Comments on The Pensive Quill: Fred Halliday

AM, Paulie, The WRP stuff you are referring to is ...

2010-08-24T19:01:10.682+01:00

AM, Paulie,
The WRP stuff you are referring to is available online as 'POLITICS FROM THE PRISONS' available at
Cedar Lounge:
http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/the-irish-left-archive-politics-from-the-prisons-and-other-articles-about-ireland-the-workers-revolutionary-party-uk-c1988/

Paulie, I found Henry’s book a very worthwhile cr...

2010-08-21T17:05:55.178+01:00

Paulie,
I found Henry’s book a very worthwhile critique. I read it shortly after it came out. Think I was the last person quoted in it – reference to a prisoner. For me it helped identify the parameters of the Provisional struggle. I don’t believe I have written anything specific for the web on ‘the general Left critique of republicanism.’ If memory serves me right I wrote a couple of

Anthony, I don't know an awful lot about Tariq...

2010-08-21T14:48:51.748+01:00

Anthony, I don't know an awful lot about Tariq Ali, only having read some of his articles on South America. I wouldn't call him totalitarian either; for example, though he broadly supports communism in Cuba, he is critical of its censorship and persecution of dissidents, saying that there need to be changes in Cuban political structures to allow for criticism and accountability. However,

Paulie: Check Revisionist Marxist Theory in Irel...

2010-08-21T14:04:50.095+01:00

Paulie:

Check
Revisionist Marxist Theory in Ireland
Author: Robert Perry
Critique, Volume 36, Issue 1 April 2008 , pages 121 - 139

Munck, R. (1992). "The New Marxist 'Revisionism' in Ireland." Capital and Class(46): 95.
(available here: http://cnc.sagepub.com/content/16/1/95.citation)

The conflict in Northern Ireland:

I'm specifically thinking of Henry Patterson&#...

2010-08-21T13:39:20.702+01:00

I'm specifically thinking of Henry Patterson's 'Politics of Illusion' - a book that I personally rated very highly and one that changed the way I looked at Irish Republicanism) but actually, as a relatively new reader of your blog (I dipped into the late-lamented 'The Blanket' occasionally when I saw a copy) I'd be interested to see if you've written on the general

Paulie, I am surprised at the response so far to...

2010-08-21T13:14:51.891+01:00

Paulie,

I am surprised at the response so far to this piece. Thought it would have been much more hostile. What precisely are you asking have I written on elsewhere Paulie? Is it the Left and interventionism or social republicanism and the Left critique?

Alfie, 'an intervention to stop mass slaught...

2010-08-21T13:09:45.273+01:00

Alfie,

'an intervention to stop mass slaughter is a good thing.'

Hard to object to the logic.

Good post Anthony. Reading Fred on the the Kuwait ...

2010-08-21T13:09:15.989+01:00

Good post Anthony. Reading Fred on the the Kuwait War in 1991 totally changed my take on the question of Imperialism. One of the consequences for me was also to start questioning the habit that the left often has (or had?) or using the prism of 'National Liberation' and the reflexive opposition to imperialism and the conflation of anti-imperialism with 'progressive' (or whatever

Alfie, never much thought of Ali in those terms....

2010-08-21T13:08:47.218+01:00

Alfie,

never much thought of Ali in those terms. Don't really know a lot about him. Geneally speaking I think those who belong to self-styled vanguard parties, who adher to democratic centralism and have penchants for dictatorships, are the type I regard as totalitarian. But it is a loose term not scientifically applied. My experience tells me that the type of people drawn to such

Good post, Anthony. I'd never heard of Hallida...

2010-08-21T12:45:16.253+01:00

Good post, Anthony. I'd never heard of Halliday before, so I'll definitely check out some of his writings now. Have to say that I agree with him on the interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo; whether it's by Mao or Thatcher, an intervention to stop mass slaughter is a good thing. By the way, Anthony, would you class Tariq Ali as totalitarian Left?

Marty, glad you found it useful. I'm sure the...

2010-08-21T11:59:24.197+01:00

Marty,

glad you found it useful. I'm sure there is a lot in the guy's thinking you could be critical of. The obituary will irk some who see things differently. But c'est la vie

What I know of Fred Halliday could be written on a...

2010-08-21T11:37:27.020+01:00

What I know of Fred Halliday could be written on a postage stamp,thank you for bringing this most interesting man to my attention Anthony,I was going to ask about his views on Ireland but vrj5556 has answered this so I,ve a wee bit of reading to do,really enjoyed that post a cara.

vrj5556, thanks for your comment. I had not read ...

2010-08-21T10:37:43.238+01:00

vrj5556,

thanks for your comment. I had not read much of him on Ireland. I was not a constant reader of Fred and would come across him periodically. I believe he had a critical take on the Irish nationalist narrative. Not that I would criticise him for that. I will read the piece you recommended. His Second Cold War book impressed me. And his willingness to challenge the dogma was

pleased to see your tribute to Fred Halliday he wa...

2010-08-21T10:15:11.141+01:00

pleased to see your tribute to Fred Halliday he was always a touchstone for me.Surprised you didn't refer to some of his writings on Ireland see "Ireland:Ends and Beginnings" on the Open Democracy web site.Best wishes