Comments on The Pensive Quill: The Borefast Agreement

Mick, what then was the purpose of the blanket pro...

2010-02-28T14:03:49.382Z

Mick, what then was the purpose of the blanket protest and the hunger strikes if all that was being defended was a criminal network?

Just a couple of points on urban underclass's ...

2010-02-28T12:17:12.987Z

Just a couple of points on urban underclass's comments on the stick's book, I found them fair and well balanced. The one thing the Trots and the Stalinists both have in common, beyond democratic centralism, which is a poisonous organisational methodology which is totally divorced from democratic accountability, is 'the end justifies the means.'

It was for this reason

I think the discussion has been useful to us all. ...

2010-02-28T08:33:55.690Z

I think the discussion has been useful to us all. Dialogue always is if we are prepared to learn anything from it. Glad the blog was of use to you in developing your ideas. Everyone is welcome. I don't want it to be like some other boards which are just like walls for graffiti and mud is thrown by each at all.

Thanks for your feedback Antony, It is very hard...

2010-02-28T08:24:30.409Z

Thanks for your feedback Antony,

It is very hard to get a good perspective on what went on sometimes. After I used the same terms, I saw a quote where our Taoiseach described McGiolla as 'a man of integrity' and that sent alarm bells off in my head.

This thread and reading the book have been very useful to me so thanks.

Rory

Rory, denying the operations and presenting them...

2010-02-28T08:14:52.905Z

Rory,

denying the operations and presenting themselves as criminal was not subversive but rather an attempt to avoid the tag subversive so that the party could grow more and more respectable and become part of the system which is what happened in the end. And for we in the Provisional IRA the denying of the political was anathema to us because we lost so many comrades proclaiming the

Rory, it doesn’t bother me how long the comments a...

2010-02-28T07:53:38.156Z

Rory, it doesn’t bother me how long the comments are. Just sometimes the blog system does not take them at a certain length so the person posting them has to break them down into three or four separate comments.

I have the Lost Revolution at home but have not read it. This discussion however has prompted me to start so as soon as time is available I will.

I don’t hate the

Marty, Antony, Well having read 'The Lost Rev...

2010-02-28T05:43:54.572Z

Marty, Antony,

Well having read 'The Lost Revolution', I can see why ye would dislike the Stickies in general, but it's hard to see what was wrong with McGiolla in particular. While I found it an excellent read, the book gave only bare outlines of the personalities of McGiolla, Garland, Costello, De Rossa & Co. (I suspect this had a lot to do with De Rossa's

Clues de Chabrières, I don't do hope.

2010-02-12T22:13:47.978Z

Clues de Chabrières, I don't do hope.

Well said Marty

2010-02-10T20:00:33.731Z

Well said Marty

Clues when the world cries out "give up"...

2010-02-10T18:46:19.071Z

Clues when the world cries out "give up",hope wispers try one more time, I dont know who said that but we really will be shafted if we roll over

Marty, honestly, do you feel desperated? We can re...

2010-02-10T17:25:28.796Z

Marty, honestly, do you feel desperated? We can read books (i will buy the one wrote by Anthony for sure), talk, criticize and this is the right thing to do, but then, our hopes and strength vanish into the distance. And so many martyrs died for the cause... I feel like living in a huge vacuum. IRSP, SWP (well, not so recommended), Worker's party... all of them sound dead, as well as a

Well I have it now, rather but my own copy anyway,...

2010-02-10T15:50:58.351Z

Well I have it now, rather but my own copy anyway, thanks, Rory

where is the hope Clues, ..We are all in the gutte...

2010-02-10T13:27:08.091Z

where is the hope Clues, ..We are all in the gutter ,but some of us are looking at the stars, Oscar Wilde

Rory I would have gladly posted acopy to you and k...

2010-02-10T13:18:22.117Z

Rory I would have gladly posted acopy to you and knowledge is the key

I bought the book, will have to live on porridge f...

2010-02-10T12:07:57.543Z

I bought the book, will have to live on porridge for a few days I suppose. It seems like everytime I visit this blog it costs me money.

Dear Anthony, I do appreciate your comments, but n...

2010-02-10T11:29:12.612Z

Dear Anthony,
I do appreciate your comments, but now where is the hope?

All, Well at least we aren't discussing that ...

2010-02-10T10:47:51.551Z

All,

Well at least we aren't discussing that shower up in Stormont and their historic agreement.

Couple of points,

Marty,

While 'The Lost Revolution' looks very interesting (and I see Antony contributes to it), I have only so much time and money for books, I am currently reading three tough ones,
including one already recommended on

lmao I,m sure there,s plenty out there would love ...

2010-02-09T21:37:10.646Z

lmao I,m sure there,s plenty out there would love to see Anthony and his blog take a long walk of a short pier.such a parcel of rouges under the one roof .does,nt bode well for those who would have us silenced Fionnuala and your Albert was always a wise man

gawd almighty Anthony your like James Connolly ...

2010-02-09T20:55:29.572Z

gawd almighty Anthony your like James Connolly no not a balding man with a great big tash , no a cara I mean I need my dictionary for those big words, but by thunder those last 2 posts of yours wre class, fuck I wish I had gone to school now

Mick, it is hard to disagree with Marty on this on...

2010-02-09T20:37:13.363Z

Mick, it is hard to disagree with Marty on this one. The party recognised the law. It was not trying to undermine the law but have the law turn a blind eye to it in return for its promotion of a thoroughly counter revolutionary agenda. And it was not just about counterfeit money - there was a wide range of criminality involved. I take your point about the law but am more impressed by Martin

Rory, it is an imperfect world and we all have to ...

2010-02-09T20:30:32.903Z

Rory, it is an imperfect world and we all have to compromise to get on with it. So choices are made that might not be ideal and you have probably made such a choice in relation to MacGiolla. I can think of a few unsavoury characters I have time for. You probably don't see him as unsavoury. Nevertheless, I saw him as a man who supported repression against northern nationalists and sought to

well Mick ,if your anything like myself i,e. more ...

2010-02-09T20:29:20.747Z

well Mick ,if your anything like myself i,e. more plastic than bone then relic might be an apt discription,I even have a magnet fitted to catch the metal bits that fall off, lol,in the 70,s and 80,s we shouted when those who make the law break the law then their is no law, you are lucky in that you dont have to watch s/f dup preach to us on almost a daily basis about law and order those paragons

Marty does Marie know that you are causing all thi...

2010-02-09T20:19:53.773Z

Marty does Marie know that you are causing all this trouble on Mackers blog? Loved the joke about Twinbrook library, not sure if Albert appreciated it though, considering that was his neck of the woods for while. He said you were always a trouble maker and I must say I actually agreed with him for once.

marty I understand all that, it is why I wrote le...

2010-02-09T19:01:54.331Z

marty

I understand all that, it is why I wrote leave the sticks out of it, for as you have pointed out they're position was complicated if not down right hypocritical. What I was asking was is it such a crime to refuse to recognise the law in places like the six counties or say modern day Afghanistan or come to that, even in the UK, Ireland and the USA of today.

For me

Mick the organisation that Tomas Mac Giolla,Gouldi...

2010-02-09T16:40:26.532Z

Mick the organisation that Tomas Mac Giolla,Goulding ,etc belonged to was not the revoluntionary movement people like Joe Mc Cann died for,(some say he was set up by the leadership).you say is it such a crime to refuse to recognise the law in the sick counties, Mac Giollas comrades not only recognised "THE LAW" but activily worked for special branch and mi5 and associated with same in