Guest writer Tony O'Hara with his thoughts on why a former Provisional IRA chief of staff, ostensibly committed to expelling the British state from Ireland, should end up toasting the British Queen while politically deferring to her government's authority.
 |
| The struggle has been well worth it ... for Martin |
Now that it has actually happened, and a former IRA Chief of Staff, Martin Mc Guinness has shook hands with and, toasted Queen Lizzie, and hung out with her Nazi loving Hubby, the hullabaloo will die down after a few weeks. But in thinking about the reasons for the above, and reading his explanation about reconciliation between everyone, it just didn't sit right with me. Things happen for a reason, and especially in politics. So I wondered what is the real motive?
It’s
obvious as they try to become bigger and better than Fianna Fail and Fianna
Gael, the visit will appeal to the Royalist (West Brit) electorate that have
never left the Pale. It will also elevate him as a Statesman - doing no harm if
he is to run again to be Irish President.
But let
me offer two other possibilities.
- Is it paving way for SF to take their seats in Westminster?
Or the
more sinister one
- To have Ireland rejoining the Commonwealth?
This
thinking has never gone away. And even now it’s being cited in articles in the
Irish Independent. They
could sell it to the Irish people as a faster way to a united Ireland. All it
would take is for the Government of Ireland Act, 1920 to be abolished and we
would be united again with the Queen as our head. We would still keep the
President of course as a window dressing of our sovereignty. And I dare say the
Unionists would love this. And it would just take a few other parties to agree -
and the sell ice to the Eskimo's campaign to push this through would begin. I
sincerely hope I am wrong.
- Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth - Mahatma Gandhi
I think you are probably correct Tony..
ReplyDelete1.. Back door to taking their seats in Westminster
2.. Re-join the commonwealth.
Tony,
ReplyDeleteit’s a bit early to call it one way or the other if anything both possibilities would fit the bill.
We can take the piss and slag him about it from now until dooms day but without a doubt there is some dirty deals in the works.
I am sure he had a nice visit but suspect the presents he returns with will not bode well for republicanism.
Tony, who knows, i didn't think sf would stoop as low as they have, but they did. Someone i respect told me in 2001, thereabouts, that it was over and in his opinion it was only a matter of time before sf took seats in westminister, i laughed at him, who's laughing now? in my opinion there is nothing beyond sf.
ReplyDeleteI think it is on us all across the 32 counties to have a constant agitation campaign against the betrayal of the proclamation. It's my belief that a lot of credibility has been lost in republican communities largely due to the past attitude of beating the bollocks out of any body who was deemed anti-social etc. We have to see beyond old scores and see its not just anti gfa republicans who are being shafted but whole communities.
The andytown town news says martin o millionaire is off tomorrow to see the queen, "Mayor to meet the Queen" on the other hand poor old spike is just a commoner like us and was shopping in the spar the night. I was going to say till him you were lookin well on the tv last night lol.
ReplyDeleteWhether its about taking seats or the Commonwealth is arguable. My belief is that McGuinness has no other choice but to continue on the path on which the British have placed him.
ReplyDeleteAnd that is to make British rule and partition not only acceptable to Nationalists but to create a climate where the Windsors are no longer seen as the preserve of Unionism so that eventually a large portion of Northern Catholics see themselves as being as British as the Unionists.
Thus turning the old adage that 'The Normans became more Irish than the Irish themselves' on it's head...
Ireland joining NATO has been debated very 'positively' at Westminster recently. As long as Marty + Gerry are kept in place anything is possible. And sure wont the Free State Army be over the moon to get playing with some 'big-boys toys'.
ReplyDeleteFurther to the Commonwealth issue.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans can lament the departure from principles by SF all they like, til the cows come home in fact, but in the world outside of republicanism there's a huge diaspora in the Commonwealth, UK, Australia, NZ, Canada etc not to mention all those throughout Ireland (and their relatives) who have been airbrushed out of Irish 'history' and marginalised after serving in UK armed forces. These people may be slowly feeling 'their day is finally coming'. I'd contend the USA 'Irish' diaspora is different than the Commonwealth diaspora.
It's not like the Alien question 'are we alone' the reality is after 30 years of mayhem in the North Republicanism is very much alone and very much a minority viewpoint. Continuing to disguise themselves as republicans, Marty and Gerry are bringing the Brits back to the whole island, or if you prefer, Ireland back to the UK 'fold'. In the name of peace of course.
Considering the amount of Irish who live in the Commonwealth it will be no surprise if a return to it by Ireland is on the cards.
Why do we continue to be shocked by what they do?
ReplyDeleteIs each new piece of betrayal more devious than the one that went before?
Treacherous people behave in treacherous ways and that's how it goes.
What I find more annoying is how quickly the rank and file follow the spew.
Fionnuala
ReplyDeleteRank and file? No such thing, like the non existent Army Conventions all down the SF Judas line. The Terracotta Army contributes a more meaningful input and say in SF politics than their 'rank and file'.
I would urge you to read this short conclusion from Orwells book animal farm.
ReplyDeleteIf he was alive to day, he would have concluded the same line in relation to Martin McGuiness dinning at the establishment table. It is short and too the point.
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/animalfarm/section10.rhtml
Frankie,Tony
Westminster is next, it has been on the cards for a very long time.
Hypocrisy is the state of falsely claiming to possess virtuous characteristics that one lacks.[1] Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie.
From Helen McCafferty
ReplyDeleteBBC reported:
"On Tuesday, Mr McGuinness became the first Sinn Féin representative to join in a toast to the Queen, as an orchestra played God Save The Queen at the Windsor Castle banquet.
Mr McGuinness said he believed the "vast majority of people on the island of Ireland will be very supportive of me contributing to a process of conflict resolution and very important acts of reconciliation".
Really Martin? Well while you and Michael Higgins, President of Ireland, are toasting the Queen at Windsor Castle the PSNI are on a roll again:
Police are to reinvestigate claims that the Provisional IRA bought guns from America
and smuggled them into Northern Ireland in the late 1990s, following a BBC Spotlight investigation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26964668
The RUC are perhaps showing the extent of angst within the loyalist community at SF and the Free State getting into bed with the Royals. May it not be an attempted cry for attention from the sectarian RUC/Loyalists to the British establishment? Tebbit certainly heard the call.
ReplyDeleteJames,
ReplyDeleteI wonder when they were seated amongst all the pomp and ceremony did any of the six or seven Sinn Fein representatives stop, even for a second to consider the extent of what they were partaking in?
It's defies logic that any of them that would profess to have a Republican bone, irrespective of whether it is Irish Republican or otherwise could sit there amongst those who hold dear the established monarchy!
Maskey clueless, Ni Chullen, clueless, O Dowd clueless so why were they there just to make up the numbers at the trough?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-31696258
ReplyDelete