The Blanket

The Blanket - A Journal of Protest & Dissent

Better an Honest Socialist than a Lying Republican

Party quivers, (06/05/2004), Letters, Irish News

SO Eamon McCann concedes that the Socialist Environment Alliance is NOT a republican organisation (April 16).

Where stand now those Super Duper Dissident Republicans who scurried off to Derry during the last election to canvas for this non-republican organisation? - S O’NEILL, Ballymurphy

Dolours Price • 11 May 2004

Modesty does not allow me to assume that S. O'Neill, Ballymurphy, (Irish News) Letters page May 6th, is referring to myself specifically when he speaks of "Super Duper Republicans".

I am a Republican. Born and bred as were my mother and father before me and theirs before them.

I did drive to Derry to support Eamon McCann in his recent election campaign. I have known Eamon since I was a sixteen year old girl being beaten into the Burntollet River on student marches. I know him always to have been a socialist, an internationalist, and his dedication to his political beliefs has never wavered. He has known me to have always been a Republican, which I remind S. O'Neill encompasses socialism. Eamon McCann and myself differ in opinion on many issues. The relevance of the border, and the usefulness of armed struggle are but two; but we can debate our differences and mutually respect our varied political positions. We have much in common politically.

Eamon in my long friendship with him has never called himself a Republican unlike those who have administered British Rule in the six counties and are now scurrying about begging for the re-establishment of Stormont and their jobs as British Ministers. Brendan O'Boyle, a relation of my mothers, died in 1955 while attempting to blow Stormont up!

I have no time for Stormont. I have no time for the Good Friday Agreement. I have no time for people who constantly change their position, cement hard gathered weapons into the ground, abduct people and put them down bogs, beat those who do not agree with their rules, have a finger in every financial pie going and seem to have done very nicely for themselves in their day to day lives. They are not Republicans, they are Stalinists. They have turned a once noble Army into an armed militia whose only role is to strong arm any opposition to their insatiable political greed and opportunism.

S. O'Neill is a typical product of the "truce-aleer" period, the "super trooper" being controlled by an autocratic politically defunct leadership bereft of any "solution" other than that dictated by handlers and the British/Free State coalition.

Give me an honest Socialist any day before a lying treacherous so-called Republican.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Index: Current Articles



13 May 2004

 

Other Articles From This Issue:

 

The 1934 Republican Congress: Broad Front or Narrow Retreat?
Seaghán Ó Murchú

 

Better an Honest Socialist than a Lying Republican
Dolours Price

 

The Angrytown News presents: SinnAid
A Community Response

Jimmy Sands

 

No Minimum Wage Here
Anthony McIntyre

 

Further Serious Abuses of Republican POWS
Martin Mulholland, IRPWA

 

Free Tibet?
Liam O Ruairc

 

Thoughts on the November Elections
Chrissie McGlinchey

 

The Letters page has been updated.

 

10 May 2004

 

War Crimes
Anthony McIntyre

 

Address given by IRSP Ard Comhairle Terry Harkin to Fringe Meeting of the Scottish Socialist Party
Terry Harkin

 

A Guiding Light Falls on Ramallah
Sam Bahour

 

An Occupation That Creates Children Willing To Die
Leah Tsemel

 

Dave Hann,
co-author "No Retreat"
Connolly Books

AFA Ireland

 

 

 

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