20 years on from the momentous events of August 1994 and the historic IRA ceasefire of that time, movement towards the reunification of Ireland has been sparse on the ground with Irish Unity arguably as far away as ever. Promises of a new and final phase of struggle to secure British withdrawal and the realisation of a sovereign Irish republic have failed to materialise, with the energies of Irish republicanism pinned down under the weight of the 1998 British-Irish Agreement and its ability to deliver, if nothing else, a degree of peace to the long-troubled six-counties while preserving the strategic interests of the British state in Ireland.
The problem for republicanism is that this same Agreement, while capable of sustaining this peace of sorts, copper-fastens partition via the 'triple lock', acting as a rigid barrier to further constitutional change. In hindsight it should never have been accepted, or more accurately those who committed republicanism to this process, hinting at a back-door deal while appealing for a united front and trust in the leadership, should simply not have been given such free reign. It is then incumbent at this time to learn from the mistakes of the past and to reconcile a need to develop new strategies towards securing an end to partition with the desire of the people in Ireland to live in peace where possible. It's difficult to see how anything beyond that can realistically hope to succeed at this point.
There is now a pressing need for republicanism to provide a credible alternative to this new status quo, to provide practical and principled solutions capable of attracting the support we need to impact on the political process and force change. With that in mind the 1916 Societies believe our 'One Ireland-One Vote' campaign can create a new set of political dynamics, at home and abroad, capable of by-passing the limitations of the 1998 Agreement, spearheading a democratic and peaceful transition to Irish Unity. We believe it can allow us to build support for the republican position, giving voice to the legitimate demand of the Irish people for self-determination in a 32-county sovereign, democratic republic.
20 years on from that heady summer of 1994, when the world seemed at our feet, republicanism finds itself with massive work still to be done to achieve anything resembling its core objectives. That work remains for us to do. The party-political approach of former comrades has once again proven disastrous, fuelling yet another abandonment of republicanism in return for greater power within the partition system. Now though is the time for fresh thinking. Our resolve is to build a worthy alternative, to give form to a solid argument backed by the Irish people that can force the British to acknowledge our democratic right to self-determination and freedom. Join us and help make this a reality, as we make it clear to Britain that after all these years it's finally time to go.
"while preserving the strategic interests of the British state in Ireland."
ReplyDeleteI'd be curious to hear what kind of 'strategic interests' the Societies perceives the British state to have in Ireland at this time.
What strategic interest do the Brits have in maintaining partition: please explain?
The 26 county administration finds it financially and strategically beneficial in the short/medium term to maintain partition ... much more likely the de facto impediment to unification than any interest the British may have, strategic or otherwise.
The Societies to their embarrassment may find this out in a 'One Ireland, One vote' campaign.
One school of thought says the war was never about national liberation anyway, categorising what went on rather as a war for tribal supremacy; the dynamics and implementation of the 'peace process' tend to confirm this interpretation.
Ironically the new structures bind the top-dog/underdog mindsets in one of perpetual struggle and dysfunction.
Avoiding rabble-rousing rhetoric, antagonistic protests and triumphalist commemorations for some time to come will be required of all responsible citizenry and parties who wish to minimise latent possibilities of a return to bloodshed.
Only with a protracted absence of violence will anything decent and sustainable emerge.
Henry Joy.
ReplyDeleteIn order to answer your question about what strategic interest the British State has in Ireland.
I think it would first be in order to explain who the British State is?
Is it the elected Government of the day? In part yes..But what of the un elected civil service?
What of MI5/6 ? The British military/MoD?
So just who are the British State.
I would be inclined to believe that some elements of this British State would want to leave..But I am also inclined to believe other more important voices wish to remain.
And it could be as simple a reason as as much as 6% of Brit exports go to the 26 Counties and if Re unification of Ireland were to disrupt this..This would damage the Brit economy.
Futhermore. I would see it as in Brit interests to leave Ireland IF they ( the Brits) were to be pragmatic.
But Why are the Brits so Unpragamatic in matters regarding Ireland.
If I were a Brit politician.
I would call a border poll and I would offer to keep paying the bills for the wee 6..Until such a time as Ireland's GDP reaches a certain level and then taper off the funding..This would have to be better than the current, no end in sight funding for the Brits at present.
So, Why haven't they done this?
Ozzy
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Brits have sounded it out and the Free Staters declined.
Even with an on-going stipend I'm not sure a vote would be carried by the electorate of the island.
Anyway that's all speculative since the GFA guarantees the Unionist veto. In reality can't see the agreement being undone for at least another generation.
@Ozzy I think Henry Joy has it right (as usual). The British have no desire to be here, but they made a promise, 100% agreed by Dublin and all sides in the north, that the status quo remains until there is a vote on both sides of the border to change it. Exports don't come into it; mad plans of tapered funding are not going to happen; joint sovereignty is not even mentioned; the situation is clear.
ReplyDeletePlaying the Brits game and playing by their rules....
ReplyDeleteRule Britannia, Britannia waives the rules!
ReplyDeleteFrom Owen Sullivan
ReplyDelete“The British have no desire to be here, but they made a promise…” – Peter
A British promise is about as valuable as a Sinn Fein lie.
Proof: action speaks louder than words and inaction speaks even louder.
That’s the whole point of imperial status quo politics everywhere!
Once again I refer readers to the book "Geopolitics of Anglo-Irish Relations" by British Rear Admiral G.R. Sloan (Liecester Press 1997) which you can read at this website
And please note the date of its publication: 1997, a year before 1998.
Therefore there was no need for hindsight regarding the so called GFA.
So much for British promises and Vichy Irish lies.
Also read, among other writings, “The Real Irish Peace Process”, by Joe Craig, John McNulty & Paul Flannigan (A Socialist Project Democracy Publication, Belfast 1998):
“The willingness of republicans and most of the left to believe British claims of a disinterested and neutral position in relation to the political framework in Ireland is common across the political spectrum.” (p. 23)
As such there will be a united Korea before there will be a united Ireland.
Read it and weep:
To satisfy your curiosity of what kind of 'strategic interests' Britain has in Ireland you need look no further than Fermannagh where attempts are in the late stages of the final preparations being made to frack for shale gas. This is a very serious situation that will cause serious negative effects to the local peoples healthy and safety and untold damage to the local environment, while at the same time syphoning off resource into the City of London that should belong to the people of Ireland. This is 21st century colonialism, no different to the resource theft taking place in DR Congo and other hubs of Western colonialism. If you were to closely investigate who the institutional investors and shareholders are in these international mining companies, I'd be very confident of names of Westminster MP's, sitting Lords and Royals with vested interests coming up, same as they would across this industry operating in Africa and the Middle East.
ReplyDeleteWith your point about the One Ireland, One Vote leading to some sort of 'embarrassment' for the 1916 Societies, you couldn't be further from the truth. In in the unlikely event that it failed, then you pick yourself up and start again. But no one involved in the 1916 Societies is thinking like that, and why would they? Whats there to fear, and whats there to loose from our current lot?
What is an embarrassment is that many Irish can't look to Scotland and demand the same basic demand of expressing your democratic rights. What is an embarrassment is doing nothing but wait out the future sectarian headcount so we can then beg a British politician that hasn't received a single vote in Ireland for a border poll, something the original Henry Joy I've no doubt would be appalled at.
Des in the GFA plebiscite 71% in the north endorsed the agreement. Some 94% in the 26 counties.
ReplyDeleteI don't see anything near enough shift in attitude since then to give much encouragement to the One Ireland, One Vote project.
If you guys have done some sampling polls that suggest otherwise perhaps you might consider publishing them?
The agreement, itself enshrined into international law, vested a veto on any change in status of Northern Ireland without the consent of the citizenry of that state. The south relinquished any notional idealogical claim to the six counties. In that light an All-Ireland vote is most unlikely to happen ... never mind change anything.
Some commentators even suggest that many who in the past might have been labelled nationalists would in fact vote to remain within the union. Anecdotal soundings of my own would seem to confirm that.
Anthony (McIntyre) called it right when he titled his book "Good Friday Agreement: The Death of Irish Republicanism".
For some of us, that were until recently lifetime republicans it's difficult to swallow that it's over.
In terms of strategy it beholds the Societies to contemplate a 'best possible outcome', a 'worst case scenario' and all the spots in-between. Where would you place your anticipated result along such a spectrum?
Citing opinions that there's 'nothing to loose from our current lot' or that'll you'll just pick yourself up and return to the fray are fair enough but they're just more of the same old empty rhetoric ... the lack of any substantial articulation of a thought out strategy to deal with the enormity of the task in fact suggests to me that the Societies deep down know the cause of an all-Ireland republic of 1916 is truly a lost one ... and they're unwilling, probably unable to come to terms with the enormity of that.
I'm speaking here an an individual, not on behalf of the Societies.
ReplyDeleteIts absolutely pointless quoting figures from the GFA, a referendum that was sold to the people of Ireland as "you either vote for this or you vote for war". So much has changed since 1998, which for all intensive purposes was a generation ago. Given how the last 20 years have turned out in terms of how little political movement there has been or and the lack of social improvement for both communities working classes, its not something you can realistically expect young republicans beholden to decades on. Most importantly the GFA has been superseded by the contents of the Weston Park and St Andrews Agreements, neither of which were put to the people of Ireland, north or south to vote on. These subsequent agreements contain deal breaking and critical changes to what we thought the post GFA Ireland would evolve to, most notably with the handing of control of the PSNI to the politically motivated MI5 and also the guaranteeing of a Unionist veto and permanent British colonial presence in the form of the 'triple lock'.
Two years ago the Irish Times published the results of an all-Ireland poll on future unity with 64% of people questioned in favour of a united Ireland and most importantly, the people against the idea, halving to just 8%. Is it right that those 8%, some who I agree are northern nationalist, have a right to veto progress and deny the democratic will of the island as a whole? Yes if you a partitionist nationalist, no if you are an Irish republican.
When you talk about 'strategy' you don't seem to be following the Societies PRO announcements. If you did you'd be met with news of their spring conference this year that had international delegates speaking on their own democratic grassroots movements towards independents in Scotland and Catalonia respectively and the similarities of these regions to the stagnant and corrupt political situations in both jurisdictions of this island.
You would also see that the Societies across the island have organised a number of public debates and discussion forums where someone like yourself can come along and express your misgivings. On top of that the Societies are in the streets of Belfast, Dublin and Cork weekly, holding information stalls to engage with the general public and get their message out. The overwhelming feedback being positive and in favour of Irish unity.
You are absolutely wrong about "all-Ireland republic of 1916 is truly a lost one". If anything its as relevant today as it was 98 years ago. My answer to that is that the post-GFA neoliberal years are truly the lost era. Bit by bit the GFA slowly being stripped by the Tories in return for parliamentary support from Ulster unionists (remember 1995/96?), be it their use of the HET to prosecute elderly foot soldiers for activities over a half century ago, to the latest threats to roll back more Stormont assemble powers over welfare reform.
Can you please edit my first line to "I'm speaking here as an individual, not on behalf of the Societies."
ReplyDeleteDes,
ReplyDeletejust delete your comment and repost. Blogger does not permit a comment to be edited, probably so as it can't be manipulated. The only way we can edit is to remove the comment, repost in our own name and highlight you as the poster. But it is convoluted. People will know what you meant anyway. It is hardly the worst typobya long shot to have featured here.
Des.
ReplyDeleteDon't believe the nay sayers.
I shall say this until I am blue in the face.
The Brits may just be leaving the EU. Pretty soon. There are a few hurdles to jump.
But the great British public want out of Brussels.
Once this comes to pass.
The Brits will stop Farm subsidies. There may be border controls between 26 and 6 Counties.
The rural part of the 6 Counties including present day Unionists will opt into a 32 County Irish state to win back their "set aside" and their CAP ( Common Agricultural Policy) Payments.Not the sexiest argument for a UI but it's there for the taking.
Don't give up and keep pushing.
I reject the Notion that a UI is any way a lost cause.
BTW in all your travels Have you got any feedback from protestants in the 6 Counties voicing support for a UI?
And also take heart from the Scottish hostility to the Westminster bubble.
It's just as likely as Unionists will be hostile to illegal wars in Iraq.. Matrix Churchill corruption. Jeff Hoon, a former labour defence minister calling himself a "taxi for Hire"..These UK fools are NOT the Giants that are made out.
You in the 1916 societies are not Jason versus Goliath. You have massive changes in social media.YouTube etc.
People's eyes are open. Take your opponents down to size.
And keep pushing. Keep her lit.
from Owen Sullivan
ReplyDeleteRead it and weep: http://indiamond6.ulib.iupui.edu:81/rpbc.html
That all said I’d pay good money to be wrong about all this.
But only fools underestimate the power of imperial elites anywhere.
That’s why English people in Britannia aren’t permitted to vote for a United Ireland.
If they were they would hence their democratic deficit there and ours here.
And now London’s panic for Scotland!
Rest assured MI5 & MI6 are busy up there now rigging voting machines like in Bagdad & Kabul.
So Emma Goldman got it right: “If elections made a difference they’d be outlawed.”
Anthony.
ReplyDeleteThe most blindly obvious answer to people who would say that the British would withdraw is to say in that case. Why haven't the British given a free 32 County vote on the issue? Like the 1916 societies is calling for. That would be the quickest way for the Brits to get a vote asking them to leave if they were so inclined.
However the Brits. IMHO. Don't really do logic. You have a Boy's own culture in Britain who are addicted to military spending.and strategy and holding onto land. In any online debate it never takes long for a Brit to mention World War 2. These people, such as the retired colonels and Majors who read the Telegraph and used to Drive Rover Saloon cars and drink gin are still with us. And still are a huge and highly influencal lobby.
Britain and Greece are the only Euro Nato allies to spend 2% on defence. This is not an accident. It's what the Brits love. These are the type whom are mad into holding onto Ireland.
And they will advance any cause to keep the dollars rolling in to fund this nonsense.Nevermind that the RAF has ONLY 100 Fast Jet Pilots but is buying about 230 Typhoon Jets at a cost of between £75-£100 million Each..Which will go from the factory floor straight into mothballs.( and that pool of 100 pilots will also have to man the F-35 jet too )Or spending £6 Billion on 2 carriers with No planes for 10 years. Only the influence of military whackjobs allows this waste. So yeah these people have influence.And money is no object.
At £75 Million each, pretty soon we are talking real money for a plane that arrived 20 years after the main enemy the Soviet Union collapsed.
Wasting Billions on fast Jets ..Carriers..Or Irish Partition is no hurdle for these chaps.
So I understand your reasons for been negative.
I would point out however. That as effective as this lobby is; the cake is getting smaller. Which is why the Brits can't really afford it in the long run. They are tripping themselves up constantly. Which results in the above fiascos of carriers with no planes etc.
And even the Tories, the party of this military bananna tin pot rubbish has made swingeing cuts to the budget.
They are running out of road and money.And that means whilst they don't want to leave Ireland. Pretty soon after they have canned thousands of Squaddies and sailors and realise they are no longer a World power.
As Vlad Putin said they are " a small island nobody listens to."
To add further to this long post. And to reiterate the absence of British Logic. I heard of a senior Soviet Naval Officer who spoke about the British Polaris nuclear missile Submarines.
He was asked. How did these British subs affect the Soviet Strategy. He said they didn't spend any great deal of time worrying about these 5 Brit Submarines. The reason being the Forces that The USA deployed where so much bigger that the Brits weren't worth worrying about. What I interpret from that is the Russians had so much difficulty in dealing with the USA that a few more Brit nukes piled up onto the bonfire where not going to make any practical difference. Had things turned hot.
In short the Brit are wasting their time. A person or Country which was based on logic would know this. The Brits are a breed apart.all this must be factored in to understanding the enemy.They haven't gone away.
Ozzy,
ReplyDeleteI think your comment might have been directed to Owen rather than me: I posted the above in his name as he was hitting some wall any time he tried.