What buggery bollocks right-wing nonsense. How am I guilty of what British imperialists have done simply because of the territory I was born in? Does that mean those in the Irish diaspora who were born in England are equally guilty? What the hell is an Irishman? Do they have to be white, Catholic, stout drinkers with a penchant for gambling? What kind of stereotypes are you going to drum up to show what it is to be Irish?

What is to be gained out of supporting the creation of a unified capitalist Ireland? How is humanity best served by dividing people by borders, races, religions, etc? How are you and the fucking IRA any different from the fascists?

ireland is probaly the single most important issue to the english left...actually theres no doubt about it. Blatant sectarianism and explicit evil and hate fuelled by centuries of racism built on the back of a classical capitalist system.

last mon or tues a 19 year old factory worker, a comrade, a brother , son, friend, working class pawn, was shot in a drive by cos he was a catholic.

that my friends, is on a par to anything that happened in the spanish civil war, its as emotive as anyother issue,
but i fear its too real for the british left,
too real , strut along to marxism my friends and maybe youll hear annn interesting little speel about old eire,

the left is nothing -- there is a war going on in your
country yet you whine and moan over beer about east timor or colombia ... what did that fien say about taking the plank out of your own eye?

come listen to my song come join the IRA and we'll fight for a socialist republic...

happy days eh?

If you believe that violent parochialism is the way to move forward in the world, then you'll have little support. The truth is that whether we live under the Irish or British state, we are all oppressed by the capitalist state. The thugs that engage in drive-by shootings are simply the foot soldiers of fascism, be they IRA, UDA, UFF or any other fascist group. In fact, the IRA collaborated with the Nazis in an attempt to overthrow the British state - their fascist scum with no ethics.
Anyone who blows up shopping centres or trains or shoots and firebombs civilians or turns up to funerals with grenades as part of an erroneous political cause either needs psychiatric treatment or putting against a wall and being shot themselves. What the British government fears more than petty Irish nationalism is several thousand anti-capitalists marching down Whitehall, blowing whistles and smashing up the local McDonalds. They are more than willing to talk to the IRA, but they'll shoot on site any unarmed civilian in Gothenburg whose ideas they despise.
Your brand of reactionary Irish nationalism is dead. Long live internationalism!

Politics in Ulster is split on religious and class lines as an above comment shows. Both Unionist and Natioalist parties continue with the same tired sectarian words in an effort to maintain support (This is particulary the case in Unionist parties where leaders such as David Trimble move more to the right to hold their support rather than it going to hardliners such as Ian Paisley in the DUP). In nationalist areas Sinn Fein have gained huge support among workers the big losers being the SDLP headed by John Hume. On the ground there is a growing anger and rejection of this sectarian politics that for the most part ignores the day to day reality of the neo-liberal agenda taking over in public sector services. In the Northern Ireland assembly ministers on both sides are activly involved in
carrying out the privatisation agenda. Example: Minister for Education Martin McGuinness (Sinn Fein) before accepting the position made clear that he would abolish the 11-Plus. An exam taken by 11 year olds which is determines which 2nd level school they attend. The exam is totally designed on sectarian and class lines. So the more money you have the better school your child can go to. But yet McGuinness has left the 11-Plus in place virtually unchanged. Also Minister for Health Barbre De Bruin (Sinn Fein) closed a hospital in a protestant area purely on political grounds (the alternative being to close a hospital in her own area). Also the Private Finance Inicitve (PFI) is being backed by ALL politicans as the way forward for new investment in public services. It involves
putting private sector money into the public sector to fund Hospitals, Schools etc. The result being that these services will be run by the profit motive. Raytheon the arms manufacturer has been operating in Derry (Londonderry) for a number of years now. Making "software" valued at $60 million for the british government, whenit is well known it supplies arms to many corrupt governments worldwide. Both John Hume and Minister for Industry and Commerce Sir Reg Empey (UUP-Ulster Unionist Party) have openly welcomed Raytheon and denying any knowledge of their "arms producing activities".

Conclusion: with the main parties pursuing the privatisation agenda it gives groups to the left of the labour party a real chance to become stronger in these times, cutting across the sectarian lines and talking about the issues that effect people. The Anti-Capitalist movement is growing in Northern Ireland. Growing slowly as more and more people become aware of its existance. As people see the main parties with their sectarian rhetoric being useless when it comes to redundancies, strike actions, the fight against racism and run down public services. This new movement brings people together fighting for "people not profit" nowhere in Ulster politics does any group unite people in such a way. This above all frightens the Ulster establishment most.

After reading all these comments,I can only feel sorrow over the poor intellectual condition of the British left.

I feel sorry for the mindset of those who believe that Sinn Féin's violent nationalism is the only path to socialism. Let's tear down borders and unite humanity, not argue over how to divide ourselves.

Forget national struggles, dissolve nations insted. Forget "uniting Ireland", how about releasing all of Ireland from centralised, national control? Abolish Ireland, abolish England, abolish all state-nationalist boundaries, and allow decentralised groups of individuals to manage themselves without the distraction and lie of nationalist struggle.

Thats not to say that we shouldn't support the oppressed, simply that we keep in mind that Nationalist struggles are opposed to Anarchism, and that we should support the release of all people from Tyranny, and certainly not a change in emphasis at the top echelons of the ruling elite, supporting one supposed nationality over another. Sure, Northern Ireland is oppressed, and shouldn't be ruled by Britain, but then hell, I live in 'England', and I don't believe *I* should be ruled by some balding grey haired wanker who lives in the Palace of Westminster.

Abolish State Nationalism!

well maybe the obvious conclusion from what you've said is that we should be increasing political awareness in Ireland beyond the borders of national pride? If the way to liberation is through internationalisation, shouldn't the main internationalist effort still be invested in the places most desperately in need of liberation?

cheers,

Jethro

well maybe the obvious conclusion from what you've said is that we should be increasing political awareness in Ireland beyond the borders of national pride? If the way to liberation is through internationalisation, shouldn't the main internationalist effort still be invested in the places most desperately in need of liberation?

cheers,

Jethro

Yep - you're right! As internationalists, we should attempt to liberate people at the point of oppression - which begins in every workplace in every constituency in every country. I'll march with anyone, regardless of their prescribed nationality, if they wish to destroy the power of private capital and the violence of the state.

"last mon or tues a 19 year old factory worker, a comrade, a brother , son, friend, working class pawn, was shot in a drive by cos he was a catholic."
So that is a reason to join the I.R.A. and bomb school kids for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Your "socialist republics" meant nothing more than misery for the people of Russia, China and all the rest, why should I want one in Ireland. Furthermore if the people of Ireland (such as myself) wanted a Sinn Fein/I.R.A. 'Socialist Republic' which various foreigners seem to want to impose on us we would vote for Sinn Fein, there is nobody stoping us, North and South, from doing so. Consequently we can only conclude that the purpose of the 'Armed struggle' has been to force the British Government into imposing (which it actually can't do) onto the residents of Ireland something which we do not want but which the I.R.A. do.