One of the most depressing outcomes of the total
dominance of the Adams oligarchical clique within
SF is the manner in which they have poisoned the
well of public debate between fellow Irish Republicans
who hold different perspectives about the future
of their cause. One of the more obscene and devious
weapons Gerry Adams and his acolytes have used
with great effect to control the Provisional Republican
Movement, and spread discord towards those Republicans
who no longer support SF and challenge the Adams
GFA strategy, is what they [the Adamsites] call
'The Republican Family', a fictitious body used
as a means to demand absolute loyalty from their
membership and to dispense largess to those amongst
them who toe the Party line without question.
In
reality this 'Family' of Mr Adams', like its Victorian
counterparts, can be a very cold and Dickensian
place, especially if you reject the total dominance
of the Patriarch and head of the household, whose
word is law. Woe betide any offspring who challenge
his authority, for they will be shown the door
and told to never darken it again. Unless, that
is, they return to their senses and recognize
his absolute authority. Even then, they will be
unable to return to eat their meals at the family
table, but will forever be required to take them
in the kitchen, along with those tradesmen and
odd job men who are passing though the household
on business.
It
is made clear to the Patriarch's children, if
they know what is good for them they will break
off all contact with the brothers and sisters
who have felt the wrath of their father and been
sent on their way, branded as dissidents and catspaws
who failed to understand the natural order of
things and thus accept the way of the world. They
are also expected to join in and publicly support
the head of the household's ex-communication of
his offspring, on pain of fear of being forced
into exile alongside them.
Of
course, as with all such families where the head
of the family has influential friends, there are
rewards and pickings to be had for those members
of the family who are prepared to bend the knee
and bow to the petty-tyrant's authority. By joining
his chorus of abuse against those family members
who were evicted from their home, careers are
advanced, doors are opened, and a share of the
family's wealth may come their way. All that is
required of them is to recognize that white is
black, a cat is a dog and that a man can become
a mouse. Indeed, for some the hope of replacing
the Patriarch when he departs the stage is enticingly
dangled before their eyes, as is the way in such
families. Unfortunately for them, it will not
be their eyes alone which will be so enticed,
as the Patriarch, being the type of man he is,
has few qualms about using sibling rivalry to
get his way and maintain his authority.
On
the surface and to the uninitiated the use of
the term 'Republican Family' seems pretty harmless,
even endearing, but in reality it is a carefully
thought out strategy. Prior to this word being
used, SF and Óglaigh Na hÉireann
[P] as a combination were described by its members
as the Movement or something similar. A word that
means the coming together of a group of people
to advance common social, artistic, or political
ideas. Which sounds to me just about perfect as
far as the PRM was once concerned, as it also
implies a certain amount of democratic accountability
due to common ideals. True, it can mean the opposite,
as with for example European Fascism circa 1919-1945.
However due to its historical roots, Wolf Tone,
United Irishmen, Republican Congress, let alone
the 1916 Proclamation, democratic accountability
has always been at the core of Irish Republican
philosophy, even at times when some of its leaders
failed to live up to it.
The
word Family means the opposite of this, for few
would claim that even in the best and happiest
of families democracy plays much of a role, indeed
in most the opposite is true. So when Adams made
the decision to call the PRM 'The Republican Family,'
it is pretty clear he understood what he intended
and why he made this change. Families are oligarchical,
they operate on a top down basis, those with the
least pull have the least say. The head/heads
of the family make the decisions until such a
time as the children are old enough to make their
own and, if necessary, for reasons I have mentioned
above, go their own way.
I
would suggest the reasons why Gerry Adams and
his acolytes started referring to the Provisional
Republican Movement as 'The Republican Family'
and harked on about it with such intensity is
self explanatory. It was a means to control the
discord they knew would arise once they decided
to accept British rule in the north east of Ireland
and destroy Óglaigh Na hÉireann
at the behest of the British Government and its
Irish associates. It would also allow them to
maintain the charade of democratic accountability
within SF, whilst giving them a vehicle to manipulate
the said accountability to their own advantage.
It would allow them to drive out, banish and belittle
all those heretics who refused to accept Gerry
Adams' will.
Finally,
it also demonstrates perfectly just how conservative
a man Mr Adams is, and not only politically. What
better way to send a message to those who rule
in the Vatican City, Dublin, London and Washington
DC? The family is without doubt the most conservative
institution most of us will ever experience within
our daily lives and is little threat to the powers
that be. By this act Gerry Adams has not for the
first time demonstrated his Machiavellian tendencies.
It is a great pity he has so little of a Prince
of Men about him.
