Promoting the Politics of Connolly

by CÓB Tue May 20, 2008 11:05

I'm aware of what Wolfe Tone wrote; by separation he did of course mean breaking the link between the two countries. I stand by what I said. It may seem pedantic, but for a proper understanding of 'separatism' we need to look at what it represents internationally. The Basques, for instance, refuse to accept the media portrayal of the pro-independence movement as 'separatist' because they reject the notion that the Basque Country is merely a region of Spain that wishes to break away. Similarly, Ireland is not merely a province of Britain that wishes to break away.

The question may relate to the extent to which Ireland has been subsumed by Britain, but even then Irish republicanism has always been about a lot more than breaking Britain's rule alone.

by kevin murphy - 32 csm Sat May 17, 2008 23:29

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLE5LfRRY6U

beatiful song i thought it appropriate to share

by signatory Sat May 17, 2008 21:00

im afraid your view is mistaken and at odds with every strand of militant republican ideology known to man . seperation from England is seperatism , whether in Tones time , the Fenians , Connollys and ours

"From my earliest youth I have regarded the connection between Ireland and Great Britain as the curse of the Irish nation, and felt convinced, that while it lasted, this country would never be free or happy. In consequence, I determined to apply all the powers which my individual efforts could move, in order to separate the two countries

Wolfe Tone

all the organisations and ideologies which stemmed from this dictum were seperatist , including James Connollys . Ireland was bound to and controlled by england . The term seperatist is wholly necesary to differentiate between those who can come to an accomodation with British structures in Ireland and those who will not and demand total seperation . A central ideological document setting this out is called The Seperatist Idea , written by Patrick Pearse . To callthis a misnomer is to be dreafully misinformed in light of the historical weight of evidence that all these seperatists fully embraced the term seperatist .

by CÓB Sat May 17, 2008 17:44

It was also Pearse who properly analysed and combined all the strands which made up republican seperatist , and by virtue of that republican socialist ideology .

Of course Pearse deserves his dues, he has been downplayed and is the single-biggest victim of the revisionist narrative. I'd have thought the reason clear though why socialist republicans would focus on Connolly, as he left an important body clearly outlining why national independence without socialism is essentially worthless. This is not to downplay Pearse though, whose own impressive contribution should be acknowledged, and is by many.

I have to address what you refer to as the 'republican separatist' ideology, because I don't believe that such a thing exists. Ireland is not and never has been part of Britain; even the Act of Union didn't try to assimilate Ireland into Britain the way Scotland had been a century earlier. Ireland is a separate and distinct nation in its own right. I personally believe that referring to republican ideology as 'separatist' is a misnomer.

by signatory Sat May 17, 2008 04:13

"Connolly lay the groundwork for modern-day socialist republicanism. The politics he espoused are as radical and as relevant today as they were one hundred years ago. While the republicans he aligned with certainly were progressive ('advanced nationalists' being the trendy term, I believe) none of them made the same contribution to the political life of Ireland as Connolly did.

And even then, éirígí doesn't forget the contribution made by the likes of Pearse to the fields of education and culture"

While Im aware of a lot of people who pay homage to connolly and use him as a political totem Im unaware of a single elected politican who espouses his bleliefs anywhere in this country . Im unaware of even one member of his ISRP ever being elected . His union agitation ended in woeful failure with most union members volunteering to head off to the trnches in British unforms . Similar to what happened with virtually every trade union in Europe . The socialist international all had pledged allegiance to crumbled in the race for flag and empire . Much of what Connolly originally outlined as the way forward he had to later revise following the pan european betrayal of socialism by the international socialists .Even the military organisation he led was tiny in the extreme even when compared to the small breakaway Irish volunteers and the even smaller IRB . Thereofre the contribution he made to the political life of this country was solely in the literary and military fields . And it was an immense contribution without doubt . Much the same as Pearse .
It was however Pearse who had the foresight to bring Connolly into the fold . It was also Pearse who properly analysed and combined all the strands which made up republican seperatist , and by virtue of that republican socialist ideology . FRrom the intellectual and democratic aspect of Tone , the social radicalism of Lawlor , the cultural input of davis and the physical force input of the fenians . Of the 4 evangelists pearse outlined 3 were protestant and the other Connollys greatest inspiration also. In doing this it was Pearse who reaffirmed to the republican base and accross wider national base the absolute necessity for both social radicalism and non sectarianism every bit as much as connolly .. Therefore his political input was much greater than the fields of education and folklore .These were however 2 important strands of national and therefore political life just as important as what connolly advocated should take place on the factory floor after the kiddies were educated . Because to stick an adult in facory as a slave requires the mental enslavemnt of the child beforeahnd . And Pearses attack on the capitalist education sysytem was just as important as Conollys critique of the end product - the capitalist economic system .
It was Pearse organising and securing funding for the importation of arms , doing the scheming and fighting the battles both internally and externally which made 1916 a reality and Connolly a national figure of importance . Pearse became was an absolutely central figure in Irish political life thereafter making a massive contribution and not just a signatory of a proclamation . And im not saying this in any manner to minimise connollys contribution to revolutionary thought and action in Ireland . Im pointing out that both he and Pearse were two heads of the one coin .
Sadly we have a long history of various factions from left and right using pearse to downplay connolly , connolly to down play pearse , both being completely misrepresnted and even right wingers like Collins using Connolly to downplay pearse - all in the name of factionalising the seperatist ideal , portraying it as something it was not , never was and is not . . Indeed the most recent emanted from a building named Connolly house . Im certainly not accusing eirigi of this , simply saddened to see the same old elevation of one above the other .
What Ive always viewed with great distaste is the demonisation and misrepresentation of Pearse in particular , from within and without elements of republicanism and socialism . Of the two men it is his memory which has suffered the most , particularly from amongst the left , he who has been subject to the most bitter and personalised of attacks . Cheifly by elements of the left who then went on to make up the strident right . Reduced to some sort of pathetic pious dreamer when he was nothing of the sort . His writings , letters and actions reveal him to be a witty , humourous quick witted man with a deeply progressive social conscience , a revolutionary commitment to the equality of women , a deep anger at the hypocrisy and brutal inhumanity of capitalism and with an utter determination every bit as strong as connollys to overthrow it and replace it wth something radically different based upon the same principles connolly espoused - those of James Fintan Lawlor whom Pearse was plainly in awe of . Whilst he did not espouse marxist dialectics he certainly espoused a socialist conscience . And that conscience and determination and most importantly action most surely had as great an effect upon Irish politics as did connollys . It was Pearse who saw the absolute necessity for and importance of Connolys contribution - at a period in which connolly was not even aware an insurection wasbeing planned cheifly by Pearse . Pearse consciously carved out the space within republican seperatism for connollys ideas to operate and resonate , to participate and contribute to the overall project as an equal and leading part of that project , and indeed a hugely influential role that was .
So bearing this in mind Im less saddened yet again to see a republican commemoration that not only concentrates on one at the expense of the other but moreso saddened to see a point of view that justifies this by the belief ones contribution was more important than the other . It seems we never learn . It is my belief the politics of Connolly cannot be properly understood without being analysed in the overall context in which they were espoused and acted upon - that of the sepratist ideal and the sovereign people - in which Pearse ensured that politics and military mind of connolly were given a role of great promienence - Those politics are a sum of all their parts

As Pearse himself pointed out

" It is for the nation to determine to what extent private property may be held by its members, and in what items of the nation’s material resources private property should be allowed.” He stressed necessity for te nationalisation of resources and wealth production in Ireland and also its transport system. Andeven moreso , “a nation may go further and determine that all resources of wealth whatever are the property of the nation, that each individual shall gives his service for the nation’s good, and shall be adequately provided for by the nation and that all surplus wealth shall go to the national treasury to be expended on national purposes, rather than be accumulated by private persons.”

This was the last political statement made by Pearse before the rising. That was nothing to do with education or folklore , much less the pious religious cartoon figure our national commentators of the right and reactionary left , some of them members of formerly left republican groupings which elevated connolly at Pearses expense . Pearses politics were the original Marxist maxim “From each according to his means; to each according to his needs.”

Pearses left republican demands were enshrined in the Democratic Programme of Dáil Éireann, adopted on 21 January 1919:
We declare in the words of the Irish Republican proclamation the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies to be indefeasible and in the language of our first president, Pádraig Mac Piarais, we declare that the nation’s sovereignty extends not only to all the men and women of the nation, but to all its material possessions, the nation’s soil and all its resources, all the wealth and the wealth-producing processes within the nation and with him we affirm that all right to private property must be subordinate to the public right and welfare.

That is a great contribution to Irish politics and republican socialism , as highly influential as anything by Connolly . Not moreso but most definitely not any less influential
.

Anyway Im sorry to go on so long , perhaps this has been more motivated by others attacks on Pearse than any action by eirigi and it is probably more a rebuttal of views we have all listened to from some very distasteful people . Im happier to see an explanation that it was simply the date of his execution , but apparently from other comments the mindset of old still persists and the potential for dumbing down as opposed to properly educating our people on the politics of revolutionary republicanism still remains .

Hope the day went well anyway .

by Tony Dunne Fri May 16, 2008 17:11

was at the commemoration as a visitor. good speeches and a good turnout. still a lot of work to be done. can we see a report of the agm and the motions/debates. slan

by Pádraig Fri May 16, 2008 11:46

The reason éirígí chose to primarily remember Connolly on Saturday was because it was a James Connolly Commemoration.
Saturday's date was May 10 - James Connolly was executed on May 12. Last year, éirígí held their Connolly Commemoration on May 12.
Sound of a penny dropping?
The Commemoration did include a minute's silence for all those who have given their lives in the freedom struggle.
Also, in the last two years, éirígí activists have distributed nearly 100,000 Proclamations, which carry the names and aspirations of all the 1916 leaders, to homes across Ireland.

by CÓB Fri May 16, 2008 07:20

Connolly lay the groundwork for modern-day socialist republicanism. The politics he espoused are as radical and as relevant today as they were one hundred years ago. While the republicans he aligned with certainly were progressive ('advanced nationalists' being the trendy term, I believe) none of them made the same contribution to the political life of Ireland as Connolly did.

And even then, éirígí doesn't forget the contribution made by the likes of Pearse to the fields of education and culture.

by signatory Thu May 15, 2008 21:40

Im not having a go at eirigi whom i regard as a progressive force , but why do they only commemorate James connolly at a grave full of his progressive republican comrades ? while others buried alongside him were not marxist they were certainly progressive social thinkers . If they were all good enough to be executted by imperialists why elevate one above the rest , or more correctly ignore the rest ? Im sorry but it has the appearance of a childish snub which in itself does no justice to james connolly either.

by K Thu May 15, 2008 17:59

The figures speak for themselves:

The breakdown of TD's in the Dail:

FF 77 seats
FG 51 seats
Lab 20 seats
Greens 6 seats
Independents 5 seats
SF 4 seats
PD's 2 seats

In the Northern Ireland Assembly:

DUP 36 seats
SF 27 seats
UUP 18 seats
SDLP 16 seats
Alliance 7 seats
Independent 1 seat
Greens 1 seat
Progressive Unionist 1 seat

It is quite clear that the majority of irish people North and South vote for political parties who support the Good Friday Agreement which was ratified by 71.1% of Northern voters in an 81% turnout and 95% of Southern voters in a 56% turnout.

The majority of Northerners vote Unionist and wish to remain UK citizens.
The majority of Southerners have agreed to abandon the territorial claim to Northern Ireland.

Partition has been copper-fastened.
It is clear that there is no democratic movement whatsoever toward Irish unity.

The DUP and Sinn Fein are abandoned their mutual intransigence.
The DUP has decommissioned Paisley.
Sinn Fein has decommissioned IRA weapons.
Both parties face electoral oblivion having given up their trump cards that prevented normal parliamentary democracy from emerging in Northern Ireland.

The parties of the wealthy and the middle classes dominate Irish politics in the South and the North and have pushed the extremes of the DUP and Sinn Fein to soften their positions and marginalised the radical alternatives to almost political extinction.

It is clear that the dominant ideology in Ireland in line much of Western Europe and North Americ is a liberal capitalist position.

Socialism has little or no attraction even among the traditionally working class.

In the South the Reclaim the Streets, S2S, No To War, Palestinian solidarity, opposition to Shannon, Save Tara, Anti-Bin Tax and many other campaigns have run into the sand demonstrating the utter indifference and scornful dismissal of left-wing causes among the Irish people.

100,000 people marched in the streets in 2003 but today an anti-war protest would be lucky to draw a few dozen.

If 200 people turned out to listen to a eirigi speaker that probably represents the entire number of future voters for the movement if it contests elections.

The Irish Left and Socialist Republicanism in particular is DEAD

by kautsky Thu May 15, 2008 16:48

I tell ye one thing you are great people for replying to your own topics lol, in fairness though good luck to and congrats on the recent ard feis.

by Belfast republican Thu May 15, 2008 16:03

Just looked at some of the photos that turnout was a lot larger than I expected - people had been telling me they were a tiny and insignificant group. If they keep going at this rate they might just do something and if they stick firmly to socialism instead of dropping it when convenient, like so many that have trod this path before, who knows where they'll go. I'm not over the line yet but they are certainly doing more and more to build my interest.