I
find this article (The
Cul de Sac Called 'Futility') very pessimistic,
not least because it offers no way forward for
people and groups who consider themselves to be
'traditional republicans'. Within that category
remain some who falsely believe that a return
to "armed struggle" is the only way
to achieve Irish re-unification. Like him or hate
him, John Hume's emphasis on "An Agreed Ireland"
– with all that such implies- has been generally
accepted [not least by Provo SF] as the 'best'
or 'only' way forward. The primacy of politics
is the key to opening the door to the presentation
of alternatives to the Stormont Brigade, intelligently
recognised, not least by the IRSP and its militant
associates. Eventually, there has to be agreement
within the electorates, both within the 'North'
(Six and/or Nine Counties) and the rest of Ireland.
To
advocate out-Provo-ing the Provos to me, and many
other anti-partitionists, borders on insanity
—who really wants a repeat performance of
the last 35-40 years; only the as yet unincarcerated
lunatics? Once the PSNI become more 'acceptable',
no doubt under an authoritarian SF Minister for
Policing & Justice, make no mistake about
it, we'll have uniformed 'touts' in every nationalist
district, and they may end up living next door
to you, and watching your every move. Don't exclude
phone tapping and other means of harassment. Even
civil rights veterans have been targeted by ever-ready
'dirty tricks' elements within the tabloid press
for taking a stand on the ill-treatment of prisoners
[ e.g. 2003], and even death threats issued, by
supposedly 'mis-guided republicans'. Even when
some 'friends' were notified, they acted like
the three 'wise' monkeys. Enough said. So much
for the new era we find ourselves being encouraged
to embrace, or at least pretend to rejoice at
its birth – since a miscarriage was never
on the cards, such is the lust for power, inflated
egos, ministerial cars and high London-paid salaries
to boot.
Comrade
McIntyre should consider a less pessimistic analysis,
for I and many others sincerely believe that anti-Stormont/anti-partitionist
republicans should at the very least consider
some form of co-operation in terms of issues and
campaigns. I stress 'co-operation' because I believe
that to speak of 'Unity' is totally Utopian. There
are a list of issues and campaign on which co-operation
is possible. To do nothing in the current political
climate is to be guilty of giving the Adams-Paisley
'experiment' a fair wind. They do not deserve
that and at the very least the vessel of a returned
Stormont should be rocked, even occasionally,
by inclement political weather conditions, from
fellow readers of your journal of protest and
dissent, as well as other progressive and/or radical
forces within the Six Counties and beyond. To
do nothing is a strategy for fools and defeatists
— to do at least something positive is the
only way to confront our current political realities,
in the hope that a real new dawn does dawn.
Somewhere,
somehow, and by someone a beginning must be made.
At least The Blanket offers some comfort
by way of keeping afloat a platform for protest
and dissent. What about adding the term "Co-Operation"
to that masthead?
