We
have once again arrived at a T-junction of the
type that have periodically occurred in the struggle
of Irish Republicans to attain a 32 County Socialist
Republic. By voting to accept as legitimate the
writ of the PSNI and the British administered
justice system in the north of Ireland, the membership
of Sinn Fein at their recent Ard Fheis have, to
quote a former senior member of Óglaigh
Na hÉireann, "all but urinated upon
the core beliefs that have sustained and maintained
Irish Republicanism since 1916".
It
is not an exaggeration to say that during the
tragic period of the Irish civil war and the bleak
but heroic days of the Blanket protest and hunger
strikes of the early 1980's, it was an absolute
belief in a future 32 County Socialist Republic
that was the catalyst that maintained the moral
of the Irish Republican Movement and steeled and
spurred on the protesting prisoners in their titanic
struggle against the British State.
Thus
it is impossible not to conclude that having passed
the motion on policing, Sinn Fein, for good or
bad has become little more than a political shell
of its former Republican self. Mr Adams and his
closest collaborators have clearly decided in
its present form the Provisional Republican Movement
has outlived its usefulness. Having removed the
core Irish Republican component from SF's platform,
by accepting the writ of the UK justice system
and thus the legitimacy of the northern statelet,
Mr Adams in the future seems intent on restricting
any hardcore Republican flag waving to old soldiers
and barely tolerated off message politicos, at
carefully choreographed and stage managed commemorations
and parades of the type we witnessed earlier in
the year in County Fermanagh, to commemorate Sean
Sabhat and Feargal O hAnnluain.
In
place of the Provisional Republican Movement,
Adams seems keen on creating his own variation
of Sinn Fein Lite, which will not be dissimilar
to New Labour, the political party of one of his
main political benefactors, Tony Blair (One could
not help but notice that, like New Labour before
them, SF had changed the traditional colors of
the backdrop at its [Special] Ard Fheis from green
with a dash of red, to one of blue and a dash
of green; blue being the colour of political conservatism
in the UK). That he has chosen to do this at a
time when Mr Blair's reputation lays in ruins
and his career is coming to a disastrous end,
and when New Labour has been revealed as an organization
with plenty of surface froth, but few real progressive
political clothes, and which is increasingly seen
as being a poodle of the multi-national Corporations
and their Neo-Conservative gofers in the US Administration,
simply highlights the time warp the UK State apparatus
has tied Mr Adams and his leadership coterie within
during the endless rounds of peace process negotiations.
During the course of the Peace Process, and at
the UK government and SF's new US friends prompting
that SF must be made more attractive to the Unionist
parties if it is to serve with them in a Stormont
Administration, Mr Adams has spent his time quietly,
but meticulously gutting his movement of its core
Republican foundation that culminated with the
passing of the policing resolution at the special
Dublin Ard Fheis.
Few non-SF Republicans now believe he will cease
his journey away from the Republican path, but
will move swiftly to remove the remaining progressive
content from SF's platform. First to go will be
all talk of a woman's right to choose, which will
be closely followed by removing the word 'Socialism'
from all SF documents and practice, to be replaced
by meaningless words such as, 'take a bold step'
and 'make a difference', 'hard choices', 'the
real world', 'political reality', 'tough decisions'
etc, so beloved of many of today's sleight of
hand politicos.
As
to those the media and Gerry Adams have blanketed
together as Dissidents, they have a hard road
ahead and in the short term are in need of an
organization, or indeed individuals who will just
say No! — for that is what the situation
demands at this stage of the struggle.
Whilst such a political position cannot be one
of permanence, and if the [non armed struggle]
Irish Republican Dissidents begin to gain a degree
of mass support, there will be a need to flesh
out a party program; but that is for tomorrow,
not today.
After
the SF leadership has cajoled, hoodwinked, bribed,
Tammanied, and called to attention their membership
into accepting the writ of the UK State within
the north east of Ireland, it is essential that
someone stands before the nationalist electorate
and says, 'No, enough compromises to the UK State
and the Unionist Parties'. The leadership of Sinn
Fein is hopelessly mistaken in their belief that
their current strategy will lead to not only reunification,
but also a more equal and just society throughout
the island of Ireland.
One
only had to view a recent edition of the BBC NI
Hearts and Minds TV program, to see the
chasm which is emerging between many Republicans
and SF party apparatchiks. On the program a confrontation
took place between SF insider and former Daily
Ireland front man, Mairtin O'Muilleor, and
ex member of SF and its Ard Chomhairle Gerry McGeough.
Whilst one might not agree with some of McGeough's
more conservative political beliefs on social
issues, the appearance of the two men was revealing
in its contrast and said a great deal about just
how far down the New Labour road SF have traveled.
McGeough looked every bit the smartly turned out
schoolmaster he once was, whereas Mairtin O'Muilleor
was dressed like the type of zoot suited, expense
account businessman you see doing deals in the
bars of swish city centre 5-star hotels the world
over. O'Muilleor spoke of the opportunities for
business when SF signed up to policing, whereas
McGeough said it was time for a line in the sand
as far as compromises to the UK State and DUP
was concerned.
I do not feel it is an over exaggeration to say
that the core Republican base is becoming increasingly
demoralized and bewildered by the continuous SF
compromises to the UK State and the DUP. If Gerry
Adams were to say tomorrow to Blair and Paisley,
'Up yours, we base our eligibility to government
on our electoral mandate', there would be rejoicing
amongst the Republican base and beyond, dissidents
included.
Having
said this, few wish to return to the dark days
of the 'long war.' What people want is a compromise
in which they can come to some sort of workable
arrangement with the unionist people of the north,
but which will not force them to give up their
hopes and dreams for the future, and recognizes
that in a true democracy, a democratic mandate
acquired through the ballot box is all that is
required to become an active citizen who works
politically for the good of their community.
What
many Republicans have concluded, if the opportunity
arises, is it is time to just say No to SF at
the ballot box on 7th March, not least because
if they have a degree of success in doing this,
it cannot but put pressure on SF to re-consider
it rush to the right politically.
