Labour and Drumcree
A Chairde,
The decision in 1996 to force the Orange march through Drumcree
was a potent illustration of the basis of Unionist power in the
Six County statelet and the British support for it. Several days
of threats, and some quite explicit violence including
indiscriminate murder soon broke the expressed resolve of the
Major administration. In complete blindness to the lessons of
history the analysis was given that this was the expected
reaction of a weak government reliant on unionist support in
Westminster. The tacit lesson being that if only there were a
strong government then only would the nationalist people be
treated with dignity and respect but real negotiations would take
place to resolve the causes of the war in Ireland.
So along comes Blair the new broom with this 180 seat majority.
Never mind that the history of Labour with respect to Ireland is
an ignominious one, never mind the bipartisan support for every
piece of Tory repression, never mind the rhetoric of Blair when
he said he would never see unification. Never mind all of that,
we were expected to accept that the ``new' administration would
turn its back on its own history and that we could take with
them, reach an agreement and resolve the conflict.
The few short weeks of the new administration have exposed the
truth. Just as Major sought and required our surrender so too
does Blair.
Drumcree in 1997 is a potent illustration of that. Blair and
Mowlam prevaricating every day in the run up to the 6th of July
was enough to show which way the decision would ultimately be
made. As it was. Nationalist people again corralled into their
ghettos, imprisoned in their own homes to enable the unionists to
again parade their power and indulge their triumphalism at our
expense. Nationalist people yet again exposed to the complete
contempt that the British state and its Orange allies have for
us. Mowlam and Flanagan bleating that it was the lesser of two
evils and they chose to surrender to the threats of violence by
the loyalist murder gangs.
This the reality that we need to face, the British state has no
ability, no desire, no willingness, and no intention fo
recognising the rights and aspirations of the Irish people int
the ace of explicit threats from eh Loyalist paramilitaries. They
have no concept of peace, equating peace with an absence of overt
violence. To them the Six Counties was peaceful until the advent
of the Civil Rights protests more than a quarter of a century ago
when the people rose and said ``no more''. The Brits hark back to
those days and would have the Irish people return to them if they
could - if we would. How long more do they expect our political
representatives to traipse up to their table only to be denied
even the crumbs from it?
The lies that the Brits have no selfish interest in Ireland and
are merely disinterested facilitators of conflict resolution is
exposed to the world. On Sunday 6 July Blair and Mowlam declared
their intention to pursue that conflict.
Patrick Hayes,
Frankland Prison,
Finchale Avenue,
Brasside,
Durham,
DH1 9ND,
England.
Save the Croppies' Acre
A Chairde,
It is with no surprise I read the letter of Aengus O'Snodaigh in
An Phoblacht 17 July 1997 relating to the Croppies' Acre.
The National Grave Association have had a number of detailed
discussions with a lot of groups on this matter.
In September of 1995 this matter was raised by the Secretary of
the NGA at a meeting which Avril Doyle (former Minister of State)
was preset. It was raised again in February of 1996 through a
letter in the Irish Tines. A reply of sort assured the National
Graves that there were plans for the Croppies `Acre. Are these
the plans? A bus park!
The National Graves are asking all interested in saving the
Croppie Acre to attend a meeting n the teachers Club Parnell
Square on Saturday 26 July `97 at 2.30pm. The National Graves is
not affiliated to any political party. All are welcome.
Matt Doyle,
National Graves Association,
74 Dame Street,
Dublin 2.
Croppie's Acre desecration
A Chairde,
The condition of the Croppies' Acre is even more disgraceful than
depicted in An Phoblacht (17 Iúil). In fact, it is quite some
time since the site has been a soccer pitch although the
goalposts can still be seen jutting out of the overgrowth. While
the Free State army was in possession the grass was cut regularly
and the field was kept relatively neat. Since the ``Acre'' (the
esplanade of Collins Barracks) has fallen in the hands of the
Office of Public Works it has been allowed to grow wild.
Some ten years ago the soldiers of the Eastern Command erected a
memorial (magnificent in its simplicity) out of their own
pockets. Otherwise there would be no physical marker on the site.
It is worth recalling that the term ``croppy'' arose from the
fashion of men having their hair cut short in the style favoured
by Parisian democrats at the time of the French Revolution. The
hairstyle was a dead give-away as to the republican sympathies of
the wearer.
It should also be remembered that it was in Collins Barracks -
then the Royal Barracks - that Wolfe Tone died. One hopes that
the National Museum will give appropriate recognition to that
fact int heir new enterprise.
Colm de Faoite,
Sráid Essex Thoir,
Baile Atha Cliath 2.
British gameplan
A Chairde,
Relief should not blind us to reality. The Orange order blinked
on the edge of chaos. It made a tactical retreat and as a result
there are divisions within its ranks. That's a gain, but neither
the Loyal orders nor the British have conceded anything in
principle.
Patrick Mayhew spelt out British policy after Drumcree II and
that policy was confirmed in the ``game plan'' for Drumcree III.
There was no question of opposing sectarianism. What the British
hard promised to do and what they would do was try to talk the
Loyalists around. That's what they did at Harryville. That what's
they did at Drumcree III. That's what they did prior to the 12th.
With a mass nationalist revolt on the cards they finally got the
Orange leaders to blink.
Sow what we have is a process controlled by a government that has
rule doubt in the harshest terms any consideration of a united
Ireland and has also made clear that any reform needs the
co-operation of the Trimbles and Saulters of this world. That
means that the long-term outcome of ar review of parades is
likely to e the institutionalism of sectarianism. On the broader
political front it means a peace process that can only end in the
same way.
The peace process and the nationalist family proved useless in
the run-up to Drumcree. The only thing that prevented complete
disaster was Sinn Féin breaking in action from that family and
calling for mass action on the streets.
We need a strong united 32 Country action against sectarianism.
Local committees are too weak and give weight to reactionary
forces such as those in the Catholic church and other members of
an imaginary nationalist family.
As socialists we specifically call on a silent trade union
movement and on Irish working-class organisations to condemn the
concept of ``equality of the two traditions'' this is a barely
disguised receipt for sectarianism built into the fabric of a new
state. The only real alternative to sectarianism is an Irish
workers movement united against Orange sectarianism and British
sponsorship of that sectarianism.
John McAnulty,
For Socialist Democracy.
Plastic bullets must be banned
A Chairde,
It is horrifying that those who are supposed to rescue and
protect its citizens can attack not only adults, but children.
That the RUC can open fire with plastic bullets and deliberately
shoot on groups of youngsters as witnessed in Belfast and Derry
recently is beyond the pale. Are the RUC recruiting psychopaths
or what? Is this violent sadistic behaviour the result of RUC
training or the presence and influence of the British army?
With so many adults and children being seriously injured, maimed
and killed by plastic bullets since they were introduced into the
Six Counties, the British government has got to ban their use
immediately.
I wonder what Princess Anne, Patron of `Save The Children' would
think of her mother's police force in Northern Ireland firing on
children? Her address is:- Save The Children, 17 Grove Lane,
London SE5 8RD.
KJ Coleman,
Manchester.
Field day for capital
A Chairde,
In the light of the high-jinks connected with the accounts held
by some of the more privileged members of our society in the
Cayman Islands, perhaps it is no harm to consider the world which
is emerging for such people on every continent.
With the MAI (multilateral agreement on investment which is being
negotiated between the 29 richest countries of the OECD within
the framework of the World Trade Organisation) there will be
absolute freedom for the movement of capital (including profits
from drug-trafficking) on a global scale into all areas of any
particular nation's life. The Globe and Mail of Toronto stated:
``No government will be able to require foreign companies to hire
locally or comply with employment targets.'' (3/4/97). The
Telegraph Journal of New Brunswick wrote: ``This treaty will do
nothing less than legally elevate unaccountable vehicles of
private capital to the statues of government.'' (30/4/97). The US
Council for International Business which sponsors this treat
wrote to US official on 21/3/97: ``The Multilateral Agreement on
investment is an agreement by governments to protect
international investors and their investments... We will oppose
any and all measures to create or even imply binding obligations
for governments or business related to environment or labour.''
Those who will benefit from this treaty envisage a world
unimpeded by labour laws or the protection of ordinary citizens.
The state as a protector of the weak, the poor, the unemployed or
the sick in the form of social assistance or nationally-run
health services will cease to exist. These will be delegated to
the private and ``benevolent'' (NGO) sectors. Privatisation of alls
state enterprises will be completed.
The prototype for all this has been tested in Africa where in a
large number of countries there are now governments in name only,
with the IMF and World Bank in effective control. These
organisations with their Structural Adjustment Plans have turned
the continent of Africa into a fiefdom of big-business to exploit
is oil and other resources with the people less than an
after-thought.
As Tacitus, the Roman writer, said of the Roman conquest of the
Celts in Britain:
``To robbery, butcher, and rapine, they give the lying name of
government they create desolation and call it peace.''
Peter Moore,
Dublin.
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