with the contradictions arising from this situation but 
that is the struggle.
 
This has been a challenging process for Republicans, and especially for 
Socialist Republicans, but we must see it as a type of political transition 
which is appropriate to the very specific and difficult conditions facing Irish 
Republicans. Those who are unable to agree to the logic of the Peace strategy 
have established the eirigi organisation.
 
Le meas,
DoC.
 
 
 
 
 
 
_________________________________________________________________
Explore the seven wonders of the world
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=7+wonders+world&mkt=en-US&form=QBRE
________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism